Year 12 Ancient - Herodotus on the Spartan Kings

The following extract is taken from this webpage. It is Herodotus discussing the roles and privileges of the Spartan kings. It was written about 430BC, so is a relatively reliable source, in that Herodotus probably had access to at least a few people with first-hand knowledge of the Spartan political system.

Bear in mind that spellings differ between alternate translations of ancient texts...

From The History of the Persian Wars, Book VI, ''56-60

These are the royal rights which have been given by the Spartans to their kings, namely, two priesthood---of Zeos Sparta and Zeos Uranios---and the right of making war against whatsoever land they please, and that no man of the Spartans shall hinder this right, or if he do, he shall be subject to the curse; and that when they go on expeditions the kings shall go out first and return last; that a hundred picked men shall be their guard upon expeditions; and that they shall use in their goings forth to war as many cattle as they desire, and take both the hides and the backs of all that are sacrificed. These are their privileges in war, and in peace moreover things have been assigned to them as follows: if any sacrifice is performed at the public charge, it is the privilege of the kings to sit down to the feast before all other, and that the attendants shall begin with them first, and serve to each of them a portion of everything double of that which is given to the other guests, and that they shall have the first pouring of libations and the hides of the animals slain in sacrifice; that on every new moon and seventh day of the month there shall be delivered at the public charge to each one of these a full-grown victim in the temple of Apollo, and a measure of barley-groats and a Spartan "quarter" of wine; and at all the games they shall have seats of honor specially set apart for them....

The kings alone give decision on the following cases only, that is to say, about the maiden who inherits her father's property, namely who ought to have her, if her father have not betrothed her to anyone, and about public ways; also if any man desires to adopt a son, he must do it in presence of the kings: and it is ordained that they shall sit in council with the elders, who are in number twenty-eight, and if they do not come, those of the elders who are most closely related to them shall have the privileges of the kings and give two votes besides their own, making three in all.

These rights have been assigned to the kings for their lifetime by the Spartan state; and after they are dead horsemen go round and announce that which has happened throughout the whole of the Spartan land, and in the city women go about and strike upon a copper kettle. Whenever this happens so, two free persons of each household must go into mourning, a man and a woman, and for those who fail to do this great penalties are prescribed.... a certain number of the perioiki are compelled to go to the funeral ceremony: and when there have been gathered together of these and of the helots and of the Spartans themselves many thousands in the same place, with their women intermingled, they beat their foreheads with a good will and make lamentation without stint, saying that this one who had died last of their kings has been killed in war, they prepare an image to represent him, laid upon a couch with fair coverings, and carry it out to be buried. Then after they have buried him, no assembly is held among them for ten days, nor is there any meeting for choice of magistrates, but they have mourning during these days.

When the king is dead and another is appointed king, this king who is newly coming in sets free any man of the Spartans who was a debtor to the king or to the state; while among the Persians the king who comes to the throne remits to all the cities the arrears of tribute which are due...

Year 12 Modern - The Spartacist Uprising 1919

The Spartacist Uprising of January 1919 was the first major revolt against the new German republic after World War One ended. It was led by a breakaway communist group called the Spartacists, who were disillusioned with the direction of the larger, more moderate Socialist Party.

The SPD under Chancellor Ebert called in the army, plus the right-wing militia (made up of former soldiers) called the Freikorps, to put down the putsch. The ringleaders, most notably Rosa Luxemburg (pictured) and Karl Liebknecht, were killed by the authorities.

Try these links for a summary of the event and the main characters involved:

The putsch
Rosa Luxemburg
Karl Liebknecht
Chancellor Ebert
Freikorps

All courtesy of the very useful Spartacus Educational website...

Year 12 Ancient - Spartan Society

Here is the Powerpoint from today's lesson, on Spartan society and government. It gives a broad overview of the main points.


Uploaded on authorSTREAM by tomgriffith

Year 12 Modern - Weimar 1919-1923 Powerpoint

This is the presentation we did today in class. It covers Weimar Germany from 1919 to 1923...


Uploaded on authorSTREAM by tomgriffith

Year 12 Modern - Weimar Worksheet

Here is an activity you can do in your own time, on the early days of the Weimar Republic.

First, download this worksheet containing some sources on Weimar.

Then, complete this activity sheet, using the sources to help you.

Year 12 Ancient - Spartan Government

Here is an article entitled 'The Confusing State of Sparta', discussing whether Sparta was a democracy or an oligarchy (system where a few people rule).

It's only short and might give you a few new ideas...

