The great rhetra..what exactly is it? (1 Viewer)

[love2eight]

Im currently writing my notes for Sparta, and i keep always come across the 'The Great Rhetra' but none of the books or my notes seem to explain it clearly...I was wondering what it exactly it is and what has it got to do with Lykourgus?

 

[katen]

Lycurgus was the creator of the Great Rhetra after supposably receiving an oracle from Delphi to make significant changes to the constitution. it was like a type of government that was created.

 

[emilyrb1989]

the great rhetra was like the constitution of sparta it was what the spartans believed they had to run their city like and that why they had such a militaristic totalitarian state. lycurgus was suposedly the founder of the great rhetre which he recived from the delphic oracle howeever it is debateable whther or not he actually existed, plutarch tells of indiscretions in his time line. it is also believed sparta didnt turn into a military state because of the great rhetra because it is shown to be a gradual process.

hope that helps a bit xx

 

[love2eight]

Thanks!! Much more help than those books that seem to tell me zilch about the most important things...:burn:

 

[Adam.Meads]

Yeah if not too late just to add to this, the Great Rhetra was the system of Government, created by Lycurgus. Its primary purpose was a militaristic Spartan society, highly geared to war. However, keep in mind that it was a gradual process, and that Sparta didn't become a militaristic state 'overnight,' due to the Great Rhetra.

Speaking of Lycurgus, Plutarch was known to have not known whether he was "god or a man," - Tyrtaeus didn't even mention him in any of his work.

So basically, the Great Rhetra was the system of laws (created by Lycurgus) in which the Spartan State was goverened by.

 

[MyLoveIsPure]

also, Lycurgus was conisdered a god. It is also not yet known if lycurgus ever existed.

 

[Adam.Meads]

also, Lycurgus was conisdered a god. It is also not yet known if lycurgus ever existed.

Hence:

Plutarch was known to have not known whether he was "god or a man," - Tyrtaeus didn't even mention him in any of his work.

 

[Jess007]

it is like todays 'bible'
they lived by it... lycurgus apprently went to the oracle in deplhi... as someone said before..s oyeh..

 

[waxtrel]

I know this is now ancient history, but was the Great Rhetra an actual physical text? Has it been found? or are there just mentions of it by various ancient historians? nobody seems to have made this clear :S

 

[waxtrel]

for the benefit of others, i found out that the constitution was preserved orally for centuries, as 'Lykurgus' didnt want his laws being reduced to semantics, but to be imprinted faithfully on Spartans hearts. In a past paper I read Tyrtaeus' description of the Oracle's translation of Apollo's decree ('Eunomia' Fragment 4) - the privilage of the kings and gerousia and the voting of the assembly etc. yyaaay

 

[christoffpow]

Im currently writing my notes for Sparta, and i keep always come across the 'The Great Rhetra' but none of the books or my notes seem to explain it clearly...I was wondering what it exactly it is and what has it got to do with Lykourgus?

They won't ask you a question on The Great Rhetra (TGR). But they will most likely ask you one on Lycurugus, and you would obviously need to mention it. In response to the topic question, The Great Rhetra = The Great Law. Great Law = Combination of minor laws and reforms that contributed to the integrated whole: the Spartan constitution. Oracle at Delphi supposedly handed it down to Lycurgus, who then implemented it into Spartan society. Main purpose of TGR was to instill and promote equality among the Spartans, but more significantly to convert Sparta into a militaristic state. There are a number of his reforms, and some are pretty intriguing.. such as change in currency, the syssitia, educational system (agoge), distribution of kleroi, etc. you should look them up Also, might add that modern scholars today, such as Barret, believe Lycurgus was a 'series of lawgivers grouped under one name', and that the reforms supposedly attributed to him occurred over a period of time. It would have been impossible to change a society from Doric traditions to what was Sparta in a single mans lifetime. Remember to mention that in your exam

 

[christoffpow]

for the benefit of others, i found out that the constitution was preserved orally for centuries, as 'Lykurgus' didnt want his laws being reduced to semantics, but to be imprinted faithfully on Spartans hearts. In a past paper I read Tyrtaeus' description of the Oracle's translation of Apollo's decree ('Eunomia' Fragment 4) - the privilage of the kings and gerousia and the voting of the assembly etc. yyaaay

This is true. And apart from the poems of Tyrageus and Alcman, nothing exists in the way of Spartan writings. It's such a shame. Most of our ancient sources (written) are of Athenian origin. I'd say the most justified source was Plutarch.. still, would have been good to have a view from the Spartans perspective as opposed to the static view of other ancient authors, such as Xenophon and Thucydides