iseducationimportanttoacountry?asuccessfuleducationwillmakeasuccessfulcountry.yetinthesameway,abadeducationwillmakeacountryworse.educationisthefoundationsuponwhichacountryisbuilt.tobeastrongcity-state,spartadependedlargelyonitsownspecialeducationsystemandthespecialmilitaryvaluesthatweretaught.thisgavespartatheabilitytocompetewithathensandtherestoftheoutsideworld.thestrengthsofeducationinspartaoutweighedtheweaknessesoftheeducationinsparta.theconditionsandvaluesofspartamaketheireducationsystemareasonableoption.
thespartanbelievedintrainingtheiryoungtofight.thismilitaristicvaluemadespartaoneofthemostpowerfulcity-statesingreece.spartawasamilitarycity-state.theirmainbeliefwasthatpeopleshouldlivebyfighting,becompetitive,andwininbattle.thisbeliefwasthefoundationoftheireducation.forathens,itwastheopposite.theybelievedthatpeopleshouldlivebygainingknowledgeandbybeingthinkers.
theeducationinspartawasreasonableconsideringthetimeperiodofsparta.inthe5thcenturybce,theancientworlddidnothavecommonlaws.forexample,inthemodernworld,almostallcountrieshaveasimilarlawsthatstatesmurderisapunishablecrime.intheancientworld,wherenotallcountrieshadagovernmenttomanagethecitizens,criminalsmaynotbepunished.inthecruelgreekcity-stateofsparta,mostofthepeoplefoughtandstoleforalivingandtheeconomywasnotstable.spartansdidnotfarmmuch.instead,theyconqueredothercity-statesandforcedthemtofarmforthem.ingeneral,theydidnothaveastableeconomy,theyjustlivedbyothersanditshowsthattheycaneasilysurvive.
sparta’sstrictrequirementsmadethespartanboysstrong.forexample,attheageofseven,aspartanboyhadtoleavehisfamilyandgotoagoge(atroop).thespartanboyswererequiredtogobarefooteverydayinordertopreparethemforclimbinghillseasilyanddescendingsteepinclineswithlessdanger.theywererequiredtowearthesamegarmentthroughouttheyeartobetterpreparethemforchangesintemperature.asforfood,theboyswerenotgivenmuchfoodsotheycouldlearntocontinueworkingonanemptystomach,andbeabletocarryingonlongerwithoutextrafood.thesetraininggavespartanboysachancetosurvivewhentheyareinextremelyhungerandextremetemperature.
spartanboyswerealsotrainedtobementallystrong,braveanddevelopstrongmilitaryskills.forexample,theagogerequiredboystosteal,encouragedthemtogettheirownfoodbytheirowncunning.theyneededtospentlotsoftimetoplanitandinvestigate.theyalsoneededtohavegoodfightingskilltobeabletoprotectthemselvesfordaysfromthepeopletheyrobbed.thistraininghelpedthespartansdeveloptheirintelligence,fightingskillsandmadethembrave.
inadditiontothestrengths,insparta,peopleneededtorespecttheirelders.theyalsobelievedtheoldestwerethestrongestbecauseallspartanmanwereinthemilitarysincenineteenyearsold.sincespartawasamilitarycountry,theyparticipatedinalotofwar.everyspartanmanhadtogotowaratleastonceeverytwoyears.thus,a60yearsoldmanfoughtandsurvivedinabouttwentywars.theeldersneededtohavestrongfightingskillsandextremeintelligentmilitarystrategyinordertosurvivesolong.itistruethatelderswerereallystrong.spartanboysmustdoeverythingfortheelders.
manypeoplearguethatsparta’sgreatestweaknesswasitsbeliefincompetitivefighting.inthesecompetitions,thewinnerwasconsideredthebestfighterbecausehehaddefeatedalloftheotherwelltrainedspartansoldiers.thiscompetitionremindsmeofmyfavoriteinternetnovelcalleddouluodalu.oneofthechapterinthisbooktalksaboutthecityofcarnage,wherepeopleareallowedtolive--andkill--freely.theonlychanceofgettingoutofthiscityiswintothetitleofkingofcarnage.todothis,apersonmustwin100gamesandbethebestfighter.likethisinternetnovel,spartanareabletolearnalotmoreaboutwhattoexpectinadeadlyfightthroughthesecompetitions.inthesecompetitions,theplayercouldtesttheirfightingskillsagainstotherspartansoldiers.peoplecanalsoimprovetheirskillsbycompetinginthesegames.ithinkthestrengththatwasgainedfromthiscompetitionwasworthmorethanthedeathsandviolenceresultingfromthesport.sincespartaisamilitarycity-statewherepeoplebelievedfightingskillswerethemostimportantthing.
spartaneducationwasreallysuccessfulforamilitarycity-state.itallowedthesmallcity-stateofspartatocompetewiththeoutsideworldandconquerthestrongestandbiggestcity-stateingreece,athens.thereasonwhyeducationinspartawassuccessfulisthatthecitizenslearnedtheskillsnecessarytobeamilitarycity-state.theybelievedstronglyinmilitaryskillandwerewillingtodieinbattle.theyusethesystemof“thestrongeatstheweak”toimprovethecomplexfightinglevelofsparta.thespartanshardworkineducationandmilitarydrillsallowedthemtobethesuccessfulinlife.