Sparta, located in the south of the Peloponnese, was the capital
of the Laconian region and the state of the Lacedaemonians in
ancient times. In German, his name is usually used in a broader
sense for this state, which was the strongest military power in
ancient Greece for centuries. The Spartan polis differed from other
Greek city-states in many ways, especially when compared to the
Attic democracy.
Sparta's power was based on a unique state
and social order, which was more military-oriented than in most
ancient communities. Since Aristotle, it has often been described as
a hybrid of democracy, oligarchy and monarchy, although the
oligarchic-aristocratic elements dominated. Political participation
in Sparta was only reserved for a small minority of full citizens,
the Spartiates. These were economically supported by the oppressed
Helots, who made up by far the largest part of the population. A
third group were the personally free but politically no-rights
perioeci. The dual kingship was also characteristic of Sparta.
According to Aristotle, however, this was more of a hereditary
military office, the holder of which had hardly any monarchical
powers.
As elite fighters, the Spartiates formed the backbone
of the Spartan army. Sparta's military strength enabled it to exert
great influence on the fate of all of Greece for a long time. It
played a prominent role in the Persian Wars and was destroyed in 404
BC. BC emerged victorious from the Peloponnesian War against Athens.
However, Sparta was unable to maintain the hegemonic position it had
now gained over a longer period of time. At the latest after the
defeat against Thebes in the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC. It lost
this position again in the 4th century BC. In the following 200
years, Sparta tried in vain to regain its supremacy, at least in the
Peloponnese. In the 2nd century B.C. In the 3rd century BC, like all
Greek states, it came under Roman rule, but nominally retained its
status as a free city until the 3rd century AD.
A peculiarity
of Spartan history is that there are no written sources from the
hands of Lacedaemonians themselves. As a result, the image of Sparta
was shaped by often hostile contemporaries from other poleis or by
sometimes romanticizing historians of later times. To this day,
mythicizing and idealizing representations make it difficult to
realistically reconstruct Sparta's history.
The city of Sparta has a very simple plan. From north to south it is crossed by the main road Kon/nou Palaiologou which intersects with Leof. Likourgou. The intersection between the two streets corresponds to the center. While the ancient town is located further north on a hill beyond the municipal stadium. Here we find the agora and the ancient theater.
By plane
The nearest airport is Kalamata Airport (IATA: KLX).
where seasonal flights from Italian cities are operated by Ryanair
(Bergamo, Milan–Malpensa) and Volotea (Venice). From there you will have
to travel along a 66 km winding but panoramic road that passes through
Mount Taygetos.
By car
It is possible to reach Sparta from
Tripoli from the north via the E961, the road continues to Gythio.
From the west, Route 82 leads from Kalamata through the Taygetus
Mountains to Sparta.
By bus
Bus Station (KTEL) (located at the
eastern end of Lycurgus Street).
Athens-Sparta: 9 trips per day.
Kalamata - Sparta: 09.15am (Mon-Fri) and 2.30pm (Mon-Sun).
Additional
connections (except Sundays) to Mystras.
By taxi
Below are the city's radio taxis:
Leonidas, ☎ +30
2731024100.
SpartaTaxi, ☎ +30 2731200200.
Few archaeological finds remain of the ancient city, which stood in
the immediate vicinity of present-day Sparta: the remains of a sanctuary
dedicated to Artemis Orthia, dating back to the beginning of the 9th
century, of the acropolis with the temple of Athena Chalkioikos and of a
theater from the Hellenistic-Roman era.
1 Archaeological Museum
of Sparta, 71, Osiou Nikonos, ☎ +30 2731 021516. €2 full, €1 reduced
(Feb 2018). 8am-3pm. It preserves many artifacts found in old Sparta in
1910.
2 Olive Oil and Greek Olive Oil Museum, 129, "Othonos-Amalias",
☎ +30 2731 089315. €3.00 full price, €1.50 reduced. From March 1st to
October 15th: Wed-Mon 10am-6pm. From 16 October to 28 February: Wed-Mon
10am-5pm. The history of olive oil production from prehistory to the
early 20th century.
3 Statue of Leonidas, Triakosion 77 (By the
stadium). Statue of the Spartan king who died valiantly at Thermopylae
with 300 soldiers to stop the Persian advance.
4 Koumantarios Gallery
- National Art Gallery of Sparta, Kon/nou Palaiologou 123, ☎ +30 2731
081822. Wed-Mon: 8.30am – 3.30pm. Art Gallery.
5 Sparta Town Hall,
Leof. Likourgou 89. The town hall is located in a large square in the
center of the city with a statue of a Spartan hero.
6 Acropolis of Sparta. free (May 2018). Mon-Sun 08:00-18:00. Remains
of the temple of Athena Chalkioikos on the top of the Acropolis and a
large Byzantine basilica dating back to the 10th century AD. On the
south side of the acropolis there is an ancient theater dating back to
the early imperial period. It preserves the orchestra and part of the
auditorium. Excavations carried out by the British Archaeological School
in Athens have provided evidence of decorated shops serving people
attending theatrical performances.
7 Ancient theater of Sparta
(Αρχαίο Θέατρο Σπάρτης). The recently discovered theatre, is not from
the Greek era, as one might think, but from the Roman era. In fact, it
dates back to the 3rd-2nd century BC. What remains of it is the shape of
the stalls and some steps of the staircase. Furthermore, on the right
side of the stalls there is a retaining wall full of Greek inscriptions
that testify to an imprint of the past.
8 Temple of Athena
Chalkioikos. It is one of the most important in the city and was
excavated at the beginning of the 20th century. The temple is ancient
from the Mycenaean period, i.e. from the 8th century BC. It was used
until the 4th century AD. when it was donated and houses were built
upstairs. This temple is associated with a historical event that
happened to King Pausanias, as well as commander of the armies in the
battle of Plataea in 479 BC. He was accused of having sympathies for the
Persians and for this reason, after a period of observation, his arrest
was requested, but he took refuge inside the sanctuary. In order not to
desecrate the place he was locked inside until, dying of hunger and
thirst, he was captured and killed. The sanctuary was important as it
was the place where various processions linked to the lives of young
Spartans and adult soldiers ended, and military and sporting victories
were celebrated in front of it. Many statues were found inside,
including the marble torso of the hoplite soldier known as Leonidas, now
in the Sparta Museum.
9 Basilica of San Nikone. building dated
between the 6th and 7th centuries. It is an important church considered
the cathedral of the Lacedaemonians.
10 The circular building. The
circular building was built along the perimeter of the hill with stone
blocks that contained the earth on a surface that was then made flat.
The monument was altered by the presence of a 10th-century Byzantine
church to the west which altered the integrity of the monument. In the
superficial part there was a floor with a circular colonnade and
statues. In reality this monument has not yet been identified.
11
Roman Stoa. Located to the east of the circular building is the Roman
stoa dated between 125 and 150 AD. as the southern limit of the agora.
The Doric order building measured 187x14 meters and was oriented along
the east-west axis. On the east side there were arched colonnades. In
the Byzantine period between the 12th and 14th centuries the structure
underwent major alterations.
