Spartan Religion
The Agamoi
- The Agamoi were the men who had not produced sons as the state required. This group was excluded from the
Gymnopaidai (one of the main Sparta festivals) as this was thought to downplay any homosexual tendencies they had.
They were also
shown signs of disrespect at other gatherings as young men would not give them their seats and they were forced to
give their seats to the younger. An example of this is when Derkylidas approaches a young man who refuses to give him
his seat and says to him, 'You have produced no son who will give his seat to me.'
In addition, these men had to perform the same dances of the Gymnopaidai in the winter at the Agora, singing a song
which said that their punishment was just (it could be as cold as -3 C). They also had to sponsor the Karneia (another
important festival) and they became the Karneatai.
The Karneia
- The Karneia, a harvest festival celebrated for nine days during the late summer, was an extremely important festival for
the Spartans. It was a celebration of migration, colonization and the city-foundation of the Doric peoples and of a
various military events. For this celebration, the men were divided up into nine groups of three phratries who dined
together and each occupied a skias, an area which contained tents. In addition, some citizens carried models of rafts,
which also symbolized the coming of the Dorians. These activities were to represent the early history of Sparta,
including the migation and colonization.
Another aspect of this festival was the foot-race, which resembled a chase of prey, rather than your standard race. One
young man, who first prayed to the city-gods,ran while other unmarried men, who were called the staphulodromoi
(Grape-cluster runners) chased him. The young man ahead of the rest was dressed in woolen-fillets, which was similar
to an account of human sacrifice by the Thessalians as described by Herodotos and is possibly derived from an earlier
celebration of Karneios. If they caught the forerunner, it was a good omen for the state and if not, the future was to
look bleak. The consequences of this race and the chasing of a human are rather interesting as it was the agamoi who
primarily participated. Five unmarried
people, called the Karneatai, were chosen from each phyle to cover the costs of the festivals, including both sacrifice
and chorus (in early Sparta, the Karneia was a muscial festival which included both men and women and a dance of
armed men).
Demetrios of Skepis basically described the Karneia and the games as a reflection of the military training system, which
has been echoed by many modern scholars in an attempt to understand this festival. Overall, the Karneia had a
communal aspect, emphasizing heroic exploits. However, another point to be made is the pacificist nature of the
Karneia. During it, Spartans were not allowed to venture to wars or battles. This was the reason why the Spartans
arrived late at the Battle of Marathon.
The Gymnopaidai
- The Gymnopaidai ('of the naked boys' or 'of the unarmed boys') was the 'most solemn of all Lakonian festivals'
according to Pausanias and in earlier times involved only the ephebes. This particular festival lasted for several days
during the midsummer season and involved musical competitions for every age group. The activities of the choruses
were almost an act of endurance
themselves, as it became a struggle to survive the summer sun. Even though this festival was musical in nature, a dance
which was performed at this festival had somewhat of a military nature which may have been connected to the Karneia.
While one may think that the music also would have a pleasant or festive theme to it, it was written to bring to memory
a certain battle (against Argos).
Some modern scholars have now theorized that young girls also danced naked during the Gymnopaidai in order to
present themselves as potential wives. Perhaps this festival also served to promote population growth, a problem with
which Sparta would later struggle. The Gymnopaidai was said to have been created when the Spartans were defeated
by Argos in 669/8BCE at the Battle of Hysiai. Oswyn Murray theorizes that the festival became an apotropaic ritual for
this defeat and states that it resembled the military structure very closely. Others state that this festival was introduced
so that the gods would be appeased after this loss and to commemorate the event for future generations. If they were
aware of this past loss, they
would have the means to prevent another in the future. The chorus leaders then began to wear "Thyreatic" crowns,
which also represented the defeat by the Argives and was associated with the Karneia. However, when the Argives
were weakened at Sardis, the Spartans created the festival Parparoneia (Parparon is in Thyrea) and the main focus of
the Gymnopaidai shifted.
Lykourgos placed heavy emphasis on social obedience (or so we're told by Plutarch and other ancient sources) at the
Gymnopaidai that those who did not follow the standards of Sparta were excluded from the events and from the
planning of
the festival. Plutarch in his Bios of Lykourgos spoke of the agamoi, unmarried Spartans. These citizens were excluded
from the festival and forced to reenact the procession in the agora during winter. They were also required to sing a song
which stated that their punishment was justified as they had willingly not followed the laws of Sparta. They were also to
sponsor the
Karneia and bear the title, Karneatai. The purpose of their exclusion was to discourage homosexuality (not entirely, but
enough so that children would be produced) as these men would be unable to watch the processions of the naked
young men. They were also forced to give up their seat to any younger citizen on public occasions and were treated as
"tremblers," the class of Spartans who had shown themselves to be cowards. In any case, they were seen as a threat to
the social order of the city-state and the survival of the Spartans.
This festival was also important for demonstrations of prestige and the seating at the festival was of great importance. At
all
Spartan gatherings, the younger were supposed to show their respect by giving their seats to older citizens. The agamoi
were deprived of this right. Dercyllidas, an important Spartan general, was told by a younger counterpart that he could
not have his seat because he had produced no son. Demaratos was humiliated at the Gymnopaidai and his status as a
bastard was emphasized: 'After his deposition, Demaratos had been elected to some other office in the state, and once
when he was sitting amongst the spectators at the Gymnopaidai, Leotychides, who was now king in his place, sent his
servant to ask him what it
felt like to be a magistrate after being king.' (Herodotos) Also, when Agesilaos was a young boy, he held an
inconspicuous position in the boys' chorus and he stated, 'That's fine, for I shall show that it isn't positions which lend
men distinction, but men who enhance positions.' The Spartans also allowed other Greeks to be present at this festival.
For example, aristocrats in the
time of Themistokles were invited to attend it (other factors were at play). Also, Lichas was infamous for staging lavish
entertainment at the Gymnopaidai and for allowing foreigners to attend. One may find this intriguing as the Spartans
were often described by ancient writers as xenophobic and isolationist.
Death of a Spartan King
When a Spartan king died, horsemen traveled all over Lakonia, informing the inhabitants. In the city of Sparta itself, women
went around beating a cauldron. After this, two people from each house, a man and a woman, were to put on 'the signs of
defilement,' or they would be charged and face heavy penalties. All the subject neighbours, helots and Spartans gather in one
place and 'smite' their foreheads and lament loudly. If the king has died in battle, the town makes an image of him and carry it
on a bier. After the burial, for ten days there is no meeting for market, assize,or selection of magistrates. (Herodotos, VI.58)