Eleanor Finch
The Spartan Constitution, or Spartan politeia, was the government and laws of the classical Greek city-state of Sparta. The Spartan Constitution is known for its unique features, including a rigidly layered social system, a strong hoplite army, and the absence of historical records, literature, or written laws. One of the most unusual features of the Spartan Constitution was the institution of the Ephors, who were five executives chosen by popular election from all Spartan citizens. The Ephors had more power than anyone in Sparta, but their influence was limited by the fact that they could only hold office for a single year and could not be re-elected. Another unusual feature of the Spartan Constitution was the dual kingship, with two hereditary kings of equal authority from the Agiad and Eurypontid dynasties. The Spartan Constitution also included a land reform that divided land equally among citizens, guaranteeing a minimum standard of living for all Spartans.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Nature of the Spartan constitution | A mixture of kingship, oligarchy, and democracy |
| Number of Kings | 2 |
| Kingship | Hereditary |
| Election of Kings | No |
| Election of Ephors | Yes |
| Number of Ephors | 5 |
| Election of Gerousia | Yes |
| Number of members in Gerousia | 28 elders over the age of 60 |
| Number of social classes | 3 |
| Social classes | Spartiates, Perioeci, and Helots |
| Citizenship | Only Spartiates were full citizens of the Spartan state |
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What You'll Learn
The Spartan constitution was a mixed government
The Spartan constitution, commonly dated to the early 7th century BC, is the first known constitution that vested supreme power in the hands of an Assembly composed of all citizens. The Spartan Constitution (or Spartan politeia) was the government and laws of the classical Greek city-state of Sparta. All classical Greek city-states had a politeia; the politeia of Sparta, however, was noted by many classical authors for its unique features, which supported a rigidly layered social system and a strong hoplite army.
The Spartan constitution also included a Council of Elders, called the Gerousia, composed of the two kings and 28 elected citizens over the age of 60. The Gerousia was a conservative body, as its members held their positions for life. The constitution also featured five elected executives called Ephors, who were responsible for the day-to-day running of the city and had the power to override the decisions of the Assembly.
The Spartan constitution was unusual in that it included a land reform that divided land equally among citizens. This led to a sense of equality among Spartans, as they were equal in both rights and wealth. However, over time, this equality of wealth eroded, and wealth became concentrated in the hands of a few families.
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It had a unique social structure
Spartan society was structured according to a rigidly layered social system, with distinct classes that controlled social roles. The Spartiates or Equals were the full citizens of the Spartan state and were expected to engage in no work besides that related to military conflict. They were supported by their kleroi (land plots) and Helots. Below them were the Perioeci or Períoikoi, who were free but not full Spartan citizens. They were responsible for trade, commerce, crafts, and manufacturing. The Sciritae were similar to the Perioeci but fought as infantry. The Hypomeiones were probably Spartiates who had lost their social rank. The Helots were chattel slaves who did agricultural labour, spinning, weaving, and other manual labour. They made up about 80% of the Spartan armed forces. The Mothax class were children of slave rape by Spartiates and were prominent in military leadership.
Spartan society was also unique in its emphasis on equality and moderation. Initially, all citizens were given equal plots of land, and the Spartans called themselves "Equals", as they were equal in both rights and wealth. However, over time, this equality of wealth eroded, and wealth became concentrated in the hands of a few families. Despite this, the Spartans were noted for their indifference to economic status and their willingness to help those of lesser means. They were also known for their modesty and austerity in dress, taste, and style, which set them apart from other Greek city-states where the display of wealth was common.
The Spartan constitution, commonly dated to the early 7th century BC, was the first known constitution to vest supreme power in the hands of an Assembly composed of all citizens. This Assembly, called the Apella or the Popular Assembly, was supreme, and all citizens over the age of thirty were part of it. However, the Assembly had no power of initiative or debate and could only approve or reject proposals placed before it by the kings or ephors. The Council of Elders or Gerousia, composed of 28 elders over the age of 60, was a conservative body that could override the decisions of the Assembly.
The Spartan system of government was a mixture of monarchical, oligarchical, and democratic elements. It was ruled by two kings of equal authority, who were largely ceremonial figures, especially in military matters. The kings were elected for life from the Agiad and the Eurypontid dynasties, both descendants of Heracles. The dual monarchy served as a check on the centralization of power in a single tyrant. The ephors, or executives, were elected annually by the Assembly and had significant powers, including receiving and sending ambassadors, forcing kings to take certain actions, and sharing judicial functions with the Gerousia.
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It was the first known constitution to vest supreme power in an Assembly composed of all citizens
The Spartan Constitution, commonly dated to the early 7th century BC, was the first known constitution to vest supreme power in an Assembly composed of all citizens. This set it apart from other Greek city-states, where the landed aristocracy, wealthy merchants, and manufacturers displayed their wealth and competed to donate the most extravagant gifts to their cities.
The Spartan Constitution, also known as Spartan politeia, was the government and laws of the classical Greek city-state of Sparta. All classical Greek city-states had a politeia, but the Spartan version was noted for its unique features, which supported a rigidly layered social system and a strong hoplite army. The Spartan system of government is known mostly from the Constitution of the Lacedaemonians, a treatise attributed to the ancient Greek historian Xenophon, which describes the institutions, customs, and practices of the ancient Spartans.