12 Agora of Sparta. The agora of Sparta
came to light in the 1960s, revealing a corner of the stoa and part of
the polygonal walls. The stoa is located north of the circular monument.
The foundations of other Byzantine buildings were also found, a sign of
overlapping uses of the area. According to the archaeologist Chrysanthos
Christou who carried out the excavations, the building dates back to
between the 3rd and 4th centuries BC. A statue of Giulia Aquilia Severa
from the 3rd century BC was also found in the building. The monument is
associated with the Persian stoa also described by Pausanias who spoke
of elements captured from the Persians and used as decoration.
The city is full of minor archaeological sites that can be visited in
a few minutes. Many of them are not accessible and in some cases even
barely visible due to weeds.
13 Leonidaion (Tomb of Leonidas),
Agidos 77. Stone blocks, perhaps from an ancient temple, commonly known
as the Tomb of Leonidas, whose real function is still being questioned.
14 Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia, Kleomenous 4.
15 Eurotas Altar.
16
Ancient sanctuary.
17 Baths and Roman road, Triakosion. The remains
are visible along the road, but beyond the building, on the north side
the remains continue.
18 Roman villa (Villa della Medusa).
19
Roman villa (Villa of Euricles).
20 Psychic Altar.
21 Remains of a
church (Τρίκογχος Βυζαντινός ναός).
22 Late Roman and Byzantine
thermal complex.
23 Byzantine church. Three-nave church from the 10th
century.
summer cultural festival. Summer. Festival with music and theatrical
events. edit
Spartathlon. September. International long distance
running sporting event.
Olive and olive oil festival, In the
municipality of Oinountas. First weekend of August.
Modest prices
1 Apollon Hotel, 84, Thermopylon Street, ☎ +30 27310
22491-3, +30 27310 23936.
2 Cecil Hotel, 125, K. Paleologou Street, ☎
+30 27310 24980, fax: +30 27310 81318, +30 27310 24980,
hotelcecilsparta@gmail.com.
3 Lakonia Hotel, 89, K. Paleologou
Street, ☎ +30 27310 28951-2, fax: +30 27310 82257, info@lakoniahotel.gr.
4 Sparta Inn Hotel, 109, Thermopylon Street, ☎ +30 27310 21021-3, +30
27310 20421-3, fax: +30 27310 24855, info@spartainn.gr.
Average
prices
5 Maniatis Hotel, 91, K. Paleologou Avenue, ☎ +30 27310 22161,
fax: +30 27310 26332, info@menelaion.gr.
6 Menelaion Hotel, 91, K.
Paleologou Avenue, ☎ +30 27310 22161, fax: +30 27310 26332,
info@menelaion.gr.
Police, ☎ +30 27310 89580.
Laconia General Hospital, ☎ +30 2731
028671
Ancient Sparta was located in the middle of the Eurotas valley (in
the so-called Lacedaemon Hollow, on the west bank of the river) and was
surrounded by low hills (the acropolis and Klaraki to the north,
Evangelistria to the west and Toumbano and Xenia to the southeast) and
by the stream of Magulitsa (southwest). Initially it was made up of four
communes-districts: Kynosoura, which was located on the two hills
southeast of the city, Pitani, which is located to the west (in the
place of today's Magoula), Limnes, which extended eastward to Evrotas,
and Mesoa, the central settlement of ancient Sparta, which developed in
the area around the "tomb of Leonidas". Later, a fifth settlement was
added, Amykles.
According to the historian Thucydides, during the
5th century BC, the Spartan state extended over two-fifths of the
Peloponnese, approximately 8,500 square kilometers, an area three times
the size of Athens. It included two main areas, separated by mountain
ranges.
Laconia, if we wish to define it strictly, is limited to
the west by Mount Taygetos, while to the south and east by the Myrtle
Sea. Its borders in the north were variable: in 545 BC Sparta, under its
king Echestratus, conquered the fertile plain of Kynouria, which
according to legend was colonized by Kynoros, son of Perseus from Argos.
Since then the boundaries of the region pass through the outskirts of
Thyrea (near modern Astros), the area of the county of Tire and Prasia
were the natural borders and were never lost from Sparta, the southern
part of Mount Parthenio, the valley of Eurotas (including Skyritida) and
then the area at the foot of Helmos, which is identified with
Velminatida.
Messinia, which was conquered during the wars of the
same name, is bounded to the north by the river Neda and the Arcadian
Mountains, to the east by Mount Taygetos, to the south by the Messinian
Gulf and to the west by the Ionian Sea. It includes large mountain
masses, among which the mountains of Kyparissia and Ithomi. In the
middle is the valley of Messinia, which is watered by the river Pamisos.
The Laconian State was originally made up of four counties named
Konura, Limnai, Messoa and Pitana. A fifth, at a distance of a few
kilometers, Amyklai, was added at an unknown time.
The traveler Pausanias provides rich information about the
mythological origin of many of the above characteristic toponyms.
According to the story of the Spartans, the first king of their country
(which was not called that at the time) was Lelegas. From his name the
inhabitants were also called Leleges. The king had two children: Mylis
and Polykaon. The second married the daughter of the king of Argos
Triopas, the beautiful Messene. She, realizing that her husband as a
second child would never assume the throne, urged him to leave the
country. Passing the mountains they discovered a large and fertile
plain. There they built a city, Messina. Polykaonas became king of that
country which he also named after his wife, Messinia.
In Sparta,
Lelegas was succeeded by Mylis and Mylis by Eurotas. This intelligent
king was inspired to a magnificent work. The valley in which his country
was located was flooded by a river forming a large lake. With the
construction of a canal the river was limited to its bed, leaving the
fertile valley free. Thus the river was named after the king, Eurotas.
Eurotas left no male offspring, but he did have a daughter, Sparta. Her
fiance, Lacedaemon, was appointed successor. This king gave his name to
his country. For his capital he built a city, which he named Sparta, in
honor of his wife. He also gave the name of his mother, Taygetes, to the
great mountain that separated his country from Messinia. Finally, his
son, Amyklas, also left his name in history, building a city known as
Amyklai.
It is noted that the heroes of the Trojan cycle were,
according to oral tradition, the descendants of these persons: Helen,
Clytemnestra, Dioskouri and Penelope.
The traveler Pausanias provides rich information about the
mythological origin of many of the above characteristic toponyms.
According to the story of the Spartans, the first king of their country
(which was not called that at the time) was Lelegas. From his name the
inhabitants were also called Leleges. The king had two children: Mylis
and Polykaon. The second married the daughter of the king of Argos
Triopas, the beautiful Messene. She, realizing that her husband as a
second child would never assume the throne, urged him to leave the
country. Passing the mountains they discovered a large and fertile
plain. There they built a city, Messina. Polykaonas became king of that
country which he also named after his wife, Messinia.
In Sparta,
Lelegas was succeeded by Mylis and Mylis by Eurotas. This intelligent
king was inspired to a magnificent work. The valley in which his country
was located was flooded by a river forming a large lake. With the
construction of a canal the river was limited to its bed, leaving the
fertile valley free. Thus the river was named after the king, Eurotas.
