Lycurgus

LYCURGUS : 

LYCURGUS Man... Men... Or Myth?

LYCURGUS : 

LYCURGUS The life of Lycurgus is so wrapped in mystery, that nobody is even sure if he actually existed. Some say he did, others say he is a combination of two or more figures, and others say he is a mythical figure. Your aim today is to form your own opinion, after seeing some of the evidence.

The Law giver : 

The Law giver What is certain is that some person, or persons, created the laws that made Sparta unique. The Spartans called this legendary figure ‘Lycurgus’. He is estimated to have lived some time around 600-800BC.

SOURCES : 

SOURCES Because the Spartans did not record their history in writing, we must rely on later Greek and Roman writers for our evidence. These writers may have used oral accounts of the time, or written accounts that have been lost to us. What are some of the issues of reliability that we may encounter as ancient historians in this case?

Aristotle : 

Aristotle Aristotle wrote about the Constitution of the Lacedaemonians (Spartans), in the 3rd century BC.

Aristotle : 

Aristotle “According to tradition, Lycurgus, when he ceased to be the guardian of King Charillus, went abroad and spent most of his time in Crete. For the two countries are nearly connected; the Lyctians are a colony of the Lacedaemonians, and the colonists, when they came to Crete, adopted the constitution which they found existing among the inhabitants. . . .The Cretan institutions resemble the Lacedaemonian. The Helots are the husbandmen of the one, the Perioeci of the other, and both Cretans and Lacedaemonians have common meals...”

herodotus : 

herodotus Herodotus refers to Lycurgus in his Histories, written in the 5th century BC.

herodotus : 

herodotus Lycurgus, a man of distinction among the Spartans, had gone to Delphi, to visit the oracle. Scarcely had he entered into the inner fane, when the Pythoness exclaimed aloud, Oh! thou great Lycurgus, that com'st to my beautiful dwelling, Dear to love, and to all who sit in the halls of Olympus, Whether to hail thee a god I know not, or only a mortal, But my hope is strong that a god thou wilt prove, Lycurgus.

Slide 9: 

Some report besides, that the Pythoness delivered to him the entire system of laws which are still observed by the Spartans. The Lacedaemonians, however. themselves assert that Lycurgus, when he was guardian of his nephew, Labotas, king of Sparta, and regent in his room, introduced them from Crete; for as soon as he became regent, he altered the whole of the existing customs, substituting new ones, which he took care should be observed by all. After this he arranged whatever appertained to war, establishing the Enomotiae, Triacades, and Syssitia, besides which he instituted the senate,' and the ephoralty. Such was the way in which the Lacedaemonians became a well-governed people.

Slide 10: 

On the death of Lycurgus they built him a temple, and ever since they have worshipped him with the utmost reverence. Their soil being good and the population numerous, they sprang up rapidly to power, and became a flourishing people.”

xenophon : 

xenophon Xenophon was born around 431BC, so was writing a few hundred years after the reforms attributed to Lycurgus.

xenophon : 

xenophon Lycurgus " ... thought that female slaves were competent to furnish clothes; and, considering that the PRODUCTION OF CHILDREN WAS THE NOBLEST DUTY OF THE FREE, he enacted ...that the female should practice bodily exercise no less than the male sex..." ".....He ordained that a man should think it shame to be seen going in to his wife, or coming out from her. When married people meet in this way, they must feel stronger desire for the company of one another...and produce more robust offspring....

xenophon : 

xenophon "An old man should introduce to his wife whatever man in the prime of life he admired for his bodily and mental qualities, so that she might have children by him...

xenophon : 

xenophon "He also assigned some of the grown-up boys as ‘whip-bearers’ so that they might inflict whatever punishment was necessary (on younger boys), so that the great dread of DISGRACE, and great willingness to obey, prevailed among them. Lycurgus, though he did not give the boys permission to take what they wanted without trouble, DID GIVE them the liberty to steal certain things to relieve the cravings of nature; and he made it honourable to steal as many cheeses as possible... "

xenophon : 

xenophon "Lycurgus prohibited free citizens from having anything to do with business.... they should not desire wealth with a view to sensual gratification.

