Tales of the Spartan Way of Life Quiz

Answer: Oligarchy

Sparta was ruled by two hereditary monarchs that were descended from the Agiad and Eurypontid families; specifically the kings traced their lineage from the twins Eurysthenes and Procles, who were descendants of the god Hercules. Each king was equal in authority and could not act against the power or authority of the other.

The kings acted as the chief priests, judges in some legal proceedings, and also served as generals over the army.

Answer: Helots

The Spartans were so successful at conquering and subjugating, that they had to be very careful to control the helot population, which is believed to have been the largest group in Spartan society. The great historian, Herodotus, wrote that at the time of the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC, there were seven helots for every one Spartan. Realizing the importance of keeping the large population in order, the Spartans were very cruel to this class, and periodically "waged war on the helots".

At that time, members of Sparta's "secret police" could kill any helots for any reason with no repercussions.

Answer: Agoge

The Spartan state trained free male citizens for the military from the ages of seven to twenty-one. The polis of Sparta had no wall, so the purpose of the training was to prepare those who would become "the wall of Sparta". In particular, the goal of instruction was for the trainees to learn stealth, loyalty, and military indoctrination.

For example, the boys were encouraged to steal food; the penalty for being caught stealing, however, was very severe. Boys were also required to go without shoes, because being barefoot would enable them to climb steep hills faster and with less chance of injury. All of the procedures following in order to create soldiers; in fact, Spartan men were forbidden to have any occupation other than soldier. The non-Spartans filled all other occupations that were necessary in ancient Sparta.

Answer: Ephors

In addition to watching the kings, ephors, a council of five, also supervised the very stringent Spartan military training, and were in charge of public morals and foreign affairs. Serving one term and not eligible for reappointment, the ephors were elected by the Assembly, which was the lawmaking group of all citizens. Ephors helped to balance the power between the kings and were held in high esteem by all Spartans.

Answer: Gerousia

Also called the Council of Elders, the Gerousia contained 30 citizens; twenty-eight of them had to be over the age of sixty, and the other two members were the Spartan kings. The members of this group were elected and served for life. In addition to serving as Sparta's supreme court of law, the Gerousia also discussed matters that were to be brought to the Assembly.

Answer: Perioeci

The perioeci lived in their own settlements and were mostly self-governing; they were, however, under the control of the Spartans. Expected to follow Spartan policy and send soldiers for service into the Spartan army, the perioeci did have the right to own land.

They were important because they manufactured weapons and equipment needed by the Spartan military and conducted trading with other areas. Interestingly, Spartans could not travel away from the polis without permission, so the perioeci were the ones who traveled when necessary.

Answer: Crypteia

Although historians are still debating the nature of this group, it is widely believed that the members of the Crypteia were young men who were organized to terrorize the vastly large helot population of Sparta. After the young men had completed their training for the Spartan military, those who showed leadership ability were given the opportunity to show their skills; ultimately, successful members of the Crypteia would be among those of the highest rank in the Spartan military.

Answer: Syssitia

The syssitia meal was totally obligatory for male citizens in Sparta - from the age of twenty until death. There was really no excuse to be away from the meal - not even for the kings. For example, if a group went out to hunt and missed the syssitia, at the very least they were expected to bring back food for the group.

The meal commonly consisted of watered down wine (although drunkenness was not tolerated), soup, game, fruit, and other foods available.

Answer: Hoplon

Used by Greek infantrymen, a hoplon was made primarily out of wood, although it could also have a thin sheet of bronze around the rim. Each polis had a particular decoration on the shield. In Sparta is was a capital "lambda", which stood for Lacedaemonia, the land on the Peloponnesian peninsula where they lived. What made the shield innovative was the fact that the grip was placed at the edge of the shield, and was supported by a leather fastening for the forearm. Because the shield was made of wood, it could also be used as a flotation device when crossing rivers.

Answer: Apella

Service in this lawmaking body was restricted to Spartan men who were full citizens and over thirty years of age. The meetings were held every full moon (according to the Constitution of Lycurgus), and the members of the group were given the opportunity to debate; the group voted by shouting. If there was any uncertainty regarding which side was loudest, the votes could be counted.

In reality, the Apella only had the right to accept or reject laws that were presented to the group, but the group did choose the ephors annually, appoint life members to the Supreme Court of Sparta, and make decisions on war and peace.