SPARTA

 Question: Where was Sparta located?  Answer: It was in the south-central region of Greece, in an area known as Peloponnesus.

 Question: What happened by 500 B. C.?  Answer: Sparta had become the strongest military power in Greece.

 Question: How was Sparta ruled?  Answer: At first it was ruled by king. Later aristocrats took over the government. After that it was ruled by two kings.

 Question: Who could be citizens of Sparta?  Answers: Only aristocrats could be citizens.

 What rights did citizens have?  They could vote.  They could own property.  They could speak for themselves in court.  They could hold public office.

 What was the role of helots and perioeci in Spartan society?  Helots – Helots were slaves owned by city-states. They farmed the land.  Perioeci – Perioeci were merchants and artisans. They took care of business and trade.

 What was the goal of the Spartans?  They tried to become the strongest people in Greece.

 What did the Spartans do with newborn babies?  They were examined to see if they were healthy.  If they were healthy, they were allowed to live.  If they were not, they were left on a hillside to die.

 Describe the life of a Spartan boy.  When they were seven, they were sent to live in military camps.  They were trained under teenage leaders.  They learned to read, write, and use weapons.  They received only small amounts of food.  They had to go barefoot and were given only one cloak to wear.  They walked in silence, with their eyes to the ground, and spoke only when necessary.  They slept outdoors without cover.  They were lined up every ten days to make sure they were not getting too fat (lazy). DISCUSSION POINT DO NOT COPY THIS PAGE.

 Describe the life of a Spartan man.  They were expected to marry at age 20.  They could not have a household of their own.  They had to live and eat in military barracks.  They had to share living expenses with other soldiers.  They could retire from the army when they were 60 years old.

 What was life like for women in other Greek city-states?  Women in other city- states spend most of their time performing household chores.

 What was life like for a Spartan woman?  They mixed freely with men.  They enjoyed sports such as wrestling and racing.

 How did the Spartans feel about change? What did they do?  They believed new ideas would weaken their way of life. They tried to prevent change.