Sparta: Uncultured Discipline Essay -- essays research papers

Sparta Uncultured Discipline     The Spartans were the most formidable warriors in alone of history. Theydedicated their entire lives to warfare. They were taught to endure cold, hunger,pain, their courage on the battlefield was second to none. The Spartan code wasto fight hard, follow orders without question and to die rather because retreat orsurrender. To achieve all this, Sparta sacrificed everything the arts, culture,and other things that make life worth while. I believe the price was to highthey went to far and shut morose all that was creative and human in Sparta. Aculture that cant change or adapt doesnt survive. This is exactly whathappened , after a single major pop in 360 B.C Sparta was no longer asignificant factor in the region (Isaac Asimov, 1965, p. 178).     The original founders of "modern" Sparta were the Dorians. At around1100 B.C these savages came from the north into what is today Greece. Theyattacked the Mycen ean nicety thriving there and quickly defeated them. Thesecret behind the remarkable victories against the Myceneans was iron, theDorians knew how to forge iron weapons which completely outclassed the bronzeweaponry of the Myceneans (Carl Roebuck, 1966, p. 119).     In Mycenean generation Sparta had been a important city, but after Dorianconquest it sank to insignificance. Over the next three hundred years itrec everyplaceed and began to prosper. By 800 B.C it ruled over the region calledLacedonia.     Up to about 650 B.C Sparta was pretty much like every other Greek state.They had music, art and poetry. During the seventh century, a musician namedTerpander came to Sparta and established himself their. He is called the "fatherof Greek music," hes also supposed to off improved the lyre (a harp likeinstrument). The most widely known Spartan musician was Tyrtaeus. He livedduring the turn Messenian War and his music inspired many Sparta n soldiers tonew heights of bravery (Isaac Asimov, 1965, p. 53).     But then something happened, a war with the Messinians. The FirstMessenian War stony-broke out in 730 B.C, when the Spartans marched into Messeniaeager for more land. After 20 long years of war the Messenians were forced tosurrender. They were made into helots (slave... ...sp  In order to achieve soldiers glory the Spartans gave up nearlyeverything. Later on Greeks from other city states admired the Spartan way oflife because it seemed so noble. They were wrong to think this way, to art,music, literary productions and other such pursuits they donated nothing.     She only had a cruel, inhuman way of life to offer, dependent on abarbaric slavery of most of her population, with only a kind of blind animalcourage as a virtue. Before long the Spartan way of life was more show thensubstance, Sparta seemed hearty as long she was victorious, but other statescould surviv e defeat and rise again. After a single major defeat (againstThebes) Sparta lost her domination of Greece. This harmful loss exposed theSpartan fraud and disposed of her.Reference List- Asimov, Issac. (1965). The Greeks A Great Adventure. Boston Houghton MifflinCompany- Hillyer V.M, E.G Huey. (1966). Ancient World 500 BC - 500 AD. New YorkMeredith Press- National Georgraphic Society. (1968). Greece and Rome Builders of Our World.Washington D.C Author- Roebuck, Carl. (1966). The World of Ancient Times. New York CharlesScribners Sons