HUM 2 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Sicyon, Croesus, Anaxandridas Ii
Document Summary
Messenian wars: first ca 736-716, second ca. Hippeus compiles list of olympic victors, messenians very prominent until 736. The first spartan appears on victor list in 720. First war would coincide with king list of theopompus (720-670) Messenia remains under firm spartan control for next 300 years. Messenians reduced to status of helots, hereditary and perpetual. Thucydides said rule number one was to watch the helots. Starts with physical exam of baby at birth. Sent home to live home with mother and possibly father (if passed) If exam was failed, the baby was left to die. At 7, your military education begins for 13 years. Must make own bed (physically construct it) Must steal item and not drop it while being whipped. Must hold onto alter while being whipped (winner holds on longest) If they completed agoge, they reached stage of quasi-adulthood. Every spartiate male is assigned parcel of land at birth (owned by spartan state, but controlled by him)
