Adult Spartan Free Man - Article Example

Lecturer Adult Spartan free man Introduction Sparta was one of the most successful and important s in ancient Greece. It was governed and ruled, at the same time, by two kings and Council; of Elders composed of 30 citizen elders who must be over 60 years of age. Sparta was a military state and it produced fine literature, culture and arts. Sparta was very instrumental during the defeat of Persia (Sekunda 293). During the Peloponnesian War, it led to Athens’s defeat. In 386BC, Sparta and Persia agreed on the Kings Peace treaty. The collapse of Sparta was due to defeat in 371 BC by the Thebes, and it has never regained its status. Spartan men and women led different lives. Education and training for the boys was very strict; Spartan boys left their homes (families) on attaining the age of 7 years, so as to be trained for professional roles in Spartan’s full time army. During the training, boys were given less food and instructed to fight one another; any signs of cowardice were not tolerated. The military training emphasized physical fitness; boys were required to prove their physical toughness and physical endurance. Male training was categorized into groups; boys aged between 7 and 17 years were taught physical education, reading, dancing, writing and singing; older boys aged 18 and 19 years were given military training on survival techniques; youths aged between 20 to 29 years were given vigorous military training in the army; young adults aged 30 years and over were given full citizenship status and required to marry. Men are supposed to stay in barracks until they reach 30 years of age. Spartan women also got physical training and education. Physical training entailed choral songs, gymnastics and dance. Physical training ensured women fitness and strength, this enables them to give birth to healthy babies and transform into good soldiers. The Perioikoi, who were free, non- Spartans were required to give military service in the Spartan army; they did not have full citizenship status, but were allowed to engage in trade and manufacturing (Sekunda 271). The Helots were Greek population that the Spartans defeated in war, and were owned as a whole entity bay Spartans. Their main activity was to provide agricultural products to the rest of the Spartan population. Spartan clothing was normally homemade using a homemade fabric that was also used to make blankets and garments. From the study of ancient sculptures and paintings we can deduce that the fabrics were brightly colored and decorated with many designs. Men and women clothing was normally made up of two major garments; a cloak and a tunic. The tunic comprised; a peplos which is a heavy fabric made of wool, rectangular and large in shape. It was worn around the body and held in place by a pin at the shoulders. It also had armholes on either side. The tunic also comprised a chiton; which is made up of a lighter material like linen. Chiton was similar in shape to the peplos, but wide enough for sleeves which were fastened with pins on the upper arms (Hodkinson 74). The tunics were floor-length garments that were long and pulled over a unique belt. Under the tunics; women wore a soft fabric called the strophion along the mid-body section. Men wore tunics similar to women’s tunics but shorter, knee-length. This enabled easy physical exercise and training for the men. The cloak was worn by both men and women, it was also a rectangular heavy fabric (woolen or linen) which was worn diagonally over one shoulder or worn on both shoulders symmetrically. Women sometimes wore a shawl over the tunic(s). Young men usually wore short cloaks for horse riding. Spartan men sometimes wore a hat called petasos, and on rare cases women wore special petasos with a high crown. Spartan men and women had different types of footwear; boots, sandals, soft-shoes and slippers; however, when at home they were mostly barefoot. Spartan Costumes Spartans men and women wore heavy clothing; fighting, marching or during summer. Basic clothing included; special shoes, crimson, cloak and tunic. Crimson clothing was worn by Lakedaimonians; who used a bronze shield and crimson robe, in military activities. The robe was similar to women’s attire and it is warlike, the bonze shield can be polished easily and it tarnishes slowly. The crimson clothing was sanctioned in formal legislations for military activities. During the 4th century, the crimson clothing was the most appropriate military uniform. The tunic and the cloak were widely worn in Spartan. The women were responsible for making tunics of the highest quality and decoration for their sons and husbands who were in the military. The tunics, in the archaic period, were made from thick wool; but in classical period linen was used because of its light quality and hence the tunics became much lighter (Morris 29). However, the tunic was proved inappropriate wear for soldiers during war, and the military replaced it with the crimson clothing. The cloak was worn when performing activities which required great physical movements. The cloak was not worn during military activities, but for peace time duties. The standard type of shoes worn by the Spartans was made using leather. Shoes, especially boots, was worn to protect the feet from cold during winter, and also to protect the feet during hunting. However, Spartan men used to work in the farms barefoot as a form of physical exercise, also boys did not wear shoes as a form of exercise. Spear, shield, helmet and swords were majorly used in the military by the soldiers. The swords used by Sparta soldiers were unusually shorter. This was to enable warriors to use thrusting attacks at the truck and groin targets of opponents. Spear was the major offensive tool used by soldiers, the spears were leaf shaped and built from iron. The shield was an important defense tool for the warriors; it was made from pieces of wood stuck together with leather layers which formed two handles. Names of warriors were marked on the shields to show possession. The helmet was also used in defense by the Spartan warriors. The helmet enclosed completely the head for protection, however, this resulted to poor vision and hearing. During the 5th century a new helmet type was adopted, it was hat shaped and ensured better vision and hearing ability. The Cuirass was used during the archaic