Spartan military myth exposed

[guy]

 

Here’s an interesting article that dismantles the myth of Spartan military prowess and courage:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/sparta-much-more-army-warriors-180978583/

 

Edited October 1, 2021 by guy

[caldrail]

You know, speaking generally, I find two thirds of my time on history is about countering fondly held myths and legends. They are absolutely insidious and much loved by many. Partly this is because we tend to categorise and stereotype naturally (yes, I do too) but I do suspect that education is a major villain. When we first learn about historical periods it's always a few pages in a well illustrated book that portrays a 'typical' person and his signature style of home. All the famous anecdotes, right or wrong, condensed into an entertaining paragraph. What we're not introduced to as youngsters, or at least not until we reach higher education, is the concept of questioning these stereotypes in favour of deriving from source or archeological material. I suppose teachers have a hard enough time without kids posing impossible criticisms.

[sonic]

On 10/1/2021 at 11:20 PM, caldrail said:

What we're not introduced to as youngsters, or at least not until we reach higher education, is the concept of questioning these stereotypes in favour of deriving from source or archaeological material. I suppose teachers have a hard enough time without kids posing impossible criticisms.

Source interpretation in History is incorporated into English education at the latest from the age of 13.  Sadly, most easy-read text books include stereotypes rather than a more detailed debate due simply to the nature of the text.

[guy]

Here is an article touting the Spartan courage and resilience. Interestingly, much of Sparta’s success has been attributed to the Spartan females:

Quote

 

”Girls had a similar education to that of boys. They were celebrated for their choral performances and gymnastic prowess, performing publicly completely naked … which was true for all Spartan youth.

The Spartans’ reputation as a unique society carried over to women’s legal rights. Unlike the rest of Greece, Spartan women could own property, including land. 

Spartan females had a reputation for being the most beautiful of all Greek women. Remember that Helen of Troy was originally Helen of Sparta, and known as the most beautiful woman in the world. 

With helots to perform menial chores, Spartan women were free to think, debate and acquire wealth. Further, a married woman was encouraged to take a partner other than her husband if there were greater assurance of healthy offspring who would be turned into soldiers.”

 

 

https://greekreporter.com/2021/10/07/spartans-ancient-war-machine/

Edited February 2 by guy