PART 4- HOW DID SPARTA COME TO BE SO POWERFUL? HOW DO YOU KEEP ORDER IN THE POLIS?

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE POWERFUL CITY-STATES--SPARTA The Olympics changed everything for people of Ancient Greece. Whether the citizens liked it or not, upper class competed against lower classes. Perhaps this idea, that each man could become as good as he could be (accomplish) came from this competition. Spartan soldiers, although they were isolated at other times, had to compete every four years with hoplites (heavily armed Greek soldiers) from Athens, Corinth, Ionia and a number of other polis. Let us look at the two great city-states of Athens and Sparta and see how they developed and how they governed themselves.

SPARTA After the invasion of the Dorians (a harsh unsophisticated group) in the 1200-1000 BCE, most conquered city-states were deeply affected including a city-state known as Sparta. The Dorians knew one thing that most other groups did not know. They knew how to work with iron. So tools and weapons were plentiful and would not break as easily as bronze. It was also a plentiful metal and there were numerous iron deposits around Sparta. Sparta was totally taken over by the Dorian warriors and their land and possessions were confiscated. So were the many iron mines that dotted the hillsides near Sparta. Dorian aristocracy became the leaders, and everyday Spartans were forced to become serfs or helots (slave to the land). Around 800 BCE, the aristocracy or rich noblemen and landowners became the citizens of Spartathe only people with rights. They defeated an area of land close to them called Messenia to insure that they would have supplies and a fresh supply of slaves. At the height of Spartan population and power, the citizens of Sparta were outnumbered 200 slaves to 1 aristocrat-citizen. Around 650 BCE, the Messenean helots revolted against the strict unbending Spartan rule and their cruel treatment. Overconfident, the Spartans almost lost their battle and to the rebels. In reaction to this event and to control the population, Spartans built a strong military oligarchy (a few men held the power) in which no new ideas were welcome. For their own survival as a city-state, citizens thought, Spartans kept themselves militarily strong. All through the Spartan history, there were dual kings that supposedly ruled but it was really the ephors (group of 5 men who were past military duty age) and a council of 28 elders who made daily decisions and the kings carried out their wishes. These men decided just about every aspect of Spartan life. They saw the dangers of allowing Messeneans and helots having a say. All Spartans who could trace their ancestors back to the Dorians who were called Spartiates, and were considered the only citizens with rights who could participate in any form of government and decision making. They kept the military stronghold going for 250 years and refused to let outsiders destroy them. Spartans also would not allow foreign visitors, foreign travel except for military purposes, and even literature, or the arts. New ideas, these Spartiates felt would weaken them. To stay focused on military matters and to keep outside contamination out of their government, Spartans brought in perieocci or outsiders that to take care of business and trade. Perieocci were also males who could not pass the rigorous testing at age 20 which made them a full citizen. They met and traded with the outside world, and took care of anything that the citizen needed. They were also the artisans who made basic pottery, cloth or furniture.

Helots or former native Spartans and prisoners of war (the equivalent of a slave with no rights) were forced to farm the land and care for the everyday needs of the aristocracy. The merciless tactics used by the aristocracy to terrorize and govern kept anyone from revolting ever again. As long as nothing changed, Sparta would remain strongor so they believed. They believed that their unity as a city -state would protect them, so they did not even build a wall around their city.

THE MAKING OF A SPARTAN To insure that there would always be strong military, Spartans examined every baby male or female at birth to see if there were any defects. If there were any, the baby would be tossed away. If they were considered healthy, they were given to a wet nurse to raise. Nurturing, Spartans felt, was the job of a slave. Quite often small children were not picked up if they cried. Spartans felt this would toughen them. Both men and women knew their role in life. Males would enter military camp at age seven, taught that there was no greater honor than to die in battle.

Spartan children were taught stories of courage and fortitude. One favorite story was about a boy who followed the Spartan code. He captured a live fox and intended to eat it. Although boys were encouraged to scrounge for food, they were punished if caught. The boy noticed some Spartan soldiers coming, and hid the fox beneath his shirt. When the soldiers confronted him, he allowed the fox to chew into his stomach rather than confess, and showed no sign of pain in his body or face. This was the Spartan way.
The Spartan way was also to make sure that the boys were lean mean fighting machines. They were tested every ten days to see if they were getting fat, and knew that rations would be cut if they were. If the boy survived the gruesome military training which encouraged the youth to steal and kill to survive, then they became a citizen. When he turned 20, he was rigorously tested. He was left in the wilderness with nothing more than a cloak. If he returned to Sparta alive, he became part of the military, and a full citizen. Here is a quote about the final test from The Ancient World adapted by Esmond Wright, 1979.

Pausanius darted among the bushes to avoid the moonlight. Finally, stumbling, he plunged behind a large rock, his lungs heaving. Having managed to steal just one loaf of bread, he knew that he must ration it out at least two days. The ephors had declared that those caught with stolen food would be beaten severely. But, if he could just survive two more days, he would finish his initiation (test) and join the other young man in the barracks. He shivered quietly, trying to imagine where he might spend the next two cold nights.
If the man passed the test (did not die or was captured), he not only became part of the military, but he also was given a piece of land which was tended by slaves. Although he never worked the land, he would supervise the land and slaves, get the money raised by the land, and could then be a full-time soldier. Also at age 20, he was to take a wife..quite literally. Matches were usually made by ephors, and the young men were to kidnap their bride to be, drag her to a secluded place, shave her head, and dress her as a man. They then would do their duty to produce children. Not very romantic, but typical of the Spartan lifestyle. Men were expected to live and eat in military barracks. They had to contribute a quota of food from their lands to feed the troops. If they could not provide this quota, they lost their citizenship. During the day after training, men might be permitted to check their land to make sure that slave were doing what they should be, but were required to return to the barracks. At age 30, they then could join their families if they so chose to do so. They were expected to serve and train in the military until age 60, if they lived that long.