The image of
Sparta as a brutal, illiterate,
unenlightened civilization is rooted more in Athenian propaganda
then in
truth. While the Spartans are mostly remembered for their heroism on the field
of
battle, this is a very narrow-minded understanding of their true legacy to
the Western world.
Sparta was actually more important to warfare because of
its innovative diplomatic techniques
than its military strategies.
Sparta is actually the capital of province of
Laconia.
Laconia was a very prosperous community that utilized its resources and abundance
of
fertile land to its economic advantage. The province was the first to
enact land reforms aimed
at creating equality of class. The city of Sparta
itself was a place of tree lined roads and
architecture that made it a
tourist attraction for generations to come.
The
education
system of Sparta should be considered a stunning achievement. While most view
the
agoge as strictly a military preparation mechanism,
it actually taught
Spartans to be a philosophical, literate society. The
great Athenian philosopher Plato credits
Sparta as the birthplace of Greek
philosophy. In the agoge, girls received a formal education,
which was
unprecedented in Greek city-states.
Another striking
accomplishment
of Sparta was its treatment of women. Women were afforded
political, social, and economic rights
that were not possible in other areas
of Greece. Women could own property, make business
transactions, and be
involved in the politics of Sparta.
While Athens is
often credited with establishing the first democracy, Spartan democracy actually
predates the
reforms of Solon by at least fifty years. The Spartan voting
methods were free from corruption
and did not lack in transparency. This is
because voting was measured by how loud a crowd
screamed for different
candidates.
Summary: Accomplishments of
Sparta:
-
Strong economic
system
Expert diplomacy
-
Rights for women
-
Strong education system
- Worlds
first democracy
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