Eurotas left no male offspring, but he did have a daughter, Sparta. Her
fiance, Lacedaemon, was appointed successor. This king gave his name to
his country. For his capital he built a city, which he named Sparta, in
honor of his wife. He also gave the name of his mother, Taygetes, to the
great mountain that separated his country from Messinia. Finally, his
son, Amyklas, also left his name in history, building a city known as
Amyklai.
It is noted that the heroes of the Trojan cycle were,
according to oral tradition, the descendants of these persons: Helen,
Clytemnestra, Dioskouri and Penelope.
It is difficult for modern scholars to reconstruct the prehistory of
Ancient Sparta, as the written sources are too distant in time from the
events, which were already greatly altered by oral tradition. However,
the earliest certain evidence of human settlement in the area of Sparta
is the finding of ceramics dating to the Middle Neolithic period near
Koufovounos, about two kilometers southwest of the city. These are the
earliest traces of the original Mycenaean Spartan culture, which is
mentioned in the Iliad.
This civilization seems to have fallen
into decline towards the end of the Bronze Age, when Greek warrior
tribes of Dorians from Epirus and Macedonia descended and settled in the
Peloponnese. The Dorians apparently began to expand the borders of
Spartan territory before they even established their own state. They
fought against the Dorians of Argos in the east and southeast, as well
as the Arcadian Achaeans in the northwest. There are also indications
that Sparta itself, extremely difficult to reach due to the topography
of the Taygetus valley, was considered sufficiently safe from that time,
which is why it was never fortified.
Between the 8th and 7th
centuries BC. the Spartans experienced a period of anarchy and internal
conflicts, for which both Herodotus and Thucydides cite testimonies. As
a result they proceeded with a series of political and social reforms
which they later attributed to a semi-mythical lawgiver, Lycurgus. These
reforms mark the rise of Classical Sparta.
During the Second Messenian War, Sparta emerged as a great power both
locally and pan-Hellenically. In the centuries that followed, the
reputation of the Spartans' military might did not live up to its
reputation. In 480 BC a small force of Spartans, Thespians and Thebans
led by King Leonidas waged a legendary battle to the last at Thermopylae
against the colossal Persian army, inflicting innumerable casualties
before finally being surrounded. The superiority of the equipment and
military skill of the Spartan phalanx warriors was shown again a year
later when the Spartan army, this time in a quorum, led a combined force
of Greek cities against the Persians at Plataea.
The decisive
victory at the Battle of Plataea ended the Persian Wars, as well as the
Persian ambition to expand into European lands. Although the battle was
carried out by an army of men from every corner of the Greek world, the
credit was given to Sparta, which, in addition to starring at
Thermopylae and Plataea, was the de facto leader of the Greek campaign.
During the late classical period, Sparta together with Athens,
Thebes and the Persian Empire were the main powers fighting each other
for supremacy. As a result of the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War,
Sparta, traditionally a land-based civilization, became a powerful naval
power. In the culmination of her power, Sparta forced many of the most
important Greek city-states to defeat, eventually managing to prevail
against the mighty Athenian fleet. Towards the end of the 5th century
BC, Sparta stood out as the power that had defeated Athens and invaded
Persia, a period known as the "Spartan Hegemony".
In the context
of the Corinthian War, Sparta faced a coalition of the most important
Greek states: Thebes, Athens, Corinth and Argos. Initially this alliance
was supported by Persia, whose lands in Anatolia had experienced a
Spartan invasion and thus were on the lookout for further Spartan
expansion into Asia. Sparta managed to achieve a number of land
victories, however several of her ships were destroyed at Cnidus by the
Greco-Phoenician mercenary fleet that Persia provided to Athens. This
event greatly traumatized the Spartan navy, although it did not end its
ambitions for expansion into Persian lands, until Conon of Athens
plundered the Spartan coastline and provoked the Spartans' ancient fear
of a helotic revolt.
After a few more years of war, the "King's
Peace" was signed, according to which all the Greek cities of Ionia
would remain independent and the Asiatic borders of Persia would no
longer be threatened by Sparta. The results of this war were the
possibility of intervention in the Greek affairs acquired by the
Persians, but also the confirmation of the hegemonic position held by
Sparta in the Greek political system. Sparta fell into decline after a
crushing defeat of its army by the Thebans of Epaminondas at the Battle
of Leuctra. This was the first land battle lost by a full quorum Spartan
army.
As citizenship was inherited through blood, Sparta had to
deal with the problem of the existence in its territories of an
outnumbered population of helots compared to free citizens, the
so-called "Omius". The alarming decline of the Simeons in Sparta, often
called "oliganthropy" in the sources, is noted by Aristotle.
Sparta never managed to replace the number of adult men it lost at
Leuctra in 371 BC, and in the helotic revolutions that followed. In
addition, the arrogant attitude that she continued to follow, refusing
to ally with other Greek states if she was not the head herself, led to
her partial isolation from the rest of Greece, making her disliked by
the rest of the Greeks. However, it continued to remain a powerful force
in the region for two more centuries. Neither Philip II nor his son
Alexander the Great even attempted to conquer Sparta. Although it could
not pose a significant threat on its own, the capabilities of its
military remained so large that any attempted invasion would mean
excessive casualties. Even during the period of its decline, Sparta
never ceased to claim that it was the "defender of Hellenism", nor did
it lose its laconic spirit while boasting that no one could conquer it.
A historical anecdote has King Philip II sending a message to Sparta
saying, "If I invade Lacedaemonia, I will raze the city of Sparta." The
answer he received was a simple "If."
Even when Philip raised a
pan-Hellenic army under the pretext of uniting all of Greece against the
Persian threat, the Spartans chose not to participate of their own free
will. They were in no way interested in joining forces with a
pan-Hellenic alliance unless they were to lead the effort. Herodotus
narrates that the Macedonians were also descended from the Dorians and
were therefore very closely related to the Spartans. However, that
didn't matter. Thus, after the conquest of the Persian Empire, Alexander
the Great sent to Athens, to the Parthenon, 300 pieces of Persian armor
with the following inscription: "Alexander son of Philip, and the Greeks
- except the Spartans - from the barbarians who live in Asia".
Antipater who prevailed after the death of Alexander in the Kingdom of
Macedonia and managed to easily subjugate to his authority all the
city-states of southern Greece that had defected from Macedonian rule.
He then asked Sparta to peacefully accept Macedonian rule. But the
Spartans refused and Antipater campaigned in the Peloponnese with a very
large army for Greek standards. After breaking the resistance of the
Arcadians, he attacked Laconia. In the battle of Sellasia he was able to
defeat the Spartan army. The defeated Spartan forces retreated to
Gytheion to regroup. Taking advantage of this gap he entered unwalled
Sparta. But political problems in Macedonia forced him to withdraw after
he had previously set fire to and looted the city. The Spartan army
tried to attack him during the retreat of his forces to Megalopolis. But
they suffered a heavy defeat. The campaign did not lead to the conquest
of Laconia, but Messinia was lost from Spartan control and passed to
Macedonian rule, while the Helots were freed from the Spartan yoke.
During the Carthaginian Wars, Sparta allied itself with the Roman
Republic.
