Spartan Civilization
Spartan Social Structure:
Spartiates:
Perioeci:
Helots:
Women:
Spartan Social Structure:
Spartiates:
Perioeci:
Helots:
Women
•Conquered
peoples or their
descendents
•Owned by the
city-state
•Treated like
slaves
•Second
Messenian War
Spartan Social Structure:
Spartiates:
Perioeci:
Helots:
Women
•Revolts
•Assigned to
land (kleros)
controlled by
Spartiates
•½ of production
to Spartiates
Spartan Social Structure:
Spartiates:
Perioeci:
Helots:
Women
•War officially
declared on
them each year
•Culling
Spartan Social Structure:
Spartiates:
Perioeci:
•Homoioi
•Serve in army
•Vote
•Full citizen rights
Helots:
Women
Spartan Social Structure:
Spartiates:
Perioeci:
•“neighbors/
outsiders”
•Freemen
•Artisans,
craftsmen,
merchants
•Could not own
land
Helots:
Women
Spartan Social Structure:
Spartiates:
Perioeci:
•Could not
marry a
Spartiate
•No vote
•No army
•foreigners
Helots:
Women
Spartan Social Structure:
Spartiates:
Perioeci:
Helots:
Women:
•Few
political
rights
•Manage
farms and
households
•More
independent
Reforms of Lycurgus:
• iron money instead of gold and silver
• requirement of eating in commons
• living (for unmarried men) in rough-hewn
barracks
• destruction of the city walls to promote
martial skill
Reforms of Lycurgus:
• re-dividing Spartan land, forcing it to be
worked by Helots
• system of government that divided power
between king, Spartan citizens, the gerousia,
and the ephors
• educational system known as the agoge
5 Ephores = guardians
yearly elections
yearly elections
Council of Elders
Double kingship
Agiade
Eurypontide
Army/Religion
28 plus 2 kings
Apella
Limnai Mesoa Kynosura Pitane Amyklai
Spartan Government
Mixed government:
• Not a democracy
• Not a monarchy
• Not an oligarchy
But:
It contains elements of all of the above
5 Ephores = guardians
yearly elections
yearly elections
Council of Elders
Double kingship
Agiade
Eurypontide
Army/Religion
28 plus 2 kings
Apella
Limnai Mesoa Kynosura Pitane Amyklai
5 Ephores = guardians
yearly elections
yearly elections
Council of Elders
Double kingship
Agiade
Eurypontide
Army/Religion
28 plus 2 kings
Apella
Limnai Mesoa Kynosura Pitane Amyklai
Spartan Government
Kings (plural):
• Two kings at one time – one can always veto the
other
• Hereditary kingship from Agiade and
Eurypontide royal families
• Priestly responsibilities
• Generals who lead the Spartan army
• Sit on the gerousia council
Spartan Government
Kings (plural):
• Honorary duties:
– Judges in many cases
– Diplomatic appointments
– Seat of honor including a double portion at
banquets
– Consultation of the Oracle of Delphi
– Adoptions, marriages, etc.
5 Ephores = guardians
Council of Elders
Double kingship
28 plus 2 kings
Army/Religion
Apella
Limnai Mesoa Kynosura Pitane Amyklai
Spartan Government
• Apella citizen’s assembly:
• every 30 year old Spartan male full citizen was
entitled to attend the meetings
• five original villages of Sparta (Limnai, Mesoa,
Kynosura, Pitane, and Amyklai)
• held at the time of each full moon
5 Ephores = guardians
Council of Elders
Double kingship
Agiade
Eurypontide
Army/Religion
28 plus 2 kings
Apella
Limnai Mesoa Kynosura Pitane Amyklai
Spartan Government
• The Gerousia Spartan senate:
• Council of Elders consisted of 28 members as
well as the two kings
• members had to be over the age of 60 and were
elected for life
• any Spartan citizen of the right age could stand
but in practice members were selected from the
most important aristocratic families
Spartan Government
• The Gerousia Spartan senate:
• Prepared motions, rhetrai, for the citizen
assembly, the Apella, to vote on
• Could veto motions passed by the Apella
• Consulted by the ephors in matters of
interpretation of the law
• Role of a court to try murder cases - and had the
power to condemn, fine, or banish.
5 Ephores = guardians
yearly elections
yearly elections
supervise
supervise
Council of Elders
Double kingship
supervise
Agiade
Eurypontide
Army/Religion
28 plus 2 kings
Apella
Limnai Mesoa Kynosura Pitane Amyklai
Spartan Government
• The Ephors:
• Most powerful part of Spartan government
• Elected each year
• Controlled the agoge, all judges, and Generals
of the field
• Dealt with foreign diplomats
Spartan Government
• The Ephors:
• Controlled the Krypteria
• In charge of the apella
• Could over rule decisions of the apella and
gerousia
• End of the year tried by the people
5 Ephores = guardians
Council of Elders
28 plus 2 kings
Double kingship
Apella
Agiade
Eurypontide
Army/Religion
Limnai Mesoa Kynosura Pitane Amyklai
Perioeci: “those around” free but non-citizens
Farming Helots, not slaves but tied to the land