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Trip to Sparta Greece August 2004
Sparta the famous Sparta in Greece. The city state in Greece in antic time! No any more ! When i ask in Athens how to get to Sparta people looked me like to someone who is really strange! Many Greeks has no idea what it was Sparta in the past. It surpriced me!
Sparta it was always something untachable, something with great respect. Here in Athens it is some town, even more village somewhere there far in Korinthos. No more. Anyway - I aswered to allthis answers I want to go to Sparta to the big Sparta. I I went! With my 2 friends Jarus and Kristina. We had rented car Opel Astra and we strat in Athens. Ot took us more then 2 hours to get out of Athens. Finaly we find the right way accreoss the Egaleo to Korinthos.
Just about 80 Km before Sparta we had car accident - crash. Some other car not gave us way there where it should and it was done. Kristina was taken to the hospital and fortunately the same day evening she was back to us.
We were in shock all.
Then at the evening we got in Tripolis. We found accommodation at the hotel Galaxi on the main Square of Tripolis. It was modest accommodation in room with own bathroom and TV.
The next morning when we were thinking what next to do if to go back to Athens or what?
I say that we have to continue to Sparta that it will be worth. So, we took taxi (nice new Mercedes) and for 80 eur we agreed the price to go to Sparta and then back to Tripolis.
In less then hour we got to Sparta. The driver asked us if we like to go to Mistra castle just above Sparta we say yes.
Mistra is wonderful full of history. And it is really an effort to get there - up to the hill.
Then he driver us back to Sparta to the museum. To be honest I have to say there is not much left from the old Sparta but the museum of Sparta is great. There was woman working in the museum and she was very excited that someone is really interested. I argue with her about some subjects for example about the age of the boys when they joined the army training. I set 6 y.o. she aswered 7.
Does not metter. It was very pleased meeting.
We went back to Tripolis and then to Athens happy.
by Stepan 04
HISTORY OF SPARTA
Laconia which had the capital called Sparta (Sparti in Greek) was on the south-east of Peloponnese.
Om the west had border with Massenia, on the north with Arcadia and from the south and east
is Aegean sea. On the territory of Sparta passing over two mountain ranges Taygetos on the west and Parnon on the east.
Both mountains separating 65 Km long valley which irrigates river Eurotas
one of the not many rivers in the region which not become dry. This valley is probably the most fruitful area in Greece almost self sufficiency producing many crop-plants.
In the second half of 2nd millenium B.C. was Laconia prosperous state of Mykenian bronz civilisation.
Around 9th century several villages unifying in one larger colony and it is the base of future Sparta. And there fore we can not find in Sparta characteristic features of Greek cities.
However, Sparta laying in crossing of imporatnt roads of the surrounding world, profiting not only from vesture of the valley but also from ironstone pits.
The regime of Sparta is decribed as mixed of monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy. But it was very important how those systems displayed. Indication of "all Spartans are equal"
was not only simple euphemism. Of course they were not equal in ownership but between them was in compare with other greek states equal infront of law.
All cintizens had same rights, but also obligation, which go beyond of any individual or group of citizens. In that sense could be considered Sparta as the most democratic
system which exists until this time. (only in case we count full-fledged citizens)
In Sparta smae as the others Greek city states they have put the citizen rights only the limited number of theur citizens.
It was complicated administration system and it is hard to reconstruct it but for sure this system bring forward matters of army mintage.
Around 500 B.C. rising ironclad mylitary system connected with name of Law maker Lycugos
All Spartanian new born had to be checked over "clan senior" who rejected all weak od deformed children and commanded to throw down from the rock.
In antinomy with the family accent which was usuall in Athens or another places the Spartan boys who succefuly goes throgh the new born test were in age of 7 or 8 years
taken away from parents and placed to packs similar like
the droves od animal.
From 13 years they were send year after year to different and still more hard and brutal trainings. Well known are some of those trainings. In non other Greek state were
boys separated from their families like here. Each of them was placed to group which was part of portion which leads Eiren - young fellow inferior to commander.
In 20 years of age boy recieved degree of Eiren and served in army, but the status of full-fledged citizens still not achieved.
In age of 30 were men leted go to attendance in parliament. Those reticent obedient, and brutal young men did not worked, just occupy their minds with training and fights.
Their lived and fights only between the soldiers, and this dark, saltless life with the only aim to survivave, fight for national concerns, mek from the
"Best Soldiers of the Greece
Of those consequences was progerss of particular king of homosexuality. Same as in other places in Sparta was fully approved relationship between lover (erastes) and favourite
(eromenos). In Sparta the status of Lover was almost official position.
Despite prevailing homosexuality it was expected from Spartanian to merry a woman in age around 20. The barrack style of life implicated that their wifes were isolated in most of their time
but due this consequences they had more freedom then nay other women in Greece.
Woman had prohibited any kind of jewellery, perfume, and colourful clothing.
Some wedding rituals was atleast elusive. Young bride cuted hair and dressed man gown, then was by force towed to hard stone bed. There after while came groom and make short
sexual act. and immediately returned back to man society.
And both husband and wife did not see each other (except hiden meetings) until the childbearing.
But if we overlook all this we have say that that Spartanians handle women with kindness and because of that all the time was Sparta in state of war the status of women as
biological mother of future warriors was atleast same as status of father.