During the late 3rd century, there will be a flash in
the political leadership of Sparta. As Agis IV, and Cleomenes III's
successor, will try to bring Sparta back to prominence. The first will
try to restore the legislation of Lycurgus which had been killed in his
time, but he will be murdered. The second will temporarily restore
prestige to Sparta, and will initially score significant successes
against the Achaean Commonwealth, but will be defeated at the Battle of
Sellasia in 222 BC. and will be forced to go into exile, which will also
mean the end of independent Sparta. Cleomenes will be described by many
as "The last great man of Sparta"
Sparta's political independence
ended when it was forced to join the Achaean Commonwealth. She did not
participate in the Common of the Freedmen, although her port, Gythio,
belonged to her. In 146 BC Greece was conquered by the Roman general
Leucius Mommius. During the Roman occupation, when Sparta was known as
Lacedaemon or Lacedaemonia, the Spartans continued their way of life,
although their city became something of a tourist attraction for wealthy
Romans who came to see their "exotic" habits, which Pausanias describes.
It is hypothesized that after the great destruction of the Roman
imperial army at the Battle of Adrianople (378), a Spartan phalanx met
and defeated a force of Visigothic invaders.
Unlike other Laconian cities which were abandoned in the 4th century
AD, both Sparta and Gytheio continued to be inhabited, despite
earthquakes (such as that of 375), Goth invasions in 395 under Alaric,
and Vandals in 468 under Jericho and the plague epidemic in 541-43.
Towards the end of Justinian's reign, however, the city was deserted,
although it is possible that the citadel continued to be used. The
location of Sparta was deemed insufficiently fortified and susceptible
to long-term blockades due to its long distance from the port, while
with the transfer of the capital to Constantinople, ships from Gytheon
now had to sail around Cape Maleas.
Due to the aforementioned
reasons, the city authorities proceeded not only to move the city,
establishing Monemvasia, but also to reorganize the settlements of
southeastern Laconia. The reorganization included the settlement in the
mountain passes of Parnon and the migration from Gythio. The Chronicle
of Monemvasia states that part of the population relocated to Sicily.
Because the rebuilding, moving, and settling of the population at the
new location must have been completed several years later, it is
possible that the two cities coexisted for some time.
A key component of Spartan society was obedience to rulers and laws. The Law in Ancient Sparta stands above all, and clearly defines both the obligations and the rights of the Lacedaemonians. Its ultimate goal is to create a society of exemplary citizens and dedicated soldiers. He also sought to ensure self-sufficiency in the city, protecting it from external and internal threats. It is noteworthy that Sparta is the city-state that exhibited the longest-lasting polity and political stability. Until the entry of the Romans into the political affairs of Greece, it never knew a foreign conqueror, nor an internal tyrant, nor state changes, nor social upheavals, like the rest of the Greeks, with the exception of course of the frequent revolutions of the helots.
The state organization of Sparta borders on fiction. As the first lawgiver and founder of the political system, Lykourgos, a person considered by many to be non-existent, is brought. According to Aristotle, Lycurgus lived during the time when the first Olympiad was held (776 BC). A dominant feature of his legislative work is that he did not introduce a multitude of laws, but institutions, with the logic that laws change over time according to circumstances. On the contrary, institutions, traditions more simply, are integrated into people's way of life and have eternal validity. According to Pindar, Lycurgus was divinely instructed to write his laws by consulting the Oracle of Delphi. Pythia assured him that his laws were excellent. According to tradition, before he left on his journey he swore to the citizens to continue to obey his laws, at least until he returned. When he received the confirmation he desired, he resolved never to return to the city. He subjected himself to starvation, and just before he died he vowed his servants to scatter his ashes to the wind. Thus he never returned, neither alive nor dead to Sparta, and the citizens, true to their oath, never changed his laws.
The laws of Lycurgus, known as the "Great Clause", introduced in the
city of Sparta the so-called "Eunomia", the result of which was their
special way of life. The latter formalizes a form of democracy, which is
based on absolute equality between the "Equals": social equality,
equality in the community (thus equality of wealth), equality in the
framework of the military phalanx. Of course, Sparta was not a form of
democracy in the sense of the corresponding Athenian one. Rather it is a
mixed polity, in which an aristocracy rules. Democracy-equality is
limited among those who had the right to be called citizens-soldiers.
Alongside these coexist the kingdom (two kings), the oligarchy (senate)
and the tyranny (ephors).
And the rights of citizenship were not
granted simply by inheritance: each young man had to prove in practice
by his morals that he was worthy of possessing them, successfully
completing a rigorous educational process, while at the same time
harmonizing with the austere lifestyle of the Laconians. The very fact
that political rights were not granted to any hapless person was
intended to lead the Spartan to the awareness of the importance of his
privileges, but also to the understanding that from them came a series
of obligations. By extension, the legislation also shaped the morality
of the citizens, which was expressed as an aversion to riches and
unnecessary luxuries, as philanthropy and bravery in battle, as well as
a military ethos. The display of cowardice in battle was considered the
worst dishonorable act, punishable by the loss of the right to claim
office, as well as social outcry. The interest of the citizens converged
exclusively on one virtue, the warlike, an orientation that can perhaps
be interpreted taking into account the Dorian origin of the Spartans, as
well as the ancient fear in front of the possibility of the revolution
of the helots.
Since the reforms of Lycurgus and since then Sparta has had two
kings. One belonged to the dynasty of the "Agiads", the other to that of
the "Eurypontids", two families that according to legend descended from
the twin descendants of Heracles, Eurysthenes and Procles respectively.
Families had to be distinguished from each other in any case: both the
use of common names and marriages between their members were strictly
forbidden. Even their tombs were in different locations: Pitana, one of
the comae that made up the city of Sparta housed the tombs of the
Agiads, while the Eurypontids, on the other hand, were buried in the
Lakes. The two kings were equal although, since Eurysthenes was the
older of the twins, we are given a theoretical primacy of the Agiads.
Access to the throne was hereditary, not based on personal merit. In
the line of succession the son preceded the brother because, although
the latter was elder, the son born while his father was on the throne
preceded those who did not enjoy this status. So it is not a matter of
strict favoring of the firstborn, but of what the Byzantines called
"porphyrogenesis". However, it seems that the Spartans interpreted this
rule quite freely. In fact, Plutarch notes that those who were raised to
become kings were excluded from Spartan education. Since the education
of young boys began at the age of seven, the heir apparent should have
been recognized from infancy.
The powers of the kings were both
military and religious. Xenophon writes: "the king had no other duty in
the campaign than to be the priest of the gods and the general of men."
During the early years of the institution, the king could wage war on
the country of his choice. One king limited the power of another. In 506
BC the "separation of Eleusis" takes place: King Dimaratos abandoned the
campaign he conducted with Cleomenes I against Athens. Since then,
Herodotus relates, a law was passed in Sparta by which both kings were
not allowed to accompany the army on campaign. During the 5th century it
is Apella who votes for war, while at least from the 4th century,
mobilization is decided by the ephors and the elders.
