Spartan girls were strong, both
physically and mentally. The Spartan girls was educated, with knowledge of the
arts, music, war, philosophy and much more, she was allowed rights that no
other girls of Greece was afforded. Spartan girls were the alpha girl of the
ancient Greek world, they had the most power, and in many ways had the most
equality afforded to them by the state of Sparta.
WHY SPARTAN WOMEN WERE MORE DOMINANT
IN SOCIETY THAN THEIR ATHENIAN SISTERS
Girls were given a good education in
both the arts and athletics.
Women were encouraged to develop their
intellect.
Women owned more than a third of the
land.
There was less difference in age between
husbands and wives, and girls in Sparta married at a later age than their
sisters in Athens.
Husbands spent most of their time
with other men in the military barracks; since the men were rarely home, the
women were free to take charge of almost everything outside of the army.
Mothers reared their sons until age 7
and then society took over.Fathers
played little or no role in child care.
What subjects did students
take in Ancient Sparta and why? In ancient Sparta, reading and writing were
not very important, so they were taught as a secondary skill for both boys and
girls.Education was very military
focused for boys and girls, so most of the skills they learnt in school were
based on war centered. The boys learnt survival skills and other
skills vital to being a soldier. Because the Spartan government wanted Spartans
to be tough and strong, they weren't given enough food or clothing, so they
were encouraged to steal, but if they were caught they were beaten. That was
the Spartan way: Lie, cheat, steal, and get away with it, or else. For girls, school was also very similar. They
were taught physical education, which included wrestling, gymnastics, and
combat skills. Spartans believed that healthy women would produce healthy
babies. Even though Spartan women never had to join the military or the navy,
they grew up to be very strong and very good with combat skills.