Thermopylae
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Holly McBride (ID # 311895)
GRST 205 Lec 01
Submitted to G. Wrightson : Tutorial 06
Essay on Ancient Greece
Due October 27, 2005
Was the victory at Thermopylae a result of Spartan upbringing?
Thermopylae, the confrontation that allowed Athens to be evacuated during the Persian War, was a victory for the Greeks due to the fact that it saved the Athenian citizens from an almost certain fate. The Spartan King that led the small group of soldiers against the Persians is revered even now for his commitment to the cause of the Greek world. The age old question is possibly phrased most effectively by W.W. How and J. Wells, ÐЎЧÐÐŽKwhat was the purpose of Leonidas in clinging to his position at Thermopylae when it had apparently become untenable?ÐÐŽÐÐ1 There was several reasons for his sacrificial last stand, all pertaining to or considered a consequence of his Spartan upbringing. Aspects of his education that directly affected the battle of Thermopylae are the military training received as a youth, the value of honour in Greek society and the role that religion played in Sparta.
Thermopylae was a significant skirmish between a portion of the Peloponnesian army, led by Leonidas and the Persian army that was attempting to cross a mountainous pass near the Gulf of Malis. Originally, the Greeks were prepared to engage in a full confrontation with the Persians with an army of approximately 8000 soldiers from both the mainland and Peloponnese, but due to circumstances such as preparedness of the Persians and time of arrival, this did not occur at Thermopylae. The panicked Greeks realized that Athens would be lost soon after and this would greatly diminish GreeceÐЎЦs chance of surviving to barrage of the Persians. To prevent this from happening, much of the army left. Leonidas, the Spartans, Thebans and Thespians remained to stall the Persians and allow the evacuation of Athens. The battle of Thermopylae consisted of a portion of the Persian army, numbers are not known as the main source for this fight was biased but possibly 250,000, and the Peloponnesian army, numbering 3100 according to HerodotusÐЎЦs army lists.2 Although all of the Greeks fell during this battle, the Spartans and their king were revered at great length after their sacrifice.
Traditionally, the Spartan society placed a large emphasis on honour and the combatant lifestyle. Looking specifically at the educational system of the Spartan youth, there was a time-honoured way of raising the young males. According to Plutarch, these practices were introduced when Lycurgus reformed the Spartan political and economic systems. Although it is still debated whether or not this man was a real historical figure or a myth, it is said that around the 9th century B.C. he reorganized the entire Spartan society.3 Unlike Athens, Sparta placed no emphasis on literature, art, sciences, the trades or agriculture, which was done by the Messenian slaves known as helots. This style of schooling prepared the boys specifically for the physical and mental rigors of battle and taught that honour must be maintained until death. Beginning at that tender age of seven, the boysÐЎЦ left home to enter into training barracks and were exposed to the lifestyle of a soldier. Away from home, these individuals were forced to obey, conform to the acceptable pattern and learn the necessary military skills. Given nothing but a single cloak, they were forced to bare the elements as Sparta engaged in war any time of the year, and practices such as stealing were encouraged to supplement the wavering rations received by the trainees. They were allowed only small quantities of the staple food which was a combination of pork boiled in blood, vinegar and salt, and were not allowed to consume undiluted wine. The practice of drinking wine that was not watered down was not common in many parts of Greece but the Spartans forced it on the helots who were than forced to perform degrading and vulgar acts. This was to show that inebriation could cause premature death for a Spartan and furthermore was socially unacceptable. The warrior training received by the Spartan youth cultivated the professional army the conquered others on many occasions. Overall, the raising on young males ensured a non-frivolous lifestyle, shaped by hardships and war.
Another emphasis was placed on honour. The competitiveness of the Greeks forced young boys and men alike to want to be the best. Failure or cowardice was not tolerated in this imperialistic society. It was stated that the Spartan women would give their sonsÐЎЦ a shield prior to their first battle. Given with the shield was the statement of ÐЎЧWith it or on itÐÐŽÐÐ. Though this proclamation has been attributed to the Spartans by Plutarch, there is no determinate way to verify if it was indeed said. However, the message was clear. A soldier that brought his shield back was revered as a hero after the battle, and those bodies brought back after falling in combat were given a heroÐЎЦs funeral. Those who ran during campaigns, lost their shields or proved inadequate in other ways were shunned upon their return to Sparta. These few were stigmatized as ÐЎЧtremblersÐÐŽÐÐ and had to look a certain way to tell them apart from respected citizens; shaving only half of their beard and by having to wear cloaks with brightly colored patches. These individuals were openly mocked, even by family, because it was believed that they had brought dishonour to their kin and the Spartan society in general. These stigmas and the way that the youths were raised made the search for time that much more important.
The Spartan educational system was a huge reason that Leonidas had to stay and fight. He had to fight