However,
during the campaign the kings had increased freedom of movement, so much
so that Aristotle calls the Spartan kingship a "hereditary
arch-strategy". In war the king had the responsibilities of
commander-in-chief, head of the other generals, could negotiate a truce
and fought in the first row of the right wing surrounded by his honor
guard. He had the right of life and death over his soldiers, including
civilians. He remained, however, under the supervision of the ephors,
and was perhaps judged after his return to the city. He was still
considered as one of the members of the Senate. Finally, the kings were
priests of the Lacedaemonian Zeus or the Heavenly Zeus and took the lead
in the public sacrifices.
The Senate was a body of 28 men, aged 60 and over (when military
service ended), elected for life by the Apella. Its members included the
two kings, so in total it consisted of 30 people. Their main selection
criterion was their military virtue. Although practically any of
Sparta's free citizens, regardless of wealth or social status, could be
elected, it traditionally belonged to people from old aristocratic
families. Election to the Senate was considered a great honor, enjoyed
by the most worthy men ( kaloὶ kagathoi ). Isocrates mentions that
Lycurgus decreed that their election be done with the same care that the
Athenians once elected the members of the Supreme Court.
After
the death of a member, his prospective successors appeared one after the
other before the Apella, which met for this very purpose and which
expressed its preference by shouting of similar intensity. The elected
judges of this process heard the voices from an adjacent building
without seeing the judged candidate. Thus, the candidate who was the
recipient of the loudest cheers was called an "elder". Although one
might consider this unusual method of election fair enough, some ancient
writers, such as Aristotle, consider it uncertain at best.
The
Senate played an important role in the political life of the state,
having the power to prepare laws for passage, as well as having the
legislative initiative. Also, its members could veto Appellate
decisions, perhaps in an era when commissioners also had legislative
powers. In general, it was a body responsible for internal politics and
was not controlled by anyone for its decisions. The Senate was also the
highest judicial authority, which tried criminal cases, having the
ability to impose the death penalty or the loss of civil rights of the
individual. In conjunction with the prefects, members of the Senate
could even criticize the kings.
The five ephors were a group of officials in Ancient Sparta whose
purpose was to supervise the kings and the people of the city,
especially regarding the observance of traditions. It is not known
exactly when this institution was created and by whom. What we do know
is that they were elected by Apella for a one-year term, the first new
moon after the autumnal equinox. One of the five, known as the "named
registrar", gave his name to the year and to official documents.
The first responsibility of the tax authorities was to maintain public
order. They closely supervised the perioi and the helots, holding the
right to decide matters of life and death concerning the latter. Among
their responsibilities was the supervision of morals, as well as the
physical appearance of the Spartans. Young men were also a class of
citizens closely watched: the regents checked their physical condition
every ten days and their clothing and bedding every day.
They
also controlled the rest of the state officials, including the kings,
and had the power to impose fines, imprisonment or the death penalty.
They also had under their supervision the foreign policy of the state
and the implementation of the decisions of Apella (of which they were
presidents). They even had the ability to make decisions under crisis
conditions.
Their power was so great that Aristotle likens it to
that of tyrants ( ἰσοτιραννος ). In fact, they had the right to remain
seated before the kings. However, in theory they represented the people.
The Roman orator Cicero likened them to the "Tribunes of the Plebeians"
in Roman society. Each month the kings swore to uphold the laws and the
ephors to maintain the kingdom. Even the power of the tax collectors was
not without limitations: they could not be elected a second time, and
their tenure was assessed by their successors, who could even impose the
death penalty on them if they committed a serious offense.
The term Apella is known as the assembly of the "Omoia", that is, all
free male Spartans who possessed political rights. Apparently her role
was quite limited, to the point that Aristotle does not mention her when
he enumerates the democratic elements of the Spartan polity.
Its
role is not clear to modern scholars, nor is the minimum age for its
participation. Possible versions are both the age of 20 (joining the
army and participation in the sissites), and that of 30 (possibility of
starting a family and receiving public office). We still do not know the
frequency of these meetings. The Great Clause simply refers to an
assembly "from time to time" at the confluence of the rivers Eurotas and
Oinos. A commentary on Thucydides claims that it took place every month,
when there was a full moon.
Apella had no legislative initiative:
ordinary citizens had no participation in drafting the resolutions, nor
were they given the floor. They were limited to the election of
pedonomies, elders and tax collectors, as well as to the acceptance or
rejection of the resolutions proposed by the last two bodies and the
kings. These usually dealt with issues of war and peace, libations,
foreign policy, and freeing elots. Apella also decided who would be
appointed general of a certain campaign. The election to accept or
reject proposals was done by acclamation. Only if the presiding officer
was in doubt as to the volume of the voices did the supporters of each
point of view separate from one side or the other and a count was made.
In Sparta there were no social classes, in the sense of those that
existed in Athens and in other cities, i.e. farmers, merchants,
artisans, etc. The basic distinction of the inhabitants was in "Omios",
"Perioikos" and "Eilotes".
Spartan citizens were a minority of
the total population of the city state. According to Isocrates, it was
the 2,000 Dorians who invaded Laconia, simple supposition sans valeur
réelle. Aristotle states that the Spartans were 10,000 in number at the
time of the first kings. Là encore, il est difficile de porter foi à ce
chiffre rond. The first reliable account is provided by Herodotus:
around 480 BC, King Demaratus estimated the number of mobilizable
hoplites at just over 8,000; later, 5,000 Spartan hoplites were present
at the Battle of Plataea. Ce nombre décroît tout au long du Model:S-,
mainly en raison du tremorment de terre de 464 av. J.-C., qui selon
Plutarque, détruit le gymnase, tuant ainsi tous les éphèbes, et de la
révolte des Hilotes (10 ans de guérilla).
Members of the upper echelon in Ancient Sparta, were the Omii. Akin meant equal or eupatrides. These were also the legitimate Spartan citizens whose basic obligation was to participate in the commons and to be good warriors. The duty of the likes was to deal only with military matters and not deal with anything else. The other tasks, such as agriculture, animal husbandry, crafts and trade, were mainly done by the villagers. While the helots did the heavy work. Due to the constant conflicts and wars that Sparta was involved in, the number of like, i.e. Spartan citizens was decreasing dramatically. In 480 BC, Sparta had 8,000 equals, according to Herodotus. By the end of the 4th century BC, their numbers had dwindled to less than a thousand, due to constant conflict and possibly the Spartans' refusal to join the Periocians and Helots. Aristotle believed that the decline in the number of Spartan citizens resulted in the inevitable decline of Sparta in his time.
The periikoi were a social group made up of families who lived with
relative autonomy in towns or communes in the wider periphery of the
city, without however having a say in the handling of state affairs.
They engaged in the productive activities that the Omios did not engage
in, i.e. they practiced the professions of craftsman, carpenter, farmer,
breeder and merchant. They were the only ones allowed to travel to other
cities, although their economic activity was limited due to strict
Spartan tutelage.
They had the right to enact their own laws and
not follow Spartan legislation, which in any case prevailed. They had no
political rights, nor did they participate in the assemblies. But they
paid taxes and had the obligation to serve in the Spartan army as
hoplites with heavy weapons.
