In the process of conquering Ragogna, the Spartans turned the original inhabitants into slaves, which were called Shiloh. In the 8th century BC, Spartans waged a war against neighboring Messenia for 10 years, and finally conquered Messenia, turning most Messenians into slaves and Silos. Hilo people are fixed on the land, engaged in hard agricultural labor, and give more than half of their harvest to slave owners every year, leading a life of being half hungry and half full, not as good as cattle and horses. There is a poem that says:
Carrying an unbearable burden like a donkey,
They are oppressed by violence;
The fruits of hard work,
Half will be sent to the owner's barn.
Spartans often wage wars abroad, so the burden of military service of Luo people in Riccardo Chailly is very heavy. During the Greek-Persian War, the Spartans recruited 35,000 heroes at one time to go out with the army. They were forced to take the lead and use their lives to find out the enemy's actual situation and consume the enemy's troops.
Where there is oppression, there is resistance. Heroes can't stand the cruel exploitation and cruelty of Spartans, and often hold armed uprisings. In addition, there are many more heroes than Spartans, so Spartans persecuted and destroyed heroes in a way called "Kriputi". Kriputi means covert action, and the epic records: "Officers often send a large number of the most cautious young soldiers to the countryside, with only daggers and some necessary supplies. During the day, they scattered in remote places and killed everyone they could catch. Sometimes, they come to the fields where Luo people in Riccardo Chailly are working and kill the strongest and best of them. " In a war between Sparta and Athens, 2,000 heroes made great contributions. The Spartans promised to set them free and take them to templo mayor to thank God. But they were slaughtered by slave owners who were lying in ambush in the temple. Heroes are the public property of all Spartans. Spartans have no right to buy or sell heroes, but they can hurt them at will. In festivals, Spartans often get heroes drunk with bad wine and drag them to public places to insult them. Heroes are whipped once a year, even if they are not at fault, to remind them of their slavery. In order to maintain the oppression and exploitation of heroes and suppress their resistance, Spartans need a strong army. Spartans formed a unique political system, the whole society lived a militarized life, and the education children received from childhood was military training. In order to prevent the polarization between the rich and the poor in Sparta, Spartans were not allowed to engage in industry and commerce. Instead of using gold and silver as money, they used low-value iron coins. Spartans were not allowed to make a living except soldiers. Spartans advocate the spirit of force, and the whole Spartan society is like a big military camp with strict management. Spartan babies were taken to the elders for examination when they were born. If the elders think he is unhealthy, throw him into the abandoned baby farm in the barren hills. The mother bathed the baby with strong liquor. If he has convulsions or loses consciousness, it proves that he is not strong enough. Let him die, because he can't grow into a good soldier. The boy was raised by his parents before he was seven years old. Parents pay attention to cultivate children's habit of not crying, not picky about food, not noisy, not afraid of darkness and loneliness from an early age. After the age of 7, the boy was incorporated into a team and lived in a collective military life. They demand absolute obedience to their leaders and enhance their courage, physical strength and cruelty. They practice running, discus throwing, boxing, fencing and fighting. In order to cultivate children's obedience and patience, they will be whipped once a year when they worship God at festivals. They knelt in front of the temple and the burning whip rained down, but they were not allowed to beg for mercy or shout.
At the same time of military training, Spartans also instilled in children the idea that Spartans were noble and heroes were humble. Instructors often insult and whip Luo people in Riccardo Chailly at will in front of children, and even take them to participate in "Kriputi" activities, directly killing Luo people in Riccardo Chailly. The boy reached the age of 12 and was incorporated into the youth team. Their life is more difficult. They only wear a coat in winter and summer, and usually have little food, but they are encouraged to steal food outside. If someone finds out, he will be hit hard when he comes back because he is not good at stealing. Legend has it that a teenager stole a fox and hid it on his chest. The fox bit his clothes. In order not to be discovered, he kept silent until he was bitten to death by a fox.
After reaching the age of 20, young men in Sparta officially became soldiers. Married at the age of 30, but still attend military training every day. Retired at the age of 60, but still in the reserve. Spartan girls stayed at home at the age of seven, but instead of weaving and doing housework all day, they engaged in physical exercise and learned to run, run, throw discus and fight. Spartans believe that only a strong mother can give birth to a strong warrior. Spartan women are brave and strong. They are not afraid to see their son injured or killed on the battlefield. When a Spartan mother sent her son to the battlefield, she did not wish him a safe return, but gave him a shield and said, "Take it or lie on it." It means that you can either come back with a shield and win with honor, or die with honor and be carried back with a shield.
