Ancient History

Recently, a lot has been told about the Spartan society.  From television programs to movies, it has been shown that the Spartans were a great military force that thrived on war.  From the time a boy turned 7 years of age, they were property of the government and spent the rest of their formative years in training.  What these portrayals didn’t talk about was the position of women in Spartan society.

For most ancient societies, women were nothing more than the property of either their fathers or their husbands.  They were expected to be demure, subservient, and keepers of the home.  However, Spartan women were expected to be as physically fit as the men.  From birth, these women were trained in athletics, as well as dance and poetry.

Spartan girls lived in their parents’ houses until their first pregnancy.  Most marriages were arranged, but their courtships were strange at best.  Girls of marriage age would have their hair cut short, like a man’s, and their perspective husband would have to sneak in and abduct his bride to be.  He would then have to grapple with his bride in order to consummate the marriage.  From that time until her first pregnancy, the couple would have to sneak around and meet each other in secret in order to preform the marital act.

Spartan women were expected to be in top physical condition in order to produce strong children.  Her main role in life was to have as many healthy children as possible.  It is said that all children born were examined by a group of elders in order to determine whether the child was fit enough to live.  If a child was seen as being unworthy of life, it was left to the elements.  Though it is known that this was done with all newborn boys, there is some speculation that it was also done with female children.

Because everything in Spartan society was centered around the warrior way of life, Spartan mothers expected their sons to be brave in all things.  She would not allow her sons to show any signs of cowardice, and some were even known to have killed their own sons for not being strong enough.  A Spartan mother did not cry for her son if he died in battle, but rather would be pleased that she had done her part for the state.

Spartan women were allowed to own land, and because they were the ones who produced children, were seen as equals to the men.  A women who bore many children were given special rights in society, but a woman who died in childbirth was allowed to have a marker placed on her grave.  This was the only way in which this practice was done.  One Spartan woman was allowed to enter her chariot team into the Olympic games of 396BC, though she was not allowed to actually drive the chariot.  However, her team won and a statue was erected in her honor.

To outsiders, Spartan women were seen as lewd.  They were allowed to speak their minds in public, were wealthy in their own rights, and competed in special competitions.  In essence, they were the driving force behind a great military nation.

For thousands of years, humans have celebrated a bountiful harvest with great festivals. In our modern times, we call it Thanksgiving or something similar. However, in ancient times, each region dedicated their festival to the a local harvest deity. Though it depended on which part of the world you lived in, almost every civilization had their own harvest god or goddess.

In Greece, she was known as Demeter. Usually represented as an older woman, it was said that she mourned the loss of her daughter, Persephone, who had to spend the winter months in Hades. Nearly all cities had a temple dedicated to Demeter and offerings were made to her each year in thanks for a bountiful harvest. Her Roman equivalent was the goddess Ceres, which is where we get our modern term, “cereal”.

In Welsh traditions, she is called Cerridwen. Thought to be an old woman, she was thought to possess a giant cauldron of widsom. In Ireland, the god Lugh was associated with the harvest and was said to skilled in every craft known to man. Lugh was also said to be a boy warrior and evenutally became the father of Cuchulain.

In Norse legends, the god Freyr was the harvest god. He was said to be the most handsome of the gods, and was thought to be both peaceful and warrior at the same time. He is the brother of the goddess Freyja, and when the final battle of Earth is fought, he will be the first to die.

These are but a few of the many harvest deities that have been worshiped around the world. Nearly every ancient human believed they had to keep their harvest god/goddess appeased, or there would be no harvest in the following year. So, this year, as you give thanks for your Thanksgiving meal, remember the ancients that came before and gave thanks for theirs.