Education In Sparta
The Spartans have made famous by the Zack Snyder Movie 300 depicting their warfare. However, even though the movie was fiction and over dramatized the spartans it did show their love of warfare.
For the Spartans, the main purpose of education was to produce a strong army. Spartans believed in a life of discipline, and simplicity. It was due to this lifestyle that the remained very loyal to the state of Sparta.
Spartan Boys: Spartan boys were sent to a military school at age 6 or 7. They lived, trained and slept in the barracks of their brotherhood. At school they were taught useful survival skills and other skills necessary to be a great soldier. The courses the children took were typically very hard and often painful.
Although students were taught to read and write, these skills were not very important or valued much by the ancient Spartans, these were skills utilized better by the Athenians. Only warfare mattered to the Spartans. The boys were not fed well, and were told that it was fine to steal food as long as they did not get caught stealing. If they were caught, they were beaten. The boys marched without shoes to make them stronger. It was an extremly brutal training period.
For the Spartans, the main purpose of education was to produce a strong army. Spartans believed in a life of discipline, and simplicity. It was due to this lifestyle that the remained very loyal to the state of Sparta.
Spartan Boys: Spartan boys were sent to a military school at age 6 or 7. They lived, trained and slept in the barracks of their brotherhood. At school they were taught useful survival skills and other skills necessary to be a great soldier. The courses the children took were typically very hard and often painful.
Although students were taught to read and write, these skills were not very important or valued much by the ancient Spartans, these were skills utilized better by the Athenians. Only warfare mattered to the Spartans. The boys were not fed well, and were told that it was fine to steal food as long as they did not get caught stealing. If they were caught, they were beaten. The boys marched without shoes to make them stronger. It was an extremly brutal training period.
Somewhere between the age of 18-20, Spartan males had to pass a difficult test of fitness, military ability, and leadership skills. Any Spartan male who did not pass these examinations became a perioikos. (The perioikos, or the middle class, were allowed to own property, have business dealings, but had no political rights and were not citizens.)
If they passed, they became a full citizen and a Spartan soldier. Spartan citizens were not allowed to touch money. That was the job of the middle class. Spartan soldiers spent most of their lives with their fellow soldiers. They ate, slept, and continued to train in their brotherhood barracks. Even if they were married, they did not live with their wives and families. They lived in the barracks. Military service did not end until a Spartan male reached the age of 60. At age 60, a Spartan soldier could retire and live in their home with their family.
Spartan Girls: In Sparta, girls also went to school at age 6 or 7. They lived, slept and trained in their sisterhood's barracks. No one knows if their school was as cruel or as rugged as the boys school, but the girls were taught wrestling, gymnastics, and combat skills. Some historians believe the two schools were very similar, and that an attempt was made to train the girls as thoroughly as they trained the boys. In any case, the Spartans believed that strong young women would produce strong babies.
At age 18, if a Sparta girl passed her skills and fitness test, she would be assigned a husband and allowed to return home. If she failed, she would lose her rights as a citizen, and became a perioikos, a member of the middle class.
In most of the other Greek city-states, women were required to stay inside their homes most of their lives. They could not go anywhere or do anything without their husband's permission. They could not even visit a woman who lived next door. They had no freedom. But in Sparta, things were very different for women who were citizens. They were free to move around, and visit neighbors without permission.
No marvelous works of art or architecture came out of Sparta, but Spartan military force was regarded as terrifying. Thus, the Spartans achieved their goal.
If they passed, they became a full citizen and a Spartan soldier. Spartan citizens were not allowed to touch money. That was the job of the middle class. Spartan soldiers spent most of their lives with their fellow soldiers. They ate, slept, and continued to train in their brotherhood barracks. Even if they were married, they did not live with their wives and families. They lived in the barracks. Military service did not end until a Spartan male reached the age of 60. At age 60, a Spartan soldier could retire and live in their home with their family.
Spartan Girls: In Sparta, girls also went to school at age 6 or 7. They lived, slept and trained in their sisterhood's barracks. No one knows if their school was as cruel or as rugged as the boys school, but the girls were taught wrestling, gymnastics, and combat skills. Some historians believe the two schools were very similar, and that an attempt was made to train the girls as thoroughly as they trained the boys. In any case, the Spartans believed that strong young women would produce strong babies.
At age 18, if a Sparta girl passed her skills and fitness test, she would be assigned a husband and allowed to return home. If she failed, she would lose her rights as a citizen, and became a perioikos, a member of the middle class.
In most of the other Greek city-states, women were required to stay inside their homes most of their lives. They could not go anywhere or do anything without their husband's permission. They could not even visit a woman who lived next door. They had no freedom. But in Sparta, things were very different for women who were citizens. They were free to move around, and visit neighbors without permission.
No marvelous works of art or architecture came out of Sparta, but Spartan military force was regarded as terrifying. Thus, the Spartans achieved their goal.