CYA SUMMER SESSION I 2016
Spartans and their Worlds
Preliminary Syllabus (subject to change)
Since the fifth century BCE, Spartans have been viewed as paragons of military valor and the
strict subordination of the individual to the state. In recent centuries, various aspects of this
image of Sparta have been utilized in literature, philosophy, and politics to provide widely
different social movements with an ancient pedigree. But is this picture just a mirage? In this
course we will investigate, through field trips and classroom lectures and discussions, the
historical, literary, and archaeological evidence for the Spartans and their worlds -- of warfare,
worship, everyday life, and education. As we experience first-hand the achievements of the
Greeks at fascinating locations including the Athenian Acropolis, the city of Sparta, Messene,
Olympia, and Delphi, we will delve into the mysteries of Spartan life and power. We will also
look at the role and activities of Spartan women and trace the reception of Sparta in more recent
centuries, from the French Revolution to Nazi Germany.
Week I
May 31 (3 hrs in class)
10am-12pm. – Course Introduction: The Land, the Sources, some questions
Spartans, 4-19
4-5pm. – Historical Outline I: Early Sparta to the Persian Wars
Spartans, 20-3, 50-4, 68-63, 64-75; Tyrtaeus, Poems, F3, F5; Herodotus
5.90-1, 5.93-4; Thucydides, 1.17-9
Jun. 1 (3 hrs on site; 1 hr in class)
9am-12pm. – Acropolis/Acropolis Museum (Cleomenes I and fall of the Peisistratids)
4-5pm. – Historical Outline II: Sparta in the Fifth Century
Spartans, 115-8; Thucydides, 1.89-117
Jun. 2 (3 hrs on site; 1 hr in class)
9am-12pm. – Agora (Shield from Sphakteria)
4-5pm. – Historical Outline III: Sparta in the Peloponnesian War
Spartans, 119-28; Thucydides, 4.117-123; Xenophon, Hellenica 23.1.22-9
Jun. 3 (4 hrs in class)
10am-12pm. – Spartan Governmental Institutions I:
Spartans, 13-4, 181-2, 44-50, 93-9, Tyrtaeus, Poems, F4; Plutarch on
Sparta, 7-10, 31-2; Xenophon in Plutarch on Sparta, 207-210, 211
4-6pm. – Spartan Governmental Institutions II (ephors, gerousia, assembly)
Spartans, 102-114; Herodotus 5.39-40; Thucydides 1.67-88, 113-125;
Xenophon, Hellenica 3.35-11
Week II
Jun. 6 (3 hrs on site; 2 hrs in class)
9am-12pm. – Kerameikos (Themostoclean Wall; Tomb of the Lacedaemonians)
Spartans, 128-30, 154-156; Thucydides, 1.90-1.93; Xenophon, Hellenica,
2.4.28–32
4-6pm. – The Spartan Army
Spartans, 147-158; Herodotus, 7.202-3, 9.10-11, 9.26-30; Thucydides, 5.6668; Xenophon in Plutarch on Sparta, 173-4
Jun. 7- 12: CLASS TRIP
Jun. 7: Mycenae (Spartans & Achaeans)
Argive Heraion
Spartans, 57-8; Herodotus 6.76-84
Night in Nauplion
Jun. 8: Mantineia (Battle)
Thucydides, 5.63-83
Sparta: Acropolis (Temple of Athena Chalkioikos; theatre)
Spartans, 70-75; Thucydides, 1.94-5, 128-35
Night in Sparta
Jun. 9: Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia (citizen training, cult of Orthia)
Spartans, 171-4
Museum (sculpture, inscriptions, small finds)
Menelaion (cult of Helen & Menelaus)
Spartans, 24-30; Herodotus, 6.61
Night in Sparta
Jun. 10 Messene (Early Messene; Messenians & Spartans)
Spartans, 39-43
Night in Pylos
Week III
