Unlike Athens to the north, Sparta was famed for its austerityits spartan characterwas, and is, proverbial. In the afternoon the soldiers would compete in athletic exercises in which a polemarch (high-ranking military commander) acted as judge and gave a prize to the winner, this usually being meat for dinner. The expectation for Ancient Greek women was to bear children and tend to the household while the husbands went out and did the important stuff. One such type of governing body was the city-state or, By around 800 BCE, there were many poleis which functioned independently. The slaves grew their food for them. The Alliances of the Peloponnesian War. All . it encouraged the arts and science. [19] The Spartans did not change their military tactics and still used the traditional tactics even when other states in Greece, such as Thebes, were updating the phalanx formation. Please try again later. Photograph by Zoonar/N. Sparta was a totalitarian state in many ways, and the government oversaw every aspect of the lives of the citizens. In 1953 Arthur A. Ekirch predicted that the American conception of a citizen army would become obsolete because the new Cold War military looked more like the standing armies that earned so much loathing in past centuries. All rights reserved. Instead of wealth being a distinguishing marker, social status was determined by military achievements. This is why soldiers often refer to their squads, platoons and companies as families, and why many describe their military branch in ways others might describe their church. The smallest of them, with the most power and freedom, was the Spartiate elite. This division of light infantry supplemented the heavily armedand often unwieldyhoplites. [3] The helots had no legal rights and had to provide their Spartan overlords with food and labor. Q. Plutarch was one of the first strong military leaders to emerge in Sparta. Women in Sparta had more rights than women in other Greek city-states. The Spartan government also believed that a strong military was necessary to maintain its . During the 7th & 6th century a type of spartan art started developing that was mostly centered around poetical and musical arts. After the Dorian invasion (900 BC) during which Sparta subdued its later territory and enslaved the native inhabitants Sparta piece by piece gave up its strict militaristic way of life. To many, it seemed that Sparta was invincible, and indeed its army had never been defeated in battle. Sparta is so aggressive because of the Helots revolting and they thought that they could keep the Helots from rebelling if they had a giant scary army. The American preference for specialization of labor has resulted in war being specialized. Foreigners, enslaved people, and women were excluded from these institutions. There would be physical exercise before breakfast, an inspection, a changeover of those on guard duty and then military instruction. In 2010, when the country was heavily involved in the war on terror, only 3% of Americans polled cited the war in Afghanistan as an important issue, compared to 60% who cited the economy. women in a small degree) preparing for war. It could expand its influence across the Greek world in the aftermath of the defeat of Athens.[8]. At night the soldiers had no more than capes to protect them from the cold. Explains that family ties in athens were stronger than sparta families were. You can ask a new question or browse more History questions. The sages examined the entrails under the watchful eye of the king, who would only give the order to attack if he could count on divine approval. vase as archers. After the army arrived at the border of the Spartan region, the king made a new sacrifice, this time dedicated to Zeus and Athena. Who were the Spartan ephors? - TimesMojo The First Messenian War was fought between 700-680 or 690-670 B.C.