Life in Sparta

The Persian empire was a huge country ruled by just one man—Cyrus the Great. Cyrus made the laws for Persia to follow. He decided when the army would attack another country. He decided how much tax the people would pay.

Greece, across the Aegean Sea, was a completely different kind of country. The Greeks all spoke the same language, dressed the same way, and worshipped the same gods. They all came to the Olympic Games and feasted together. But the Greeks didn’t all obey a single king. Instead, each Greek city made its own laws. Each Greek city had its own army. And each Greek city had its own way of living. The Greeks were horrified by the thought of obeying one, single, powerful ruler. They liked their independence.

Athens and Sparta were the two largest Greek cities, but the people of these two cities lived in very different ways. Sparta was ruled by warrior kings, and all Spartan men were required to be soldiers. Boys went to school, but they didn’t learn philosophy, art, and music. Instead, when they were seven, they were sent away to special camps where they learned how to be obedient, disciplined fighters. They were taught to exercise so that their bodies would be strong. They were made to march long distances without socks or shoes, so that their feet would be tough. They weren’t given very much to eat. And they were never allowed to complain. Spartan boys were expected to be tough and silent.

One story from Spartan times tells of a boy who was away at military camp, learning how to be a soldier. He was so hungry that he stole a live fox from someone else at the camp. He was planning on cooking and eating the fox! But just as he was getting ready to kill the fox, he saw some Spartan soldiers walking over to talk to him. He knew that they would beat him for stealing the fox, so he quickly hid the fox underneath his shirt. The fox immediately started biting him.

When they were twenty, boys had to pass a special test of fitness and bravery. If they passed, they were allowed to join the army. They would stay in the army until they were old men! Even if they got married, they weren’t allowed to live with their families. Instead, they lived with the other soldiers in barracks. Boys who didn’t pass the test weren’t allowed to vote. They could never be full citizens of Sparta.

But what about the girls?

Girls were taught to exercise and be strong too, so that they could be the mothers of more boys who would fight for Sparta. In the ancient world of the Spartans, only fighters were truly important. And the Spartans thought that women were weaker and more timid than men. So the women of Sparta were less important than the men.

Spartan mothers were supposed to praise their sons for warlike behavior, and reward them for bravery. One Spartan mother told her son, who was leaving for battle, “Come back with your shield, or on it!” Since the losers of battles were forced to give up their shields, here’s what she was really saying: “Either win the battle, or come back dead!” Spartans would rather die than lose a fight.

Sparta wasn’t known for its art or storytelling, but the Spartan army was known and feared all over the world for its bravery and toughness. Today, we still call someone spartan if they suffer pain or disappointment without complaining.