Flogging at Sparta

This is the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia at Sparta. Spartan boys had to run up to the Temple (which is the square building in the background) and steal something while men flogged (whipped) them. This was designed to be a test of endurance. Boys frequently died during this ritual. Legend said Artemis was not satisfied until her altar was covered with blood. The block in the front of the photo are remains of the stands later erected by the Romans to watch this spectacle for entertainment. The existence of the ritual and the stands tells us something essential about the Spartans and about the Romans.

Sparta

Sparta is different from other city-states in Greece because the founder of the Spartan regime outlawed gold and silver. Boys were taken away from their families at age 7 and were raised in a herd. They slept under the stars and were only allowed to bathe and change clothes a couple of times a year. This made them tough. When they got older they had to live by stealing their food. If they were caught they were flogged (beaten). This taught them to survive in enemy territory.

The result of all this is that the ruins at Sparta are sparse to say the least. There are no great temple ruins or theaters. There aren't really any city walls either because the founder said that city walls do not promote courage. Walls make men cowards. Interesting, eh? However, there are beautiful pine trees at Sparta and beautiful surrounding mountains.

Corinth

Ancient Corinth was a very rich city-state because all land traffic between northern and southern Greece had to pass through the isthmus of Corinth and they charged a tax. All sea traffic between the Gulf of Corinth and the Aegean Sea had to be carried over the isthmus, which also enriched the Corinthians. The Romans built on top of the earlier Greek ruins, so it's been hard to test my theory about political geography and citizenship.

Courses I'm teaching next year

In response to Andrew's question, I have been told that I'll be teaching the following courses next year: AP Government, AP US History, and Government. That's all I know.

Explanation of the Assembly

I was asked to explain about citizens' voting at the Assembly in Athens. When a quorum was needed to for some important vote, a group of Scythian archers were paid to round up citizens for the vote. They would go to the Agora and stretch a rope around the Agora and herd everyone inside it up to the Pnyx (Assembly). The rope was dyed purple and if any dye got on the cloak of a citizen he was not paid the customary fee for voting. The citizens voted using pebbles.

This first photo is taken from the Acropolis looking down at the marketplace (Agora).

The second photo is taken from the marketplace looking up at the Acropolis. On the right, you can see the hill on which the homicide court met (the Areopagos).
The third photo is looking down at the Theater of Dionysus from the height of the Acropolis (temple of Athena). I had not before thought about how a theater was a civic space. The Greek tragedies and comedies were an essential part of civic education for Athenian citizens. I'll expand on this later.
The last photo (somewhat blurry) is taken from the Acropolis and looks down on the homicide court on the left and lower down on the right the marketplace.

Jury Duty

This machine was used in Ancient Athens to determine who was chosen for jury duty. The Athenians introduced the idea of trial by jury. Jury selection was random using a white ball and a black ball. The explanation is below.

Pnyx (Assembly) and Areopagos (Homicide Court)

This first picture is on the hill where the Assembly met (the Pnyx). The speakers would stand on the raised rock and the citizens (there had to be 5000 present for a quorum for certain business) stood where I am standing.

The second picture is looking at the Assembly (Pnyx) from the homicide court and you can tell they are about the same height. Justice and law were on equal levels, open to the public, but below the temple of Athena.
The third picture is from the Assembly (Pnyx) looking at the Acropolis (temple of Athena) with the homcide court to the left. Don't get confused with the more distant mountain in the background

Acropolis

The first picture is taken from the marketplace (Agora) looking up toward the Acropolis where the temple of Athena (the Parthenon) was. This is to give you the perspective of the height.

The second picture is again from the homicide court (Areopagos) with the Acropolis behind it. So justice took place in the open above the marketplace but beneath the temple of Athens' patron deity.
The third picture is from the Assembly (the Pnyx). It is on a hill, again open to the public, about the same height as the homicide court and also overlooking the marketplace. It took 5000 citizens to have a quorum at the Assembly.

Agora (Marketplace)

The agora, or marketplace, in Athens is located below the Acropolis (where the temple of Athena was located) and also below the homicide court (the Areopagos) and the hill where the Assembly met, called the Pnyx. This second picture is on the hill where the homicide court met. Trials were held out in the open so anyone could see them. Homicide trials were truly public. Behind and below me is the marketplace (Agora).

Hello Memorial Students! July begins in two days and I am eager to hear how you did on the AP Government test. You should hear by mid-July. Please e-mail me when you learn your results. But whatever the results, I'm very proud of the group of students I had this year. You are all so bright. It was an interesting year politically. You can either post on this weblog or e-mail me at howlaje@tulsaschools.org. The Political Geography project in Greece begins about the 8th of July and I expect to be posting every few days. I hope you're all having a great summer.

Political Geography: Greece

The polis or city-state (from which our word "political" is derived) sprang up in the sixth and fifth centuries BCE. Every city-state was built around a hill, called an acropolis or "high-city" to which the citizens could retreat in case of attack. Public spaces were designed to nurture a sense of civic responsibility and commitment. Every important public space appears to have been visible from every other public space. So, a citizen in his everyday obligations, was in full view of the places where he discharged his most important civic obligations. The concept of the political community was visible in the geography of the city.
Itinerary:
Athens
Sparta
Megalopolis
Delos
Rhodes
Athens