Year 12 Ancient - Ancient Writers on Lycurgus

As promised, here are some links to writings by Greek and Roman historians on the myth of Lycurgus:

Some excerpts by Xenophon

The entire text of Lycurgus by Plutarch

Passage from Aristotle's Constitution of the Lacedaemonians

Herodotus mentions Lycurgus in Book 1 of his Histories

Year 12 Ancient - Lycurgus

Hi Year 12. here is the Powerpoint we did today on Lycurgus. It includes some excerpts from Plutarch, Aristotle, Xenophon and Herodotus, which I will provide links for in a later post.

Year 12 Ancient - Map of Ancient Greece

Below is a map showing the major city states (poleis) of Ancient Greece - Sparta and Athens - along with their main allies. Athens and Sparta were both at their height around 500BC, and competed for hegemony (dominance) of the area we now call Ancient Greece.

In reality, Greece was not one country, but many island- and city-states, scattered around the Eastern Mediterranean from Macedonia and Thrace in the north, to Crete in the south, to Ionia (Turkey) in the east.

Sparta's allies (in purple)were called the Peloponnesian League, as Sparta was the main state on the Peloponnese peninsula.

Athens' allies (in orange) were called the Delian League, after the island of Delos where the states agreed to help each other.

You can click on the map below to gain a larger image.

Year 12 Ancient - Sparta Reconsidered

This website - Sparta Reconsidered - is useful if you want an overview of themes in Spartan history. It will prove useful throughout the course as it has pages on many aspects of Ancient Sparta.

If anyone finds any other useful 'overview' sites on Sparta, let me know!

Year 12 Modern - 90th Anniversary of Weimar Germany

Here is a story from the Earth Times from last week, commemorating the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Weimar Republic:

Weimar, Germany - The German city of Weimar commemorated its role Friday in the brief flowering of German democracy between the monarchy and the Nazis 90 years ago, with Foreign Minister Frank- Walter Steinmeier saying the Weimar Republic deserved more respect. German legislators met on February 6, 1919 in Weimar, a quiet provincial city far from the riots and violence of Berlin, to found a republic, replacing the monarchy which had lost the First World War. The assembly stayed in the town till August 1919. Despite its ferment of creativity and reforms, the Weimar Republic disappointed many voters, who replaced it with a Nazi dictatorship, the Third Reich, in free elections in 1933. Many Germans still view the fractious Weimar period as a failure. Chancellor Angela Merkel did not attend Friday's ceremonies, which were organized by the city and left-of-centre parties which take a more sympathetic view of the first German democracy. Steinmeier, the top-ranking Social Democrat in the Merkel government, said at a ceremony in the city's National Theatre that the first democracy failed because its citizens had not been committed to its preservation. "The Weimar Republic was not condemned from birth to failure," said. "It bore hope and the promise of a free order in Germany."He hailed its achievements including the vote for women, freedom of expression, the legalization of trade unions and unemployment insurance. Steinmeier said the republic had been destroyed by an "unholy alliance" of the far left and far right. This year contains two other important German anniversaries where Merkel is to preside. They are the 60th birthday of the present-day German Federal Republic and the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and with it the end of communism in Germany.

Year 12 Modern - World War One Revision

This is the link to the WW1 powerpoint we did in class on Tuesday...we missed the last ten slides or so, so please refer to them in your own time. This is just bare bones stuff, designed to jog your memory, so please don't rely on it for your total revision of the topic!

Year 12 Ancient - Ancient Texts

Hey folks, I mentioned yesterday that you can access many ancient texts for free, online. Their copyright has expired so there is no problem with getting them. Of course, you can always buy the books - nothing compares to reading a real, normal book - but for saving some important texts onto your computer, try these links:

Go here for a whole bunch of ancient texts. This site gives you access to many books that are now in the public domain.

To download Herodotus' Histories, which we will refer to many times this year, go here for Vol. 1, and here for Vol. 2.

The other authors we will read this year are Pausanias, Aristotle, Plutarch, Thucydides and Xenophon. I will post links as we get to them!

Year 12 Modern - WW1 Revision

For some great revision exercises, try this page:

http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/revision/worldwari.shtml

Another way to do your revision is to use these revision diagrams - like interactive mind maps, with hints available to help you if you hover the cursor over them. You can save any info you enter onto the diagrams.

Year 12 Ancient - Human Remains

On the topic of human remains, here is a story from today's Australian on the ethics of displaying bodies in museums:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23429019-16947,00.html

Year 12 Modern - Versailles Powerpoint

Here is the Versailles powerpoint from last week's lesson.

