~Sparta~

Sparta, or Laceadaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Pelopponese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BCE, when the invading Dorians subjugated the non-Dorian population. From 650 BCE it rose to become the most dominant military force that ancient Greece had ever seen. Sparta was recognized as the overall leader of the combined Greek forces during the Greco-Persian Wars. Between 431 and 404 BCE, Sparta was the principle enemy of Athens during the Pelopennesian War, from which it emerged victorious, though at great cost. Sparta's defeat by Thebes in the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BCE ended Sparta's prominent role in Greece. However, it maintained its political independence until 146 BCE, when the Romans conquered Greece. Sparta was unique in ancient Greece for its social system and constitution, which completely focused on military training and excellence. Spartan women enjoyed considerably more rights and equality to men than else where in the world during this time frame. When male Spartans began military training at age seven, they would enter the Agoge system. This was designed to encourage discipline and physical toughness and the emphasize the importance on the Spartan state. Besides physical weapons and training, boys studied reading, writing, music, and dancing. Punishments were conducted if the boys did not answer a question correctly. At the age of 18, Spartan boys became reserve members of the Spartan family. On leaving the Agoge they would be sorted into groups, where some were sent into the countryside with only a knife and were forced to survive on their own with all of the specific training they had learned. Spartan girls did the same training, except they had much less emphasis on military training. With that being said, this was very unique because no other city-state in ancient Greece granted women the opportunity of an education. One fact that I found interesting about this culture was that Spartan men were required to marry at age 30. There were many historic women in ancient Sparta. Queen Gorgo, heiress to the throne and wife of Leonidas I, was an influential and well documented feature. Herodotus records that as a small child she advised her father Cleomenes to resist a bribe. She was later said to be responsible for decoding a warning that the Persian forces were about to invade Greece; after Spartan generals could not decode a wooden tablet covered in wax, she ordered them to clear the wax, revealing the warning. When asked by a woman from Attica why Spartan women were the only women in the world who could rule men, she replied, "Because we are the only women who are mother's of men."