Historical + Geographical Context
What year were the Spartans defeated at the Battle of Leuctra?
371 BCE
What was the name of the Spartan battle formation and what shape was it?
Phalanx, square
What aspect of Spartan government made up the monarchical element of the constitution?
Dual kingship
Which festival's name translates to 'festival of the unarmed/naked boys?'
Gymnopaedia
Who wrote History of the Peloponnesian War?
Thucydides
What is the name of the nearby town about 6 km south of the city of Sparta?
Amyclae
What did the krypteia do?
Killed helots they found in the countryside at night
What material were Spartans' armour and weapons primarily made out of?
Bronze
Which famous Spartan figure was allegedly declared a God by the Delphic Oracle?
Lycurgus
Where is Helen rumoured to be buried?
Menelaion
How many villages made up Sparta?
5
How often did the kings and ephors exchange oaths?
Monthly
Which body of Spartan government had control over the agoge?
Ephorate
Which Spartan religious festival featured processions, dancers, chariot races, sacrifices and feasts?
Hyakinthia
Around what age did Spartan girls get married?
Late teens
What were the 2 main crops Sparta farmed?
Barley and olives
What were eirenes and what was their role?
Cadets- trained younger boys, administered discipline
When Lycurgus redistributed the land, how many allotments went to the perioikoi, helots and spartiates?
30 000 to the perioikoi, 9 000 to Spartiates
What 2 things were Spartans buried with?
red cloaks and olive leaves
Who described Sparta as "closest to the ideal polis?"
Xenophon
Name 3 disadvantages to Sparta's location/geographical context.
Extreme climate, subject to earthquakes, river Eurotas subject to flooding, communication limited
Name 3 classes of inferiors.
Neodamodeis, tresantes, hypomeiones, parthenai, mothoces
Name 3 of Aristotle's criticism of the ephorate.
poor men (open to bribery), extremely powerful (kings motivated to curry favours), decided on judgement instead of set rules/laws in cases, lifestyle not in accordance with aims of Sparta (excessively relaxed, enjoyed bodily pleasures), evaded the law/punishment
Name 3 methods Spartan kings would use/observe to divinate (interpret the will of the gods).
oracles, visions, dreams, behaviour of animals
Where did Spartans allegedly learn the skill of bone/ivory carving from?
north Syria