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EnglandAncient History

Greek Depth Study: the Politics and Society of Sparta 478 to 404 BC

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How and why did Sparta defeat Athens in the Peloponnesian War, and what do Brasidas and Lysander reveal about Spartan strengths and weaknesses?

Sparta in the Peloponnesian War 431 to 404 BC: Spartan strategy and aims against Athens, the role of Brasidas in the Archidamian War, the decisive part of Lysander and the Persian alliance, and the final defeat of Athens in 404 BC.
An OCR A-Level Ancient History depth study guide to Sparta in the Peloponnesian War 431 to 404 BC. Covers Spartan strategy and aims, the role of Brasidas in the Archidamian War, the decisive contribution of Lysander and the Persian alliance, and the final defeat of Athens in 404 BC, with evaluation of Thucydides and Xenophon.
16 min answer →

How did the agoge and the syssitia shape Spartan citizens, and what kind of society did the Spartan way of life produce?

The Spartan way of life: the agoge (the state upbringing and military education), the syssitia (common messes) and their role in citizenship, the ideals of obedience, endurance and equality among the homoioi, and how the sources present the Spartan system.
An OCR A-Level Ancient History depth study guide to Spartan society. Covers the agoge state upbringing and military education, the syssitia common messes and their link to citizenship, the ideals of obedience, endurance and equality among the homoioi, and how Xenophon, Plutarch and Aristotle present and judge the Spartan way of life.
16 min answer →

Who were the helots, how did Sparta control them, and how far did fear of helot revolt shape the Spartan state and its policy?

The helots and Spartan control: the status and role of the helots, the perioikoi, the krypteia and the methods of repression, the great revolt after the earthquake of 464 BC, and how dependence on and fear of the helots shaped Spartan society and foreign policy.
An OCR A-Level Ancient History depth study guide to the helots and Spartan control. Covers the status and role of the helots, the perioikoi, the krypteia and methods of repression, the helot revolt after the 464 BC earthquake, and how dependence on and fear of the helots shaped Spartan society and foreign policy, with evaluation of Thucydides and Plutarch.
16 min answer →

What was the position of women in Sparta, how did it differ from the rest of Greece, and how reliable are the sources that describe it?

The position of Spartan women: their upbringing and physical training, their roles in marriage and the household, their control of property, their public freedom compared with other Greek poleis, and the differing and often hostile or admiring source traditions.
An OCR A-Level Ancient History depth study guide to the position of women in Sparta. Covers the upbringing and physical training of Spartan girls, marriage and household roles, the control of property, their unusual public freedom compared with other Greek poleis, and how the sources (Xenophon, Plutarch, Aristotle) present them with admiration or criticism.
15 min answer →

How was the Spartan state governed through its kings, gerousia, ephors and assembly, and how did these institutions balance one another?

The Spartan constitution: the dual kingship, the gerousia, the ephors and the apella (assembly), the Great Rhetra, and how the prescribed sources (Xenophon, Aristotle, Plutarch, Thucydides) present and judge the system.
An OCR A-Level Ancient History depth study guide to the Spartan constitution. Covers the dual kingship, the gerousia, the ephors and the apella assembly, the Great Rhetra, the mixed-constitution debate, and how the prescribed sources (Xenophon, Aristotle, Plutarch, Thucydides) describe and evaluate the Spartan system of government.
16 min answer →