Topic
The Spartan Society.
Instructions
Discuss the institutions established and described by Sparta’s “Great Rhetra”. What are the basic institutions, and what role does each institution play in the running of Sparta’s polis? Once you have described the institutions, explain how they came to fulfill those roles. That is, discuss the Dark Age institutions from which Sparta’s constitution derives. Explain why you think the Spartan constitution was designed (whether or not it was actually composed by Lycurgus) the way it was (i.e., explain what was going on at Sparta in the 7th century, when the Great Rhetra was established–why were these reforms instituted. Explore how the Spartan institutions differ from the functioning of Dark Age governance (as represented in Homer)–when you have done this, you will be able to establish a theory as to why the institutions were designed the way they were.
Answer Preview
The Spartites were the ruling class that had given themselves wholly for wars. The Spartite elders examine each boy at time of birth and whoever appeared weak was left alone in the mountains. Fit boys were taken away from their mothers at age seven and could join the military for training. At thirty, an individual became a citizen and later join the army until they could be sixty (Kennell, 2011). The Helots were the next category of the society; they were majorly affiliated to the farming practice and could share part of the produce with the Spartites who were their masters. The last category, the Periocei was subordinate to the Spartites.
Word count; 500