Jun. 11: Palace of Nestor (Bronze Age Messenia)
Sphacteria (The Sphacteria incident)
Spartans, 120-1; Thucydides 4.1-41
Night in Pylos
Jun. 12: Olympia Museum
(Bronzes; Temple of Zeus; Nike of Paionios)
Night in Olympia
Jun. 13: Olympia Site (Spartans, Messenians, and Olympia)
Night in Athens
Jun. 14 (3 hrs on site; 2 hrs in class)
9am-12pm. National Archaeological Museum (Laconian bronzes and ceramics)
4-6pm. – The Helots and Perioikoi
Spartans, 76-92; Thucydides 1.101-4, 4.26, 5.34-6; Plutarch on Sparta, 16-7,
36-7, 40-41
Jun. 15 (4 hrs in class)
10am-12pm. – Spartan Social Institutions I: Homoioi, Common messes
Spartans, 50, 95, 164, 170, 173; Plutarch on Sparta, 20-8, 30-31, 33-4;
Xenophon in Plutarch on Sparta, 195-200
4-5pm. – Spartan Social Institutions II: Children
Spartans, 171-4; Xenophon in Plutarch on Sparta, 166-72; Plutarch on
Sparta, 22-38
Jun. 16-17 CLASS TRIP
Jun. 16: Delphi Museum
Night in Delphi
June 17: Delphi Site (Spartans & Delphi)
Thermopylai (Battle)
Herodotus, 7.172-6, 7.184-7, 7.198-228
Night in Athens
Week IV
Jun. 21 (4 hrs in class)
10am-12pm. Spartan Social Institutions III: Women, Money, & Property
Spartans, 16, 50, 131, 164, 167-9, 174; Herodotus, 5.48, 5.51, 7.239;
Plutarch on Sparta, 11-2, 16-20, 32-33; Xenophon in Plutarch on Sparta,
194-5
4-6pm class: The Spartan Empire and its Fall
Spartans, 130-33, Xenophon, Hellenica, 6.3.1-6.5.51; Plutarch on Sparta,
98-131
Jun. 22 (3 hrs in class)
10am-12pm. Reception of Sparta I: High Culture & Politics
Sparta and the Body Politic, 297-342; Rousseau, Discourse on the Arts &
Sciences, pt 1; Spartan Reflections, 18-91
4-5pm. Reception of Sparta II: Popular Culture
Sparta in Modern Thought, 393-428;
https://www.facebook.com/SPARTAArmedForces;
http://newtrajectory.blogspot.ca/2013/06/did-sparta-exercise-arms-control-
in-its.html; http://newtrajectory.blogspot.ca/2013/06/molon-labe-wasuttered-by-arms.html
Jun. 23 (2 hrs in class)
10am-12pm FREE (To complete papers)
4-6pm. – Review
PAPERS DUE
Jun. 24
10-12.30 Final Exam CB-1
READINGS
Kennell, Spartans: A New History
Herodotus, The Histories (Trans A. de Selincourt)
Plutarch, On Sparta (Trans. R. Talbert)
Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War (Trans. R. Warner)
Tyrtaios, Poems (Trans. N. Kennell) {Moodle}
Xenophon, A History of My Times (Trans. R. Warner)
COURSE MARKS
Class participation
Oral Reports (2)
Term Paper
Final Examination
10%
30%
30%
30%
Term papers will be marked according to the following scheme:
Relevance to topic
Format/English Usage
Content/Logic
Footnotes/Bibliography
/10%
/30%
/50%
/10%
Each oral report will be marked according to the following scheme:
Content-Argument
Organization
Enunciation & Pronunciation
TOTAL
/10
/3
/2
/15
Class Participation: Posing questions and taking part in discussions, whether formal or informal,
either in the classroom or on site, is essential in understanding how to assess the various sorts of
evidence – archaeological, historical, literary etc. – on ancient Sparta. Interacting positively with
fellow students and the instructor will enhance your experience by providing you with different
perspectives on the subjects studied in class.
