It's a part of most kids' history education in Ontario. The grade 11 "Ancient and Medieval History" unit on classical Greece. And one of the most popular aspects of that unit was a survey of Sparta. The legends were attractive: a society based on values such as courage, fortitude, strength and sacrifice. The Battle of Thermopylae, the stand of "the 300" under the inspired leadership of Leonidas, defeat only through betrayal and deceit. The kids seemed to enjoy it and I certainly enjoyed teaching it.
The reality, of course, is much more nuanced and complicated than a unit in a high school history course. Sparta's reputation in the modern mind is unsullied. Sparta's reality in the study of serious history and scholarship is full of controversy and flaws. We know that, unlike contemporary Athens, classical Sparta was no democracy, nor was it a center of art, architecture, literature or philosophy. Spartans referred to themselves as "Laconians" and the modern word "laconic", meaning dull, inexpressive and even anti-intellectual is derived from this ancient term. There are no gleaming marble temples, columns, or statues left behind by the Spartans. No lyric or epic poetry. Only the legends of military endeavor.
Sparta was an oligarchy. The social structure of Spartan society is probably well known to most readers, so a only a brief summary will appear here. Like most societies, Sparta can be represented by a pyramid, showing the relatively small number of true citizens, the "Spartiates" at the top, and the enslaved "Helots" at the bottom. The helots were the largest component of Spartan society and were used to do most of the labour, certainly the menial jobs that always need to be done. Because they were enslaved and enjoyed few if any rights or freedoms, there was always the risk that the Spartiates could be overwhelmed by the sheer number of helots, should the slaves ever decide to throw off the yoke of servitude. Indeed, a helot uprising in the 5th century BC almost succeeded, which, the legends say, caused the Spartiates to create the intensely military-based society that ensured the survivability of the upper class, but also ensured the absence of all the characteristics of a truly "civilized" society discussed in the preceding paragraph. All true Spartan citizens dedicated themselves to the pursuit and education of martial arts, discipline and stoic adherence to a code of fortitude and service to the state that endures in our imaginations to this day.
In modern times, there are disturbing trends that indicate that a return to the Spartan ethos is not that far away. Recent events in the United States creates concerns that that country is heading in that direction. A direct comparison is often helpful, but we must also be aware that there are so many differences between the two societies under investigation. Having said that, the following items are offered for the reader's consideration.
Like most societies, ancient and modern, the social system in the US can be shown graphically as a pyramid structure. In the case of Sparta, as discussed above, it was necessary to have this structure because of the large number of slaves who did the majority of the work and the small number of citizens who controlled them. In the US, there is an economic oligarchy, small in number but rich in power and resources, who occupy the small upper echelon of the pyramid. Lower echelons denote the other economic classes: upper middle, lower middle, working, working poor and underclass. In this chart, the suggestion is that the lower middle class and working class are the vast majority of the American population. There could be some debate about actual numbers and even about nomenclature of these classes, but most people would agree that this a fairly accurate representation.
The pie chart on the right gives an approximate breakdown of the percentages of the membership in the economic classes in the American population. With only 3.6 % of the American population being in the upper class, there is a vast majority that do not control much of the wealth, power and resources of the country. The big difference, of course, is that there was no middle class in Spartan society. In the US, the middle and working classes enjoy some of the benefits of the prosperity of the country, and can exercise a vote in elections to hold some political power. In Sparta, the "inferiors" and "perioeci" had little power. In both cases, however, the upper class had little to fear from these middle groups. But the lower classes were and are a source of some interest. Thus, as in ancient Sparta, modern American society shows a society where power, wealth, influence and prestige is concentrated in a small number of people. Those at the top are, undoubtedly, concerned about the masses below them and what threat the masses pose to them.
Demographically, the lower classes in the United States, like that in Sparta, are increasingly made up of people who are ethnically different from the dominant or middle classes. In Sparta, the helots were largely made up of slaves who were captured in battle and came from other areas inside and outside of Greece. They were not true Spartiates. In the United States, the same ethnic situation arises. In the not far distant past, the population of the US was overwhelmingly white, with small pockets of Indigenous or African-American people on the periphery. Today, the white segment of the US population is still the largest, but segments of non-white people are growing. The chart on the left shows this. With an approximate 60-40 % split, white people in the US are realizing that it will not take long for the "ethnic" portions of the country to supplant them as the majority and perhaps even become larger segments of the population.
The potential "threat" to the upper echelons of the US population are perhaps shown in the chart to the left. A disproportionate amount of both the African-American and Hispanic populations live in poverty. That's not to say that all of those segments suffer economic hardship: but those who do suffer and are members of the working poor or poor tend to be black or brown and less so white. This is a problem that ought to receive attention, inasmuch as poverty itself is a problem. But when ethnicity is added to the mix, the potential for tension arise. White Americans tend to make up the bulk of the upper and middle classes in the United States and could possibly see the "other" ethnic segments of the population as threat. Recent events in the US, showing systemic racism and excessive use of force against minority persons, especially African-Americans, seems to indicate that white America is prepared to maintain their dominance by force, and are preparing to do so.
Spending on law enforcement in the United States is growing. The chart at left shows that approximately 4% of the Discretionary spending in the US budget went to law enforcement. Forbes Magazine reports that the amount is approximately $100 billion US on law enforcement, with a further $80 billion US on incarceration. Scenes on television and online of squads of heavily armed police, with body armour, Kevlar vests and helmets, shields, tear gas and rubber bullet launchers, automatic firearms and armoured cars create the atmosphere of a paramilitary army of occupation, ready to inflict maximum force to maintain the social status quo upon its citizens, mainly of lower social and economic classes.
The information is not completely conclusive as to the complete similarity of the modern US to ancient Sparta. But the trends are interesting to contemplate. Certainly, the increased use of paramilitary force to keep "the mob" in line sounds very much like the perceived need of the Spartiates to maintain a military superiority over the lower classes in order to prevent rebellion and overthrow, which would replace the old order with a new.
Just how far the US intends to go to crush dissent, prevent assembly of citizens seeking redress, and punish those who seek to re-distribute power remains to be seen. But heavily armed US police are looking more and more like the hoplites that became the pride of ancient Sparta.
We have all grown up since those halcyon days. The world has become old, cynical, and harsh. Myths die hard, but die they must. And new realities come forward with startling clarity. We now see our Parliament buildings, once the architectural symbol of our connection to glorious histories, as the home of partisan politicians and avaricious lobbyists who seek to line pockets instead of building a nation. We see our police in a new light, flawed and sometimes all too human, mostly good but occasionally horribly bad or ineffective. We see our huge and gorgeous land now scarred and dirty, old before its time and robbed of its youth and vigor. We see our countrymen and women now as strangers and aliens, with startlingly different ideas and goals. We have been rocked by scandal, horrendous crime, violence, inept leaders, and racism and bigotry that we never knew existed in our previously peaceable and lily-white kingdom. We have been shaken to the core by a pandemic that has tested our resolve and willingness to be kind to one another. And we have been found wanting.
