...below from Plutarch and other evidence, asses the accuracy of the modern portrayal of the agoge in films such as “300”. The Spartan education system for boys consisting of rigorous training is known as the ‘agoge’. The people of Sparta have been interpreted as very violent and warrior like and a fierce and brutal society has since been represented in modern times due to the portrayal of Spartans in graphic films such as “300” and “Spartacus”. Zack Snyder’s “300” depicts the young boy’s process of training to become a man and Spartan citizen to then the harsh brutality of fighting and war. As the movie is shaped on the comic series “300” by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley in 1998, the film recounts a fictionalized...
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...Thucydides presents the speech of the Spartan King Archidamus as a part of the debate that occurred at the Sparta War Council. In his speech, Archidamus hopes to convince the Spartans that, contrary to conventional belief, they are not truly courageous if they give in to the urging of their allies and immediately went to war with Athens. Rather, self-control, expressed in the form of prudent decision-making, represents true courage because the exercise of self-control is able to endow its possessor with other Spartan ideals—namely, good judgment, a sense of shame, and moderation. Through tying his conception of courage with other highly esteemed traditional Spartan ideals, Archidamus espouses a vision of the...
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...ancient societies all had one universal purpose, childbearing. In ancient Athens, girls were sent at a young age to their husbands for this purpose. In ancient Sparta, however, girls were encouraged to participate in sports and were educated. Aristotle believed that these freedoms weakened the morale of the Spartan state, while Xenophon and Plutarch believed that it benefited the Spartans. The freedoms and equality Spartan women had counters Aristotle’s characterization of a “good wife” in his story “On a Good Wife.” Aristotle, who lived in Athens for the majority of his life, depicts the ideal wife as a wife that is ruled over by her husband. Athenian women were considered inferior when compared to men. As a result of this, Athenian women had fewer rights than their Spartan counterparts. The general purpose of Athenian women was to bear children, take care of the children, and obey her husband. Girls in Athenian society usually did not receive a formal education and were rushed to bear children when they were “ready,” usually in their teens. In contrast, Spartan women were somewhat equal to men. Spartan women were trained and educated, but the Spartan government did not train girls as much as men. The focus for...
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...of Sparta is composed of three different groups; the Spartans, Helots and Periodic. The word Spartan means self restrained, and Spartans, also known as Spartiates, were considered to be full citizens. Helots, who were known as serfs or slaves, is the word given to the captives. While the Periodic which meant dwellers-around, were craftsmen and traders who built weapons for the Spartan military. When the Spartans would conquer a city-state, the inhabitants would become Helots. Helots were Greeks from Laconia and Messiness, who were conquered by the Spartans and turned into slaves. The society of Sparta and their way of life could not be possible without the Helots. They handled all the day to day tasks that kept society functioning. The Helots were nurses, servants, farmers and military attendants. When the city-state of Laconia and Messiness was conquered, they out numbered the Spartans. To prevent an uprising the Spartans would treat the Helots brutally. In some cases, Helots would be killed if they displayed to be more smarter and stronger than Spartans. Unlike the surrounding city-states, Sparta’s way of life was engulfed in war. The Spartans were known for their bravery and war tactics. The warrior culture is what the Sparta society embraced. Sparta had one of the most powerful armies that conquered miles upon miles of land with their legions of Spartans. They had a lot of memorable battles as well as many...
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...outcome of their history and their decision-making in important life or death situations. Athens is of the oldest cities in the world, which has been populated for the last 7000 years, which Sparta cannot compare to that, because Sparta became city around 3000 years ago. Athens and Sparta are both know for their government and religion, but one of the biggest conflicts, even in recent history, was women rights and their position in society. Athens, as most of the ancient cites and states, took away women rights even before they were born. They were at the bottom of the society. The purpose of women in ancient Athens was to live and be controlled by men. Women in ancient Athens had to know how to read, cook and take care of the household, which is not different from Spartan women, but in Sparta women had the same rights as men. In Sparta women were reared the same ways as Kubik 2 the men. Spartan women were brought to the world and were trained in military so they can protect their...
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...Even still, these works helped define Greek culture to what it was. An aspect of every culture is defining the roles of all citizens. All men, women, and children had roles in Greek culture, roles given to certain individuals varied by city-state. One group of individuals to concentrate on is women. The role and rights of women have been debated for centuries. Two city-states in Greek society, Athens and Sparta, offer a glimpse into two ancient cultures in which the role of women was vastly different. Athens and Sparta were two city-states in Ancient Greece. A city-state...
