Spartan women Spartan women were famous in ancient Greece for having more freedom than elsewhere in the Greek world. To contemporaries outside of Sparta, Spartan women had a reputation for promiscuity and controlling their husbands. Unlike their Athenian counterparts, Spartan women could legally own and inherit property and they were usually better educated. The extant written sources are limited and fr…Women in ancient Sparta
What did Spartan society expect of Spartan women?
The Spartan woman was educated, with knowledge of the arts, music, war, philosophy and much more, she was allowed rights that no other woman of Greece was afforded. Spartan women were the alpha women of the ancient Greek world, they wielded the most power, and in many ways had the most equality afforded to them by the state of Sparta.
What were Spartan women taught?
Differences
- Education. At an early age, Spartan women were taught to defend themselves, and, in addition, how to read and write so as to manage the family’s property in case their ...
- Beauty judgments. ...
- Marriage Life. ...
- Freedom in Society. ...
- Property holding/owning. ...
- Religion. ...
What was life like for women in Sparta?
The role of women as mothers of Spartan citizens made them invaluable, and as a result, they had a great many more opportunities than Greek women elsewhere. For example, they received some education. Then the militaristic nature of Spartan society meant that women had more economical and even sexual freedom.
What rights did women have in Sparta?
Women's rights in Sparta Women in Sparta were strong physically and also mentally. They had more rights than Athenian women. At the age of 18 spartan women were to pass a physical test. After they passed they got granted full citizenship. They were required to be fit and healthy.
What were the Spartan women?
Spartan women were strong, both physically and mentally. The Spartan woman was educated, with knowledge of the arts, music, war, philosophy and much more, she was allowed rights that no other woman of Greece was afforded. Spartan women were the alpha women of the ancient Greek world, they wielded the most power, ...
What is the difference between Spartan women and Greek women?
The physical exercise that the women would undertake would make them the true opposite of many women in Greece, by comparison the Spartan women would be strong and athletic by nurture, whereas the Greek woman would only be athletic by nature, and even so would not likely realise it.
What was the Spartan marriage ceremony?
The actual marriage ceremony for a Spartan woman was not typical in any way, the term they used would be a captured marriage. Even though it sounds rather brutal it was not, although some parts of it could be considered rather cruel to do to a woman, even though a Spartan woman was not your typical example. The bridesmaids or maid of the woman would capture her, shave her head to the scalp and dress her in a man’s attire. Later the bridegroom would arrive from his mess hall and begin what would be the start of their secret marriage. It is though this practise continued with the new couple meeting in secret and would go on for many years until the man was 30 years old.
What was the Spartan woman's uniqueness?
Strong, physically fit and given more freedom than many other women in the ancient world , Spartan women were truly unique. Not only would a Spartan woman know how to fight and wrestle she would expect her offspring to learn the same, passed down from woman to woman, the ethics, morality, and life of a Spartan women was only possible at ...
What was the health of Sparta women?
It was thought in ancient Sparta that healthy, strong women would give birth to healthy and strong children. The physical exercise that the women would undertake would make them the true opposite of many women in Greece, ...
Why was motherhood important to Sparta?
Motherhood was an important role for a Spartan woman, it was in fact her primary goal in life. Much of the manual labour of everyday life would be carried out by the state owned helots, leaving a Spartan woman time to consider motherhood, prepare for it, and give birth to as many strong babies as she could.
Why did the Spartans want to marry?
This would be one of the primary reason for marriage also, even though in the early stages of the marriage the woman and man would not be permitted to live together. This act was believed to make the relationship stronger, more full of desire due to the time apart.
Why were Spartans women considered military?
Sparta at its very core was a military state, and just as laws were put in place to ensure the health and fitness of the men, there were also laws that encouraged strength and health of the women. After all, the Spartans believed that strong women produced strong sons and warriors.
What rights did Sparta women have?
