Σπάρτη / Sparti, home of Spartans

The road from Kalamata to our next stop, Gytheio, took us through the town of Sparti. Well, you can’t just drive through a town like that, can you?! We didn’t stay terribly long here – no matter, as we would be back before long – but we are so glad we found the time to rest for a while here and to walk around the site of what was once one of the world’s most formidable military-focused societies.

Sparti is located on the river Eurotas, one of the main rivers in the Peloponnese. Access to this river and associated springs is one reason for the success of the Spartans and their community. Another advantage of the site is the high mountains surrounding this valley; to the west is Mount Taygetus (2,407m) and to the east lies Mount Parnon (1,935m). This mountain range provided a natural fortress for the inhabitants and gave them a distinct advantage when it came to matters of defence.

There is reference to Sparta (as the city state was known) back as far as the mythological age: Zeus and the nymph Taygete had a son named Lacedaemon who married Sparta, the daughter of King Eurotas. The children of Lacedaemon and Sparta were Amyclas, Eurydice and Asine. Lacedaemon named the region he ruled over after himself, and he named the city after his wife. Hence, the region was known as Lacedaemon, later Laconia, and the city state was named Sparta. Think of the word ‘laconic’ – terse, brief, concise – this derives from the Spartans who were renowned for their verbal austerity; and think ‘spartan’ also, of course!

Saul gives an outline history of Sparta and the Spartans in his ‘Greek history’ post: Saul’s intro to the history of Greece – Krystal Ship Adventures. In particular, look at the section on the Archaic Age, during which Sparta was one of the leading city-states of Greece and its inhabitants were renowned for their land-fighting skills and, indeed, were unsurpassed in this.

Spartan society was strictly ruled by two hereditary kings from the Agiad and Eurypontid families who were said to be descended from Herecles. They were in charge of matters religious, judicial and military and took direction from the Delphian sanctuary. Civil and criminal cases were officiated over by the Ephors, a council of five Spartan men, elected annually, as well as the Gerousia, a council of elders which was made up of 28 Spartan men over the age of 60 and the two kings.

In almost all cases, only those who were able to trace their ancestry to the original inhabitants of Sparta were permitted to become full citizens of the city. The Spartan education system, through which boys were trained up to full citizenship, was called Agoge, and it was mandatory for all males in Sparta, aside from the firstborn male of the Agiad and Eurypontid families. This education system focused on cultivating loyalty, military training, hunting and social preparation. Spartan girls did not participate although it is thought that they too may have undergone state-sponsored education.

There were three phases to Agoge training: Paides (ages 7-14), Paidiskoi (ages 15-19), and Hebontes (ages 20-29). Indeed, even prior to this, baby boys were examined by a council of inspectors and, if judged to be weak or ill-formed, were left in the wilderness, either to die or to be found and raised by strangers (Patrick J. Kiger, How Sparta Used Harsh Training to Produce ‘Perfect’ Warriors – HISTORY).

The training system, once the boys had reached the age of seven, was grueling. The children were separated from their families and grouped together for training and initiation. It is said that boys were left barefoot in order to toughen up their feet and improve agility and also that, from the age of 12, were given only one item of clothing per year, a cloak. The boys were not fed, but were expected to steal food for themselves; and yet they were punished for stealing if they were caught. Nor were they given anywhere to sleep, expected as they were to build beds for themselves from reeds pulled from the riverbed. For more information, see this article by Evan Andrews: 8 Reasons It Wasn’t Easy Being Spartan – HISTORY

By the age of 20, a young Spartan man was considered to be an adult and one who could apply for military service, and vote, but he was still not yet a full citizen. This did not happen until he reached the age of 30, at which point he was permitted to marry and would receive an allotment of land.

The result of this years-long intensive training was a devoted, focused and highly-trained military body. Due to the early separation from family members, these soldiers had an intense attachment to their Spartan communal identity. They had been trained since childhood in the honour of fighting to the death for their city-state and thus proved to be a formidable force at war. The men were also encouraged to develop sexual relationships with their fellow warriors, in order that they would fight all the harder on behalf of each other.

To the site as it remains today: the day we visited, there were very few other people around. It was so moving to walk around this famous site, a place where so many thousands were born, trained and sent to war, more than 2,000 years ago. The main ruins relate to a Sanctuary of Athena, Basilica ‘St Nikon’, and the Agora. True to its name, the archaeological site of Sparta is spartan as the people were not known for the trappings of grandeur. Nonetheless, the ruins tell us that Sparta was a well-constructed city, containing walls, theatres, temples and also a bridge over the Eurotas river.