Athenians did not agree with this freedom and considered it as disgrace.
Women in Sparta had rights - ownership, thez could merry anyone they liked in any age, after marriage they could in absent of her husbant sign all the metters.
The military system become evident as counterproductive in commercial progress, and moved Sparta far behind the others.
6th century belongs to time of Spartans interstate advancement which is associated with name of Chilon. In wars battles with neighbours were Spartan generally succesful.
In adventurous Spartan politic continue mighty but undiplomatic king Kleomenes (519-490). Who after time run away from Sparta to Arcadia where collected army agains his home town Sparta.
Then he was called back to Sparta and imprisoned by his own family.
Battle of Thermopylae
and 300 brave Spartan Soldiers
Xerxes I, king of Persia, had been preparing for years to continue the war against the Greeks started by his father Dariusin
A confederate alliance of Greek city-states was quickly formed, headed by the militaristic Sparta,
whose supremely disciplined warriors were trained from birth to be the best soldiers in the ancient world.
The Greek states held back from sending the full force of their armies, however, citing religious reasons
Fearing an uprising of their huge slave population, and fearful of going to war before the conclusion of the Carneia festival,
the deeply superstitious Spartans contributed only a small force of 300 hoplites, hand-picked and commanded by King Leonidas.
The loyalty of Thebans to the Greek alliance was questioned by others, and so Leonidas insisted that a contingent of Thebans
lead by Leontiades the son of Eurymachos join the small allied army
Knowing the likely outcome of the battle, Leonidas selected his men on one simple criterion:
he took only men who had fathered sons that were old enough to take over the family
responsibilities of their fathers.
The rationale behind this criterion was that the Spartans knew their death was almost certain at Thermopylae.
Because of its defensible terrain, the mountain pass of Thermopylae, the "Hot Gates,"
was chosen as the site of battle. At the time it consisted of a pass so narrow two chariots could barely move abreastone side stood the sheer side of the mountain, w
hile the other was a cliff drop into the sea. Along the path was a series of three "gates," and at the center gate a short wall was hastily erected by the Greek army
to aid in their defense. It was here in the August of 480 BC that an army of some 7000 Greeks, led by 300 Spartans,
stood to receive the full force of the Persian army,
numbering perhaps some forty times its size.
When scouts initially informed Xerxes of the size of the Greek force,
and of the Spartans who were performing preparations which included naked calisthenics and combing their hair,
Xerxes found the reports laughable. Not understanding the ritual significance of the Spartan preparations
as the actions of men with the resolution to fight to the end,
he expected the force to disband at any moment and waited four days for the Greek force to retreat. When they did not,
he became increasingly frustrated by what he perceived as foolish impudence on the part of the small Greek force,
and on the fifth day Xerxes ordered his troops into the pass.
After the second day of fighting, a Greek, Ephialtes, defected to the Persians and informed Xerxes of a separate path through Thermopylae,
which the Persians could use to outflank the Greeks. The pass was defended by the other 1000 Greeks, from Phocis,
who had been placed there when the Greeks learned of the alternate route just before the battle, but they were not expecting to engage the Persians.
Surprised by the Persian attack, the Phocians offered only a brief resistance before retreating higher up the mountain to regroup. Instead of pursuing them, however,
the Persians simply advanced through the pass unopposed.
King Leonidas realized that further fighting would be futile. On August 11 he dismissed the Greek force,
except the surviving Spartans, who had already resigned themselves to fighting to the death, and the Thebans who he kept as hostages.
However, a contingent of about 600 Thespians, led by Demophilus, refused to leave with the other Greeks. Instead, they chose to stay in the suicidal effort to delay the advance.
The significance of the Thespians' refusal should not be passed over. The Spartans, brave as their sacrifice indubitably was,
were professional soldiers, trained from birth to be ready to give their lives in combat as Spartan law dictated. Conversely,
the Thespians were citizen-soldiers (Demophilus, for example, made his living as an architect)
who elected to add whatever they could to the fight, rather than allow the Spartans to be annihilated alone.
Though their bravery is often overlooked by history, it was most certainly not overlooked by the Spartans,
who are said to have exchanged cloaks with the Thespians and promised to be allies for eternity.
The fighting was said to have been extremely brutal, even for hoplite combat.
As their numbers diminished the Greeks retreated to a small hill in the narrowest part of the pass.
The Thebans took this opportunity to surrender to the Persians. After their spears broke, the Spartans and Thespians kept fighting with their xiphos short swords,
and after those broke, they were said to have fought with their bare hands and teeth. Although the Greeks killed many Persians, including two of Xerxes' brothers,
Leonidas was eventually killed, but rather than surrender the Spartans fought fanatically to defend his body.
To avoid losing any more men the Persians killed the last of the Spartans with flights of arrows.
When the body of Leonidas was recovered by the Persians, Xerxes, in a rage at the loss of so many of his soldiers,
ordered that the head be cut off, and the body crucified. The mutilation of a corpse, even one of the enemy,
carried a great social stigma for the Persians, and it was an act that Xerxes was said to have deeply regretted afterwards.
Leonidas body was later cut down and returned to the Spartans, where he was buried with full honours.
Photos Sparta Greece
RELATED LINKS - GREECE
Hotels in Athens guide on Athens hotels. Listed by location
About Athens
Acropolis
Plaka
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