Part IV: Was the Spartan Agoge System unique?

By

Rebecca Diamond

This section will compare the Agoge system of Sparta with those of Crete and Athens, to consider whether the Spartan Agoge was unique and whether it produced better soldiers through their interaction with the Agoge training system than the other two cultures did. The outcome of this comparison can provide some understanding as to the success or failure of Spartan conflicts and political negotiations. Evidence used to provide this comparison will come predominantly from Xenophon, for Sparta’s Agoge; Thucydides, for Athens’ education system; and Diodorus and Ephorus of Cyme, for Crete’s education system.

Every Greek Polis had an education system that every free born, Greek, citizen child, was entitled to; so long as their family could afford it. The education received in these Polis varied from place to place, and the level of education also varied depending on the family’s ability to pay for the different grades of teaching. The Agoge which is referred to in most ancient sources is the term commonly used to describe only the Spartan education system. The Spartan Agoge included activities such as dance, music, athletic training, state loyalty and more, in an aim to produce the prefect Spartan soldier (as described in section 1).

The Agoge system came into place in Sparta between the 6th and 7th century BCE[84] and was implemented by a man named Lycurgus (there is a debate as to whether Lycurgus was real person or not in modern scholarship).[85] The Spartan Agoge was designed to produce the prefect soldier, however, that is not to say that the Spartan Agoge is completely unique or that the Spartan Agoge made Spartan soldiers undefeatable, as there are accounts of Sparta losing battles during the time period in which the Agoge system was implemented.[86] It is also fair to say that the Spartan leaders lost faith in the Agoge system from time to time, with the practice fading out in the in the 3rd century BCE. However, it was revitalised around 220 BCE by Cleomemes III[87] but was later abolished by Philopoemen in 188 BCE.[88]

The Agoge system in Sparta had its positive and negative impacts. This can be highlighted through the similar education system in Crete during the same time period. Using the fragment accounts of Ephorus[89] and Xenophon,[90] it can be shown that both education systems had similar structures. Both sets of boys were taken at a young age to receive a state education based on becoming the best members of society that they could become; for Sparta this meant that they developed skills for war[91], whereas for Crete they learnt skills for both war and work.[92] This meant that the boys were put in groups of mess-mates and went through a similar training regime, such as drills, having to wear basic clothing and having to survive on a small quantity of food. [93] The difference between Sparta and Crete, as shown in Ephorus account of Crete’s education system, is that when the boys get put into their group of mess-mates, they are under the guidance of the father of the boy who is leader of the group,[94] whereas in Sparta they were under the guidance of state officials.[95]

A similarity between the Spartan Agoge and Crete education system, is the use of Pederasty. In Ephorus account, Pederasty was used within the Crete education system to strengthen political bonds through homosexual relationships and was also contributed to the process of changing boys into men.[96] This was done through a process of ritual abduction were the adult citizen would take his boy lover and those present at the adduction (normally into the woods for hunting, for a maximum of two months. When they returned, the boy would be classed as a man and a celebration would be held, with the boy receiving gifts from his lover to help him in adult life. In Plutarch’s account, Pederasty was not necessarily a direct part of the Spartan Agoge system, but still occurred in relation to it, albeit in an unofficial manner. It can be argued that this was not necessarily part of the process of becoming an ‘adult’ in Sparta, as full citizenship, and therefore potentially the status of being an adult, did not occur until the age of thirty. The use of Pederasty in Sparta therefore seems to be more a case of furthering public status, such as for political gain. An example of this can found with Lysander (an older man, a commander of the Spartan army) who chose Agesilaos (second in line for the throne) as his eromenos. Agesilaos later became one of the Kings of Sparta, providing Lysander with greater political power as a result, therefore this shows that the political gain could work either way for the people concerned.

In Sparta it is apparent that politics and family were an external affair rather than an internal affair that was kept apart from the boy’s main education. Link [97]states that the lack of pederasty and using fathers as leaders in the Spartan Agoge, was the downfall of the Spartan education.[98] He states that the lack of a father figure caused the Spartan boys to remain childish in later life. However, the low birth-rate in Sparta can be, perhaps, better explained by the fact that when Spartan men had to sneak round to be able to sleep with their wives while in the agoge and were not allowed to live outside of their barracks until they were thirty.

It is clear when comparing Crete to Sparta that the Spartan Agoge was not unique, as Crete evidently had a similar education system put in place. However, to look at whether the Agoge heightened the performance of Sparta soldiers, comparison should be made to Athens’ education system. This is due to the fact that throughout Sparta’s influence in the Classical Period, Sparta was involved in a variety of conflicts with Athens.

It can be noted that during the seventh century there was perhaps very little difference in Athens’ culture and education compared to that of Sparta.[99] However, during the mid-sixth century, Athens changed its education system from that of achieving military excellence to one of more civil and political excellence. Education in both Athens and Sparta started when the boys became seven and involved activities such as fitness and music.[100] However, unlike the Spartan Agoge that strived to produce the perfect soldier, Athens’ education system was one that strived to educate the mind.

This can be shown by the later stages of Athens’ education system, which focussed upon teaching astrology and philosophy. It was not until the boys in Athens reached the age of eighteen that they had to take part in the ephebia for two years (this system seems to have been put in place around the time of the Second Peloponnesian War[101]), a compulsory military program similar to that of the Spartan Agoge but not as harsh, before being allowed to continue their lives as they saw fit.[102] This is different to the Spartan Agoge (see section I), because completion of the Spartan Agoge did not occur until the age of thirty.

It is evident when looking at the Second Peloponnesian that Sparta land army was a force to be reckoned with due to the notable training received through the Agoge. Athenian general Alcibiades recognised the strength of Sparta land army and instead of engaging with Sparta on land took the conflict to sea, where Athens won notable victories.[103] However, Sparta was later able to adapt and claim victory in the Peloponnesian War.[104]

By looking at Crete, it can be shown that the Spartan Agoge was not unique. However, compared to that of Athens education system, the Spartan Agoge was able to produce better foot soldiers.