Year 12 Modern - Versailles Summary

Here are the main terms of the Treaty, which was being negotiated by the Big Three exactly 90 years ago in the Palace of Versailles:

The Treaty of Versailles includes 440 articles. The principal items are:

Germany has to cede to the allies all seagoing ships with a carrying capacity exceeding 1600 Brt, plus half of all ships between 1000 and 1600 Brt. Furthermore one fourth of the fishing fleet and two fifths of the inland navigation fleet has to be ceded.

Germany has to cede (surrender) Alsace-Lorraine to France.

Germany has to cede the coal mines in the Saar-area to France.

Germany has to cede an area with Moresnet, Eupen, Malmédy and St. Vith to Belgium.

Germany has to cede the main part of West-Prussia and almost the whole province of Posen to the new state of Poland.

Germany has to cede all colonies: Togo and Cameroun, the territories in East- and South-West Africa, islands in the Pacific and possesions in China.

All German properties in foreign countries are confiscated.

Germany has to cede all war material to the allies.

German compulsory military service is abolished, as well as the General Staff (commanders).

Germany is not allowed to have tanks, airplanes, submarines, large warships and poison gas.

During 15 years Germany is not allowed to station troops on the left border of the river Rhine and in a 50 km strip on the right border of the Rhine.

The total size of the Germany army is not to exceed 100.000 men.

The German navy has a maximum of 15.000 men.

Germany is allowed a total of 4.000 officers.

Germany is not to take part in the League of Nations.

Germany has to cede large amounts of machinery and building materials, trains and trucks.

Germany has to deliver certain amounts of coal, chemicals, dye and fuel for many years.

All German subocean telegraph cables are confiscated.

Germany has to pay 20 billion goldmarks.(About A$500 billion in today's money)

For opinions on the Treaty, plus some exercises you can do yourself, try these pages:

http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/year9links/versailles.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/worldwarone/hq/outcomes3_01.shtml

Year 12 Modern - 90 Years On

Just a couple of links to recent news stories about the 90th anniversary of the Armistice (11/11/18)...

http://www.euronews.net/en/article/11/11/2008/90th-anniversary-of-world-war-one-armistice/

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/armistice-90-years-on-all-those-pals-of-mine-should-be-here-1012492.html

Year 12 Ancient - Pompeii Powerpoint

Here is a Powerpoint on public buildings at Pompeii...especially the forum. There is also a bit on archaeology and the plan layout of the city.

http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/tomgriffith-146392-pompeii-education-ppt-powerpoint/

Year 12 Modern - Western Front Powerpoint

Another PP - this time the one on the Western Front...enjoy.

http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/tomgriffith-146358-war-western-front-education-ppt-powerpoint/

Year 12 Modern - 1917 Powerpoint

Hi class,

This is a link to a download of the class Powerpoint on the 'Turning Points' of the war, in 1917 - The withdrawl of Russia, and entry of the USA.

http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/tomgriffith-146333-ww1-1917-turning-points-education-ppt-powerpoint/

You can view it as a video, or download it as a PP presentation. I will be putting some others up soon.

Year 12 Modern - Map of the Western Front

For a brief animated history of the war, check out this page:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/launch_ani_western_front.shtml

Have a hunt around the BBC World War One site - there are plenty of interactive thingummys to play around with.

Year 12 Ancient - Pompeii Aerial Shots

Just fiddling around with Google Earth, here are a few close-up aerial shots of some of the main sites...

1) The forum

2) The theatre

3) Amphitheatre and palaestra

4) Insulae

Year 12 Ancient - Archaeology at Pompeii

Hi guys,

The final topic for Pompeii is on the archaeological issues associated with the site. Here are a few links that will extend on what we cover in class:

http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/pompeii/index.html - An online guide to archaeology, including some useful field notes and a tour of some insulae, by the Anglo-American project.

http://www.emsei.psu.edu/~hoaglund/Pompeii.html - Has a good high-res map of the site.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/pompeii_rediscovery_02.shtml - BBC article about Giuseppe Fiorelli

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/daily_life_gallery.shtml - Gallery of artefacts associated with daily life

http://www.pompeiisites.org/ - The official Pompeii website, with some great satellite photos, and plenty of other info...not all of it in English, though.

For revision and maybe some fun...try this webquest (probably for a younger age group, but it will still help you): http://pangea.tec.selu.edu/~samacker/pompeiiwebquest.html