Spartans despised culture and education. Teenagers only need to be able to write commands and notes. Spartans asked their children to be concise and straightforward, and formed the habit of silence from an early age. They talk like military orders. Once, a king threatened the king of Sparta to obey his orders, or he would raze Sparta to the ground. The king of Sparta replied, "Please!" This concise answer was later called Spartan answer. Similarly, Spartans despised literature, art and natural science. In the city of Sparta, there is hardly a magnificent building, and the Spartans have not produced a beautiful work of art to pass on to future generations. Spartans practiced "two kings". Two kings have unlimited power only when they are fighting. One king acts as commander in chief, and the other king stays at home. Usually all major issues are decided by the 30-member "Council of Elders". There are five consuls to assist the king in handling government affairs. All important matters concerning the polis are decided by the council of elders. However, in name, it must be approved by the General Assembly before it can take effect.
In the long-term foreign war, Sparta intensified its oppression and exploitation of the Luo people in Riccardo Chailly. The heroes held many uprisings. About 640 BC, Luo people in Riccardo Chailly launched an armed uprising for more than ten years. In 464 BC, Spartan heroes revolted again. Brave and tenacious, they reached the gate of Sparta and persisted in their struggle 10 years. Desperate Spartans released the rebels. The rule of Sparta was thus dealt a heavy blow. After the middle of the 4th century BC, Sparta gradually declined.
The most powerful city-state in ancient Greece, except Athens, was Sparta.
Sparta is located in the Ragogna Plain in the south of the Greek Peninsula. The soil here is fertile and agriculture is developed. The original meaning of "Sparta" is "a plain that can be cultivated". People are not very clear about the early history of Sparta. It is said that it was founded after Dorian invaded Lagonia Plain and turned the aborigines there into slaves.
Sparta has 256,000 people, which can be roughly divided into three parts:
The first part is Spartans, all slave owners, with a population of less than 30 thousand. They are the ruling class of the country, leading a group military life and not engaging in any productive labor.
The second part is Pirasians, with a population of 30,000. Most of them live around the city and are generally engaged in handicrafts and commerce. They are semi-free people, that is, they have personal freedom, but they have no civil rights and cannot participate in political activities. They had to pay taxes and serve the Spartans.
The third part is the Luo people in Riccardo Chailly. They used to be residents of the plains, and most of them became slaves after being conquered. At first, there were about 200 thousand people. Later, the Spartans turned other conquered tribes into slaves and included them among heroes, and the number increased greatly. Heroes are state-owned slaves of Sparta, not private slaves. Slave owners can't kill slaves at will, but they can kill them collectively in the name of the country. Slaves are fixed on the land, engaged in hard agricultural labor, and give half of the harvest to slave owners every year; I can only live a miserable life of half hunger and half fullness. Due to the heavy exploitation, Sparta's agriculture is very backward and its output is always low. The Spartan poet Taie once described the lives of heroes like this:
Carrying an unbearable burden like a donkey,
They are oppressed by violence;
The fruits of hard work,
Half will be sent to the owner's barn.
Whenever there is a war, Luo people in Riccardo Chailly have to perform military service. They are often sent to the front to find out the enemy's actual situation with their lives and consume the enemy's troops.
There are many more heroes than Spartans. The Spartans were very afraid of the increasing resistance of heroes, and they persecuted and destroyed them in various cruel ways. The most common way is called "Kriputi", which means covert operation. Every year, young Spartans organize themselves to be rangers, hide short swords, ambush near the heroes' villages during the day, and suddenly come out at night to attack those strong and rebellious heroes and secretly execute them.
Some heroes want to make amends in the war. They fight to the death for Sparta. In a war between Sparta and Athens, 2,000 heroes made great contributions. Spartan slave owners crowned them and promised them freedom. Then, the Luo people in Riccardo Chailly were taken to a big temple to thank God. By this time, the slave owners had set an ambush. When they walked out of the temple, they were greeted not by freedom, but by cruel slaughter. All the unarmed 2000 innocent Luo people in Riccardo Chailly were killed.
