Women of Sparta: What role did they play in the community? How were they measured against the Spartan men?

Spartan Women

In the ancient times , the women of the city-state of Sparta were admired by some because of their courage , discipline and their willingness to be subordinate to the state (Rhodes 165 . However others in the era , such as Aristotle , saw women as the culprit in bringing down this great society (Halsall

To understand Aristotle 's view , an examination of the Spartan culture is necessary . In the 7th century B .C , Lycurgus created a collective society that demanded discipline from all its members . In this society the women of Sparta

had greater independence and a voice within society (Haley . The most important role for the Spartan woman was that of child bearer . The Spartans believed that a woman needed to have strong sons who could grow up to be great warriors (Rhodes 165 . However Spartan newborn girls were given the same food and care as newborn boys (Schrader

Because it was necessary for the woman to be strong , the Spartans instituted a society where both men and women participated in physical training (Rhodes , 166 . The women of Sparta received a brutal education in the physical arena , studying the discus , javelin , running foot races and participating in battles staged by the authorities (Spartan Women Some historians state that the women of Sparta exercised without their clothing however , there are differing viewpoints on this

Often the Spartan woman wore a tunic that had a slit up the side to provide some opportunity for movement (Thompson . This tunic was Dorian style and...