The "Sparta" of ancient Greece was one of the most powerful armies in the world at that time. The state, believing too much in the strength of its warriors, demolished all the walls, and it was the only country where Alexander the Great personally conquered but did not succeed in suppressing it.
Sparta had a state system different from other Greek city-states, and they had an extremely strict and brutal military education system. Boys born in Sparta went through countless trials to become warriors. They were raised uniformly by the state, and this method of education was called Spartan education, which is still known today.
1. Weak babies will die if left unattended
In Sparta, weak babies don't even have a chance to survive. Frail, diseased or deformed children are left alone and die.
After the child is born, the father will take the child to the elders of the town. The elders conduct a physical examination of the infant and, if they find it weak or abnormal, order the father to release him into the wilderness, where the child will starve to death.
Even if it passes the examination, there is no guarantee that the child will survive. The child who was brought home was washed by his mother with red wine, which was an ancient epilepsy examination, and if he had a seizure, he still could not be raised. Presumably, half of the children in Sparta were either abandoned or killed.
2. Started living in the barracks at the age of 7
Mothers were able to spend a short time with their children, and 7-year-old boys were forced to leave their parents and study from instructors in order to receive a Spartan education.
Life there was brutal and the instructors encouraged the children to bully, provoke, fight with each other.
It is not a peaceful place, and if the children get into an altercation, the instructor will let the children solve the problem with their fists.
The instructor carries a whip with him and beats the child with it when reprimanding. The instructor will beat the father after beating, believing that if he gives the child forgiveness, it will destroy the child.
3. If you want to eat, you have to steal food
A Spartan education provided almost no necessities. Shoes were considered a luxury at the time, and people had to live barefoot.
The Spartans believed that clothing weakened the body's resistance to nature, so they wore only single clothes regardless of the cold and heat. In addition, because people get fat by eating too much, they only provide minimal food.
However, it does not mean that it can no longer be eaten. Children are told to steal when they are hungry, but this does not mean that theft is allowed.
Therefore, once a child is arrested for theft, food is confiscated and whipped. But if it is not found to be successfully stolen, it will be considered that the child won by strength.
4. Hungry children are ordered to fight for cheese
The annual Spartan celebrations are also brutal. Cheese is offered on the altar of the goddess Artemis, and the teenagers fight fiercely to get it. And during the battle, they are also whipped by the elderly.
Some people even died at this festival, and the teenagers could not back down, even if they were whipped, they had to smile.
But the children's desperate look looks funny. It is said that many people gather at the celebration and watch the fierce battle of the teenagers, and the teenager who receives the most cheese is awarded the honorary title.
5. Meals are difficult to swallow
The food in Sparta is the complete opposite of what the 5 star restaurant offers. It is said that an Italian who was dining with Spartan soldiers lamented, "I finally understand why the Spartans are not afraid of death."
He was talking about a soup called Melas Zomos. It was made of salt, vinegar, pig's feet and blood. The Spartans ate a pot of rice in a tent, Meras Zomos was their staple food, and all they usually ate was this meat.
If you want to eat more meat, you can only hunt. Those who catch the deer must share the venison, and only a small amount of venison is allowed to be brought home. Spartans could only eat in their homes at this time, and other things were strictly forbidden. #人人能科普, there is new knowledge everywhere ## I do popular science ##知识 in the headlines #
