Spartan Society and Political Terminology

Contemporaries

People living at the same time: individuals who exist, live, or work during the same period of history as one another.

Rhetra

enactment, decree, oral compact, or a proclamation based on an oracle.

Ambiguous

Something is not clear because it can mean two different things at the same time.

Anachronistic

A time mistake: It happens when something is placed in a time period where it does not belong.

Semi-mythical

A person, place or event that is treated as historical but has so many legends, myths, and exaggerations.

Militarization

A society, organization, or concept becomes progressively organized around, focused on, or reliant upon military principles, values, personnel, and equipment.

Fascism

A far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and system of government. Characterized by dictatorial power, the forcible suppression of opposition, and the strict regimentation of society and the economy.

Illiberal

A political system, ideology, behavior, or mindset that rejects, restricts, or actively opposes the core principles of liberal values-individual rights, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, religious tolerance, private property, and equality under the law.

Inclusion

Actively welcoming, respecting, and valuing individuals with diverse background, identities, abilities, and perspectives, ensuring they can fully participate in a group, organization or society.

Rigorous

Extremely strict and rigidly enforced.

Reactionary politics

A specific, far-right political ideology that seeks to reverse current social, political, or economic trends and return society to a previous historical state (the status quo ante-the state in which things were before).

Caste

A rigid, hereditary social class that determined a person's legal rights, economic role, and social status from birth. Mobility between these classes was virtually impossible, and your placement in the hierarchy was enforced by state law and military power.

Oikophilia

The love of one's own country

Lakedaimonioi

The formal name used by Ancient Greeks to describe the citizens of the state of Sparta.

Ledger

A main record-keeping book or file used to track financial transactions. Traditionally divided into distinct columns or sides to balance two opposing sets of numbers.

Immense

Extremely large, vast, or huge.

Reverence

Feeling of deep, profound respect mixed with awe or honor.

Forerunner

A person or thing that comes before something else and signs or paves the way for what follows.

Sacralized

something ordinary, secular, or physical that has been treated as sacred, holy, or spiritually significant.

Innovation

Practical implementation of a new or significantly improved idea, product, service, or process that creates tangible value for the world to use.

Conservative

A political and social philosophy that promotes the preservation of traditional institutions, cultural practices, and established social hierarchies.

Lycurgus

The semi-mythical or legendary lawgiver of Sparta who is traditionally credited with creating the radical social, political, and military reforms that transformed the city into a unique, hyper-disciplined superpower.

Aristotle

Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath who stands as one of the most influential figures in Western intellectual history. A student of plato at the academy in athens and later became the tutor of Alexander the Great.

Socially conservative

Resisting changes to established social traditions, hierarchies, and moral norms while prioritizing stability and continuity over progress or individualism.

Plutarch

An ancient Greek biographer, historian, and essayist who later became a Roman citizen. His biography life of lycurgus is the main historical source that preserves the text and explanation of the Spartan Great Rhetra.

Discourage

to cause someone to lose confidence, enthusiasm, or the will to take action. To deter or dissuade someone from pursuing a course of action.

Abolished

Formally put an end to a system, practice, or institution by an authoritative act.

Coinage

Official state currency / money issued by a government.

Social conservatism

The political or cultural philosophy that actively seeks to preserve traditional values, structures, and customs against modern or innovative changes.

Emphasized

give special importance, value, or prominence to something in speaking, writing, or actions.

Disinterest

apathy, boredom, or a lack of attention.

Cultural experimentation

the deliberate trial, adaptation, or creation of a new social norms, artistic expression, lifestyles, and belief systems that challenge a society’s existing cultural status quo.

Athens

The capital and largest city of Greece. It is one of the world’s oldest cities, with a recorded history spanning over 3,400 years and it is universally recognized as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy.

Philosophy

The systematic study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, existence and morality.

Rhetoric

The art of effective or persuasive speaking and writing. It is the study and practice of using language, imagery, and style to influence the thoughts, feelings, or actions of an audience.

Social order

the structured systems of institutions, laws, customs, and values that organizes a society and keeps it functioning predictably and peacefully, rather than falling into chaos or anarchy.

Spartiates (Homoioi)

The elite, full-citizen ruling class of ancient sparta.

Perioikoi (Dwellers-around)

Free, non-citizen middle class of ancient spartan society.

Subordinate

someone or something that is lower in rank, position, power, or importance within a structured hierarchy.

Helots

State-owned slave population of ancient sparta.

Cultivated

Actively nurtured, developed, or promoted a specific quality, image, or skill over time.

Reputation

the widespread belief, estimation, or opinion that the public holds about the character, quality, or reliability of a person, group or thing.

Ancestral order (ton patrion phylakes)

traditional, inherited political structure, social hierarchy. religious laws, passed down through generations from a society’s forefathers.

Reforms

deliberate, structural changes made to an existing law, institution, or social system in order to improve it, correct abuses, or adapt it to new circumstances.

Poleis

The plural form of polis, the ancient Greek term for an independent city-state (e.g., Sparta, Athens, Corinth).

Athenian democracy

The system of government developed in the Greek polis of Athens around the late 6th century BC. It is famous for being one of the earliest known democracies in history.

Novelty

The quality of being new, original, or unusual

Radical

a person, idea, or action that advocates for thorough, complete, and fundamental change from the very roots of an existing system, rather than making a small or gradual adjustments.

Social engineering

the deliberate, large-scale manipulation of social structures, laws, education, and cultural norms by a government or authority figure to reshape human behavior and steer an entire society toward a specific, predictable outcome.

Reaction (in politics)

A political movement or mindset that opposes social progress or political reforms, actively working to return society to an earlier, traditional ancestral order.

Lycurgan reforms

Radical political, economic, and social overhaul that completely transformed ancient Sparta from an ordinary Greek city into a hyper-militarized, austere, and disciplined superpower.

Revolutionary

A person, idea, or action that causes a complete, sudden, and drastic overthrow or transformation of an existing political system, social order, or field of konwledge.

Private coinage

private individuals, mining companies, merchants, or banks mint and distribute their own metallic coins without government authorization or oversight.

Instituting

The act of establishing, introducing, or putting a new law, system, policy, or formal practice into effect.

Agoge

The mandatory, state-run education and military training program required for all male spartan citizens (spartiates).

Redistributing

the act of taking an existing pool of resources, land, wealth, or power away from those who currently hold it and dividing it up again in a different way among a group of people.

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