Hello One and All!
I hope everyone is doing well. Today the topic of discussion will be Spartan marriage customs. Ancient Sparta was a state infused with an ideology that emphasized bravery and militarism, and a lot of their customs reflected that, no more so than their weddings. Let's begin, shall we?
Spartan Marriage Customs
Women from Sparta usually married at the age of 18 to 20, whereas Athenians girls usually married at around 14 years old. Spartans married men that were roughly the same age.
Some sources describe an abduction of the bride practice, in which the wife-to-be was kidnapped by the bridesmaid and had her hair was cut close to the skin. The woman would then be dressed in men's clothes and would then be set on a pallet of straw. The bridegroom came at some point in the night and consummated the marriage, then left to return to his barracks, where he would sleep the rest of the night.
This cycle would continue. The Spartan men were only allowed to visit their wives at night, as they were still not full citizens of the state. Apparently this had the effect that some couples even had children together without seeing each other in daylight. This was done so as to train a couple in moderation and self-control. And another reason was to make the affection for each other grow stronger, because it was hoped that the absence made the heart grow fonder in this case.
At age 30 the man became a full citizen and he was granted various privileges. One was he could live with his wife and build a home together. Throughout most of their lives they would be subjected to a strict training regime that would test their bodies. Military duty for these men lasted until the age of 60, when the men could finally retire.
Thank you for reading!
I hope everyone is doing well. Today the topic of discussion will be Spartan marriage customs. Ancient Sparta was a state infused with an ideology that emphasized bravery and militarism, and a lot of their customs reflected that, no more so than their weddings. Let's begin, shall we?
Spartan Marriage Customs
Women from Sparta usually married at the age of 18 to 20, whereas Athenians girls usually married at around 14 years old. Spartans married men that were roughly the same age.
Some sources describe an abduction of the bride practice, in which the wife-to-be was kidnapped by the bridesmaid and had her hair was cut close to the skin. The woman would then be dressed in men's clothes and would then be set on a pallet of straw. The bridegroom came at some point in the night and consummated the marriage, then left to return to his barracks, where he would sleep the rest of the night.
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| Archaic bronze statuette of a Spartan female athlete. |
This cycle would continue. The Spartan men were only allowed to visit their wives at night, as they were still not full citizens of the state. Apparently this had the effect that some couples even had children together without seeing each other in daylight. This was done so as to train a couple in moderation and self-control. And another reason was to make the affection for each other grow stronger, because it was hoped that the absence made the heart grow fonder in this case.
At age 30 the man became a full citizen and he was granted various privileges. One was he could live with his wife and build a home together. Throughout most of their lives they would be subjected to a strict training regime that would test their bodies. Military duty for these men lasted until the age of 60, when the men could finally retire.
Thank you for reading!
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