xenophon : 

xenophon "...I must also say something of the boys as objects of affection, for this likewise has some reference to education.... Lycurgus thought proper, if any man (being himself such as he ought to be) admired the disposition of a youth, and made it his purpose to render him a faultless friend, and to enjoy his company, to bestow praise on the boy; and he regarded this as the most excellent kind of education..."

plutarch : 

plutarch Our main source of information is Plutarch, a Roman writer from around the 1st century BC. He relied on older writings and tales he had heard, to write his Lives, one chapter of which was on Lycurgus.

plutarch : 

plutarch Lycurgus was descended from Hercules, through eleven generations, and he was the second prince in one of the two royal families of Sparta...

plutarch : 

plutarch ... The people of Sparta admired the character of this man who could lay down the supreme power so easily out of respect for justice, so it was easy for Lycurgus to rule the Spartans in his capacity as the guardian of Charilaus.   However, the young king's mother, and her relatives, envied and hated Lycurgus.   Among other slanders, they accused Lycurgus of plotting the death of Charilaus.     Lycurgus finally decided that the only way that he might avoid blame in case something should happen to the child would be to go travelling until Charilaus had grown up and fathered a son to secure the succession  Therefore, Lycurgus gave up all of his authority and went to the island of Crete.

plutarch : 

plutarch Lycurgus had carefully studied the forms of government in Crete, and had picked out what might be useful for Sparta.  He also travelled to Ionia, to study the difference between the pleasure-loving Ionians and the sober Cretans, as doctors study the difference between the sick and the healthy. .. ... The Egyptians claim that Lycurgus visited them too, and that it was from the Egyptians that he got the idea of separating the military from the menial workers, thereby giving Spartan society its refinement and beauty.

plutarch : 

plutarch Lycurgus had already decided that some fundamental changes would have to be made in Sparta.  When he returned, he did not merely tinker with the laws, but instead followed the example of a wise doctor treating a patient with many diseases, who changes the patient's diet, compels him to exercise, and puts him in a whole new frame of mind.

plutarch : 

plutarch First, however, Lycurgus went to the oracle at Delphi   to ask for guidance.  The oracle told Lycurgus that his prayers had been heard and that the state which observed the laws of Lycurgus would become the most famous in the world.

plutarch : 

plutarch Plutarch then goes into detail about the laws that Lycurgus introduced: A council of 28 old men to govern No gold or silver or personal wealth Banning of ‘useless occupations’ Syssitia – public mess halls Laws never to be put into writing Houses to be made with an axe only Women to exercise and dance naked regularly No jealousy in sexual relationships

plutarch : 

plutarch Children to enter the agoge at age 7 Helots to do all manual labour for the Spartiates All citizens to be involved in politics All Spartans to devote themselves to Sparta Babies to be checked for fitness by the ephors

plutarch : 

plutarch Plutarch also tells us two events in Lycurgus’ life: The rich were angry with some of his laws, and chased him from Sparta. A man called Alcander struck and blinded Lycurgus in one eye. Lycurgus forgave him and took him into his house as his servant. Lycurgus, when he was very old, told the people he was going to Delphi. He made the kings swear to uphold his laws. He then simply left Sparta, and stopped eating, until he died.

questions : 

questions Your gut feeling: did Lycurgus really exist? Was he one or two people, or none? Why? Could one man have introduced all of the laws of Sparta? Why/why not? Based on the evidence, do you think Sparta’s laws evolved over time, or were introduced suddenly? What aspects of Lycurgus’ life are plausible? What aspects are unbelievable? Why would the Spartans invent a person like Lycurgus? Why would ancient writers believe the stories about Lycurgus? Do any of the writers agree about aspects of Lycurgus’ life? What problems did these ancient historians encounter when they tried to find the truth about Lycurgus?

The great rhetra : 

The great rhetra “When thou has built a temple to Zeus Syllanius and Athena Syllania, divided the people into phylai, and divided them into 'obai', and established a Gerousia of thirty including the Archagetai, then from time to time 'appellazein' between Babyka and Knakion, and there introduce and repeal measures; but the Demos must have the decision and the power.” Phylai/obai = clan, family Gerousia = council of elders Archagetai = kings Appellazein = Assembling the citizens Babyka/Knakion = two landmarks of Sparta Demos = the people