Table of Contents
What is meant by a beautiful death?
It means that you have no unfinished business that someone else will have to sort out. I call that a beautiful death, a fitting end to a beautiful life well-lived. A dead person could not possibly be expected to decide what to do with his own remains.
What did Spartans think about death?
Death in battle was not uncommon in Spartan warrior culture. To die in battle was considered the most honorable way for a Spartan soldier to leave this plane of existence. If a Spartan turned from this duty, he was considered a traitor and executed.
What did Spartans admire?
Admirers of the Spartans typically praise their valour and success in war, their “laconic” austerity and self-restraint, their aristocratic and virtuous ways, the stable order of their political life, and their constitution, with its tripartite mixed government.
What were Spartan values?
The Spartans valued discipline, obedience, and courage above all else. Spartan men learned these values at an early age, when they were trained to be soldiers. Spartan women were also expected to be strong, athletic, and disciplined.
Why is Sparta so famous?
Sparta is famed for it’s powerful warriors, and brutal way of life. Spartan warriors were some of the finest of their time, unlike most civilisations spartans would devote themselves entirely to warfare.
What did the Spartans do to honor those who died?
The Spartans also had memorials. At Thermopylae, the scene of Leonidas’ doomed stand against the Persians (480 BC), the Spartans erected a monument to those that died bearing the statement: “Their laws” refer to the Spartan code of never surrendering.
What was life like for women in ancient Sparta?
Spartan women had a reputation for being independent-minded, and enjoyed more freedoms and power than their counterparts throughout ancient Greece. While they played no role in the military, female Spartans often received a formal education, although separate from boys and not at boarding schools.
How well do you know the Spartan society?
The Spartan society was known for its highly-skilled warriors, elitist administrators, and its reverence for stoicism, people today still look to the Spartans as model citizens in an idealist ancient society. Yet, as is often the case, many of the perceptions we have of classical Sparta are based on over-glorified and exaggerated stories.