The history of ancient Greece is simply permeated through and through with various legends, myths, invincible heroes, epic battles and vile betrayals. And it attracts and will attract many people like a magnet. Many would like to see with their own eyes Hercules, Achilles, or watch the feat that immortalized Tsar Leonidas and his 300 Spartans.
And Sparta is considered one of the brightest pages of ancient Greek history. And let many Talmuts and films have been dedicated to her, but not the whole truth about them is known. So let's separate the wheat from the chaff and find out what is true.
Spartans and power
As strange as it sounds, the Spartans have always had two Kings. This position was not lifelong, they were chosen once every eight years. And only representatives of the families of Eurypontides and Agiads were allowed before the elections. But their power had significant limitations.
The main thing in making all decisions was the council of elders - Gerousia. The council consisted of 30 people. Of these, 28 full citizens of Sparta, who had reached the age of sixty, and two places were assigned to the elected kings. The members of the council were called Geronts and they were elected for life.
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Another full-fledged governing body was the assembly of full-fledged free men who were over 30 years old and it was called Apella.
The judges were ephors, there were always five of them. The third person in all of Sparta was the commander of the navy and he was called Navarh.
Military campaigns
During the period of hostilities, one of the kings necessarily remained in Sparta. But with the second, two more Ephors went on the campaign. During the war, the king had the right to execute or pardon without coordinating his decision with the ephors. And also the king had the exclusive right to an impressive share of all the trophies won.
The Spartans did not participate in the occupation battles in the Peloponnesian Peninsula. They only destroyed dictators and tyrants, and left the population free, thus the Spartans received loyal allies among the elite and eminent houses.
The only occupations that full and free Spartans were required to engage in were sports and the art of war. The rest of the work was done by helots - half slaves without freedoms and rights. Perieks carried out the trade.
The myth of the destruction of the weak
In reality, the Spartans never took babies into the army and did not destroy the weak and unhealthy. According to the results of the studies carried out, it was found that there are no babies in the bones found near the mountain. Only the bones of men between the ages of 18 and 30 were found here.
Children and parenting
For Sparta, the upbringing of a new generation is a priority task. Moreover, absolutely all children born in Sparta were considered the property of the state, and parents had very little rights to their own children.
Boys, having reached the age of seven, were excommunicated from their families and sent to study at a boarding school. There they were trained in martial arts, music and singing. The term of study ended upon reaching the age of twenty.
Almost all their lives, the men of Sparta spent in war, campaigns and in constant training. This made it possible to create the most powerful army of that time, albeit a small one.
Army composition
The main combat unit of the Sparta army was considered to be the Hoplite (spearman with heavy weapons). His ammunition consisted of: a heavy spear, a closed helmet, bronze shields for the bootlegs, as well as a voluminous bronze shield that almost completely covered the body. such ammunition weighed about 30 kg.
In addition, lightly armed archers or dart throwers were present in the Sparta army. The only cavalry in the Spartan army was the tsar's own guard. And there were exactly 300 of them. But despite the fact that they were considered horsemen, they always went into battle on foot as part of a phalanx.
Real feat
The feat of 300 Spartans, famous all over the world and past through the centuries, was in reality. In the battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas and 300 of his horsemen met Xerxes with his army of many thousands. Taking a deep defense in a small gorge, Leonidas completely deprived Xerxes of the superiority in numbers. Having formed into a battle formation and covered with shields, the Spartans turned into an impassable wall.
Notable expressions
Thanks to the Spartans, several common expressions arose in world use: "Laconic speech" and "Spartan conditions".