Readings: All readings should be completed before the day to which they are assigned. It is
essential to come to class having a basic familiarity with the material to be studied.
Oral Reports: Each student will make two brief presentations (around 10 minutes) in class and
on site. Their subjects should focus on different disciplines, e.g. archaeology and history or art
history and reception studies. Reports that produce discussions will be marked very favorably.
Students should meet with the instructor before finalising their choice of subject.
Research paper: The research paper (6-7 pages, double spaced) will be normally elaborate on the
subject of one oral report, based on required reading, class lectures and research. This paper must
employ an acceptable form of citation and include a bibliography of sources cited. Students are
encouraged to use the handout ‘Guidelines for Term Papers’.
Papers are due at the beginning of class (4.00 pm), June 23.
Final Examination: The final will include both identification and commentary questions on
images and terms, as well as short essays. The exam will cover all the material presented in class
and on site from the beginning of term.
Plagiarism (presenting another's work as your own) and other forms of cheating will result,
at the very least, in loss of all credit for the assignment for the first offense. Second offenses
will result in the loss of all marks for the course.
Please note: CYA policy requires students to attend all class sessions, without exception.
Excusable absences must be pre-authorized by the Director of Academic Affairs.
POSSIBLE PRESENTATION/PAPER TOPICS
The role of religion at Sparta
What on earth was Pausanias up to?
Was Agesilaus a great king?
Cleomenes I: War hero or nutcase?
Spartan battle tactics in the fifth century
Spartan Military Dress
Spartans and Athletics
Spartans and Delphi
Kyniska, first female chariot race winner
“Homosexuality” in Spartan Society
Lysander: A dangerous genius?
Violence in Spartan society
Sparta as a Shame Culture
What was the regent Pausanias trying to do?
Oliganthropia: The Spartan Population Crisis
The Conspiracy of Cinadon
SELECTED BOOKS ON IN CYA LIBRARY
Cartledge, P. 1979. Sparta and Lakonia: A Regional History 1300-362 BC. London.
-------. 2002. Spartan Reflections. London
------- and Spawforth, A. 1989. Hellenistic and Roman Sparta: A Tale of Two Cities. London
and New York. (Repr. with short appendix 2002)
Cavanagh, W. G, and Walker, S.E.C. eds. 1998. Sparta in Laconia. Proceedings of the 19th
British Museum Colloquium. BSA Studies 4. London
Cavanagh, W., Crouwel, J., et. al. Continuity and Change in a Greek Rural Landscape. The
Laconia Survey. 2 vols. London, 1996-2002
Ducat, Jean. 2006. Spartan Education. Swansea
Figueira, T. J. ed. 2004. Spartan Society. Swansea
Hodkinson, S. 2000. Property and Wealth in Classical Sparta. London
---- and Powell, A., eds. 2006. Sparta and War. Swansea
Kagan, D. 1969. The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War. Ithaca, London
-------. 1981. The Peace of Nikias and the Sicilian Expedition. Ithaca, London
------, 1987. The Fall of the Athenian Empire. Ithaca, London
Kaltsas, N. et al. 2006. Athens – Sparta (Exhibition Catalog). New York.
Kennell, N. 1995. The Gymnasium of Virtue. Chapel Hill
-----------, 2009. Spartans: A New History. Chichester.
Lipka, M. 2002. Xenophon’s Spartan Constitution. Introduction. Text. Commentary. Berlin
Luraghi, N. 2008. The Ancient Messenians. Cambridge.
Loomis, William T. 1992. The Spartan War Fund, Historia Einzelschriften Heft 74. Wiesbaden
Pomeroy, S., 2002. Spartan Women. Oxford
Powell, A. and Hodkinson, S., eds. 1994. The Shadow of Sparta. London
----------, eds. 2002. Sparta: Beyond the Mirage. London
Rawson, E. 1969. The Spartan Tradition in European Thought. Oxford.
Whitby, M., ed. 2002. Sparta. New York