This is Sparta!
When someone mentions Spartans the
first image that comes to mind is that of a great warrior society where
everyone from the King to the lonely soldier was equal. Why were they so great
at war though? What made them such a great a warrior society? Xenophon’s The Polity of the
Spartans, written in c. 375
BCE, which is a literary text that describes the way young men were raised in
Sparta to become strong citizens with a sense of civic duty and how their
upbringing turned them into such fierce warriors. Though it is much more than
just that as a Polity is a “form or constitution of a politically organized
unit” (Merriam-Webster n.d.) . Xenophon describes
the rules that Lycurgus, the lawgiver of Sparta, established to reform Spartan
society into a military-oriented culture (Lycurgus
n.d.) .
The Polity of the Spartans describes how Lycurgus was able to create a
society of equals and teach his people how to fight through the trials and
tribulations of their lives and survive.
Xenophon
was an ancient Greek philosopher, historian, soldier, mercenary, and student of
Socrates who lived in the City-State of Athens (Mark 2009) .
Athens during Xenophon’s life was a democracy, but he would spend most of his
early life as mercenary in Cyrus’ Army fighting the Persians as they invaded
Greece. As a mercenary Xenophon would come to understand the rigors of life as
a soldier, and revere like most Greeks, the fighting prowess of the Spartans.
The Spartans were typically the best soldiers in any army and were what other
soldiers strived to become. To copy the Spartan style of training was always
sought after but many times never fully achieved as those trying to wanted to
put their own spin on the training and would fall short of the Spartan mark.
Xenophon’s
tone while writing very empirical during most of the text can also seem to have
contempt for Lycurgus’ laws. A good example of Xenophon writing empirically is
when he is talking about some of the training that Lycurgus has mandated for
young men.
“Instead of softening their feet with shoe
or sandal, his rule was to make them hardy through going barefoot. This habit,
if practiced, would, as he believed, enable them to scale heights more easily
and clamber down precipices with less danger. In fact, with his feet so trained
the young Spartan would leap and spring and run faster unshod than another in
the ordinary way.”[1]
He is very deliberate with his
speech and does not show any emotion when writing in this way, and simply
states the facts. Another great example of this is when he writes:
“Instead of making them effeminate with a
variety of clothes, his rule was to habituate them to a single garment the
whole year through, thinking that so they would be better prepared to withstand
the variations of heat and cold.” 1
The way in which Xenophon wrote both
of these observations almost seems as if he agrees with this sort of training
and is actually praising Lycurgus for his insights into military training. He
may well have agreed with this sort of training since he was a mercenary and
probably wished he had been put through such rigors of training at times in his
life. Throughout this section of text he continues to be just about the facts,
and doesn’t give much opinion on how he feels. Due to this lack of feeling it
leads me to believe that agreed with sort of training and he didn’t need to say
anything further.
In other parts though,
he writes as if he does not agree with the laws Lycurgus has implemented and
his writing almost seems as if he has a disdain for this sort of action.
“It is clear that Lycurgus
set himself deliberately to provide all the blessings of heaven for the good
man, and a sorry and ill-starred existence for the coward. In other states the
man who shows himself base and cowardly, wins to himself an evil reputation and
the nickname of a coward, but that is all. For the rest he buys and sells in
the same marketplace with a good man; he sits beside him at a play; he
exercises with him in the same gymnasion, and all as suits his humor.
But at Sparta there is not one man who would not feel ashamed to welcome the
coward at the common mess-tables or to try conclusions with him in a wrestling
bout;....during games he is left out as the odd man;....during the choric dance
he is driven away. Nay, in the very streets it is he who must step aside for
others to pass, or, being seated, he must rise and make room, even for a
younger man....” 1
It is very
clear that Xenophon does not agree with Lycurgus’ laws on how to treat cowards.
When he mentions how other states treat cowardice, he seems to almost agree
that a nickname is bad enough. He even goes on to say “Nay” in almost mocking
tone, as if he does not agree with this treatment at all. In another example
Xenophon writes:
“Lycurgos also provided for the
continual cultivation of virtues even to old age, by fixing the election to the
council of elders as a last ordeal at the goal of life, thus making it
impossible for a high standard of virtuous living to be disregarded even in old
age....Moreover he laid upon them, like some irresistible necessity, the
obligation to cultivate the whole virtue of a citizen. Provided they duly
perform the injunctions of the law, the city belonged to them each and all, in
absolute possession, and on an equal footing....” 1
He again
interjects his own opinion on Lycurgos laws when he says “like some
irresistible necessity,” again showing his contempt for some of the things he
does not like.
The last two paragraphs of the
document talk about the King of Sparta and how he should be treated. Xenophon
has almost a straight forward no opinion telling in this section. He does say
however, “for this, I take it, is the sole type of rule” (Fling 1996) ,
which lets you know that he was not quite sure on how he felt about this
section or if was even interpreting what he saw or heard correctly. This might
explain why this section is so just about the facts and has no real emotion
from him.
By
looking at Xenophon’s The Polity
of the Spartans it is easy to see the qualities that allowed
for the Spartan Armies and Citizens to weather through all sorts of battles and
hardships. When a person is used to not wearing shoes, and has hardened the
soles of their feet, a change in terrain will barely slow them. When a person
is used to wanting for food, cutting them off from supplies (a common military
tactic) will not bother them. When a person only has one style of garment to
wear, a sudden storm or heat wave will not slow them. When a society is based
on equality and uniformity, traitors are unlikely, and the people are loyal to
one another. These qualities are things that most Armies strive to achieve in
there soldiers and these qualities are the ones that Xenophon agrees with the
most.
The
other qualities that helped Sparta be the best Army, and most often the ones
left out of other Armies trainings are those that Xenophon shows a disdain or
contempt for in his writing. It seems that Xenophon thought cowardice was okay
to at least a certain level, and that just because you served as soldier
shouldn’t mean that you become a political leader once you are too old to
fight.
What
better way is there to strengthen your people, and keep them loyal and happy?
Despite being deprived of what many now would consider basic amenities, the
Spartans were still proud and hardy, and Lycurgus’ method did work, after all,
though many may say that the end does not justify the means.
References
Fling, Fred. 1996. Ancient History Sourcebook:
Xenophon (c.428-c.354 BCE): The Polity of the Spartans, c. 375 BCE. June
25. Accessed Sept 15, 2019.
https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/xeno-sparta1.aspv.
Britannica, Encyclopaedia, ed. n.d. Lycurgus.
Accessed September 13, 2019.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lycurgus-Spartan-lawgiver.
Mark, Joshua J. 2009. Xenophon. September 02.
Accessed September 13, 2019. https://www.ancient.eu/xenophon/.
Merriam-Webster. n.d. Polity. Accessed
September 26, 2019. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polity.
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