Week 3: Monday, January 30
Iron figurine of a Spartan hoplite from the 5th century BC.
1) Why did Lycurgus redistribute land? And why did he impose iron money on the Spartans?
2) Why did the daughters of citizens train and exercise to such an extent? What do you think accounted for the high status of women in Spartan society?
3) Why was the family so weak? For instance, what explains the strange relationship between man and wife? Why were children brought up by the state?
4) What kind of education did the youth receive? What did this education emphasize? What was neglected?
5) From what you have read of Herodotus' account of Plataea, why do you think there was no fighting for ten days? Why did the more numerous Persians not attack? Why do you think Artabazus counselled that the Persians retreat and try to bribe the Greeks?
6) Why did Mardonius think his challenge to the Spartans had a fair chance of being accepted? Why did he attack when they refused? Also, why did he attack in spite of the unfavorable omens he received? What was the significance of what happened next?
7) Why did the Spartans initially suffer initially from Persian assault? Why were they ill-equipped to deal with it? Why did the Persians succumb to the Spartan attack?8) Pausanias' prayer to Hera signaled a turning point in the battle. From a military point of view, what event at this moment caused the battle to turn?
Other Questions
1) What was the whole purpose of Lycurgus' system? What set of values did the Spartans attempt to impart to their citizens?
2) At Plataea, why did Persian resistance collapse with the death of Mardonius? Would the Greeks have collapsed if Pausanias had died? What does that say about their respective forces?
3) According to Herodotus, what actions did the Greeks seem to find worthy of honor?
4) From what you have read about Plataea, what appear to have been the Persians and Greeks' relative strengths and weaknesses?
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Copyrighted by Hugh Dubrulle, 2006.
