Training young male children to be loyal and fearless warriors was the ‘norm’ in ancient Greece. Sparta, a city-state in ancient Greece, was a warrior making society that took on many disciplines starting at an early age. The Agoge was the system where they made this known and normal. What happens during the Agoge? Why was this implemented? Considering modern times, is this system still possible today?
Ancient Greece is fascinating for many reasons like the language, the city-states of Athens, Thebes, and Sparta, the first Olympic Games took place during ancient Greece, the architecture, and of course the early Sparta training known as Agoge. Knowing the history of ancient Greece is an important one, considering it was a different world back then, and knowing it will aid you in understanding the way their life was.
“Spartan culture was centered on loyalty to the state and military service,” which included Spartans at age 7 to enter “a rigorous state-sponsored education, military training, and socialization program. Known as the Agoge, the system emphasized duty, discipline, and endurance” (Staff). Something you only see in specialized military now, minus the early age.
The Agoge was centered around “rigorous education and training regimen mandated for all male Spartan citizens. The training involved learning stealth, extreme loyalty, military and combat training, pain tolerance training, hunting skills, survival training and social communication preparation” (Do You Have). It’s like Boy Scouts, but times 10. They teach you what you need to know for war; to survive.
It worked back in ancient Greece because they wanted loyal warriors who were trained specifically for being a warrior; to make the ultimate loyal solider. It started out with them making sure the child deemed worthy enough for such training. “A child deemed worth raising is given to its mother to be cared for until the age of 7” (Gill). How did they know they were worthy at such an early age? “Immediately after birth, a Spartan child was dipped into a bath of wine to test its strength and fortitude. The Spartan believed that a weak child bathed in wine would convulse and die. If the child passed this particular test they were then taken by the father before a group of elders” to be looked at by them (Emory). They would pass the elders if they looked strong enough to be trained. Probably the way they looked around the room, how strong their grip was, and if they looked pale or not.
When they reached the age of 7, they were put into “divisions of about 60 each called ilae,” which they then spent most of their time with (Gill). From here on out they were training to be warriors. “If the boys wanted more food, they went on hunts or raids. After dinner, the boys sing songs of war, history, and mortality or the eiren (men aged 20) would quiz them, training their memory, logic, and ability to speak laconically” (Gill).
Before they are 20, they would have “…been taught to read and write and their physical exercise was increased” and even dancing was an important stepping stone for them, as it would teach them to use their weapons naturally and with ease (Smith). They would be taught to go barefoot to toughen their feet and mentality of pain. Then, at the age of 16 they would leave and continue their training to later join the Krypteia, which is a term meaning Spartan police.
The question still remains: would this be effective today? My personal opinion says yes. Partly because I think it would be a great interest to many people, to have a strong mentality and be more loyal to yourself and others. We almost have it in today’s society, just not as brutal and early on.
Today, we have Spartan races that you can enter for a fee. On the website for the races, they say that its “not just an event; it’s a way of life. It’s also the solution to the chaos of modern-day life, a catalyst to simplify the way you train, eat, think, and live” (Spartan Race). It’s not as brutal or trying, but it’s something to help you start a healthy lifestyle, trying something new, or testing yourself.
To conclude, there is a lot that goes into being a Spartan warrior and the start of it, is the Agoge, a tough training regime starting at just 7 years old. In today’s world, it might not be totally possible, but I think there are ways to implement that way of life, for healthy living and loyalty for yourself, by participating in the obstacle course races that I mentioned above. It’s always good to test yourself and see if you can live up to the Spartan warrior way.
References
Emory, J. (2016, May 02). Growing Up Spartan. Retrieved May 24, 2017, from http://www.scottmanning.com/content/growing-up-spartan/
Gill, N. (2017, February 08). Like Children in Military Areas Today, Spartans Grew Up Fast. Retrieved May 24, 2017, from https://www.thoughtco.com/spartan-public-education-121096
Smith, A. (n.d.). Spartan Agoge. Retrieved May 24, 2017, from https://www.museumreplicas.com/t-ancientgreece_spartanagoge.aspx
Spartan Race Inc. Obstacle Course Races | 2016: The Year of Resilience | Race Types Overview. (n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2017, from https://www.spartan.com/en/race/learn-more/race-types-overview
Spartan Agoge: Do You Have What It Takes To Be One Of The Strongest & Most Mentally Tough Citizens On Earth? (2016, January 16). Retrieved May 24, 2017, from https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/2016/01/spartan-agoge/
Staff, History.com. (2009). Sparta. Retrieved May 22, 2017, from http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/sparta