period. It was at the waist and it resembled the mouth of a bell. During the 5th century the Lakedaimonian military stopped using their cuirasses to ensure quick military campaign. The Spartan military also adopted this change in battle tactics. The Spartan people preferred their hairstyles long. It was believed that men having long hair are taller and they also appeared more dignified and terrifying; it was assumed men with long hair appeared more handsome. Long hair, in archaic times, represented an aristocrat. Men generally kept their beard longer, but shaved the upper lip. Spartan women were naturally beautiful and wearing, wearing jewelry and makeup was not allowed. However, there is evidence (archaeological) that bronze brooches were used in pinning peplos. There were also ivory combs used for decorative purposes in religious shrines, the combs had items which were likely worn during religious occasions. Identified bronze mirrors suggest that women valued their appearance and they dressed to impress; and the oil flasks shows that women used perfumes (Thompson 187). Social outcasts who broke the rules of the society were med to wear unique humiliating clothing. Men who refuse to marry were paraded naked during winter, as a form of humiliation for disobeying society’s expectations. Spartans who fled war were prohibited from wearing the red cloak that was a military uniform, and they shaved half their beards, these measures depicted them as half-men. Slaves wore unique clothing made from animal skins. Pictures of Spartans Clothing Painting showing a Spartan woman giving a shield to her son. It also shows the clothing of women and men. Picture showing Spartan military; spear, foot wear and helmet. Picture showing the clothing of Spartan women. Picture showing a running Spartan girl Gender in Ancient Sparta Spartan culture mostly stresses masculinity; hence Sparta had equal gender policies due to Spartan men mostly being away on military duties. The Spartan women enjoyed property ownership status, and they participated in sporting events alongside men. Women enjoyed property ownership rights because men were either; living in the military barracks, or at war. Hence, women manage the properties almost without support of men. The society’s standards of building strong men to participate in war, encouraged women to participate in physical events like; javelin throwing, wrestling, foot races and chariot races. The physical exercises were believed to make women conceive strong sons. Spartan women raised their sons and daughters alone. This is because men mostly lived in military barracks, and this led to children living for even 10 years without knowing their fathers. Even during wedding ceremonies, Spartan society did not tolerate femininity. During the night before wedding, the bride’s hair must be cut should and then she would be given men’s clothes to wears; she will then be left in a dark room alone. The political power wielded by the Spartan women was due to their properties and wealthy. Aristotle blamed the decline in the power of Sparta on the wealth the Spartan women possess (Sarah 369). Women also became wealthy by inheriting their husbands’ properties and their fathers’ properties. Spartan men believed that brides should be chosen based on their physical qualities and character; therefore, economic factors like dowries were not considered during marriage. Spartan women had the privilege of divorcing their husbands, without the threat of their properties and personal wealth. As equal Spartan citizens, women allowed to remarry or not, at their discretion. There were no female centered festivals in Sparta, apart from all-female athletic exercise. This is because women held a huge significance in community wide ceremonies. In terms of religion, Spartans worshipped warrior gods more, than peaceful gods. Spartan women mostly worshipped gods like Eileithyia, who represent beauty, childbirth and fitness. In addition, Spartan women were involved in cults centered on heroes, heroines or myths, for example the cults of; Cynisca, and Helen of Sparta. Cynisca was a famous princes and chariot racer, she was the first female winner of Ancient Olympic Games. Her win encouraged more Spartan women to participate in sports. During burial rites the names of; women who died from childbirth and men who died during military battle, are engraved on their gravestone. Conclusion and Summary Spartan women who are citizens enjoyed unique privileges during the ancient times; they enjoyed power, political status and respect. The privileges of women started immediately at birth where girls and boys are given the same food. The girls were also allowed to participate in physical exercises and sports. The Spartan society only allowed girls to get married between late teens and early twenties (Ehrenberg 37). The clothes of the women were slit at the side to ensure free physical movements. Wife sharing was practiced in the Spartan society to ensure breeding among only physically fit parents, therefore polyandry was accepted to ensure women give birth to many strong children. Spartan women were also very literate, and hence they engaged freely in the society by freely articulating their opinions in public on issues affecting the society. The Spartan women had economic and political power because they controlled wealth and property; in later classical period women controlled approximately 35% of land and property. The laws regarding divorce and inheritance were the same for both women and me. Works Cited Cartledge, Paul. Sparta and Lakonia: A Regional History 1300 to 362 BC (2 ed.), Oxford: Routledge, 2002. Print. Ehrenberg, Victor. From Solon to Socrates: Greek History and Civilisation between the 6th and 5th centuries BC (2 ed.), London: Routledge, 2008. Print. Hodkinson, Stephen. Property and Wealth in Classical Sparta, London: David Brown Book Co., 2005. Print. Morris, Ian. Death-Ritual and Social Structure in Classical Antiquity, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Print. Sarah B. Pomeroy (2002). Spartan Women. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Sekunda, Nicholas. The Ancient Greeks: Armies of Classical Greece, 5th and 4th Centuries BC (Elite Series #7), Osprey Publications, 2006. Print. Thompson, F. Hugh. The Archaeology of Greek and Roman Slavery, London: Duckworth, 2010. Print. Read More