Women in Sparta enjoyed a great deal more rights than their sisters in other Greek territories. They could own property, intermingle with the opposite sex, get an education, exercise and some even competed in the Olympic games (a thing forbidden to most women in Greece).
Why did Spartans have male babies?
Also, despite the many glowing freedoms of Spartan women compared to women in other provinces, the state still preferred male babies in order to create a large and powerful military force. So women took pride in the warrior sons they birthed and raised. Having a son who died valiantly in battle was a source of great pride for a mother. By contrast however, having a son who was a coward was a source of great despair. The ancient author Aelian claims that women whose sons died as cowards lamented this [12]. By contrast, the female relatives of the Spartans who died heroically in the Battle of Leuctra were said to have walked around in public looking happy. [13]
What was the role of Spartan women in the war?
While much of history has concentrated on the role of Spartan men, it cannot be ignored that the Spartan women were a vital part of the warrior society. They raised warriors, and were brave leaders in their communities. They encouraged the men to be brave in battle, while also knowing how to take care of themselves and hold their own.
How many Helots were there in Sparta?
Yet Sparta was a brutal state that depended upon the oppression of the very large slave population to thrive. For every Spartan, there were eight helots. Not needing to import anything, Sparta isolated itself from the culture of the rest of the world.
How did Spartans live in marriage?
Married life for Spartans was also unique in that it was normal for the husband to spend a good deal of time away from his wife. Men were encouraged to live at the barracks until their 30’s. Until then, husbands and wives could only meet with one another in secret. Also, even in his 30’s, a man would still spend a great deal of time eating and training at the barracks – instead of eating home cooked meals. One outsider who ate with the Spartans at the barracks remarked, “Now I know why Spartan’s don’t fear death.”
Where was Helen of Troy worshiped?
Most people are familiar with the story about Helen of Troy. The face that launched a thousand ships and all that. But much to my surprise upon researching this subject, she was also worshiped in some places as a Goddess. She had a festival at Laconia, the principle region of the Spartan state. (In fact the word “laconic” is derived from laconia, because the Spartans were known to speak in a concise, and to the point manner.) In the cult of Helen, women used objects such as mirrors, eye-liners, combs, and perfume bottles.
When did Sparta form?
Ancient Sparta at a Glance. Before delving into the ancient history of the city of Sparta, here is a snapshot of the important events in Spartan history: 950-900 BCE – The four original villages, Limnai, Kynosoura, Meso, and Pitana, come together to form the polis (city state) of Sparta.
What war threatened Sparta?
395-387 BCE – The Corinthian War threatened Spartan hegemony, but peace terms brokered by the Persians left Sparta as the leader of the Greek World. 379 BCE – War breaks out between the city states of Sparta and Thebes, known as the Theban or Boeotian War.
Where is Sparta?
Sparta in located in the region of Laconia, referred to in ancient times as Lacedaemon, which makes up most of the southwestern Peloponnese, the largest and southernmost peninsula of the Greek mainland.
How long did the Peloponnesian War last?
However, in 431 BCE, full-scale fighting would resume between Sparta and Athens, and it would last for nearly 30 years . This war, often referred to as simply The Peloponnesian War, played an important role in Spartan history as it led to the fall of Athens and the rise of the Spartan Empire, the last great age of Sparta.
Why did the Spartans conquer Messenia?
First, population growth resulting from the fertile land of the Eurotas Valley meant that Sparta was growing too big and needed to expand, and second , Messenia was perhaps the only region in ancient Greece with land that was more fertile and productive than that in Laconia. Controlling it would have given Sparta a tremendous base of resources to use to not only grow itself but to also exert influence over the rest of the Greek world.
How many Greeks were in the Battle of Plataea?
Estimates for the total number of troops the Greeks brought to the Battle of Plataea come in around 80,000, as compared to the 110,000.
Why were women restricted from having children in ancient Greece?