Helots were the lowest social class in Ancient Sparta. Helots were not the typical slaves that existed in the rest of Ancient Greece, such as in Athens. The form of their slavery was not private, but belonged to the Spartan state, for which they worked. The origin of elots is not completely clear. It is believed that they were descendants of the oldest inhabitants of Ancient Sparta who were enslaved with the arrival of the Dorians. It is also known that the Messenians also became Helots, when they were enslaved by the Spartans, after their defeats in the Messenian Wars. The Spartans could not sell them, nor set them free, while they mainly did the agricultural work on the land of the Amoeans and had to give part of their harvest to the state. They lived with their families and sometimes accompanied the Spartan Army into battle as lightly armed soldiers. Distinction in battle could mean the release of the helot and his family. Because of their numerical superiority (they were believed to be about twenty times more than their peers), they were capable of raising rebellions, which was the old fear of the Spartans, who always kept large numbers of soldiers in Sparta to quell rebellions. Although Epaminondas freed the Messenian helots by secession of Messenia from Sparta, the institution of the helots in Laconia was preserved until the 2nd century BC.
Mothax: the illegitimate child of a Spartan with a woman of the elot
class. Such a child could on occasion receive Spartan treatment, even
become part of the Spartan elite (e.g. Lysander).
Neodamus: the helot
or motax who had just completed his education and was now counted among
the Spartans.
Inferior or minors: one of the "Alike" who had fallen
into disfavor and was losing the right to be called a citizen. This
happened to those who fainted in battle or deserted or were captured or
could not pay their debts to the treasury of Sparta or the sissitium.
Foodies: children from other Greek cities who, however, lived in Sparta
and received the same education as the children of the Spartans.
Xenilasia was a Doric institution, which existed not only in Sparta,
but also in Doric Crete. This is the institution that prohibited the
hospitality of foreigners in the city of Sparta, without the special
permission of the Spartan State. The Spartans believed that they would
keep the city's Doric character if they kept all foreigners away from
it. Furthermore, there was a belief that if outsiders were kept out of
the city, there would be no danger of the true number of Spartan
citizens being revealed. There were of course also the exceptions to
friends, allies or laconophiles, such as Alcibiades, when he escaped
from the ship that took him to Athens to be tried and of course the
laconophile historian Xenophon.
Social position of women
Women
enjoyed great privileges in Ancient Sparta, which is surprising if we
compare the position of women in Sparta with that in Athens and other
Greek cities of antiquity.[citation needed]; Because the man was away
from home for a long time, the woman in Sparta was emancipated to a
degree unimaginable at the time. Men were always left behind to control
the shingles. She exercised like boys and men and was known for her
athletic abilities. She participated in wrestling, naked, like the men,
while training in the discus and javelin. He also attached great
importance to dances. This kind of education for women was a component
of Spartan eugenics, so that they would become conscientious mothers and
raise strong children. Plutarch reports that when someone mocked the
Spartan women, Gorgo, wife of Leonidas, replied We rule over our men
because we are the only ones who give birth to men.
References to
the Spartan present her as virtuous and heroic. There are stories that
have Spartan women stoically accepting the killing of their newborn
children if they are unfit, and killing their sons themselves if they
cowardly face the enemy. Others look at the marks on their children's
dead bodies, to determine whether the wounds honor them or dishonor
them, confirming the famous or tan or on them. The women of Sparta enjoy
the absolute respect of the society in which they live, while in no
other city is the same degree of freedom and equality observed. In times
of war, power was exercised by women, as men were absent. The Spartan's
power stems from the legislation of Lycurgus, which gave women the right
to own land, thus offering them the financial resources to be anointed
heads of the family.
In Ancient Sparta, dowry was not customary, marriage was not combined with a religious ceremony, and the choice of a partner was more a personal matter than a matter for the parents. Spartan men and women had the opportunity as children to meet many times in the numerous religious festivals, which included dancing, musical and gymnastic displays, and in which both boys and girls often took part naked.[77] Athenaeus records that before marriage, the Spartans used virgins as lovers used minor boys. For the Spartans, the legal age of marriage started at 20 years old when they completed the suit, but they had the right to a lot from the state, where they lived with their family, only after 30 years old. For young Spartan women, marriageable age was shortly after the onset of menstruation, around fifteen, which was common in Ancient Greece. The most common way of marriage was the kidnapping of the bride, often with the consent of the father. The bridegroom would cut off the abductee's long hair, dress her in a tunic like those of court boys and leave her to wait for the groom in a dark room. The groom would come after the feast and meet with her. If he was over 30, in which case he was entitled to receive lots from the town, his wife lived in his house, but if he was younger the wife still lived with her parents and he could only visit her secretly at night and to return afterwards to his barracks, until he is 30 years old and receives his own lot. Plutarch states that in this way they maintained their will for their partner and never lost the freshness of their love, and that sometimes this strange relationship lasted so long that many men did not see the mother of the children in its light. Sun until the legal age. Also, a man could ask a woman from a family to be the mother of his children and this was a special honor for the woman's family. The main purpose of marriage in Sparta was procreation, so that the males born would become the warriors of Sparta. A man in Sparta was considered "immortal" only when he had male children, because they believed that this was the only way to continue the generation. Mothers who lived without their husbands did not face problems, as the law recognized them as equal to other women. They could still inherit their parents' property, so many of them were independent and well-to-do. Spartans who did not have children were looked down upon by others, and were required at festivals to sing songs that said they deserved the demeaning behavior.
Spartan education was the main feature of Ancient Sparta, a feature that made Sparta completely different from other Greek cities and perfectly showed the purely military character of the Lacedaemonians and the formidable military machine that the city of Sparta had. When the child was born, they bathed it in wine to determine its endurance and gave it to the Spartan elders, who examined the baby's body and determined whether the child was fit or not. Children who were born sickly or disabled were left in the "Apothetes" (probably coinciding with Kaiadas, which recent research has shown was a place of execution for criminals and rebels). Parents raised their male child only until he was seven years old, when the responsibility for upbringing was taken over by the Spartan State. From the age of seven the boys of Sparta were hardened. From the age of thirteen they were taught to fight, to survive, to eat little, to wear the same robe in all seasons of the year. They ate Black Broth but were encouraged to steal for their food, and would only be punished if they were caught, just because they were. They also had to sleep on reeds cut from the banks of the Eurotas, and to speak little and be succinct, (laconic). All this was under the supervision of the pedonomist, who had a child, usually the strongest and most courageous, irena as the leader of the children. They received their baptism of fire in the Cryptia, where they also got their first taste of war within Sparta itself. The training of the Spartans lasted until they were twenty years old, i.e. a total of twelve years.
The Krypteia, was a social phenomenon, or according to others an institution, of Ancient Sparta, in which young Spartans, almost unarmed, hid during the day and at night made raids against helots. Ancient sources are scarce and conflicting on the subject. Modern historians also give various interpretations to the phenomenon. Some believe this was done to control the helots, who outnumbered the Spartans. Others believe that it was a kind of military training for young Spartans, and others that it was a rite of passage into manhood. In one sense, it was simply an implementation of a nighttime curfew.
