Richard Treitner, age 73, of Sayreville, N.J., for his question:
WHO WERE THE SPARTANS?
There is a modern town in Greece called Sparta located near the site of an ancient city with the same name. The modern town was built in 1835 and today's population is about 11,000. It is the capital of the modern political division of Laconia. Much valuable material has been discovered during recent years through the excavations that have been made on the old city's site.
Citizens of the ancient city of Sparta were called Spartans. Sparta, or Lacedaemons, was the capital of Laconia and at one time the most powerful city state of ancient Greece.
Sparta was famous for its loyal soldiers and its tremendous military power.
The Spartans of ancient Sparta were famous for their endurance, a scorn of luxuries and unyielding firmness. Spartan virtues today would indicate a person who is brave, disciplined, austere and undaunted.
The people belonged to three classes. The Spartans, members of the ruling class and the only ones with full citizenship, were descended from the Dorians, a people who invaded the Greek peninsula about 1000 B.C. They had enslaved the earlier Greek peoples of Laconia. The second class was made up of enslaved Greeks, called helots. This group actually outnumbered the Spartans. The third group, called the perioeci, were non Spartan Greeks who escaped enslavement. They were not citizens but they lived in Sparta as free men.
The members of the three classes varied widely during Sparta's long and colorful history. At the height of Spartan power there were about 25,000 citizens, an unknown number of perioeci and more than 500,000 helots.
Each Spartan boy belonged to the state from the time he was born. He stayed with his mother until he was seven years old, and then was enrolled in a company of 15 members. All the boys were kept under strict discipline and were given tests of bravery.
When a boy was 12 his undergarments were taken away and he was given one outer garment a year. His bed consisted of the tops of reeds which he cut with his own hands. He learned songs of war and religion. Reading and writing were not learned, but each boy learned to wield a weapon with grace and accuracy and was kept busy with leaping, running and wrestling.
At the age of 30 a Spartan attained full maturity and citizenship rights. He then had a right to marry, attend meetings and hold public office.
Women in Sparta lived free lives. They engaged in athletics as girls, and then many went into business as they became adults. Two fifths of the land was owned by women, and many were extremely wealthy and influential.
Spartan adult men were tough, proud, disciplined and noted for their obstinate conservatism and for brevity and directness of speech. From childhood, life was one continuous trial of endurance with all of the gentler feelings suppressed.