Spartan Government - A Detailed Look Quiz

Answer: Monarchy (with two kings)

Sparta had two kings and is sometimes referred to as a dynarchy. However, its constitution incorporated elements from the three main types of political systems - monarchy, democracy and oligarchy.

Answer: Gerousia

The gerousia was made up of 30 members, including the two kings, and were elected from prescribed aristocratic families. They also had to be over 60 yrs of age to be elected. The gerousia handled all criminal cases and also imposed punishments such as fines, exile or death. They also judged the impeachment of Kings!

Answer: Aristotle

Aristotle was highly critical of the Spartan government, finding faults for all of the arms of the government in Sparta. The election process of the Gerousia was pretty ridiculous by our standards too - an assembly was called and judges were placed in a windowless room nearby.

As each candidate came forth, the judges would try to determine the amount of applause and cheering each candidate got and would elect whoever got the most!

Answer: Agid, Eurypontid

The Spartans believed that the two royal houses, Agid and Eurypontid, originated from the twin sons of King Aristodemos and Queen Argeia named Agis and Eurypon. The elder son was determined by the order in which Queen Argeia bathed the twins, and this turned out to be Agis.

This story could explain why the Agid house was always seen as the senior dynasty and why intermarriage between the two houses was strictly forbidden....

Answer: Ephors

One suggestion is that the Ephors, at the time of the formation or writing up of the Great Rhetra, were a revolutionary body ignored in a document drafted up by nobility. At any rate, the Ephors were established later to become a check on royal power, and were probably established either during the reign of Theopompus or after the time of the poet Tyrtaeus (during the late seventh century) since he didn't mention them in his poetry.

Answer: Xenophon

Xenophon was 'phil-Laconic' or 'a friend of the Spartans'. He thought the Spartan constitution was the best thing since sliced bread! His accounts tend to be over-exaggarated or over-simplified and he much rather preferred the Spartan government to the democracy of Athens, from where he was banished. He always wrote favourably of the Spartans!

Answer: 2

Two Ephors would always accompany the King. (Note - only one king went to war while the other stayed home. This was supposed to eliminate the chance of disputes and disagreements!) The Ephors supervised and monitored the king; they could also issue instructions to generals and decide which troops went to war!

Answer: The Assembly could elect officials

The Great Rhetra stated that the Assembly have the authority to decide the fate of all laws, but this went out the window in practice. The kings Polydorus and Theopompus altered the Rhetra saying that 'if the people make a crooked choice, the elders (gerousia and ephors) are to set it aside'.

This meant that if the Gerousia and Ephors didn't agree with the decisions of the Assembly, they could simply adjourn the meeting. The assembly had no right of counter-proposal, could not debate or discuss proposals or create their own legislation. One of the only things they were permitted to do was to elect the Ephors and Gerousia!

Answer: Gerousia

The gerousia represented oligarchy because they were chosen from one small part of the spartiate population - the aristocracy - and had to be 60 years or older. They were also oligarchal in the sense that they could overturn the decisions of the majority (assembly) who did not have the right to discuss matters put before it!

Answer: Lykurgus

It is debatable as to whether or not Lykurgus was a man or myth, and the question as to the time which he lived if he did exist is one of the big arguments in history! Some modern historians say that Lykurgus was probably a God in the local area so therefore probably didn't exist ... Xenophon believes steadfastly that Lykurgus existed, but dated his time back to the time of the sons of Heracles which was ridiculous since there wasn't anything to reform back then! Plutarch reckons it's impossible to come to any conclusion which would justify Lykurgus' existence, stating "It is impossible to make a single statement that is not called into question" about him.

It is most likely that Lykurgus was an embodiment of several people who contributed to Sparta's constitution. Something else which doesn't fall in favour of the affirmative side is that ancient writers give different dates for the creation of the Great Rhetra, so Lykurgus' existence is once again thrown into doubt because he was supposed to be the author of it! Due to contradictory and unreliable sources as well as many differing opinions, we will probably never know....

Answer: Ephors

The ephors served one year terms only, since the power that they wielded was far too excessive; their actions during the year could be questioned at the end of their term! Aristotle regarded the Ephors as tyrants or dictators due to the power they had over government, the arms of the government and even the two kings. Aristotle also says that even poor and undistinguished men could be - and were - elected as Ephors, which meant that if some were poor, they would be easily susceptible to bribery and corruption ...

Answer: Zeus Lacedaemon, Zeus Uranius

The kings were given the priesthoods of Zeus Lacedaemon and Zeus Uranius (or Heavenly Zeus). The Kings' functions were largely ceremonial and religous - they ruled more as figureheads than actual leaders since it was the Ephors who held all the power in Sparta! Some of the Kings' duties included sacrificing to Apollo on behalf of the city each month and safeguarding all oracles.

Answer: Five

Sparta was divided into five villages - Pitane, Mesoa, Limnae, Kynosura and Amyclae. There is a debate as to how only two kings emerged from these five villages to rule over all five - the modern historian Forrest asks about what happened to the chiefs in the other villages, and were there ever four or more kings??

Answer: In charge of the Krypteia

The Ephors were in command of the deadly Krypteia, or secret police. This group was made up of young Spartan males who went about the countryside killing any Helots they came across, and focused on Helots working in the fields who looked healthy and strong.

This was one of the ways in which the Spartans kept the Helots in check. The Ephors declared war annually on the Helots when they came into office so that the killing would be legalised!

Answer: 30

A Spartan became a full citizen - and therefore a member of the assembly - when he turned 30 years old. Don't get muddled by the boys' election into a Syssition (or mess club) at age 20 or their full qualification to become a soldier at age 24: the boys weren't full Spartiates yet at any of these ages! Also, note that women, Helots and Perioeci were not permitted to be a part of the Assembly! Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this quiz and learnt something about the occasionally weird and wacky Spartans. Until next time then! ^_^