The Spartan variant of the ancient Greek practice of pederasty, the
homosexual relationship of an adolescent boy (ancient Greek: ἀρομενος),
who in Sparta was called a "listener" (ancient Greek: ἀατας), with an
adult (ancient Greek: ἀραστις), who was called an "inspirer (ancient
Greek: εἰσπνηλας), was an important aspect of the education of boys in
Sparta. The "initiator" personally mentored the boy, was the otherwise
isolated young Spartan's link to adult society, introduced him to the
common boardroom, and, by the aristocratic standards of the Archaic era,
was responsible for imparting to the boy a code of conduct.
The
scant relevant information comes mainly from Athenian sources. In an
elliptical presentation on the Lacedaemonian polity, the Laconian
Xenophon places pederasty within the context of education and, despite
the disbelief he expects due to the lack of bans on pederasty in other
Greek cities, claims that, with the approval of Lycurgus, the adult's
interest concerned exclusively the boy's personality, while carnal
contact was avoided as incest. Plutarch, who sets the boy's age at 12 as
the starting age of the relationship, and mentions that men had lovers
up to 30, writes that this was intended to improve the boy's character
and that the adult was held responsible for the boy's misbehavior. On
the other hand, Aristophanes satirized the Spartans for their attraction
to boys, whose preference for anal sex even with women had become a
byword, while Plato did not agree that the pederasty relationship had no
sexual content and considered Crete and Sparta, introducers of the
institution of pederasty and places where it was applied universally.
The existence of evidence of pederasty initiation practices in these
two Doric, culturally related regions has led some scholars to believe
that pederasty first developed and spread there, while others claim that
it is a remnant of widespread Indo-European practices. The testimony of
Xenophon and Plutarch shows that in Sparta pederasty was
institutionalized and, regardless of whether sensual pleasure was merely
an ordinary or structural element, it functioned as a substitute for
paternal upbringing and a way of diminishing the importance of the
family vis-à-vis the community, while entering into a pederasty
relationship could serve in the context of competition between members
of the Spartan elite for political gain, as shown by two incidents
involving King Agesilaus, first as Lysander's lover and later as the
father of the lover of Sphodria's son.
The Spartan army was, perhaps, the most formidable war machine of the
ancient world. This war machine with its incredible discipline and
training managed very well for centuries to cover its biggest and most
basic flaw, which of course was its numerical constitution. Spartan
hoplites always wore a red cloak, because it covered the blood if they
were wounded and also, according to Lycurgus, somehow frightened the
opponent. In battle, the Spartan hoplites did not wear sandals, but went
barefoot to keep the phalanx more stable. In Sparta there was the
concept that soldiers had to return from battle victorious or dead,
although there was no law condemning those who abandoned the battle, but
they were then marginalized by society, like Aristodemus who left
Thermopylae by order of Leonidas to notify that the Greeks were
surrounded. It is characteristic that before they went to battle, when
the mother gave the shield to her son, she said "i tan, or pir tas",
which meant "either with it he would return victorious or on it dead".
The military structure of the Spartan Army was as follows: the
leader of the army was one of the two kings who from 506 BC. and then he
was leading the campaign. Second in rank was the warlord, who was the
leader of one of the six legions of the Spartan Army. Third in the
hierarchy was the captain who was in command of a company, which was 1/4
of each mora. Fourth in the hierarchy, was the pentekontarchus, the
leader of 1/8 of each mora, which was known as the pentecostya. Fifth
and last in the hierarchy was the centurion, who commanded the smallest
unit of the Spartan Army, the centurion, which was 1/16 of a mora. In
addition to the infantry, there was from the end of the 5th century BC.
the Spartan cavalry, which was under the command of six centurions, the
corresponding number of cavalry regiments. There was also the body of
300 horsemen, who were the king's elite guard and were actually foot
soldiers.
The armor of the Spartans was not very different from
the other Greeks with the only difference being the tunic and the red
chlamys. At the time of the Peloponnesian War, all Spartan shields were
inscribed with the letter L (lambda), representing Lacedaemonia. It is
also characteristic that they left long hair and combed their hair
before battles, which at the time was considered mainly a pre-Spartan
characteristic. In the Archaic Era they wore a Corinthian helmet, shin
pads and a bronze breastplate, although after the Persian Wars, when the
wars became more open, they replaced the bronze breastplate with the
lino chest or the lighter breastplate. Their main weapons were the
spear, the shield and the sword. At the time of Cleomenes III, in the
3rd century BC. the Spartan Army was equipped with the Macedonian
sarissa.
The economic model of Sparta was based on a philosophy that prevented
the concentration of wealth. In theory at least, the Omoios were
forbidden to engage in any productive activity, a field to which the
perioiki and the helots were limited. The latter had the task of
exploiting the "lots", i.e. the estates of the Omoi, to whom they
assigned a share ("aphora"). The inhabitants, as was the case in several
Greek cities, were farmers and perhaps artisans and merchants.
Again in theory, the use of currency was discouraged through a series of
measures. At first, the currency became worthless: coins were guaranteed
by the state, luxuries and works of art were considered unacceptable.
Then, Spartan currency was deliberately unwieldy: there were no gold and
silver coins, only one made of iron, the value of which was
disproportionate to its weight, so that a cart was required to carry an
amount equal to ten minae (or a thousand drachmas). and moreover this
currency had no validity outside the city. Finally, riches were despised
by conviction.
In fact, most historians believe that in archaic
Sparta there was no law prohibiting coinage.[104] Numerous testimonies
testify that the Lacedaemonians also used coins during the classical
era. After the end of the Peloponnesian War, the city itself found
itself in the dilemma of whether or not to issue silver coinage.
Ultimately it was decided to retain the iron currency for specific
transactions and to introduce the use of precious coins for state
affairs only. Finally, Sparta followed the example of the other cities
at the beginning of the 3rd century BC, when King Areus I, following the
example of the kings of the Hellenistic period, minted a coin bearing
his image and name.
Despite the egalitarian spirit expressed by
Lycurgus' reform, wealth was very unequally distributed among the
Spartans. Herodotus mentions persons who had distinguished origins and
were among the wealthiest of the city. In the 4th century BC Aristotle
notes that some had accumulated great wealth, while others had almost
nothing, and also that the land was in the hands of only a few citizens.
Also, according to Plutarch, only part of the citizens owned land during
the 3rd century BC.
Religion was an important part of the life of the ancient Spartans, perhaps more so than the inhabitants of other cities. This is evidenced by the number of temples and sanctuaries mentioned by the traveler Pausanias: 43 temples dedicated to deities (ἱερον), 22 temples dedicated to heroes (ἡρῶον), about 15 statues of gods and 4 altars. To these are added the various funerary monuments, many in number since the Spartans buried their dead within the perimeter of the city, some of which also had a religious character: for example those of Lycurgus, Leonidas I and Pausanias I.
In Ancient Sparta, female deities held a prominent position: of the
50 temples named by Pausanias, 34 are dedicated to goddesses. Athena,
with a great multitude of invocations, is honored above all. Apollo had
few sanctuaries, however his importance was special: he played a role in
all major religious festivals, while the most important religious
monument of Laconia was the "Throne of Apollo" in Amykles. It is also
worth pointing out the special honor given to Gelotas, a secondary deity
of the ancient Greeks, who personified laughter.
