Sparta<br>&nbsp;

Around 900 BC, in northern Lakonia, five villages joined their forces to increase their defensive capacity, founding Sparta. Until 850 BC, the Spartans dominated the whole of Messinia by enslaving local populations. The natives of the conquered cities became their working class with diminished rights and full submission to the Spartan landowners. They had the freedoms of the medieval serfs, cultivated the land and held some of the crop, while in the wars they were forced to fight next - and a little further ahead - to their masters. Among them, and the ruling class of citizens, there were those who lived either in the villages or were engaged in trade and industry but did not participate in the government nor could marry citizens. Sparta, at its peak, was the union of the original 5 villages and hundreds of others, with a population of about 70,000 citizens, 150,000 inhabitants and 3,000,000 serfs. Between the 8th and 7th century BC due to constant warfare, the Spartans experienced a period of anarchy and internal conflicts, leading to a series of political and social reforms that later attributed to a legislator, Lycurgus. These reforms mark the rise of Classical Sparta, establishing a robust military orientation.


The laws of Lycurgus, as well as the Dragons later in Athens, were inspired by the strict Justice of the Cretan Cities that were stable Spartan partners, either by helping them in military operations (such as the colonization of Thira and Taranto) or by supporting them in their economic and business activities. The "Clauses" of Lycurgus, as its law was called, is the oldest "constitutional text" of Humanity. It was an attempt to prevent the aristocracy from being trampled by traders and craftsmen, as it was happening in other cities (Argos, Athens, Corinth, Megara etc). For that reason, he forbade the citizens to be traders or businessmen, forbid the import or use of gold and to prevent the passion of enrichment, he set up an iron heavy currency that was difficult to use and store. He believed that people needed to be free and powerful to fight and rule; that was their duty.


For the Spartans, health became the greatest virtue and the disease became a crime. Children who did not meet the criteria of a healthy standard were thrown into the River Caiada while the rest were obliged to leave their parents at the age of 7 and be placed in a barracks-school. The most capable was the leader and all the children had to obey blindly. Letters were taught in a simple way, so that they could write and read while most hours were bare, as cold as they did, under the supervision of larger ones. The aim was to harden them to increase their strength and endurance and to be ready for war. At the age of twelve, they wore a garment for all seasons, forced to sleep in the countryside and until the age of 30 they lived in the barracks. Girls, even though they grew up at home, they had to be sporty and strong and healthy as well. Young people were free to love without prejudices, weddings were arranged from when they were young, men could married and live in the barracks waiting to be 30 and return to their spouse. From the arts, only dance and music were developed in Sparta because they promoted military discipline, there is no mention of poets, sculptors, architects. And in order not to spoil this military spirit the Spartans were completely inhospitable and negative to travelers. The reforms of Lycurgus achieved their goal, which was to achieve three virtues for the Spartans: equality (among citizens), military capability and simple, disciplined living.

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