Sparta has always been considered a special form of Greek culture. Unlike their Greek counterparts, who are remembered for their masterpieces of art and philosophy, Spartans are remembered for their unique way of life. Warfare, the pursuit of honor, courage, and the desire to be better enabled Sparta to be the leading power in the Hellenic world throughout the centuries. They are known for their brevity, simplicity, and wit in speech. Plato said that even beside an average Spartan, every Greek feels like a little child. Spartan king Lycurgus established the social order and the foundations of the law. For the implementation of laws, which were never written down, they relied on the structure of power and the morality of those who led the state. The goal of the entire Spartan way of life was to diminish the sense of value in material possessions and increase the sense of value in what they considered most valuable – human virtues.
The Spartan military education was based on the individual and the development of their “warrior character”. Warfare and The upbringing was primarily focused on the individual warrior and the weaknesses that the warrior had within themselves. This was the first battlefield on which young Spartans fought. Every form of weakness, whether physical or character-related, was a flaw that the warrior had to overcome. A Spartan with fewer flaws and more virtues will certainly be a better warrior.
The first step in building a warrior was education. Spartan children belonged to the state, not to their parents. Although this way of looking at offspring may seem unacceptable and strange to us today, it created a distinct sense of unity. A Spartan considered themselves to be the father, son, and brother of the other Spartans at the same time. Guided by this idea, they gave their best for the survival of the state. The state was the ideal, placed above the interests of the individual. The education itself, from childhood to maturity, is beyond the scope of this article, but every part of that process was carefully designed and supervised by the older generations who had been through it themselves.
Learning about fear – phobology
Fear, phobos, arises in every physical conflict, especially in battle. As a defense mechanism, by secreting hormones, increasing the rhythm of breathing and heart rate, it prepares the body for danger. Fear is a natural reaction, but if not controlled, it leads to panic, which paralyzes the body and exposes it to external influences.
One of the principles of Spartan phobology was constant exposure to fear, so that when it appears, it is something familiar and ordinary. Aware of these insights, the Spartans were experts in studying fear and working with it on a daily basis, to the point that even the law encouraged working with fear. An example of this was the prohibition of using street lights and torches for lighting the way at night.
In addition, since even enemies feel fear, it can be a powerful ally. That is why they took care of the appearance and organization of combat units, which were supposed to evoke a sense of fear in the enemy with their presence and demeanor.
In order to overcome their own fear, they kori They inspired warriors with songs, especially those about great heroic deeds, which filled their hearts with a sense of glory and honor. Children were taught to respond to fear and attacks with humor. They believed that a good sense of humor could overcome the instinctive reactions of the body. The clever Spartan jokes they used in response to enemy intimidation are well known. The art of poetry, sense of humor, and knowledge of breathing techniques were the pillars of Spartan teachings on fear.
When Xerxes told Leonidas to surrender his weapons before the battle of Thermopylae, Leonidas replied, “Come and take them!”
Four ways of acting in relation to fear
Within phobology, there are four ways of acting in relation to fear. They culminate in the virtue that opposes fear, and the final victory over fear is only possible if that virtue exists. These four stages are steps that lead to andreia, warrior’s courage or the destruction of fear.
The first step in the fight against fear was “acting despite fear.” The Spartans say that when a warrior finds himself in a situation of fighting for his life, surrounded by constant presence of death and forced to witness the horrors of war, he enters a state of mental paralysis they called catalepsy or possession. In this state, the warrior acts solely out of panic or instinct, without thinking or caution, simply fighting without caring about the consequences. This is what is called “battle madness”, which many chroniclers of war describe. In the state of catalepsy, a warrior could achieve great feats, but these acts were never recognized as acts of bravery or virtue, because even animals, when placed in a situation of fighting for their own survival, behave in the same way. This mode of action in Sparta was criticized because they believed it turned a man into his opposite, a beast.