The Spartan Constitution was reputedly developed by Lycurgus, the legendary law-giver, and included a redistribution of land. Each citizen was given a plot, or estate, known as a kleros, ensuring that Spartans were equal in both rights and wealth. Over time, this equality of wealth was eroded, and by the second half of the 5th century BC, wealth had become concentrated in the hands of a few families.
The Spartan Assembly, also known as the Apella or the Popular Assembly, was supreme. However, it had no power of initiative or debate and could only approve or reject proposals placed before it by the kings or ephors. The sessions of the Assembly were originally summoned by the kings but later by the ephors. The ephors were executives chosen by popular election from all Spartan citizens and represented a democratic element in the constitution. They were responsible for carrying out the day-to-day business of running the city, including receiving and sending ambassadors. While the ephors initially had limited powers, they acquired more influence over time and could significantly impact Spartan policy. For example, they forced King Anaxandridas to take a second wife in the second half of the 6th century.
The Spartan constitution was a mixed governmental state, composed of elements of monarchical, oligarchical, and democratic systems. It was ruled by two kings of equal authority, representing two different dynasties, and the kings were largely ceremonial, like the British monarchy today.
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It was the only Greek city-state to introduce land reform
The Spartan Constitution was the government and laws of the classical Greek city-state of Sparta. It was developed by Lycurgus, who introduced a redistribution of land, setting it apart from other Greek city-states.
Sparta was the only Greek city-state to introduce land reform, dividing land equally among its citizens. This meant that each citizen was given a plot of land, or a kleros, that was sufficient to support a man and his family. From then on, the Spartans called themselves "Equals" or "Peers", as they were equal in both rights and wealth. Over time, this equality of wealth was eroded, and by the second half of the 5th century BC, wealth had become concentrated in the hands of a few families. This has led some modern historians to question whether the land reform ever took place or to propose explanations for how inequalities arose in the system. For example, it has been suggested that only the land in the immediate vicinity of Sparta was divided equally, while other estates remained in private hands.
The Spartan constitution was the first known constitution to vest supreme power in an Assembly composed of all citizens. The Assembly, also known as the Apella or the Popular Assembly, was the supreme decision-making body, but it had no power of initiative or debate. It could only approve or reject proposals placed before it by the kings or ephors. The sessions of the Assembly were originally summoned by the kings but later by the ephors. The Assembly also had the power to elect magistrates and members of the Gerousia, or Council of Elders, as well as to determine matters of peace, war, and foreign policy.
The Spartan constitution was a mixed form of government, combining elements of monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy. While it was ostensibly a kingship, with two hereditary kings at its head, it was also constitutionally a democracy, as the Assembly was supreme. In reality, however, it was oligarchic, as the Gerousia, composed of 28 elders over the age of 60, exercised significant influence over politics and could override the decisions of the Assembly. The Gerousia was a conservative body, and most modern scholars view it as a non-democratic element in the Spartan constitution.
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It had a bicameral legislature
The Spartan Constitution, or Spartan politeia, was the government and laws of the classical Greek city-state of Sparta. One of the most unusual features of the Spartan Constitution was that it had a bicameral legislature, divided into the Assembly and the Council of Elders.
The Spartan Constitution was a mixed governmental state, composed of elements of monarchical, oligarchical, and democratic systems. The Spartan state was ruled by two kings, who were largely ceremonial figures, similar to the British monarchy today. The kings were drawn from two different families, the Agiad and the Eurypontid dynasties, and were equal in authority. This unusual dual kingship served as a check on the power of each individual king.
The Assembly, also known as the Apella or the Popular Assembly, was the supreme power in the Spartan Constitution. It was composed of all Spartan citizens over the age of thirty and was responsible for making laws and decisions. The Assembly could be summoned by the kings or the Ephors, and its decisions could be annulled by the Gerousia or the Ephors if they were deemed wrong.
The Council of Elders, also known as the Gerousia, was the second chamber of the Spartan legislature. It was composed of the two kings and 28 elected citizens over the age of 60, who held their positions for life. The Gerousia had important political influence and could override the decisions of the Assembly, making it a conservative and cautious body. While ancient philosophers praised the moderating influence of the Gerousia, modern scholars view it as a non-democratic element in the Spartan Constitution.
The Ephors were five executives chosen by popular election from all Spartan citizens. They were responsible for carrying out the day-to-day business of running the city and had significant power and influence, including the ability to force decisions upon the kings. The Ephors served as a check on the power of the kings and the Gerousia, and their presence in the Spartan Constitution added to its democratic nature.
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Frequently asked questions
The Spartan constitution was unusual in that it was a mixture of monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy.
The Spartan constitution was ruled by two kings, an unusual feature known as a dual monarchy. The kings were largely ceremonial and were figureheads, especially when acting as generals.
The Spartan constitution had democratic elements, such as the election of the two kings and the five ephors, who were executives responsible for the day-to-day running of the city. The ephors were the guardians of the rights of the people and could watch the conduct of the kings.
The Spartan constitution had oligarchical elements, such as the Council of Elders (Gerousia), which was composed of the two kings and 28 elected citizens over the age of 60. The Gerousia had the power to override the decisions of the Assembly, which was made up of all Spartan citizens.
The Spartan constitution included a land reform that divided land equally among citizens. This led to a redistribution of wealth and the idea that all Spartans were 'Equals'.
