Am I the only one who regrets not being born about 460 B.C. on the rocky hills of Laconia?

Question

At least were still fighting Persians though, heh.

oops- i meant 500 B.C. twenty years before Thermopylae. sorry

Thank you so much to those of you who have educated me on Classical Greek History. I've read Herodotus and Thucydides and Plato. I know exactly what the Spartans were, and regardless of whatever hang ups you seem to have about their homosexuality, slavery, or infanticide, remember that we exist today as a democratic republic thanks in a large part to their beliefs in freedom and democracy. I hope that I too can someday give my life for a cause that will be remembered 2500 years later.

Answer 1

It depends on whether I would have been born a slave or a spartiate. The life of a slave is not for me....

And to those who would lament not having indoor plumbing, the Internet, TV and all that, well it's true I appreciate the modern conveniences. But if I never knew what I was missing, it wouldn't really matter, would it? (Survived without the Internet just fine in the '80s, thank-you!)

HW - the "pederasty" you were talking about was equally entrenched in Athens at the time. And if it makes a difference, the relationship was between an older man and a teenager, not a boy.

Ancient Greece in general was a very limiting place to be the wife of a citizen.

Finally, plenty of Athenians, including Plato, looked with approval on the constitution of the Spartans. There is something to be said for a system that prizes qualities other than how rich you are. Knowing all that I do now, would I be happy living as a spartiate? Probably not. But if I were born and grew up within the system I'd probably fit right in. Re-read the Republic.

Answer 2

Ha ha ha... Democracy was born in Athens... Although they are both Ancient Greek city-states, Athens & Sparta could not be more opposite. They had long-standing battles both cultural and phsical.

Spartans were actually the first Fascists if anything... Spartans (even the Spartiate) had virtually no freedoms. They could not choose their profession, could not engage in any arts (outside of military marching with a drummer), and were not even allowed to have family life (boys were permanently taken from their home at 6-8 yrs and lived together in barracks full time from then on). They could not choose to be a farmer, or an artisan, or anything other than a soldier. There was no debate allowed. You think that is freedom and democracy? Ha ha ha ha...

Try getting some of your information from source texts (such as Herodotus) or actual college courses in Ancient History, Ancient Greek Language & Literature, Classical Civilizations.

If you did, you would realize that although Spartan men were married (in order to reproduce more soldiers) they did not live with their wives or engage in very much Heterosexual activity. The men lived together with their fellow soldiers, trained together nude in the gymnasium, and had a very elaborate official system of Homosexual relationships called Pederasty.

In Pederasty, an older man would "mentor" a young boy. He would ply him with "manly" gifts such as weapons and armor, and would teach him "manly" things such as hunting and fighting. He would also teach him the ways of Gay sex, by regularly humping the boy. Once the boy reached puberty and began growing body hair, it was considered shameful to be on the "receiving end" of the Pederastic relationship. No longer a boy, it would soon be time for the young man to "mentor" a boy of his own. This was just a HUGE part of their culture and a way of creating a closer fighting force.

I can only assume that you are a well-read Homosexual Fascist (and therefor you really would like to be a Spartan). Or, you are illiterate.

Not everything you see in the movies is real.

BTW -- I am a huge fan of Ancient Western Civilization, and I have no problem with Homosexuality. I do think that a culture that FORCES every male to be a homosexual (and actually to be molested as a child) and produces NOTHING other than war is inferior to a culture where people are free to be true to themselves and to create civilization (literature, music, art, dance, architecture, science, religion, humanitarianism).

Answer 3

No thanks. The Spartan warriors were made to "bond" with older warriors when they entered into the military. This included sexual bonding. Ick.

And let's not forget the lack of medicines. A large number of people alive today would have died out at a young age back then. Many diseases we think of as a nuisance had much more severe impacts then - influenza, infections, etc.

Answer 4

Laconia New Hampshire? Go Seychems.

Answer 5

You do realize that if you even had a birth mark that someone didn't like you would be killed on the spot as soon as you were born right?

The rules for keeping babies was VERY strict.

Answer 6

Wasn't all that. Lots of people where slaves, way of live. Live span was short. You lost your teeth with 25. No doctors to run to. No eyeglasses for correction. No movies. No Yahoo!

Answer 7

It might have been nice but feminine hygiene has come a long way since then. Hell it has come a long way since the 70's.

Women didn't look like they do in the Conan movies.

Answer 8

No bro I was hoping for 70BC Caesars march on Gaul then Pharsalus on to Egypt. I get multiple campaigns you only get one. good luck.

Answer 9

YOu might not have had long to regret being born in those years. If you so much as had colic or the slightest cosmetic blemish you would have been left to starve on a hillside. If theat didn't kill you the "training" regimen probably would have.

The Spartans were anything but heroic, moral people. They were vicious, violent maniacs that were done in by their own outrageous hubris. Hmm, kind of parallels a similar situation today...

Answer 10

loloolooloolol. Persians got p0wned back then and will again soon enough.



@ Lotus Pheonix above me...

LOLOL, you have 0 knowledge of what persia is about than. They used to rule a lot of the world and not through being super cool homies with everyone. lol people like you who think the world was a beautifull place before the US started coming aruond are so delusional you should be locked up... and then shot in the face.