Famous Men of Greece · Ch. X · Unit 4: Sparta and Athens

15. Lycurgus

Goal: Your child can describe how Spartans lived under the laws of Lycurgus and say what Sparta was famous for.

⏱ About 30 minutes · 6 steps

Open it at the Internet Archive ↗

You'll need

  • A map or globe (a free online map works well)
  • A notebook or paper and colored pencils
  • Your timeline (a long strip of paper on the wall, or a notebook page)

What's in the book

After the Trojan War, Sparta is torn between rich and poor. Lycurgus refuses to make himself king, travels, then gives Sparta new laws: a vote for every Spartan, land divided fairly, iron money, hard training for boys and girls, simple meals in public dining halls. Sparta becomes the greatest military state in Greece.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Set the scene

    Find Sparta in the southern part of Greece, called the Peloponnesus.

    SayNow the book moves from myths toward history. Lycurgus is very old and half legend; historians today are not sure how much of his story is true. But Sparta, and the Spartan way of life, were real.

  2. Read the chapter together

    Read pages 110–116 aloud, or let your child read and help with the hard names. The book uses the word "oligarchy": government by the few.

  3. Narration

    Close the book. Ask your child to tell the story back in their own words, from the beginning. Don't correct as they go; just listen. If they get stuck, use a prompt:

    - Why did Lycurgus refuse to be king?

    - What changes did he make to land and money?

    - How were Spartan boys trained?

    - What did Spartans eat at the public tables?

  4. Talk it over

    Ask:

    1. Why did Lycurgus make money out of iron?

    2. Who did the work in Sparta? Was that fair?

    3. What did Lycurgus mean by "Sparta's citizens are her walls"?

    4. Would you have liked to grow up in Sparta? Why or why not?

  5. Remember it

    "Come back with this, or upon this."

    "Sparta's citizens are her walls."

    SayWe still call a very plain, tough way of living "spartan."

  6. Add to your timeline

    The book says Lycurgus left Sparta "about 825 b.c." Add Sparta and its laws to the timeline.

Afterwards

Your child writes three Spartan rules and three rules they would make for a fair city.

Tip

Preview page 114. It says weak babies were not allowed to live, and that Helots were made drunk to teach boys a lesson. You can skip those lines or say simply: "The Spartans were sometimes very cruel. Good laws protect the weak."

Answers to the book's problems

1. So no one would want to trade with Spartans or grow rich; it was worthless outside Sparta. 2. The Helots (slaves). Not fair: they and the other lower classes had no say in the government. 3. Strong, trained men protect the city better than a wall. 4. Any reasoned answer.

Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.

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