Sparta
Greece has been in the books of history for different reasons, and its history has been rich. One of the major events that have kept Greece in the books of history is the existence of the Spartan society that coexisted with other powerful societies such as Athens. The cultural organization of the Spartan community made it become one of the strongest communities in Greece. The strength of the Spartan Community was seen during the Peloponnesian War. However, the legacy of the Spartan Community did not last long as the community was ousted from dominance despite its strong military organization. The Spartan Society was organized to ensure self-sustenance by being divided into three groups, the full citizens, slaves to provide labor, and the Perioeci, who would serve both the roles of citizens and slaves.
Sparta became prominent based on its exemplary culture, military, and beliefs. The cultural structure of the Spartan Society was developed in a way such that it ensured self-sufficiency. Society was divided into three groups that carried out different responsibilities for the society. The Spartiates were considered full citizens, while the Helots worked as slaves to provide labor (Ruzé, 2017). The Perioeci, on the other hand, were craftsmen and traders and provided weapons for the Spartan Society. Moreover, the Spartan culture was based on education that was for healthy citizens and was sponsored by the state.
Spartans believed in a culture that required that all healthy citizens go through an education system. The citizens were taught on the importance of loyalty to society, obedience, self-control, and courage. The values taught in state-sponsored education were essential in preparing the citizens in their enrollment into the military (Ruzé, 2017). Generally, the Spartan Culture benefitted immensely from the services of the Helots who handled both skilled and unskilled daily activities. Generally, the Spartan culture supported slavery. The Helots were more than the Citizens, and the slavery perceptions maintained the control of the citizens over the Helots. Also, the citizens were allowed to kill the Helots in the event of potential competition, and that maintained the dominance of the Spartans. Moreover, the military organization of the Spartans was efficient and was outstanding among the other communities in the region.
The Spartan Society was organized differently compared to its neighboring societies. Most of the Greek societies were based on education and philosophy. Spartan was, however, centered on a culture that supported warriors. The culture of the Spartans was clear on the fact that Spartan male citizens would only become soldiers. Therefore, boys were recruited into the military at the age of seven and started training for possible wars. The training of the boys was conducted communally and involved physical competitions that prepared them to acquire skills such as stealing food and survival. The first assignment for the best soldiers was done at adolescence, where the best boys were recruited into a secret police force that was tasked with the terrorization of the Helots (Woons, 2016). At the age of twenty, the males were recognized as fulltime soldiers and would serve at the military until they were sixty. Generally, the military organization of the Spartans played a crucial role in maintaining their dominance over the other societies. Moreover, the beliefs held by the Spartans were essential in supporting their journey to greatness.
The Spartans were known for their strong beliefs. Generally, the Spartan beliefs placed every member of the Spartan society in the right place. For example, men were believed to be stronger than women and were therefore tasked with military duties. The women on the other side were not tasked with military duties and therefore enjoyed more freedom and power compared to women in other communities. Also, the Spartan culture was based on the belief that women should receive a formal education, although it was conducted separately from that of men. The institution of marriage was protected, with adults being encouraged to get married in a bid to give birth to more males who would later be recruited to the military. Although married couples lived separately, the men would sneak from the barracks to meet their wives at night. Generally, the cultural beliefs worked in collaboration to build a society that had strong military values. Moreover, the Peloponnesian war was the first major scuffle in Ancient Greece that saw the major societies engaging in a war.
Ancient Greece was majorly comprised of two societies, the Athens and Sparta and the Peloponnesian War marked the first major scuffle between the two societies. Although the Athens and Spartans were the largest conflicting parties, the war involved the major leagues that had been formed to protect the interests of the member societies. Athens had overseen the formation of a league that would help them to prevent attacks from Persia. The league, however, was not received in good faith by the Peloponnesian League, which comprised of the Spartans. The two leagues got into a conflict, and a war ensued from 431 B.C (Hornblower, 2016). Moreover, Ancient Greece had been seen as a peaceful region apart from frequent attacks that came from Persia leading to the development of the league that aimed at overcoming the threat posed by the Persians.
The involvement of Sparta in the Peloponnesian war marked their first involvement in the battle. It was crucial in determining their strength in a region that was inhabited by societies with well-organized military forces. However, the Peloponnesian war could not be used to decide which of the societies was stronger since it included allies who supported their bloc (Hornblower, 2016). For example, the Spartans received aid from Corinth when Epidamnus was attacked. Also, the Athenians suffered a plaque amid the war, leading to a significant impact on their performance throughout the battle. The various peace treaties failed to survive for long due to the conduct of the allies since each bloc wanted to attain clear victory to claim dominance. The war ended after the Athenians were forced to surrender owing to the decimation of their fleet in battle and the eventual siege by the Spartans. Moreover, the war led to several changes in Greece with the alignment of societal structures changing both during and after the war.
Wars are known for their significant impacts on the structure of societies, and the Peloponnesian war was no exception. Ancient Greece had existed under the Golden Age for several years before the war. However, the war marked the end of the Golden Age, and societies changed. The Spartans were the victors of the Peloponnesian War, and their dominance grew to an unmatched level (Hornblower, 2016). Athenians were forced to surrender and ended up under the Spartan Rule. The balance of power shifted automatically because one of the powerful societies had fallen, and dominance was left for the Spartans. Also, the tyrant leadership of the Spartans changed, and democracy was embraced, leading to significant changes in the way Sparta was governed. However, the shift in power balance had negative impacts on the Spartan Kingdom since Athens had been contributing to the stability in the region.
Power balance is essential in the dominance of a region. When more than one society establishes dominion over an area, power is balanced, and the risk of external threats is minimized (Reeves, 2017). The Peloponnesian war meant that Sparta was solely responsible for stability in the region. Generally, the Spartans became subject to attacks from external enemies, and their dominance was brought down, less than a century after the Peloponnesian victory and absorbed into the Macedonia territory. Also, the liberation of the Helots after the defeat meant that Sparta did not have sufficient labor, and the empire deteriorated. Generally, the fall of Sparta was a result of the outcomes of the Peloponnesian war.
In sum, Sparta was organized to ensure self-efficiency by being divided into three groups, the full citizens, slaves to provide labor, and the Perioeci, who would serve both the roles of citizens and slaves. Sparta was war-oriented and stood above neighboring societies that believed in education and philosophy. Generally, the Peloponnesian war was the first major scuffle in Ancient Greece that saw the major societies engaging in a war. However, the Peloponnesian war led to the power imbalance in Greece, and Sparta was later defeated, and its alignment destroyed.
References
Hornblower, S. (2016). Peloponnesian War, 431–404 BCE. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics.
Reeves, J. (2017). Polemos as Kinêsis: the effects of the Peloponnesian War on Athenian society and culture (Doctoral dissertation).
Ruzé, F. (2017). The Empire of the Spartans. A Companion to Sparta, 320.
Woons, M. (2016). Helots, Spartans, and Contemporary Wars Within. Peace Review, 28(3), 351- 359.