:: Menu ::

:: The Corners of History ::

Greece
- History
- Essays
- War
- Timeline
- Historical Figures
- Language
- Links

Rome
- History
- Essays
- War
- Timeline
- Historical Figures
- Language
- Links

China
- History
- Essays
- War
- Timeline
- Historical Figures
- Language
- Links

Japan
- History
- Essays
- War
- Timeline
- Historical Figures
- Language
- Links

By: Iwan Juwono email

Agele- Term used for Troops in which Spartan boys are organized into.

Agoge- "Denots a mixture of upbrining and training, and is used of the Spartan system in Particular" (Plutarch)

Agora- Commonly referred as "Market-Place" but actually has a wider role as a centre for civil activities. (Much like the Roman Forum combined with a marketplace)

Dechas- A chamber in the prison where men are executed by throttling.

Eirens- those that have preceeded two years beyond the boys' class and is appointed by the Trainer in Chief. He commands the boys in the troops like they are serveants to train them to obey commands.

Ephebes- Term for those in their late teens.

Gerontes- literally "old men" . There are 28 of these elders, when combined with the two kings of Sparta, form the Gerousia.

Gerousia - a Council of 28 Elders and the two kings. They decide the criminal cases and were the ballast between democracy and Tyranny. They are the oligarchic element in Spartan Society.

Gymnopaediae- An annual festival in which all Spartiates take part.

Harmost- Spartan Military Governor.

Helots- " Helots were, in short local inhabitants of Laconia and Messenia owned by the Spartan State and placed in total subjection to work for its citizens- an arrangement by no means unique in the Greek World" - Plutarch'

Hebontes- Young adults aged 20 to 29.

Hippagrate- Three men chosen by the ephors who then select 100 men each to form the Three Hundred.

Hippeis- The Three Hundred, who are a crack army unit among the Spartans.

Homoioi- The Term full citizens, or Spartiates, use to refer to themselves.

Hoplite- Heavily termed infantry

Kaddished- To be rejected into entry to a mess. Entry into a mess and full Spartiate citzenship
required election into a mess. It had to be unanimous that the then members of the mess approve of the candicate. They each throw a bread called a Kaddichos into a bowl, squashed for approval, whole for rejection. If even one person rejects, the new member is not allowed entry.

Kothon- Laconian drinking cup

Krypteia- Spartan youths under the command of the ephors who command them to seek out in the country side any helots that might fight back or lead rebellions. They are sent out with daggers and basic rations. To justify this, Ephors would declare war on the helots as they come into office.

Lesche- Where newborn babies are brough to be judged by elders whether it is fit to be raised. If it is found unfit, it is then left to die on the foot of the Mount Taygetus, called Apothetae.

Melleirens- Term for the oldest boys in each troop. Literally "Prospective Eirens"

Medimnus- 74 litres, a standard of measurement by the Spartans.

Oulami- Cavalry

Oulamus- A body of fifty cavalrymen in a square formation.

Paides- boys aged 8 to 18.

Paidiskoi- Youths aged 18 to 19.

Paidonomus- A Trainer in chief which means "Boy-Herdsmen". They are men with outstanding quality and appoints Eirens for each Troop.

Phalanx- Battle formation for Heavy Infantry

Phiditia- the Spartan mess. Usually around 10-15 and is the prequisite for full Spartan citizenship. Each member donates around a medimnus of barley meal, eight Choes of wine, five Minas of cheese, five and a half minas of figs and a small amount of money.

Polemarchs- senior army officers, immediately subordinate to the king, and they mess with him on campaigns.

Prodikoi- A term used by the Spartans for the guardians of kings without fathers.

Phylai- "tribes". A term of organization used by the Spartans

Rhetras- The term that Lycurgus used to describe his laws, "because they were divine oracles" (Plutarch)

Skytale- A Spartan device for sending secret messages. "The test was written on a long strip of leather wound around a staff, which the sender then retained. The recepient had a duplicate staff, and by correctly winding the strip around it it could read the message" (Plutarch)

Tresantes- Men who showed cowardice in battle or surrendered to the enemy. "They were liable to a wide range of social and legal disabilities: most serious among the latter was the partial loss of their citizen status" (Plutarch)