Sparta , was located in the upper valley of the Eurotas river, in the region of Laconia , south of the Peloponnese peninsula. This city was characterized by its mountainous soil, with winding valleys, separated by buttresses, that reach the shores of the sea.
Its territory is crossed by two mountain ranges that are oriented in parallel:the mount Taygetos , to the west and the Parnon , To the East. Between the two runs the Eurotas River , from north to south. The city of Sparta was built on its shores , relatively far from the sea.
The political organization of Sparta:Lycurgus
The political organization of Sparta is attributed to Licurgo , Spartan legislator who, around 884 years B.C. promulgated a constitution that forged the greatness of the city of him .
The Lycrugo Lawgiver
It is said of him that he had great wisdom and great honesty. After his travels through Crete, Egypt and Asia where he had been given much insight, he consulted the Oracle of Delphi and Apollo upon his return. he pointed to him as the predestined one to give a constitution to the Spartans.
The Government of Sparta
According to Spartan legislation, the government was made up of the following bodies:the kings, the senate, the assembly and the ephors.
The Kings
They were two in number and belonged to different families. Royal dignity was hereditary.
One of them was the head of the army and the other, the high priest, who administered the worship of the gods. This dual system guaranteed good government, each king counterbalanced the power of the other .
The Senate
Also called Gerusia was made up of twenty-eight members , from honorable families of Spartans, all of them, over sixty years of age. They were elected by the assembly and on a lifetime basis. . The Senate had legislative functions . Over time, the Senate subtracted the powers of government from the kings who, in the end, only maintained the military leadership.
The Assembly
Formed by all citizens over thirty years of age , except for the periecos and the helots. The Assembly appointed the senators and ephors, approved or rejected the laws presented by the Senate.
The Ephors
They were five magistrates elected by the Assembly, who had the mission of preventing any change in the political structure, protecting the privileges of the ruling class against the kings, periecos and the helots. The ephors also had to ensure education of youth and the maintenance of order . Finally, they convened the assembly and forced the kings and officials to render accounts, their mandate only lasted one year, at the end of which they rendered accounts of their administration.
Social Organization
The invasion of the Dorians caused the separation of Spartan society into three classes , differentiated from each other, for ethnic, political, economic and cultural considerations . These classes were:the Spartans or equals , the Periecos or Laconians and the Helots.
The Spartans or equals
They constituted the first social class . They were the descendants of the Dorians, who had dominated the primitive settlers. They formed a true aristocracy . Thanks to the reforms of Licurgo , they were all equal in rank and fortune .
They were the only ones who could choose and be chosen. They were not to perform any kind of work, except their constant preparation for war and certain political functions.
This privileged minority It did not exceed 9,000 people, however they dominated the city and accumulated all the rights .
The Periecos or Laconios
They formed the second social class inferior to the Spartan, but with certain limited rights:they were free men, they retained ownership of the land in exchange for an annual tribute, but, they could not participate in the government .
These were nothing but the former owners of the land, subdued peacefully. They were engaged in artisanal, industrial, agricultural and commercial work or were free workers, but with the obligation to pay taxes . They had to perform military service in time of war. Their number did not exceed 30 thousand people.
The Helots
They were property of the nation, a kind of servants of the state made available to individuals to work the land. They were forbidden to leave the land, but they could not be fired either.
His luck was better than that of a slave , they could have a house and live with their family on the plot that was given to them to cultivate.
He was only required to provide the owner with a certain amount of wheat, wine and oil each year. They were not mistreated since the State in peacetime needed them for agriculture and in wartime they had to defend the Spartans.
Education in Sparta
Education in the city of Sparta was conditioned by their ideal of life. In Sparta education was in charge of the government and its purpose was to train excellent soldiers.
When a child was born, it was submitted to a Review Board . The weak and deformed were thrown into the abysses of the Taygetos mountain (2409 meters). Those who deserved to live were returned to their relatives, until they were 7 years old. Later, the children passed into the guardianship of the State , under the care and supervision of the pedagogues .
They were subjected to gradual body exercises such as jumping, running, discus and javelin throwing, riding horses and enduring fatigue and blows.
To the gymnastic preparation was added the preparation of a spiritual order, such as reading, writing and reciting the Homeric poems and others typical of Sparta.
They were flogged annually in front of the altar of the goddess Artemis. They shouldn't make the slightest complaint if they wanted to challenge for the title of champion.
At 17 years old , young Spartans entered the army, under an oath of fidelity to the country, the gods and the laws. At the age of 30 they were allowed to join the Citizens' Assembly and only then could they marry, however, they were not completely free. Military service it was compulsory until the age of 60 .
The troops they were made up of infantry and each man was called a Hoplite.
Youth were inculcated with civility which consisted of attending town assemblies and respecting the authorities. They also learned the precise use of words (laconism). Maternal love strengthened patriotism. The mother was capable of sacrificing her son, if she had shown cowardice in the war.
Farewells to mothers were frequent in this way:return with your shield or on your shield (kill or be killed); if your sword is short, you will take another step in combat, don't stop .