The area of Sparta was conquered in the Dorian invasion, and the conquerors set up the city of Sparta to govern the area. Both the myth and the reality of Sparta were very important influences on all critical thought and the formation of ideas in Ancient Greece and subsequently into the modern era.
The land was divided into plots and the local inhabitants were made serfs, each being assigned to a plot. Serfs could not be bought or sold, but were attached to the land. Each adult Spartan was allocated one or more plots of land. They could not sell the plots, which passed from father to son, or could be bequeathed.
The Spartans were forbidden from cultivating the land themselves as it was regarded as degrading, and they were needed for military service. The landowner was paid by the serfs in food and wine, which provided for their basic needs. The aristocracy had estates of their own
The sole business of a Spartan citizen was war. Sickly children were allowed to die. The culture was based on communal living. Up to 20 years all children including girls were trained in a communal school to become hardy, indifferent to pain, and submissive to discipline. They undertook all training naked. There was no cultural or scientific education.
Once they were 20 the men began military service. They could then “marry”, but until they were 30 they had to live in a communal men’s house. After 30 they became fully fledged citizens and joined a “mess”, where they dined with other members, who all contributed the food and wine from their plots.
The Spartan ideology was that a Spartan should be neither destitute nor wealthy. They were not allowed to own gold or silver.
The women had to serve the state by providing children, by another man if their chosen husband was not fertile. They were not allowed to show emotions.
The constitution, established by Lycurgus, was complex, with 2 hereditary kings from different families. They would lead the army, but had limited powers in peacetime. The Council of Elders comprised 30 men, including the 2 kings, aristocrats and elders over 60 chosen for life. They tried criminal cases and prepared matters for Assembly.
The Assembly comprised all citizens (10,000 at its peak). They could not instigate proposals, but were able to vote yes or no to any proposal put by the Council.
The Supreme Court was made up of 5 Ephors, with criminal jurisdiction over the kings.
The primary objective of the constitution was success in wars. The Spartans were noted for heroism, eg battle of Thermopylae against the Persians, and were supreme on land until 371 BC when they were defeated by the Thebans. By then the number of citizens had reduced from 10,000 to 1,000.
The constitution remained stable over many centuries, with only a gradual lessening of the Ephor’s powers. Sparta refused to join the proposed confederation of Greek city states, which was never established as a result. If the Spartans had joined and a national Greek federation had been formed, how different the history of Europe might have been!
The myth of Sparta, as recorded by Plutarch, influenced many, including Plato, Rouseau, Neitzsche and the Nazis:
The object of the constitution was to maintain the birth rate of healthy children trained to serve the state.
The duty of women was to bear children, even if not their husband’s. Children were communal and no jealousy was allowed.
Only honest men should sire children, and only healthy children should be allowed to survive.
Children should be trained in boarding school from 7 to fight and to become hardy, indifferent to pain, and submissive to discipline.
Citizens should have leisure, but no wealth or poverty. Eating should be communal. Citizens were not allowed to travel, and strangers were not welcome.