Growing up Greek: The differing journeys through childhood in ancient Athens and Sparta Elizabeth Ann Robertson Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Dr Samantha Masters March 2018 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Declaration By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work therein is my own, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. Date: March 2018 Elizabeth Ann Robertson Copyright © 2017 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Abstract Athens and Sparta were the two most prominent city-states during the 6th and 5th centuries BCE, but their socio-political systems differed markedly. As a result of such radical differences it could be hypothesised that the childhoods and, in particular, the education and socialisation of children, would also differ. The aims of this thesis are: 1. to examine the extent and nature of the differences between the childhood experiences of each group of children from the two city-states, Athens and Sparta, in particular the type of education and socialisation system to which each was exposed; and 2. to discern to what extent and in what way the socio-political system of their respective state had an impact on their upbringing and their journey to adult citizen status. To meet this goal, this study consulted the works of ancient writers, the research of contemporary scholars, as well as archaeological and visual evidence when available. The scarcity of relevant sources, particularly with regard to Sparta, limited the scope of the research to the children of the elite class of citizens. It was also necessary to differentiate between the type of education and socialisation offered to boys and girls, as these differed significantly. The method used in this thesis was to construct a list of the attributes which were considered desirable in the character of both male and female ‘ideal’ citizens of the two states, based on the prevailing economic, social and political establishment of Athens and Sparta. The way in which the child acquired these necessary qualities was tracked from the time of birth and acceptance into the oikos, through the individual educational and socialisation system to which the child was subjected, until final conferral of citizenship. My research concludes that the type of educational systems in Athens and Sparta were indeed different from each other, in their structure, emphasis and in their goals. They also differed in their level of state ‘intervention’. Athens provided no state-sponsored system of education for boys and the responsibility for arranging a boy’s education rested with the father, while girls were adequately educated in domestic skills within the oikos. Spartan children, on the other hand –both boys and girls – grew up within a system of compulsory state-run education which concentrated heavily on physical training at the expense of literacy. The intervention of the Athenian city-state in the upbringing of her children was minimal, whereas the Spartan city-state dictated every aspect of her children’s life. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Opsomming Athene en Sparta was die twee prominentste stadstate gedurende die sesde en vyfde eeue v.C., maar hul sosiopolitieke stelsels het opvallend van mekaar verskil. As gevolg van sodanige grondige verskille kon daar veronderstel word dat die kinderjare en, veral, die opvoeding en sosialisering van kinders, ook sou verskil. Die doelwitte van hierdie tesis is 1. om die omvang en aard van die verskille tussen die kinderjare-ervarings van elke kindergroep van die twee stadstate, Athene en Sparta, te ondersoek, in die besonder die soort opvoedkundige en sosialiseringstelsel waaraan elkeen blootgestel is; en 2. om te bepaal in watter mate en op watter manier die sosiopolitieke stelsel van hul besondere staat ’n impak op hul opvoeding en hul reis na volwasse burgerstatus gehad het. Om hierdie doelwit te bereik, het dié studie die werke van antieke skrywers, die navorsing van kontemporêre vakkundiges asook die beskikbare argeologiese en visuele bewyse geraadpleeg. Die skaarsheid van tersaaklike bronne, veral ten opsigte van Sparta, het die bestek van die navorsing tot die kinders van die burgers se eliteklas beperk. Dit was ook nodig om onderskeid tussen die soort opvoeding en sosialisering wat aan seuns en dogters gebied is, te tref, aangesien dit aansienlik van mekaar verskil het. Die metode wat in hierdie tesis gebruik is, was om ’n lys eienskappe saam te stel wat as wenslik in die karakter van beide manlike en vroulike ‘ideale’ burgers in die twee state beskou is. Dit is op Athene en Sparta se heersende ekonomiese, sosiale en politieke bestel gebaseer. Die manier waarop ’n kind hierdie vereiste eienskappe verwerf het, is vanaf