Sparta

Sparta project page by Eric, Evan, and Jessie. Social Classes Economy Education Birth and Death Government Resources Haywood, John, Brian Catchule, et al. //Atlas of World History//. 1. New York, New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 2001. Print. Adams, John Paul. "Materials for the Study of Ancient Sparta." //California State University Northridge//. N.p., 26 Jan 2010. Web. 3 Dec 2011. <@http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/sparta.html>. "Sparta." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.// N.p., 10 Nov 2011. Web. 3 Dec 2011. <@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparta>. []
 * Sparta originated as a city state in around 505 b.c
 * By the 5th century b.c Sparta was one of the dominant city states of Greece rivaled by Athens.
 * It had one of the most powerful land armies of its time.
 * By the 490's b.c, Sparta had allied with Athens against the Persians.
 * Spartan Government was based on the idea that every person, from his or her's birth, belonged only to the state with no exceptions. The elders would check the new born for unhealthy, mutated, or seeming weak ones. The ones they thought were weak they would bring to a near by chasm and left to die, hoping that Sparta only had the physically fit people in their city.
 * The children who were aloud to live had a very disciplined life. Boys at the age of seven were taken from their parents control, and put into small bands. The strongest or bravest would be set as captains of these bands. The boys would sleep in dorms on hard beds, and ate black broth and other coarse food. They wore simple clothing, like just a cloth. They drilled every day in military exercises or gymnastics. They were taught to endure pain and that retreating or surrendering in battle was disgraceful.
 * When the boys were 20, they would serve in the army until they were 60. The were forced to live in public barracks.
 * The government of Sparta was ruled by two kings who worked as an check to eachother. They had a cabinet of five people who acted as overseers to the kings.
 * The Sparta government had a social structure containing three main classes.
 * At the top, two kings ruled over the city-state, but a council of 28 elders restrained their power. They were collectively called the Gerousia.
 * The upper class was made up of native Spartan citizens, known as the Spartiates, and were military professionals who spent most of their lives living in communal barracks.
 * The middle class consisted of farmers and artisans that were decendents of those people who the Spartans conquered first. This group known as the Perioeci, payed taxes and could join the army, but had no political rights.
 * The lowest class, the Helots, consisted of slaves who descended from those people who were conquered by Sparta. Since this class constantly tried to rebel, the Spartans created a secret group, the Krypteia, that would murder any helot that was suspected of rebelling.
 * Spartan citizens were forbidden by law from taking part in trade and the manufacturing of goods, and could not, in theory, possess gold or silver.
 * The Spartan currency was iron bars, which made external trade difficult, but helped prevent forgery.
 * The Perioeci were the ones that handled trade and manufacturing of goods.
 * At age 7, males began military training and entered the Agoge System. This system showed the boys how to be physically strong and also showed the importance of Sparta. They also studied reading, writing, music and dancing.
 * At age 12, the boys were assigned to an older male, who acted as a second father to the boy. The substitute was expected to be a correct role model to the younger Agoge.
 * Age age 18, the Agoge became reserve members of the military and were sorted into groups to test out their skills. Certain groups were sent into the countryside with nothing but a knife and were told to seek out and kill and helots that they found.
 * Girls were treated much differently than the boys and many other civilizations. They were allowed to have a normal education and they focused less on military training and more on studies.
 * When a child was born, the mother would bathe her child in wine to see if the infant was strong. If the baby lived, the father would take the child to the Gerousia. If the Gerousia believed that the baby was "puny and deformed", they would order the baby to be thrown into a chasm on Mount Taygetus.
 * Only men who died in a victorious battle would earn a headstone at their grave. Similarly, a woman would only earn a headstone if they died either at childbirth or in service of a divine office (meaning that they would get a headstone if they were a priest or divine official).
 * The council of Sparta consisted of three different types of government; oligarchy, democratical and monachical.
 * Oligarchy: The kings were already apart of the Gerousia, a 28 elder council that were chosen for life and the two kings. Also, five ephors chosen each year contained most of the power.
 * Monachical: Two kings, chosen to rule by hereditary genes, had the power to claim war and priestly obligations.
 * Democratical: Final part of government, the assembly, was made up of Spartiates (full Sparta citizens) that were each at least over the age of 18.