What was Sparta to do after the
Annex of Messenia
 Spartan Citizens- massive minority
 They are the ruling people but they must find a
way to keep the power
How to Hold Power
 It was from their past to which Sparta looked
when the decision was made to create/ make the
Greatest Warrior Society Greece had ever seen.
 Sparta’s new purpose: production & maintenance
of professional/soldiers.... The world’s first
standing Military
How does this
Society get
created?
Enter Lycurgas
Mythical Being,
who no one
really knows if
he existed
How does this society become
created?
 Lycurgas created the reforms/ constitution that
would shape Sparta
 Other Greek City States promoted culture and
academics...Lycurgas as was the Spartan way went
completely the opposite
 The arts were abolished and “useless tasks” by
artisans were no longer acceptable
End of Cultural significance in
Greece
 What are ways in which we in the 21st century are
able to know what happened in Ancient Greece?
Who did we find this information from?
 Why do we not know as much about Sparta?
New Spartan
Ideal
The new Spartan Ideal would be solely
focused on the building and sustaining of
it’s standing army.
There would be no ‘room’ for culture or
individuality within this Sparta
Conformity
Start them Early
 New Sparta would not coddle it’s children
 Childhood...a term that would not be found
within Sparta
 18 is considered an Adult today, other milestones
fit as a benchmark to becoming an adult; first job,
first ‘real’ job out of school
 Spartans started their job at the age of 7, they were
adults while we were in grade 2
Spartan Life
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v97o90bnUVs
 “Do not be in Love with life, when you are a
fighting Man”- Spartan Warrior
Life in Agoge
 7-20 they were bullied, brutalized to conform to
Spartan Law
 Spartans were not jacks of all trades...they did one
thing extremely well...Fight
 Agoge- literally means rearing, the children were
treated like animals
 Lived in the wild, with older Spartans serving as
disciplinarian and punisher
 1 Cloak a year...only piece of clothing, no shoes
and had to create their own places to live
Encouragement from Elders
 They were encouraged to scrounge and steal food so
that they did not starve
 However they were severely punished if caught
stealing.... Not for the act of stealing but for being
caught
 Priorities were different in Sparta
Controversies Surrounding Agoge
 Though there are many controversies with Agoge
one of the most hotly debated topics is that of the
Krypteia
 Krypteia- the Secret Service of Spartan Warriors.
The young boys who in Agoge show the most
promise are recruited for this death Squad
 They kept the Helots in order with Fear
Continuously Tested
 12 years of age right of passage, had to try and
steal cheese from an alter, while older boys were
tasked with defending the cheese....with Whips
 Bred to show no fear or pain, the boys made the
gauntlet run again and again which could lead to
death
Outside Idea of What Spartan people were like
 Because Spartans were so loyal to their
homeland they were often compared to bees
swarming around a beehive, always ready to
attack
Military Life was all they knew
how to do
 After Agoge was completed at 20, the boys would
have to be elected to a ‘Mess’ (like a group hall)
and finally become equals
 Served in the Army from age 20-60 or until death
 It was the only job they did which made them
unique from all other Greeks
Continuously Tested
 13 years of tests
 Inspected at the birth and again at 20
 Though not with cliff, the inspection could also
lead to death
 Agoge is like University...even after you finish
your still not guaranteed a job
 Equality among Spartans, rich and poor were one
in the Mess Halls
Question
 Do you think Agoge was a good training Method
or the right way to raise your children in Ancient
Greece? If no explain why not and if yes say what
factors of Agoge you agreed with