Classics Presentation -- Arsalan Salamat
I. Archeology:
1. Sparta's territory spanned around 8000km^2, making it the largest
polis in the entire Greek world.
2. Separating myth from archeology:
-- Following the Trojan war: occupation of the site of Sparta
(Peloponnese Western Greece), by a powerful Dorian community can
not be shown from 1200 to 800B.C.
-- This is due to the fact
that the historical Spartans claim that they were not newcomers and
just coming to reclaim the land from which their leaders had been
expelled before the Trojan war which is clearly a myth
3. Thucydides, an Athenian philosopher, has mentioned regarding Sparta
that "the polis is not regularly planned and contains no shrines or
other buildings of great cost or magnificence, but is simply a
collection of villages after the ancient Hellenic manner"
4. Temples and Sanctuaries:
-- Over the two centuries (900 to 700 BC) Dorian Sparta extended its
influence and power over the entire Eurotas valley which became known
as Lakonia in the Roman period. Such extension of Sparta eventually
lead to a more agriculturally advanced society and the construction of
the first Ortheia temple within a defined temenos. The building of this
temple along with those for the city-Goddess Athena on what passed for,
according to Cartledge, the acropolis of Sparta and for Menelaos and
Helen jointly at Menelaios further east signaled both materially and
spiritually emergence of the Spartan polis
-- Limitary sanctuaries were sanctuaries that were borderline in a both
a literal and metaphorical sense. They were located on natural or
artificial boundaries within or between communities. In Sparta,
these sanctuaries were known as pomerium meaning a sacred boundary
around Sparta. The most prominent of these sanctuaries are that of
Artemis (Ortheia on the east and Issoria on the west), Menelaion
sanctuary in the north-east, and sanctuary of Zeus Messapeus which is
located 4 km north of Sparta
A. Artemis Ortheia:
-- Artemis
was a goddess of boundaries who separated the wild from the civilized
and cultivated
-- 2
Buildings: 700 and 600 BC
-- Earlier building contained stone sockets for posts and it dated soon
after 700 BC
-- Inner row of columns stood at intervals of only 4 feet on flat slabs
and opposite of that lies a similar slab with a socket built upon it to
hold a post upright in the external wall.
-- The width of the temple would have been around 15 feet if only one
row of columns stood along the center of the temple. The wooden
framework might have enabled the structure to stand a mud roof during
the latter part half of 7th century BC
-- The second building had a more lasting structure and left a rich
early deposits of figurines.
-- The great throne of Apollo here is known to have been designed by an
architect from Asia Minor. He extended the surface of its Doric
capitals by bracketing a console which resembled an Ionic capital.
-- This was an altar with an enclosure and a cult statue standing in
the open. Pediment has 3 lions facing each other
-- It should be mentioned that in general Sparta did not follow its
Dorian ally, Corinth, in building major temples
-- At the height of Sparta's power (550-400BC), the sanctuary contained
a limestone temple in the Doric, a large stone-faced altar, and several
buildings that served as housing to religious officials or as
treasuries
-- Cartledge (2001) also mentions that "there is not a question here of
continuity of worship from Late Bronze Age into the Early Iron Age"
B. Apollo and Hyakinthos located at Amyklai south-east of Sparta town
-- Continuity of cult is hard to trace
-- It was here that myth, religion, and politics combined to
create the first traces of Spartan state
-- Hyakinthus was a beautiful adolescent boy, whom Apollo loved
but whom he killed accidentally by cast of a discus. As a result, their
cult symbolizes the real-life relationship between young adult Spartan
warriors and the youth who were undergoing a state-controlled
educational cycle. Hyakinthus represents death and mourning for death
against all that Apollo stand for.
-- Throne of Apollo: this was a massive structure, more like a raised
platform with back and sides
-- Designed by Bathycles (mid 6th century)
-- Statues of more than life size in front/ rear was decorated with
large number of legendary scenes, in relief -- Upon platform a
lofty statue of Apollo
-- The altar also carried scenes in relief
--Unique fusion of Doric capital and an Ionic volute (Ionian artist
working in Dorian Milieu)
-- The workmanship of the console-capitals, of the lotus-and-palmette
frieze, and of the delicately fluted columns did full justice to
Bathycle's daring conception
C. Spartan Acropolis
-- Most Greek cities possessed an acropolis, which was a walled citadel
occupying an elevated position which was a place of refuge and it
enshrined the temple of the deity.
-- The Spartan acropolis did not conform to the usual type. It lay on a
low hill running from east to west. Walls were not built there until
the 3rd century BC considerable traces of which have been found.
-- On the west side the ruins of a temple were found. The ruins and the
associated objects were enough to identify the place as the main shrine
of metropolitan Sparta, dedicated to Athena as the city goddess. Her
role as a warrior-goddess also played an important role in that she
watched over the Spartan acropolis. She therefore obtained the title
'she of the Bronze House' which reflected her control over the temple.
-- Pausanias has given a detailed description of the temple. He
mentions that the Bronze walls are decorated in relief with many
legendary scenes, including those depicting the labours of Hercules. He
also makes it clear that the bronze walls belong only to the last stage
of building.
-- As of today, very
little of the acropolis temple has been revealed by excavation. An
east-west retaining-wall marks one end of the precinct.
-- Some pieces of Geometric pottery were found north of the wall from
the first phase of the sanctuary in the 8th century.
-- Later finds include material ranging from classical to Roman times
among which are stamped tiles bearing the words DAMOSIOS ATHANAS,
indicating that this cult of the goddess was maintained on behalf of
the public.
-- Additionally, the soil inside the retaining-wall contained some
excellent miniature bronzes including an Athena. One could also find
the fragments of more than one of the Panathenaic amphorae which were
awarded as prizes to victors in the principal contests at Athens.
-- In general, it seems to have been a Spartan tradition for a
victor to bring back his prize and dedicate it in Athena's
temples.
II. Some more Mythology:
1. The Spartans, like many other Greek states, attributed the
foundation of their society and state to the achievements of man who
was perhaps a god originally.
-- His name was Lycurgus which
means 'wolf worker'. According to Cartledge (2002), he was possibly
'entirely mythical' and Plutarch, the historical biographer who wrote
in 100 AD, was so baffled that he concluded that there must have been
more than one Lycurgus.
-- He represented a 'Year Zero'
scenario when he was able to persuade the Spartans to introduce the
comprehensive educational cycle called the Agoge. This system of
education, training and socialization turned boys into fighting men who
had a reputation for discipline, courage, and skill.
-- He also reformed Sparta's
political system and introduced the earliest system of self-government
by Greek citizens
-- Apart from the educational and
political systems, Lycurgus was credited with decisively altering the
psychological mindset of the citizens. He created a system in which
citizens' first loyalty was above all to the state rather than to
family and friends.
-- Thus, he introduced a novel
understanding of what being a Spartan citizen meant which set the
Spartans apart from all other Greek citizens.
12/02/05 sheltonk@berkeley.edu