Pros And Cons Of Spartan Women

Females had to give birth to strong children. Women also had to wear plain clothing, cut their hair short and did not wear make-up, perfume or jewellery. They trained to keep fit, and exercised and danced naked, they did not have that much freedom, but unlike other city states they could vote, where as the men had to fight in the military and be brave warriors. At the age of 7 Spartan boys where taken away from there mothers and trained as loyal and disciplined soldiers for military uses, they were hospitalised in dormitory's, the boys were deprived and endured harsh punishments in order to raise them strong. The Spartans were very selective over there choice of baby's and infants and if they were born with disability or of Ill health they were to be

In the beginning of Xenophon’s Constitution of the Lacedaemonians Xenophon explain how bearing children was a keep aspect of women’s lives, but that this did not limit them in life but rather expanded their horizons (Xenophon p. 1). Part of these other activities that women could be a part of and were pressured, sometimes into were sports and physical activities, because this was meant to build up their stamina for child bearing. The physical activities were not only a way to insure that women were healthy and strong for childbirth, but the Spartan’s also believed that if both parents were strong or in fighting shape that this would produce strong and

But in the Spartan society, the woman had a dignified position just because they were the mother of the famous Sparta worriers. The Athenian women were also not allowed for education or to educate themselves. Men were the only ones allowed in the schools. They also wore clothing that completely covered their bodies and was not able to walk where they

The Spartan social roles and government were very exquisite, proper and always knows their positions. At the bottom of the scale there where the Helots. The helots had so little to no rights that it was okay if their owners killed them. The helots were usually obtained or captured by the Spartans when out in battle. Helots were used as property and served their masters. Except they were not following what the man said. They followed what the women said due to the fact that men were fighting in wars and boys were training. Citizen males over the age of thirty were allowed to vote. The women were allowed to become citizen; as well they just did not receive the same rights as the men might have. Though the women in Sparta did have the most freedoms. They were allowed to own their own properties, they did not need permission to go out of the house; all because of the respect the Spartans had for mothers, also because the men were always in war. Lastly there was the Gerontes. They were the citizen males who were rich and over the age of sixty who had the most rights. One could only become a Genonte after surviving war. So, women could not become a Genonte due to the fact that they were not allowed to join the military and because they were not male.

Beginning around 490 BC when civilization was ruled largely by men; every man was proven their preeminence within their society based highly on their woman. As stated in the book, “Warrior Ethos,” Leonidas picked the men he did not for their “warrior prowess” but he instead picked them for the courage of their women. Women in the Spartan society were known for their great influence on Spartan men. Their roles as Spartan soldier’s wives were major. Spartan women were strong both physically and mentally, they were well educated and given more freedom than majority of women in the ancient world. Spartan women played a significant role in the rise and fall of the Spartan Empire, though it was small compared to world empires, it was a role that would providing a last impression for generations to follow. This role was based predominantly on their background growing up, their marriage, and how much land they possessed.

There was no option to become a carpenter or philosopher, city-state’s entire focus was built on producing the greatest military in Greece. Life was judged from birth because the Spartans practiced infanticide, casting any baby boys and girls off the top off a mountain that displayed and defects or weakness, something that was not done in Athens. Parents didn’t hold the right to intervene for the decision was made by the state. Girls received a physical education, they were raised to be fit child bearers who would produce many more soldiers, and that was the purpose of their existence. They were far more outspoken and opinionated in contrast the the women of Athena.

Compared to other city-states Sparta trained the women equally as the men. In other city-states, women were thought to be weaker than men, but in Sparta, it was the opposite. They thought that even if you were a woman you were still capable of withstanding the same treatment as the men. The Spartan ruler, "Insisted on physical training for the female no less than for the male sex"(E). In Sparta, they didn't belittle women or thought that they were too delicate to do things that the men could.

They were able to enjoy their life until they were ready to move forward. They surprisingly did not consider marriage until their late teens or early twenties. “It is highly significant that Spartans condemned violence inside marriage, and understood that sec with a child is abusive. Nor were Spartan girls married to much older man, as usual in other Greek cities” (Schrader). They believed that by not spending time together after marriage, considering they were permitted to live together, would make their relationship stronger and full of more desire for one another. The actual marriage ceremony for a Spartan woman was not typical in any way, the term they referred to is a captured marriage. The bridesmaid would capture her, shave her head to the scalp and dress her in men’s wear. Later her groom would show up and begin what would be their secret marriage. This would continue to be a secret until the man reached the age of 30. Because Sparta’s male citizens were required to devote their lives to their communities and military, the women ran the estates of their husbands. They controlled their family wealth and where the money went. Spartan woman could also inherit wealth. All in all, the Spartan woman was one of a

In most Greek states, women were required to stay indoors at all times, although only the upper classes could afford to observe this custom. Spartan women, on the other hand, were free to move about, and had an unusual amount of

The boys were educated in choral dance, reading and writing, but athletics and military training were emphasized. Girls were educated at age seven in reading and writing, gymnastics, athletics and survival skills. They were treated pretty equal to men. The goal of the Spartan Society was to produce women who would produce strong healthy babies. At age 18, a young women would be assigned a husband.

The Spartan women were cared about and had share in public life. While in Athens the woman were not valued at all. In Sparta, woman could inherit property and run the family's estate. They also were educated on how to exercise and keep their body’s fit so they could raise healthy children. In Athens, women were not valued and were called imperfect beings who lacked the ability to reason as well as men. Their only job was to run the household.

Education of Spartan girls did not differ much from the boy’s education. The ability was equally distributed between the genders, and all sessions were available to men and women. This idea can be seen in all the major philosophical writings of that time. Girls are taught to run, jump, fight, throw discs and darts. The complexity of exercises for girls was not inferior to boy’s exercises. According to Lycurgus, young girls had to be physically fit in order to give birth to healthy and strong babies. This was the main purpose of Spartan women – produce worthy generation. (Plut. Lyc. 14.2) Since the young age girls were conditioned and trained to do just that. Lycurgus freed Spartan girls form strict home supervision and instead, as it usually happens in other Greek cities, to sit at the loom in anticipation of marriage, ordered them to strengthen their bodies on a par with boys. In addition, the Spartan girls could fight with weapons in their hands because when Spartan men went to war, their wives and daughters had to repel the attacks of the Helot

Instead, Sparta thought that women were humans, and deserved similar rights to the men. Due to this, women received some basic military training as a child. Women also were treated with much more respect than the slaves in Sparta (unlike in Athens). Women were also given the right to choose to leave their husband and marry another if he was at war for too long. In Sparta women could also own land and cattle, they could not in almost any other place in Greece at the time. Being a girl this is an amazing incentive to living in

Sparta was a very militaristic society and were very strict. Sparta was the strongest and most fearless city-state in Greece at the time. Sparta had very strict rules. If you had a sick or deformed baby they would leave it in the wild to die from exposure or it would be rescued and adopted by strangers. It was recommended for a spartan soldier to marry after he has served in the army until the age of thirty. At the age of seven boy's were taken from there mothers and sent to a school teaching boy's to be warriors. This made the city-state of Sparta the toughest in Greece.

They would have to have a lot of confidence to be a Spartan Warrior because if you didn’t have any confidence you would most likely die. Both boys and girls were brought up to the city women until around the age of seven. They were taken away from the parents and grouped together and had to attend a military boot camp. The camp was Agoge. The children were encouraged to steal and they had terrible food and clothing. They were punished for being caught. The boys had to compete with one another in games and in mock fights. But they were taught to read and write. They celebrated Spartans in the second Messenian