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...movie, 300. This is a film on Leonidas, who is the Spartan King alongside 300 Spartan Warriors that willingly volunteered to stand up against a Persian army, which were almost ten times as many as they were. After a careful look at the film for the following critique, it is clear that there is a general theme prevailing in the whole movie that, sometimes one has to make sacrifices to gain freedom. Film Critique The movie “300” finds its roots from a graphic novel named 300 also, that was written by Frank Miller in 1998. The movie is based on one of the fierce Persian Wars in 492-449 BC in a battle known as the Thermopylae Battle. This battle went down in the historical books as a war that was characterized with plenty of bravery. The Spartan King, who was known as Leonidas, was the leader of 300 Spartan warriors who engaged the Persian Army in a war, which intended to block them from going into Greece via a two-meter wide pass in the Thermopylae Mountains. In as much as the Persian Army greatly outnumbered the Spartan soldiers, they were held back for two days, and in those two days they encountered major losses, which outweighed that of the Spartan warriors by far. However, on the third day, all was lost when a traitor informed the Persian King of a Path that would lead them behind the Spartan warriors. Therefore, it remains uncertain to the viewers as to whether the Spartan army would have managed to defeat the Persian Army...
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...contribution in relation to the extent upon which their behavioral patterns were necessitated by society’s norms. Spartan value system depicted a society deeply authoritarian and hierarchical thus accounting for the need for self-sufficiency and an uncompromising militarism. All of the above would have to be sustained and nurtured by a series of customs, rules and laws that served as the platform upon which these principles were deployed. Women therefore had to simply conform, yet it is surprising how they demonstrated a high level of adoptability creating a special place for themselves, as opposed to women...
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...care of the matters at home. The Council of Elders were made up of 28 male citizens over 60. They were usually wealthy and high in power. They proposed laws and served as a criminal court. An assembly consisted of all male citizens over 30 voted on those laws proposed by the Council of Elders to accept or reject them. The helots in Sparta hated the Spartans and what they did, because they had no say and were treated as a low class. Athens was a democracy ruled by Cleisthenes. What he first did was divide Athen’s citizens into 10 tribes. Then each tribe chose 50 men. And those men formed what we call the Council of Five Hundred. The members served for one year and couldn’t be chosen more than twice. They proposed laws to the assembly, but the assembly had the final word. The court became more democratic also. Jurors were citizens chosen by lots, and each many could plead his own case to the jury. They voted each case by using a secret ballot. Before Cleisthenes came to power Peisistratus ruled Athens. He was a tyrant that did not get along with the nobles. But it seems like with a democracy the people of Athens had more say in what they wanted which makes it fair to everybody. In Sparta there were three social groups. The...
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...Plato and Play Taking Education Seriously in Ancient Greece Armand D’Angour In this article, the author outlines Plato’s notions of play in ancient Greek culture and shows how the philosopher’s views on play can be best appreciated against the background of shifting meanings and evaluations of play in classical Greece. Play—in various forms such as word play, ritual, and music—proved central to the development of Hellenic culture. In ancient Greece, play (paidia) was intrinsically associated with children (paides). However, both children and play assumed a greater cultural significance as literacy—and, consequently, education (paideia)— developed during the classical age of 500–300 BCE. Uniquely among ancient thinkers, Plato recognized that play influenced the way children developed as adults, and he proposed to regulate play for social ends. But Plato’s attitude toward play was ambivalent. Inclined to consider play an unworthy activity for adults, he seemed to suggest that intellectual play in some form, as demonstrated in the dialectical banter of Socrates, could provide a stimulus to understanding. Key words: education in ancient Greece; play and child development; play and education; play and Plato; Socratic dialectic Among various plausible misquotations that surface from time to time is a piece of popular wisdom attributed to Plato to the effect that “you can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” It was quoted by Alaska Governor...
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...Writer: Mashell Chapeyama Subject: History Selected essays on Greek civilization Introduction This booklet is a collection of essays that were written for academic purpose. The essays are centred on Greece. Particular emphasis is placed on the states of Athens and Sparta. The aim of the essays is to show the contributions that Greek states made to the modern world. The world has learnt a lot of aspects from Greece, being they direct or indirect. One of the things that Greece brought to the world is the democratic system of government. Together with lessons from ancient Rome the world has learned much. Essay1: Differences in terrain and climatic conditions between Athens and Sparta Greece has many cities and towns, however probably the main ones in ancient times were Sparta and Athens. These two cities shaped the political life and history of Greece for quite a long time. The influence mainly centred on land and agriculture. For, about 90% of Greece production was agricultural in nature, with grain production as the dominant area. Incidentally, grain was a staple product and food of Greece. As a result the land that was used for grain production was a vital part of wealth and a valuable asset, for which citizens compete for. This essay is going to explore the difference in terrain between Athens and Sparta and how it affected agriculture and political rights, including democracy as well as how agricultural production had an impact on the distribution of political...
