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Description
Uploading a one-off piece commissioned from www.deviantart.com/el-vinas

I've long been fascinated by the history of Greece's ancient city states, and Sparta provides a very interesting case where the entire political and social structure became subordinated to the demands of remaining on a perpetual war footing. Following the arduous and bloodthirsty 20-year campaign to subjugate the neighbouring Messenians, Sparta was transformed into a ruthless martial society where the citizens thought, ate and drank nothing but military discipline.

At the age of seven, all Spartan children left their homes and went into training camps. Girls received the same military training as boys; in athletics they competed with them on equal terms, even wrestling naked with them. The highest virtue in Spartan life was sheer toughness, ability to endure hardship and pain.

In due course, the males entered the army. On a girl's wedding night, she surrendered her virginity, then her husband left her and went to barracks. To show she was a soldier's wife she cut her hair short and wore male clothes. Although Spartan women were not active in the military, they were educated and enjoyed more status and freedom than other Greek women. Because the vast majority of Spartan men were professional soldiers, all manual labor was done by a slave class, the Helots (many drawn from the subjugated Messenian population).

The image imagines a Spartan female hoplite dressed for battle. The arms and armor are stylized (and though Spartan women supported their menfolk in times of war there is no historical evidence to suggest they marched to battle themselves).

For another take on combative women in history see my account of the hand-to-hand duel between the warrior princesses, Lydia of Sparta and Roxanne of Scythia.

Mature Content

Description
Uploading a one-off piece commissioned from www.deviantart.com/el-vinas

I've long been fascinated by the history of Greece's ancient city states, and Sparta provides a very interesting case where the entire political and social structure became subordinated to the demands of remaining on a perpetual war footing. Following the arduous and bloodthirsty 20-year campaign to subjugate the neighbouring Messenians, Sparta was transformed into a ruthless martial society where the citizens thought, ate and drank nothing but military discipline.

At the age of seven, all Spartan children left their homes and went into training camps. Girls received the same military training as boys; in athletics they competed with them on equal terms, even wrestling naked with them. The highest virtue in Spartan life was sheer toughness, ability to endure hardship and pain.

In due course, the males entered the army. On a girl's wedding night, she surrendered her virginity, then her husband left her and went to barracks. To show she was a soldier's wife she cut her hair short and wore male clothes. Although Spartan women were not active in the military, they were educated and enjoyed more status and freedom than other Greek women. Because the vast majority of Spartan men were professional soldiers, all manual labor was done by a slave class, the Helots (many drawn from the subjugated Messenian population).

The image imagines a Spartan female hoplite dressed for battle. The arms and armor are stylized (and though Spartan women supported their menfolk in times of war there is no historical evidence to suggest they marched to battle themselves).

For another take on combative women in history see my account of the hand-to-hand duel between the warrior princesses, Lydia of Sparta and Roxanne of Scythia.

Mature Content