Following on from today's cloze passage on Spartan women, here is a primary source on the subject: Aristotle. The Athenian philosopher was not a fan of Sparta, and considered the country to be a 'gynocracy' - a state ruled by women.
I have added my own explanations of what Aristotle was saying, in red text and brackets, after each section.
Ancient History Sourcebook:
Aristotle: Spartan Women
Again, the license of the Lacedaemonian women defeats the intention of the Spartan constitution, and is adverse to the happiness of the state. For, a husband and wife being each a part of every family, the state may be considered as about equally divided into men and women; and, therefore, in those states in which the condition of the women is bad, half the city may be regarded as having no laws. And this is what has actually happened at Sparta; the legislator wanted to make the whole state hardy and temperate, and he has carried out his intention in the case of the men, but he has neglected the women, who live in every sort of intemperance and luxury.
Sparta has created strict laws for its men, but not for its women. This defeats the whole purpose of the Spartan constitution. The women live immoral, luxurious lifestyles.
The consequence is that in such a state wealth is too highly valued, especially if the citizen fall under the dominion of their wives, after the manner of most warlike races, except the Celts and a few others who openly approve of male loves. The old mythologer would seem to have been right in uniting Ares and Aphrodite, for all warlike races are prone to the love either of men or of women. This was exemplified among the Spartans in the days of their greatness; many things were managed by their women. But what difference does it make whether women rule, or the rulers are ruled by women? The result is the same.
Spartan men, like many warrior races, are ruled by their women. This basically means that the women are in charge.
Even in regard to courage, which is of no use in daily life, and is needed only in war, the influence of the Lacedaemonian women has been most mischievous. The evil showed itself in the Theban invasion, when, unlike the women other cities, they were utterly useless and caused more confusion than the enemy. This license of the Lacedaemonian women existed from the earliest times, and was only what might be expected.
The women are cowards, and have cause nothing but confusion and defeat when Sparta has been invaded.
For, during the wars of the Lacedaemonians, first against the Argives, and afterwards against the Arcadians and Messenians, the men were long away from home, and, on the return of peace, they gave themselves into the legislator's hand, already prepared by the discipline of a soldier's life (in which there are many elements of virtue), to receive his enactments. But, when Lycurgus, as tradition says, wanted to bring the women under his laws, they resisted, and he gave up the attempt. These then are the causes of what then happened, and this defect in the constitution is clearly to be attributed to them. We are not, however, considering what is or is not to be excused, but what is right or wrong, and the disorder of the women, as I have already said, not only gives an air of indecorum to the constitution considered in itself, but tends in a measure to foster avarice.
The men did as Lycrugus demanded when peace came to Sparta. But the Spartan women refused to be told what to do. This is the main problem with the Spartan system, and it leads to greed for wealth.
The mention of avarice naturally suggests a criticism on the inequality of property. While some of the Spartan citizen have quite small properties, others have very large ones; hence the land has passed into the hands of a few. And this is due also to faulty laws; for, although the legislator rightly holds up to shame the sale or purchase of an inheritance, he allows anybody who likes to give or bequeath it. Yet both practices lead to the same result. And nearly two-fifths of the whole country are held by women; this is owing to the number of heiresses and to the large dowries which are customary.
Spartan greed has led to problems with land ownership. Some have large lands, some have very small ones. Because women are allowed to inherit land, they own 2/5 of Spartan property.
It would surely have been better to have given no dowries at all, or, if any, but small or moderate ones. As the law now stands, a man may bestow his heiress on any one whom he pleases, and, if he die intestate, the privilege of giving her away descends to his heir. Hence, although the country is able to maintain 1500 cavalry and 30,000 hoplites, the whole number of Spartan citizens fell below 1000. The result proves the faulty nature of their laws respecting property; for the city sank under a single defeat; the want of men was their ruin.
Thanks to these inheritance laws, Sparta's citizen numbers fell below 1000, despite its lands being able to maintain over 30,000 soldiers. Sparta's main reason for defeat - a lack of male citizens.
Source:
From: Aristotle, The Politics of Aristotle,: Book 2, trans. Benjamin Jowett (London: Colonial Press, 1900)