Where there is oppression, there is resistance. Heroes can't stand the cruel exploitation and brutal atrocities of Spartans, and they have armed uprisings many times. An uprising in 464 BC was particularly famous. At that time, Luo people in Riccardo Chailly took advantage of the chaos caused by the earthquake and held a large-scale riot. The rebels advanced on Sparta. The Spartans couldn't control the situation and had to ask the slave owners in Athens to send troops for support. The uprising lasted 10 years.
Sharp class contradictions and customs left over from primitive society made Spartans form a unique political system, and the whole society lived a militarized life.
Sparta practiced the "two kings system". Two kings have unlimited power only when they are fighting. Usually, all major issues are decided by a 30-member "Council of Elders". There are five consuls to assist the king in handling government affairs. Sometimes, citizens' meetings are held, and all adult citizens of Sparta can participate. At the meeting, only the decision of the Council of Elders was announced, and citizens shouted "agree" or "oppose" without discussion. These, in fact, are the tribal life system in primitive society, which has been preserved because it meets the living needs of the Spartan military group.
In order to practice strict military group life and cultivate the spirit of advocating force, the Spartans also formulated many mandatory regulations:
In Sparta, newborn babies must undergo strict physical examination. Those who are not strong and sick are thrown into the valley to die.
When the boy reaches the age of seven, he will leave his parents and go to the youth team for military training. First of all, we should train absolute obedience to leaders, and then we should strengthen our courage, physical strength and cruelty. As children grow older, training becomes more and more strict. Students often hold exercises and performances, and the king himself is present to watch. One practice is to play in two teams. The night before the fight, the children sacrificed puppies to the gods. It is said that dogs are smart and brave. After the sacrifice, I have to fight the wild boar again. The next day, a formal battle began. Both sides are unarmed and have no protective clothing. When fighting, you can punch and kick, bite with your mouth, and even get your opponent's eyes gouged out. After a cruel struggle, you can get honor by knocking down the other child.
The youth team also carries out language education and teaches players to read and write. However, in the whole education process, this only plays a secondary role. Spartans asked their children to be concise and straightforward, and formed the habit of silence from an early age. Once, the son of the king of Sparta heard an orator say that Spartans had no knowledge in Athens. He replied, "Sir, you are right. Among the Greeks, only we have not learned your bad qualities at all. " On another occasion, a king wrote a threatening letter to the king of Sparta, demanding that Sparta obey his orders, otherwise, Sparta would be reduced to ruins. What did the king of Sparta say? He only used one word: "Please!" Later, people called this concise answer Spartan answer. The adjective "laconic" in English is transformed from the place name of Lagonia where Spartans live.
In the youth team, players between the ages of 7 and 20, 10, have been whipped once a year for many years. This is not because they made any mistakes, but just a kind of training. The person who was beaten should keep a straight face and say nothing from beginning to end. Many people died because they couldn't stand whipping. In the severe winter, players have to take off their clothes or go out in the wild with only light clothes. They are not allowed to tremble or even cringe.
In the team, players are not allowed to have enough to eat, but they are encouraged to go outside and steal things to eat, mainly from westerners in beria. Stealing it is an honor. If someone finds out, he will be hit hard when he comes back because he is not good at stealing. Legend has it that a teenager stole a fox and hid it on his chest. In order not to be found, the fox bit him in his clothes, and he kept a quiet expression until he was killed by the fox.
At the age of 20, Spartans began to live in military camps and receive formal military training. Spartan tactics are phalanxes. This tactic not only requires every soldier to fight bravely, but also depends on strict organization and discipline. It is very important to practice for a long time in order to ensure that the phalanx can advance and retreat skillfully and react quickly in the battle. Therefore, every young person should receive this kind of training from the age of 20 to 30. Spartans can't get married and start a family until they are over 30. However, the collective military life has to continue. They must join a kind of civil society called "Fidi Tiya", each group has 15 people. Usually eat together, camp together, and it is a combat team in wartime. They must also exercise every day until they are 60 years old.
Women in Sparta, like men, should take physical exercise and practice running, fighting and javelin. Spartans believe that only a strong mother can train brave and strong soldiers for Sparta.
Sparta's unique military social system and martial spirit gave it incomparable military advantages over other Greek city-States. It once ruled southern Greece and defeated Athens. However, apart from its strong military strength, it has made no achievements and development in economy, culture and political system. For example, its industry and commerce are very underdeveloped, as can be seen from the currency they use. Spartan coins are rough, heavy and slightly larger, so they must be packed in cars. Generally speaking, the brutal rule of Sparta hindered the development of the progressive forces in Greece at that time.