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Sparta
One of the city states of ancient Greece, Sparta was well known for its warrior culture.
2,647 Questions
What kind of government did Sparta have?
Sparta had a government that consisted of two kings (one from the Agrid family and one from the Eurypontid family), five Ephors (supreme magistrates), the Gerousia (council of elders) and the Apella (the assembly of equals - all Spartan men over the age of 30). The kings and the Ephors made all the most important decisions about the state and battle and education and the Gerouisa had a big input in law but even if they all make a unanimous decision it can still be overruled by the whole Apella. In that sense it is an almost democratic government except that woman or slaves cannot have a say.
The Spartan government was a fusion of monarchy, oligarchy and demoracy.
The government of Sparta consisted of the two kings, the Gerousia, the Ephors and the Ecclesia/Apella:
- Gerousia - It consisted of the two kings plus 28 elders. They prepared and presented proposals for the vote of the assembly. They were elected.
- Ephor - There were 5 ephors. They advised and checked the kings, controlled the Krypteia, watched for divine signs about the kings rule, supervised the life of the people and called the assembly.
- Ecclesia - The assembly consisting of Spartiate men over the age of 30. They voted on the Gerousia's proposals.
Oligarchy
What is an Aristocratic republic?
An aristocratic republic is a form of representative government in which the nobility(aristocracy) lead, they aren't necessarily be the most skilled or intelligent people but they are born into a position of wealth and status and derived their power from that. It's contrasted from a democratic republic because it does not allow the ordinary citizens to vote for their representatives. In a republican aristocracy, representatives are voted in by their peers.
Another View:
Republic and Aristocracy are two quite different words. Republic comes from the Latin res publica = things held in common. An aristocracy is 'rule by the best people' but in the practical word is oligarchy 'rule by the few', so there is a clear difference between aristocratic/oligarchic rule and the idea of everything held in common ownership of a republic.
Aristotle postulated
Monarchy (rule by one) which tends to degrade to tyranny (rule by a single autocrat).
Aristocracy (rule by the best people) which tends to degrade to oligarchy (rule by the few).
Democracy (people power) which tends to degrade to ochlocracy (mob rule).
So the idea of an 'aristocratic republic' is a contradiction.
Who is menelaus in The Odyssey?
Menelaus is the brother of Agamemnon and the King of Sparta. His wife is Helen and he was one of the Greek leaders in the Trojan War. In the Odyssey, Menelaus tries to help Telemachus find his father Odysseus.
Did the Sparta have citizens as the upper class?
All Spartan male adults were citizens with equal rights.
The Spartan territory had other peoples - the perioeci who lived in the countryside as landowners but were not Spartan citizens and the serfs who rendered half their produce to Sparta.
Was a slave's life always bad?
No, not always. Some slave owners, at least according to the historical account, treated their slaves well. Actually, slaves were USUALLY treated fairly humanely because they were valueable property. They certainly didn't have any luxuries, but they got their basic necessities like food, shelter and medical care. Just as a farmer keeps his tractor serviced regularly, it is more economical to keep your production "equipment" in good working condition than to purchase new. There were also laws that required a slave's owner to continue to provide for him after he was too old, sick, or injured to work. The thing to remember is that the slave had to always be at full working capacity. That means you couldn't injure, overwork or starve them. In some instances slaves stayed on after slavery was abolished but this time they worked for a wage.
Was there really a huge pit in Sparta?
All cities had pits into which they threw their rubbish and executed criminals and enemies. Sparta's pit was on the slope of Mt Taygetos a few km outside the city. It ceased to be used from 406 BCE.
Who came first spartacus or king leonidas?
Spartacus -- (edited on 8/12/2015) whoever wrote this answer has no clue. Leonidas I (ref. 300) was born 540BC, and died 480BC. Spartacus (the starz show spartacus) was born 111BC and died 71BC. Spartacus was born more than 300 years after Leonidas died, therefore Leonidas came first.
Why did Athens and Sparta go to war?
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Sparta was afraid of the growing power of their rival city-state, Athens
Which city-state seemed to have the geographical advantage and why for the Sparta and the Athens?
Nose
Accomplishments of Queen Gorgo of Sparta include sharp political judgement and wisdom
Why were the Persians offended by the movie 300?
The Persians were not portrayed in the same heroic light that the Greeks were .
Why did the Spartans worship Ares?
The Spartans may have disproportionately worshiped Ares over the other Greek gods because he was the god of war, and Spartan lifestyle revolved heavily around warfare and military preparation.
Spartan weapons were most likely created by the Perioki - the Spartan commoners. They handled all the commerce for the city, such as trade, fishing, blacksmithing etc. This enabled the Spartiates (full-citizens) could focus on their training.
What was the point of such a brutal education in Sparta?
It was their culture. They always wanted to fight and have the strongest men in the world.
Sparta actually had 2 patron gods, Artemis Goddess of the hunt, the moon and closely associated with animals. And Ares of course God of war, hatred and mindless violence.
Athens's patron (another city-state in Greece) was Athena Goddess of Wisdom and battle strategy.
