In the Thermopylae gorge, in 480 BC, one of the greatest historical dramas took place. King Leonidas and three hundred of the finest knights of Sparta achieved a heroic act of defending humanity and freedom. With their lives and actions, they left a deep mark in eternity, which is reminded by one of the most famous epitaphs dedicated to the greatness and strength of the human spirit:
Tell them, stranger, that we stayed in our positions faithful to our laws.
Even today, almost two and a half thousand years later, many of us are left breathless by this magnificent expression of human dignity. However, the path to achieving such a sublime state of mind was anything but easy and quick. In addition to the almost mythical legislator Lycurgus, legendary Tyrtaeus is also credited with lifting the Spartan spirit and enabling them to have such a heroic stance in the face of death through his elegies.
The Life of Ancient Sparta
When we mention Sparta today, most people think of a strict, military way of life. In order to uncover the true essence of this fascinating civilization, we need to delve deeper into its rich history. In order to understand and enable the legendary Spartan heroism, we must go back to the very beginning of the formation of this distinct culture. In the 8th century BC, the life of ancient Sparta was not much different from that of other Hellenic cities. It exuded the strength of creative enthusiasm, the joy of life, and beauty. The great poet Alcman then composed the first Laconian lyric poems. A special influence on everyday life was the music of the master of the seven-stringed lyre from Lesbos, Terpander, who brought the tradition of Ionian elegy to Sparta.
During the time of the first Olympiad, the Spartan legislator Lycurgus, inspired by the Pythian blessing, introduced the “Great Rhetra,” unwritten laws that served as inspiration and guidance in the daily life of the Spartan people. The law, rhetra, as a shared system of values, had the task of enabling the construction of a community of people that would lead to the realization of a spiritual aristocracy, and the rule of those whose lives were filled with virtue. This is when the formation of the education and training system, the agoge, began. To ensure physically and morally strong individuals whose interest in the Spartan state outweighs personal interests. Those who were formed in this way became the “walls of Sparta” because Sparta was the only Greek city without walls, after they were destroyed by the order of Lycurgus. p>
Call for Help p>
Almost a hundred years later, another uprising of the subjugated Messenians seriously threatened Sparta. According to the advice of the Delphi oracle, the Spartans called upon the ancient alliance with Athens and asked for help… Legend has it that the Athenians, surprised by the request of the invincible Spartans, instead of sending a skilled strategist and general capable of turning the tide of war, sent Tyrtaeus, an old lame teacher who could not even lift a sword. Instead of strength with a sword, Tyrtaeus delights the hearts of the Spartans with his warrior elegies and gathers them like bees around their laws, king, and homeland, leading them to victory. p>
You warriors, before crossing the boundary of death, must cross the boundary of virtue. p>
Lycurgus’s wise state-building ideas have strongly influenced. the form of a warrior’s elegies and sublime hymns. Through these poems, Tirtaeus conveys to the Spartans the profound meaning of the “living law” based on eunomia, the realization of cosmic order on Earth. He also encourages young Spartans to pursue education and cultivate their character, which the great Stoic philosopher Zeno called “that which befits a human being.”
This very idea can be discerned in almost all of Tirtaeus’ warrior’s elegies, and it inspired the Spartan people to dedicate their lives to achieving a higher purpose: the establishment of a true state founded on the development of moral values in individuals. By fulfilling their personal potential, they contribute to the progress of the entire community.
Tirtaeus’ warrior’s elegies are rooted in the finest examples of Homeric mythical epics, but they possess a Spartanesque simplicity. He brought Homer’s ideal of the mythical hero closer to the Spartans, urging them to cultivate the ability to respond heroically to life’s challenges and offering the possibility of reviving the humane ideal in their own lives. to the world that surrounds them.
Even if he were more beautiful than Tithonus and richer than Midas and Cinyras, and even if he were a greater king than Pelops, Tantalus’ son, and more eloquent than Adrastus, I would not respect him for that reason, even if he had all the fame in the world, if he does not possess warrior courage…
Warrior elegies encouraged man to discover his true nature, to penetrate into true human values and to transform into a person capable of protecting and preserving life. Poems that touch human hearts inspire them to achieve lofty moral-political ideals, ideals for which man is willing to live every day.
The rhythm and verse of warrior odes awaken the spirit of combativeness and readiness to face the challenges of reality in young people, to elevate themselves so high in the conditions of an unstable life that they can overcome all the temptations that life brings. Tyrtacus especially sought to awaken their attachment and loyalty to their homeland. He describes the evasion of responsibility towards the homeland as the greatest loss of human dignity and c Once upon a time…
… and the one who falls among the warriors in the frontlines and loses his life, glorifying his city, fellow citizens, and father, struck by many spears in the chest, through a distorted shield and armor, he is mourned everywhere, both young and old, and the whole city mourns him with painful longing; his tomb and his children are respected among men, as well as his children’s children and future generations; his noble glory and his name will never perish, but he will be immortal, even though he lies underground…
The ideal of glory enables man to achieve heroic and truly humane deeds that resonate in eternity. Almost the entire Hellenic ethics is based on the realization of the archetype of a hero as a higher form of human expression.
Both young and old respect him, life brings him many honors and prestige, no one can harm him or diminish his rights. If a man is old, he is looked upon with awe and wherever he appears, they give him a place.
Tyrtaeus forever inspired his fellow citizens. With a community sense, with heroism, he encouraged the attempt to achieve a “valid order,” visible in genuine civic virtue – arete. Although his work belongs to the Spartan way of life, over the centuries it has become an inspiration to all Hellenic peoples, even to those who were strong opponents of the Spartan order.