geboorte tot by aanneming in die oikos nagespeur, deur die individuele opvoedkundige en sosialiseringstelsel waaraan die kind onderwerp is, tot die uiteindelike toekenning van burgerskap. My navorsing kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat die soort opvoedkundige stelsels in Athene en Sparta inderdaad van mekaar verskil het, in hul struktuur, klem en in hul doelwitte. Hulle het ook in hul vlak van ‘staatsinmenging’ verskil. Athene het nie ’n staatsondersteunde opvoedkundige stelsel vir seuns verskaf nie en dit was die vader se verantwoordelikheid om ’n seun se opvoeding te reël, terwyl dogters voldoende in huishoudelike vaardighede binne dieoikos opgevoed is. Daarteenoor het Spartaanse kinders – beide seuns en dogters – binne ’n verpligte, staatsbeheerde opvoedingstelsel grootgeword wat swaar op liggaamlike opvoeding ten koste van geletterdheid gekonsentreer het. Die inmenging van die Atheense stadstaat in die opvoeding van haar kinders was minimaal, terwyl die Spartaanse stadstaat elke aspek van haar kinders se lewens voorgeskryf het. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Acknowledgements This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my mother, Josie, and my husband, Neil, in gratitude for their unfailing love and belief in me. My most profound thanks go to my supervisor, Dr. Samantha Masters; without her depth of knowledge, support and guidance, as well as her infinite patience, this thesis would never have been completed. My thanks also go to Andrew MacLennan, Jane Wentzel, Mark Robertson and Lesley Eames for their constant love and encouragement, and to Corné Janse van Rensburg for his translation skills. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Hypothesis 2 1.2 Terminology and parameters 2 1.3 Overview of sources 3 1.4 Thesis outline 6 Chapter 2: Athens and Sparta: Political and social frameworks 9 2.1 Climate and environment 10 2.1.1 Agriculture and commercial activity in Athens 10 2.1.2 Agriculture in Sparta 10 2.2 Religion 11 2.2.1 Religion in Athens 11 2.2.2 Religion in Sparta 12 2.3 Government and political constitutions 12 2.3.1 The government of Athens 12 2.3.2 The government of Sparta 14 2.4 Political and social structure of society: Athens 15 2.4.1 Non-citizens 16 2.4.2 Citizens of Athens 16 2.5 Political and social structure of society: Sparta 18 2.5.1 Non-citizens of Sparta 18 2.5.2.Citizens of Sparta 19 2.6 Lists of characteristics of citizens 21 2.7 Summary 22 Chapter 3: The oikos: home and family … 25 3.1 The Athenian oikos 25 3.2 The Spartan oikos 27 3.3 The Athenian family 28 3.4 The family in Sparta 30 3.5 Summary 31 Chapter 4: Early childhood: from birth to 6 years of age 33 4.1 Childbirth and acceptance into the oikos 33 4.1.1 Childbirth and exposure in Athens 33 4.1.2 Childbirth and exposure in Sparta 35 4.2 Infancy in Athens and Sparta 36 4.2.1 Ritual practices within the oikos 37 4.2.2 Introduction to the broader community 38 4.2.3 The infant (nepios) within the household 39 4.3 Early childhood 40 4.3.1 Toys 40 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 4.3.2 Games 41 4.3.3 Pets 42 4.4 Religious observance 42 4.5 Summary 44 Appendix 1 45 Chapter 5: Education of boys in Athens: Paideia 50 5.1 Schooling 50 5.1.1 Paidagogoi 51 5.1.2 The School 51 5.1.3 The Teacher 52 5.2. Discipline and punishment 54 5.3 Higher education 55 5.4 Socialization and competition 55 5.5. The Symposion 57 5.6 Pederasty 57 5.7 Dokimasia 58 5.8 The Ephebeia 58 5.9 Summary 59 Appendix 2 60 Chapter 6: The education of boys in Sparta 65 6.1 The Paidonomos 65 6.2 The agôgê 65 6.3 Education and training in the agôge 66 6.4 Discipline and punishment 68 6.5 Socialization 68 6.6 Adolescence 69 6.6.1 Homosexuality 69 6.7 Krypteia 70 6.8 Military service 71 6.9 Summary 71 Chapter 7: Education of girls in Athens and Sparta 72 7.1 Education of girls in Athens 72 7.1.1 Formal schooling 72 7.1.2 Education in the home 73 7.1.3 Socialisation 75 7.1.4 Religious festivals 77 7.1.5 Marriage 78 7.2 Education of girls at Sparta 80 7.2.1 Formal education for Spartan girls 81 7.2.2 Socialisation of Spartan girls 82 7.2.3 Spartan cults 83 7.2.4 Marriage 83 7.2.5 Motherhood 85 7.3 Summary 86 Appendix 3 88 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Chapter 8: Conclusion 90 8.1 The differing systems of education and socialisation in Athens and Sparta 90 8.2 The extent and nature of state intervention in the education and socialisation of children in Athens and Sparta 92 Bibliography 94 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 1 Chapter 1 Introduction Although all Greeks shared a common language, albeit with different dialects, common social structures and a common religion, they were not a single nation with an overarching government (Cartledge 1993: 3).