Greek Education
The Greek gods were much more down-to-earth and much less awesome than the remote gods of the East. Because they were endowed with human qualities and often represented aspects of the physical world--such as the sun, the moon, and the sea--they were closer to man and to the world he lived in.The Greeks, therefore, could find spiritual satisfaction in the ordinary, everyday world. They could develop a secular life free from the domination of a priesthood that exacted homage to gods remote from everyday life. The goal of education in the Greek city-states was to prepare the child for adult activities as a citizen.
The nature of the city-states varied greatly, and this was also true of the education they considered appropriate.Both daily life and education were very different in Sparta, than in Athens or in the other ancient Greek city-states. With the exception of the Athenians (who thought Athens was the best!), Greeks from other city-states had a grudging admiration for the Spartans.They wouldn't want to be Spartans, but in times of war, they most certainly wanted Sparta to be on their side. The Spartans were tough, and the ancient Greeks admired strength.The boys of Sparta were obliged to leave home at the age of 7 to join sternly disciplined groups under the supervision of a hierarchy of officers. From age 7 to 18, they underwent an increasingly severe course of training told that it was fine to steal food as long as they did not get caught stealing. If they were caught, they were beaten.They boys marched without shoes to make them strong. It was a brutal training period.Legend has it that a young Sparta boy once stole a live fox, planning to kill it and eat it. He noticed some Spartan soldiers approaching, and hid the fox beneath his shirt. When confronted, to avoid the punishment he would receive if caught stealing, he allowed the fox to chew into his stomach rather than confess he had stolen a fox, and did not allow his face or body to express his pain.
- Spartan boys were sent to military school at age 6 or 7. They lived,
- trained and slept in their the barracks of their brotherhood. At school, they were taught survival skills and other skills necessary to be a great soldier.
- School courses were very hard and often painful.
- Although students were taught to read and write, those skills were not very important to the ancient Spartans.Only warfare mattered. The boys were not fed well.
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