The Lacedaemonion Politeia (Greek: Λακεδαιμονίων Πολιτεία), known in English as the Polity, Constitution, or Republic of the Lacedaemonians, or the Spartan Constitution, is a treatise attributed to the ancient Greek historian Xenophon, describing the institutions, customs, and practices of the ancient Spartans.
What type of constitution was Sparta?
Although there was an ideology of equality among citizens who called themselves homoioi (men of equal status), in reality the members of the royal family and the group elected to the council of elders were wealthier than the rest. Sparta had a mixed constitution , with monarchical, oligarchical, and democratic elements.
What were Spartan units called?
According to Xenophon, the basic Spartan unit remained the enōmotia , with 36 men in three files of twelve under an enōmotarches. Two enōmotiai formed a pentēkostys of 72 men under a pentēkontēr, and two pentēkostyai were grouped into a lochos of 144 men under a lochagos.
Who set up the Spartan Constitution?
Who set up the Spartan constitution? Lycurgus , (flourished 7th century bc?), traditionally, the lawgiver who founded most of the institutions of ancient Sparta.
When was the Constitution of the lacedaemonians written?
Constitution of the Lacedaemonians (Lakedaimoniōn politeia)
Minor work of *Xenophon, written c. 388 bc , a largely admiring account of the Spartan way of ...
Why did Sparta have 2 kings?
The state was ruled by two hereditary kings of the Agiad and Eurypontid families, both supposedly descendants of Heracles and equal in authority, so that one could not act against the power and political enactments of his colleague. The duties of the kings were primarily religious, judicial, and military .
What was forbidden in Sparta?
The Spartans had no historical records, literature, or written laws, which were, according to tradition, expressly prohibited by an ordinance of Lycurgus , excluding the Great Rhetra. Issuance of coinage was forbidden.
How tall was an average Spartan?
Depending on the type of Spartan the height of a Spartan II (fully armoured) is 7 feet tall (spartan 3) 6'7 feet tall (spartan II) 7 feet tall (spartan 4), and have a reinforced endoskeleton.
What is Sparta called today?
| Sparta Σπάρτη | Website www.sparti.gr |
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Who is the most famous Spartan?
Leonidas (540-480 BC) , the legendary king of Sparta, and the Battle of Thermopylae is one of the most brilliant events of the ancient Greek history, a great act of courage and self-sacrifice.
What is the Spartan law?
The Spartans had no historical records, literature, or written laws, which were, according to tradition, expressly prohibited by an ordinance of Lycurgus , excluding the Great Rhetra. Issuance of coinage was forbidden.
What were the three governing bodies in the Spartan constitution?
II. SPARTAN DECISION-MAKING INSTITUTIONS: KINGS, GEROUSIA AND EPHORS . The two kings, the Gerousia and the ephors made up the three institutions that dominated Spartan political deliberation.
What was the general requirement to being a Spartan citizen?
What was the general requirement to be a Spartan citizen? All healthy male Spartan citizens participated in the state-sponsored Agoge compulsory school system , which emphasized obedience, perseverance, courage and self-control. Spartan men devoted their lives to military service and lived in community to adulthood.
Are there any Spartan descendants?
There is a Greek village in Mani , on the Peloponnesian peninsula, called Neochori where all the residents boast that they are true descendants of the Spartans.
What does lacedaemonians mean?
A native or inhabitant of Lacedaemon , an area of ancient Greece comprising the city of Sparta and its surroundings. ... ‘The Lacedaemonians are exceedingly virtuous among themselves, and according to their national standard of morality. ‘
What were the most unusual features of the Spartan constitution?
Sparta had a highly unusual system of government. Two kings ruled the city, but a 28-member ‘council of elders' limited their powers . These men were recruited from the highest social class, the aristocratic Spartiates.