The second step in conquering fear was to “conquer fear” itself. They strived for this through what we call the “Spartan way of life”, which is a constant pursuit of virtue that Lycurgus, their founder, believed would lead to discipline and fearlessness in battle. The legislator instilled in the hearts of his fellow citizens a fear of bringing shame upon their fathers, families, friends, themselves, and ultimately their own city, which was stronger than the fear of death in battle. Because of this, many chose to die rather than return home humiliated by the enemy. Due to the nature of this action, which involves deliberation rather than just acting on instinct, it is more noble than catalepsy, but by no means is it andreia – warrior courage.
The third stage of fear learning was action driven by a “desire for glory.” The degree of nobility contained in such action brings it closer to the Spartan ideal of human behavior than the previous two. An example is found in the motivations and spirit that drove Olympic champions. The warrior’s shield, carried on the left arm, protects the exposed right side of a fellow warrior in the battle line. Therefore, it was a special honor to fight alongside the king, as his protector. Few were able to prove themselves in life and battle to earn this privilege, and among them They were also conquerors of Olympic competitions. Plutarch tells the story of a Spartan winner at the Olympic Games to whom a merchant offered a prize for his achieved victory. After the winner refused the prize, the merchant asked him in astonishment why he put in so much effort and sacrifice without any reward. The answer was that the opportunity to fight alongside the king was the greatest reward he would receive.
This special way of achieving victory over fear, often considered supernatural, allows for the accomplishment of great heroic deeds. However, despite all the effort and sacrifice, the root of such an act is still selfish. Therefore, such actions cannot be divine.
Phobos – fear – is a characteristic of the material world and arises from the body, having its source in the physical being. Aphobia – bravery – is of divine nature and its source is in virtue. A warrior who developed his virtues was celebrated for them and as a result, he had divine characteristics in the material world. These were the prerequisites necessary to call someone a demi Furthermore, it was believed that the essence of warrior virtue lies in feminine principles. The Greek words phobos and tromos, synonyms for fear, are of masculine gender, while the words andreia and aphobia are of feminine gender. A similar approach to thinking about warrior bravery can be seen in Japanese warriors, samurais, who believed that a warrior, apart from the way of the sword, also needed the way of the pen. Namely, samurais believed that the highest quality of someone’s personality could be expressed only through the development of a nature opposite to their own. Thus, a warrior needed to “soften” their rigidity with poetry, calligraphy, or some other form of human skill that develops a connection with the immaterial, transcendent, while for samurai women, who occupied a special caste in Japanese society at that time, training in practical matters and handling weapons was recommended.
It is precisely at this point that the fourth and final step in achieving Aphobia, or “self-mastery,” is the ability to control instincts and impulses, allowing individuals to express their best selves. This concept of “self-mastery” is what elevates a warrior’s battle to a higher level. In this state, the warrior intelligently controls all reactions of their body and is unaffected by the circumstances of the fight. By attaining this state and connecting with andreia – warrior bravery, their actions become selfless and do not reflect upon themselves. This state can only be achieved by guiding actions with something higher, such as an ideal. Since the ideal is transcendent and archetypal, it comes from the divine and becomes the link between the warrior and the divine.
Spartan mothers would give their sons a shield and tell them to return: “With your shield or on it.”
According to the Spartans, this is the highest achievement for a warrior because their actions no longer originate from themselves, but from something greater. This state can only be experienced when individuals give up their personal desires and surrender to the ideal. In the deepest intimacy of a warrior lies a profound love for the ideal. Love, for Spartans, is precisely the opposite of fear and is at the same time the highest and most glorious achievement one can attain through warfare. The relationship between a warrior and love was depicted in Greek art as an intimate bond between Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and Ares, the god of war. By overcoming fear in this way, the one who fights also possesses great love for everyone around them, including their enemies.
The teachings about fear and the Spartan way of life aimed to build a person and guide them towards the best version of themselves. This way of thinking, although unfamiliar to modern humans as it combines something destructive and constructive, was not only present among Spartans but also in other chivalric societies. One example is the aforementioned samurai way of life, which also pursued the ideal. This summary of Spartan teachings about fear speaks of an approach to life that often extends throughout other Greek city-states. Perhaps Because of him, not only the Spartans but also other Greeks, despite facing outnumbered opponents, were winning battles for the survival of their own culture and way of life. There are several historical examples, let’s judge for ourselves.