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...Athenian (the invaders) and Melians (rulers), demonstrates this explicitly. The Athenians demanded their surrender, and entice said that if the tributes were not paid and they did not submit, their only other option was to be destroyed. The Athenians first attempt to entice to the Melians' sense of logic, stating the overpowering odds, while the Melians plea to the Athenians' fear of gods and sense of decency. In the Melian dialogue the Athenians say: “Nature always compels gods (we believe) and men (we are certain) to rule over anyone they can control” when confronted about how the gods would look to them, as they believed the gods “should be as much on (their) side as (Melians). Neither (their) principles nor (their) actions are contrary to what men believe about gods, or would want for themselves” (Thucydides v. 105, pg. 106). The Athens saw the notion of ruling wherever one can as a general and necessary law of nature. The Athenians makes known that maintaining their empire is their only concern and they attempt to persuade the Melians that it is in their best interest to surrender. Neither the Athenians nor the Melians were able to influence the other and the negotiations were then unsuccessful. The Athenians consequently occupied Melos and mercilessly enslaved or slaughtered its...
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...Let’s Hope It Repeats: A History Lesson Human beings posses, as an innate part of our nature, an incredible ability to argue with each other about just about anything. Some of these arguments are necessary to push us forward, and some keep us locked in a standstill and accomplish nothing. One of the biggest arguments that today’s society is embroiled in is that of the existence, and treatment of, homosexuality and same-sex relationships. Unfortunately, it seems that this is one of those arguments that keeps us from moving forward. What frustrates me the most about the whole argument is how unnecessary—and ridiculously riddled with misconceptions and outright insulting fabrications—it is. Homosexuality seems to be too difficult a concept for our society to accept, but it is too real, and too ancient, an issue to deny. My purpose for writing this paper is to address one of the myths about homosexuality, and in doing so make a vital point about the biggest misconception that exists on the subject. In a society where each consecutive generation pushes the boundaries of social norms and acceptable behavior further outside of polite society’s comfort zone, fads and rebellions are commonplace. Often homosexuality gets lumped in with these fleeting trends and is seen as something transitory, something that will go away if denied acceptance long enough. On the contrary, homosexuality is not something new or impermanent. Rather it is a concept, a fact of life, which has been...
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...Greek and Roman Comparison Lisa Lain HIS275CA June 1, 2015 Zachary Lenz Greek and Roman Comparison The Greek and Roman empires were very important to the history of the world. With their empires came religions and philosophies. While their religions were much different, both the Greeks and the Romans turned to Christianity at some point. Their philosophies were also quite different. They each studied the building blocks of the universe and created their own theories. With any empire come societal struggles. Both the Greek and Roman empires dealt with such struggles but the main aspect of the struggles varied. Territorial expansion was very important in both the Greek and the Roman empires. They both sought out to find more land and fought for the land they found through wars and battles. Trade and commerce were a major contribution to both empires as well. While both empires traded different things both within their empires, they also traded outside of it. The Roman and Greek civilizations also dealt with a decline in civilization. The reasoning behind their declines was different, but both empires contributed to their own decline. Religions and Philosophies While the Greek and Roman religions differed greatly, they both turned to Christianity at one point. In the beginning religions, the Greeks and Romans alike believed in many gods. Each of these gods was believed to be a god of certain events. Both the Greek and the Romans worshipped their gods at temples...
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...did the research. TO OUR SUPPORTIVE RESEARCH ADVISER; Mr. RAZA On the behalf of us researchers we would like to commemorate this thesis as a gift and proving article as a testimony on how much of a great instructor to us, we would like to extend our thanks to you by getting high grades. TO OUR FRIENDS We would not be here without our beloved friends whom accompanied us on trying times and of good times, without them, everyday life would be boring and dull. We thank them for giving our lives a happy one, our memories of you will never dwindle. TO THE MARITIME/GENERAL INSTRUCTORS THAT WE ADMIRE Furthermore, our greatest inspiration, the ones that thought us all that we know, may they never stop giving the quality education that we all need and also that sincere, charismatic, professional and caring personality, we will always be great full of your teachings. We owe so much from you. PREFACE On the behalf of us in our section and also our group, we, Richard Dean F. Medalla,...
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