They were also fed the same foods as Spartan men, something that did not happen in many parts of ancient Greece, and they were restricted from bearing children until they were in their late teens or twenties. This policy was meant to improve the chances of Spartan women having healthy children while also preventing women from experiencing the complications that come from early pregnancies. They were also allowed to sleep with other men besides their husbands, something that was completely unheard of in the ancient world. Furthermore, Spartan women were not allowed to participate in politics, but they did have the right to own property. This likely came from the fact that Spartan women, often left alone by their husbands during times of war, became the administrators of men’s property, and if their husbands died, that property often became theirs. Spartan women were seen as the vehicle by which the city of Sparta constantly advanced
What were the Spartan women's responsibilities?
In part to attract mates, females engaged in athletic competitions, including javelin-throwing and wrestling, and also sang and danced competitively. As adults, Spartan women were allowed to own and manage property. Additionally, they were typically unencumbered by domestic responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning and making clothing, tasks which were handled by the helots.
What was the Spartan society?
The Spartan Military. Spartan Women and Marriage. Decline of the Spartans. Sparta was a warrior society in ancient Greece that reached the height of its power after defeating rival city-state Athens in the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.). Spartan culture was centered on loyalty to the state and military service.
Why did Spartans humiliate the Helots?
Spartans would humiliate the Helots by doing such things as forcing them to get debilitatingly drunk on wine and then make fools of themselves in public. (This practice was also intended to demonstrate to young people how an adult Spartan should never act, as self-control was a prized trait.) Methods of mistreatment could be far more extreme: Spartans were allowed to kill Helots for being too smart or too fit, among other reasons.
What was the Spartan system known as?
Known as the Agoge, the system emphasized duty, discipline and endurance. Although Spartan women were not active in the military, they were educated and enjoyed more status and freedom than other Greek women. Because Spartan men were professional soldiers, all manual labor was done by a slave class, the Helots.
What did the Spartans do in the Greek army?
The Spartans’ constant military drilling and discipline made them skilled at the ancient Greek style of fighting in a phalanx formation. In the phalanx, the army worked as a unit in a close, deep formation, and made coordinated mass maneuvers. No one soldier was considered superior to another. Going into battle, a Spartan soldier, or hoplite, wore a large bronze helmet, breastplate and ankle guards, and carried a round shield made of bronze and wood, a long spear and sword. Spartan warriors were also known for their long hair and red cloaks.
What does the word Spartan mean?
Did you know? The word “spartan” means self-restrained, simple, frugal and austere. The word laconic, which means pithy and concise, is derived from the Spartans, who prized brevity of speech.
Why was marriage important to Spartans?
Marriage was important to Spartans, as the state put pressure on people to have male children who would grow up to become citizen-warriors, and replace those who died in battle. Men who delayed marriage were publicly shamed, while those who fathered multiple sons could be rewarded.
What were the women of Sparta?
Spartan women were gymnasts, acrobats, priestesses, prostitutes, and mothers. Birthing children was considered as important a role in society as being a warrior. As compared to their Athenian counterparts, women's garments in Sparta were looser fitting and allowed more movement, often showing more leg and thigh.
When did Spartan women have children?
Furthermore, because Spartan women did not marry until their late teens/early twenties, they would have been brought to childbed at the optimal age, while girls in other Greek cities generally married much younger and bore their first child at 15 or 16 , with all the known negative consequences for their health.
What did Spartan girls do?
Certainly, Spartan girls could run, swim and dance. They took part in races both on foot and driving chariots, and they took part in public dances. All this entailed spending a good deal of time outside in the fresh air, and that meant that Spartan girls were exposed to the elements and their skin would have tanned in the Greek sun. It also meant that they grew up getting a great deal of exercise -- probably more than most girls get today, and they would very likely have been sleek and lean like their brothers, at least while growing up and in the agoge. After all, Xenophon and Plutarch stress that the girls were being treated like their brothers that regime produced the tall, lean youth of the agoge.
Why were Spartans taller than their contemporaries?
