AHE 1108 History of sport
Examine and discuss the role of women in sport in ancient Sparta
By Srdjan Vulic
Identification number: S4129049

Name of lecturer: Rob Hess and Matthew Klugman
Name of tutor: Fiona McLachlan
Tutorial group: 11.30pm, Tuesday, Semester 2, 2014
Date of submission: 3rd September 2014
Sparta was a city in Ancient Greece between 650 B.C and 362 B.C which was seen to have one of the strongest soldiers and women due to their early commencement of training in tough conditions to strengthen their bodies and to toughen them up. Men were always seen as the dominant species compared to women, they were seen to be stronger and had more dominance and respect in the Olympic Games and sport. Instead of encouraging women in Greece to participate in the Olympics they were instead dispirited and some laws were made to prevent them from participating. Spectators would rather watch men participate then women because they believed women were weak and were not as exhilarating to watch as men. Spartan women had more freedom and respect than many other Greek women, ‘Spartan women were allowed to be landholders and they were free to speak for themselves, unlike many other Greeks.’
Spartan women were ordered to do no less body building than the males, Lycurgus the lawgiver of Sparta believed ‘stronger children come from parents who are both strong.’ The women were trained the same way as the men, they would both be taught how to survive in tough conditions and they would be removed from all softness and elegance. Men and woman would begin training from very young ages to strengthen them up earlier and quicker. ‘Lycurgus exercised the bodies of young women in footraces, wrestling, the casting of the discus and of the javelin, so that the product of their wombs would have a strong beginning in strong bodies and come better to maturity so that they would have easy pregnancies and deliveries.’ There was no disgrace in the nudity of young woman, women would have no shame wresting naked even amidst men. Both males and females in Sparta were trained to be tough, but they were trained for different purposes. ‘Boys underwent the stage of initiation to become stronger and virtuous warriors; girls, to become wives.’ Euripides who was a writer of Greek tragedy stated in 426 B.C “A Spartan girl could not be chaste even if she wanted to. They abandon their houses to run around with young men, with naked thighs and open clothes, sharing the same racetracks and palaistrai – a situation which I found insufferable.” The rivals of the Spartans were the Athenians who were not at all impressed with the way the Spartans raised their women.
During the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece women were discouraged to participate in sports ‘Women’s sports were both uninteresting and unimportant to men.’ Men didn’t want to waste their time watching women participate in sport because they thought women were weak and not worth watching. Women were not taken seriously and were primarily used for amusement. ‘There is general agreement that participation of women in sport during the time of the empire and the republic was for entertainment and not taken seriously.’ Women were always handicapped when it came to athletic events, for example if women competed in a foot race it would be 5/6 of the distance men compete in. This was done because in Greece they believed women were much feebler than men so they made events more suitable for females. There was a festival made primarily for women called the Heraean Games, the festival was main in honour of Hera who was well known for her jealousy and being the vengeful wife of Zeus. The Heraean Games were held every four years and was mostly restricted to footraces. In these games the 16 women would each weave a rode for Hera and then compete in the race. Spartan women were trained in the same athletic events as men and as a result mostly dominated in the Heraean games. The Heraean champions won olive crowns, cow or ox meat from the animal sacrificed for Hera and they got the privilege of getting a portrait painting of themselves in Hera’s temple.
In ancient Sparta it was clear to see that men had more authority in terms of freedom and respect. Women as well as men were the object of the senutus consoltum that forbade people of equestrian and senatorial status from appearing on the stage or in the arena. It was a choice women could make if they wished. ‘The possibilities were very wide from wretched careers that might be compared to those of strippers or other workers in modern industries that appeal primarily to male sexual fantasy, to careers comparable to those of modern pop idols.’ Greek women had many careers to choose from some being not as great as others. The Spartan men were trained for war and the women were trained to strengthen their bodies for the birth of strong Spartan children. By strengthening women it was also believed they would have an increased chance of surviving after giving birth. ‘Sparta’s laws and social norms discouraged Spartan women from engaging in the type of household activities that occupied the time of women elsewhere.’ This paper seeks to show the different culture the Spartans followed, the women wouldn’t participate in household activities and focused on training and getting stronger. Sparta was a strong society, they believed in many things other states didn’t and they were seen as one of if not the strongest polis in ancient Greece.

Bibliography
Fleck R.K., Hannsen, F.A., Rulers ruled by women: an economic analysis of the rise and fall of womens rights in ancient Sparta, Springer, United States Of America, 2009

Miller, S.G., Arete Greek sports from ancient sources, University of California press, Los Angeles, 1991, p.101

Mechikoff, R., A history and philosophy of sport and physical education from ancient civilisations to the modern world,The McGraw-Hill companies, New York, 2010, p.91

Potter, D., The victors crown, Quercus, London, 2011, pp. 252-253

Raschke, W.J., The Archeology of the Olympics, The university of Wisconsin press madison, Wisconsin, United States Of America, 2002, pp. 185,188

Queenan, E., ‘Entertainment: Spartan Style’, Spartan Woman, Volume 5, Issue 1, 2009, p5

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[ 1 ]. E. Queenan, ‘Entertainment: Spartan Style’, Spartan Woman, Volume 5, Issue 1, 2009, p5
[ 2 ]. S.G. Miller, Arete Greek sports from ancient sources, University of California press, Los Angeles, 1991, p.101
[ 3 ]. D. Potter, The victors crown, Quercus, London, 2011, p253
[ 4 ]. W.J. Raschke, The Archeology of the Olympics, The university of Wisconsin press madison, Wisconsin, United States Of America, 2002, p.188
[ 5 ]. W.J. Raschke, The Archeology of the Olympics, The university of Wisconsin press madison, Wisconsin, United States Of America, 2002, p.185
[ 6 ]. R. Mechikoff, A history and philosophy of sport and physical education from ancient civilisations to the modern world,The McGraw-Hill companies, New York, 2010, p.91
[ 7 ]. D. Potter, The victors crown, Quercus, London, 2011, p252
[ 8 ]. R.K Fleck, F.A Hannsen, Rulers ruled by women: an economic analysis of the rise and fall of womens rights in ancient Sparta, Springer, United States Of America, 2009