Reading Guide 10.4 (pgs. 318-321)

Oligarchy in Sparta

Name: ______Date:______

Key Ideas:

  • Sparta developed an oligarchic government based on militaryconquest.
  • Sparta differed greatly from Athens in terms of education,citizenship, and women’s roles.
  1. What was life like for a Spartan boy? Girl?

If you were a Spartan boy, the state would take you from your family at the age of seven. If you were a girl, you would be raised for the sole purpose of bearing strongchildren for the state.

The Spartan State

  1. What characteristics of Sparta made it different from other city-states?
  1. Its government was an odd mixture of monarchy,oligarchy, and democracy.

b. Instead of using coins, the Spartans used ironrods as money.

Government

  1. What were the three parts of the Spartan government?
  1. Sparta was ruled by twokings.
  1. The kings headed Sparta’s governing body, the council of elders.
  1. Sparta did have a democratic assembly made up of some free adult males.
  1. What power did the assembly have?

It elected five ephors who were responsible for the day-to-day operation of the government.

  1. What were ephors and what power did they have?

They made sure that the kings and the council acted within the limits of Spartan law. Ephors could remove a king who broke the law.

Military Conquests

  1. How did Sparta meet its need for resources?

To meet its growing need four resources, Sparta turned to conquest.

  1. What were helots and what were they forced to do?

Some conquered Messenians became helots. The helots belonged not to individual Spartans but to the polis as a whole. They were forced to work the land and turn over half the food they raised to Sparta.

  1. How did the helots contribute to Spartan society?

The Spartans did not have to farm for a living. Spartan men were free to become professionalsoldiers.

The Helot Revolts

  1. What was the result of the helot revolt?

Although the Spartans put down the revolt, they lived in fear of further unrest. The helots outnumbered them.

  1. What is a military state?

A military state is a society organized for the purpose of waging war.

  1. How did the Spartans control the helots after they developed a military state?

The tried to control the helots through terror. Every year, the ephors declared war on the helots. This gave any Spartan the right to kill any helot without fear of punishment.

A Disciplined Society

  1. What does the word Spartan mean today?

Even today, the word Spartan means: “highly disciplined or lacking in comfort.”

Education

  1. What are barracks and when did Spartan boys have to go there?

At seven they were taken away from their homes for schooling at state expense. They lived together in barracks, or militaryhousing.

  1. Instead of getting a well-rounded education like the Athenians, what did Spartan boys do?

They spent most of their time exercising,hunting, and training with weapons.

  1. What was their education directed towards?

All their education was directed toward prompt obedience to authority, stout endurance of hardship, and victory or death in battle.

  1. How did life change for a Spartan at 18?

At the age of 18, young men began a two-year program of militarytraining to become part of a phalanx.

  1. How did life change for a Spartan at 30?

Even after the age of 30, when they left the army, they spent most of their time with other men.

Social Classes

  1. How did a Spartan man become a full citizen?

In order to become full citizens, they had to gain entry to a men’s club of soldiers.

  1. What happened if they didn’t become a full citizen?

If they failed, they became “inferiors” who would never gain citizenship and would live as outcasts.

  1. What happened if they did become a full citizen?

They had full citizen rights. This included membershipin the assembly and the right to a piece of state-owned land worked by helots.

Role of Women

  1. Why did Spartan women participate in sports and try to stay fit?

By staying fit, they could have healthy babies who would grow into good soldiers.

  1. What was the responsibility of Spartan women?

Spartan women were responsible for raising future soldiers for the state.

Sparta and Athens

  1. How were Sparta and Athens different in their values?

The Spartans valued people who fitin not those who stoodout. The Athenians valued individualexpression and newideas.

  1. How did the historian Thucydides describe each city-state?

Athens: Athenians were addicted to innovation.

Sparta: Spartans had a genius for keeping what you have got.