Turning to the grain of truth this description might provide, there is some evidence that Spartans were apparently generally taller than their contemporaries (see: The Physical Appearance of Spartans ), which is probably the result of more meat in their diet. Since one of the most striking differences about the rearing of girls in Sparta compared to treatment of female infants and children elsewhere is Greece was that they received the same food as their brothers, this meat-heavy diet would have been fed Spartan girls too. Yet elsewhere in Greece, girls and women were fed a different, "simpler" diet with no "extras," (to use Xenophon's words). In short, the difference in height between Spartans and the citizens from other cities would have been even more extreme when comparing women to women than men to men.
Why was beauty important in Sparta?
The idealized women were very sporty and were very muscular compared to other women in Greece. beauty was important in Sparta, it was an indication of health, this means that the offsprings of the beautiful Spartan woman would be strong and healthy.
How were Spartan girls treated?
Spartan girls were treated just like the boys, they had the same rough training and were overall more respected than the women in the other city states of Greece. The idealized women were very sporty and were very muscular compared to other women in Greece. beauty was important in Sparta, it was an indication of health, this means that the offsprings of the beautiful Spartan woman would be strong and healthy.
Who is Lampito in Lysistrata?
More revealing is Aristophanes description of Lampito, the Spartan female character in his farce Lysistrata. This play from the late 5th century BC intended to amuse Athenian males after their devastating defeat at Syracuse, reflects Athenian stereotypes of contemporary Spartan women.
What was the role of women in Sparta?
Then the militaristic nature of Spartan society meant that women had more economical and even sexual freedom . They also were able to play a part in the state's public affairs, and mothers had a particular role in enforcing the city-state’s military values. Furthermore, females' ability to inherit and manage property meant that they became extremely wealthy and how this contributed to the decline of Sparta remains a controversial issue.
Why were women trained as mothers in Sparta?
Alternatively, women were primarily trained to be mothers, who produced strong and healthy male children for the good of the state. [7] The education and freedom that Spartan girls had was limited and designed to ensure that they provided male children who could be trained as warriors. Women did have a defined status in society. Such was motherhood's status that those who died in childbirth were honored like those who fell in battle defending the city-state. [8]
What was the role of the Spartans in the Peloponnesian War?
The labor of the helots allowed Spartan men to concentrate on being soldiers. By the 6th century, Sparta was recognized as the leading military power, and they dominated the Peloponnese. They played a leading role in defeating the second Persian invasion (492-490 BC). In the years after the Persians were defeated, Athens established an Empire. This led to a long war, known as the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens (431-404 BC). After receiving Persia support, the Spartans established hegemony over Greece until they were defeated at Leuctra by the Thebans and their allies (378 BC).
What happened to Sparta after the defeat of Leuctra?
The defeat at Leuctra led to a severe political, social and military decline in the city-state, but it managed to maintain its independence from successive Hellenistic monarchs. Rome conquered Sparta in the 2nd century BC , and this finally extinguished this most singular state. [2]
Why was the family unit not strong in Sparta?
Because the individual was expected to put the common good before their own interests, the family unit was not strong. Marriage was not about love or even the transfer of property, as was the case in the rest of the Hellenic words. As in the rest of Greece, young women in Lacedaemon could not select their bridegroom. However, unlike other city-states, families did not select young women’s husbands, but an official performed this role. This was to ensure that Spartan couples could produce strong and healthy male children for the city-state's good. [9]
What was the most distinctive feature of Sparta?
One of the most distinctive features of this society was the Agoge, a training program for all young males. It involved young boys being taught military and survival skills. Later, when they became citizens and warriors, they mainly lived in barracks. Sparta was able to develop such a unique system because it was a slave-owning society. Their ancestors had enslaved the indigenous Messenians, who formed a subjugated population known as helots.
What was the focus of Sparta?
The focus on the army meant that Sparta was the only Greek state with a professional standing army. Sparta was ruled by two kings, whose power was checked by a council of elders and citizens assembled. The individual was expected to subordinate their needs to the collective.