Honors were also
given to the heroes of the Trojan cycle. According to Anaxagoras
Achilles received divine honors and there were two sanctuaries dedicated
to his name. Also deified were Agamemnon, Cassandra (under the name
Alexandra), Clytemnestra, Menelaus and Helen. The cult of Helen and
Menelaus took place, according to Pausanias, in the so-called
"Menelaeus" in Ancient Therapni. The cult of Helen probably began in the
Archaic era, replacing an earlier goddess.
The worship of Castor
and Polydeukis, the Dioscuri, twin sons of Zeus, was also important.
Pindar considers them "stewards of Sparta", as tradition names the city
as their birthplace. Their duality is reminiscent of that of the two
kings. A series of miracles were attributed to the Dioscuri which were
mainly related to the salvation of Spartan troops.
Finally,
Hercules was considered in Ancient Sparta something like a national
hero, but also a protector - god of the young. Legend had him helping
Tyndareus regain his throne. It was also believed that he built the
temple of Asclepius in the city. The twelve feats of the hero appeared
frequently in Spartan iconography.
The Spartans, like the rest of the Greeks, sacrificed to their gods in order to appease them and ask for their help. It is known that before every battle, the Spartans offered sacrifices to the god Eros, something like this was not only a habit of the Spartans, but also of the Dorians of Crete. Many tried to connect the specific sacrifices with the institution of pederasty. Unlike other Greek cities, Sparta did not require animals for slaughter to be beautiful, healthy, or even fit.
Ancient Sparta had many festivals, just like the rest of the ancient Greek cities, Some of which had some special characteristics, such as the festival in the sanctuary of Orthia Artemis which was one of the strangest in Ancient Greece, due to the flogging of the Spartan teenagers in altar of the goddess. In the sanctuary of Apollo in Amykleo there was a joint worship of Apollo and Hyacinth, due to the relationship of the two gods. Lamentations for Hyacinthos and music and dances for Apollo were included in these celebrations. Carnea or Karnea was perhaps the most important festival of the Dorians, dedicated to Apollo Carneios. The nudists were associated with the cult of Apollo, although they are not associated with this particular festival. Many sporting events took place on the days of the Carneos. Other festivals of Sparta were the Agitoreia in honor of Zeus and Apollo, the Agrania in honor of the dead, celebrated in other cities of the Greek world, the Athanaia in honor of Athena, the Alcidea, the Amyklaia in honor of Apollo and the Dioscuri , the Brasideia in honor of the fallen general Brasidas, the Gymnopaedia in honor of Apollo, Artemis and Letus, where annual children's sports competitions were held, the Damia in honor of the goddess of euphoria, Damia, the Passports in honor of Zeus, which was purely Doric ceremony. There were still the Elenia, in honor of Helen and Menelaus, where a great procession of virgins took place to the Menelaion in Therapni. The Spartans had many festivals that they shared with the rest of the Greeks.
The construction of the modern city on the site of ancient Sparta,
the natural disasters (mainly the earthquake of the 4th century AD) and
the raids (mainly by the Goths, in 394) did not leave many traces to
remind of it. So today, the archaeological findings of Sparta are
disproportionately small in relation to the glory and power that the
city had during antiquity and late Roman times.
Most of the
findings are found in the acropolis of ancient Sparta, a low and wide
hill, which was the political, religious and economic center of the
ancient city.
On the north-western slope of the ancient
acropolis, the excavations of the English School of Archeology brought
to light parts of the sanctuary of the patroness or Chalkioiko Athena,
the most important sanctuary of ancient Sparta. It was so called because
its interior walls were covered with copper sheets, which bore reliefs.
This position was a place of worship from the geometric to the Roman
years. Initially, a mosque with an altar was created and during the 6th
c. e.g. a small temple with a precinct was built, which housed the
statue of the patron Athena. Public gatherings, parades and horse races
took place in the sanctuary.
On the south-west side of the
acropolis hill, below the sanctuary of Athena, the excavations of the
English School of Archeology brought to light parts of a large Roman
theatre, with a capacity of 16,000 spectators, which was in use until
the end of the 4th century. A.D. It is the third largest and one of the
most impressive theater buildings of the ancient world.
The
theater had two parts: the main theater in the lower part, with thirty
rows of seats, and the epitheater, with another seventeen rows. The
hollow - the total opening of which reaches 140 m - is made of white
marble and dates from around 30 BC-20 BC. Its construction was based not
only on the natural features of the ground, but also on the work done
with the construction of the retaining walls. At the top of the hollow,
a portico was built towards the sanctuary of Chalkioiko Athena, or a
perimeter gallery for the protection of the spectators.
The floor
of the horseshoe-shaped orchestra, which has a diameter of 25 m, was
paved with marble slabs, alternating white and red. The honorary
inscriptions on the eastern aisle are also of great interest.
In
the acropolis, a circular structure has also been revealed by the
archaeological hoe. It is a retaining wall that surrounds a natural
outcrop of the hill. Many identify it with Skiada, where the gatherings
of the people took place, while others with Gasipton (sanctuary of the
Earth).
Next to the theater and the sanctuary of Chalkioiko
Athena, the ruins of the great Basilica of Sotiros Christos are
preserved. According to tradition, its erection is attributed to the
holy Nikon the Penitent. But it is an early Byzantine church of the 7th
century. AD, from which, as was the case with the temples of that
period, the iconostasis that separates the sanctuary from the main
temple is absent. The narthex, the chapel, the bell tower and a number
of other buildings are later additions. The temple functioned for many
centuries as the metropolis of Lacedaemonia.
On the outskirts of
the acropolis of Sparta and at the northern limits of the current city,
the ruins of a peculiar temple-shaped building, the Leonida (5th century
BC), are preserved. It is built with large ashlars and is divided into
two chambers. Local tradition considers it to be the tomb of Leonidas,
however it is known that his bones were transported from Thermopylae and
buried further north, near the theater. According to some indications,
it is identified with the temple of Karnius Apollo.
On the side
of the hill of the acropolis, behind the national stadium of the city,
remains of a wall from the late Roman times (end of the 4th century AD)
have been discovered. The destruction of Sparta by the earthquake of 375
and the threat of Gothic raids prompted the inhabitants to build a high
wall, which enclosed only the Roman citadel. This wall played a decisive
role in the following centuries of barbarian raids.
Sparta remained unwalled until the first decades of the 3rd century. e.g. She was proud, in fact, that she had her men as her walls. The first incomplete constructions date back to the end of the 4th century, but the first real fortifications were included in the defense program of Cleomenes III and were built at the beginning of the 3rd century. BC, under the threat of Demetrius the Besieger and Pyrrhus. The wall, which protected the entire city, with a perimeter of about 9 km, was completed during the reign of Navis (207 BC-192 BC). A second strong fortification wall was built during the late Roman years, to protect the city from barbarian raids. It surrounded only the citadel hill and had tall square towers. This wall was preserved with several repairs in the following years.