What is Gerousia in Greek?



The Gerousia (γερουσία) was the council of elders in ancient Sparta. Sometimes called Spartan senate in the literature, it was made up of the two Spartan kings, plus 28 men over the age of sixty, known as gerontes.

What was the purpose of the Gerousia?

The gerousia prepared business to be submitted to the apella and had extensive judicial powers, being the only Spartan court that could pronounce sentence of death or exile.

Who was in the Gerousia?

The council of elders in Greek cities, notably at Sparta. The Archaic and Classical Spartan gerousia comprised 28 men aged over 60, drawn de facto (if not de iure) from the leading families, together with the two kings. Membership was for life; vacancies were filled through competitive acclamation by the citizens.

What is the population of Gerousia?





The Gerousia had 30 members, of whom 28 had to be over 60 (the other two members were Sparta’s two kings, each of whom was drawn from one of the two Spartan royal families), who were elected to serve for life by the male Spartan citizens.

How do you pronounce gerousia?


Quote from video: Será asia será al día gracia.

Why did Sparta have two kings?

Sparta was an oligarchy. The state was ruled by two hereditary kings of the Agiad and Eurypontid families, both supposedly descendants of Heracles and equal in authority, so that one could not act against the power and political enactments of his colleague.

Who trained the Spartans?



One factor was the agoge, the Greek city-state’s educational and training system, which used harsh, extreme and sometimes cruel methods to prepare boys to be Spartan citizens and soldiers. “The agoge aimed to instill soldierly virtues: strength, endurance, solidarity,” as the late Canadian historian Mark Golden wrote.



How did Spartans choose their king?

Oligarchy– Sparta always had two kings, the state was ruled by two hereditary kings of the Agiad and Eurypontid families (probably the two gens had great merits in the conquest of Laconia). King was succeeded by his the first born son after he came to power.

Were Spartans allowed to travel?

The Spartans isolated themselves (to be alone) from other Greeks because they looked down on trade and wealth. They did not allow their own citizens to travel and had little use for new ideas or the arts.

Are the ephors real?

The ephors were a council of five Spartan men elected annually who swore an oath monthly on the behalf of the state. The Spartan kings, however, would swear on behalf of themselves.

What is a helit?

helot, a state-owned serf of the ancient Spartans. The ethnic origin of helots is uncertain, but they were probably the original inhabitants of Laconia (the area around the Spartan capital) who were reduced to servility after the conquest of their land by the numerically fewer Dorians.

What’s the meaning of ephors?



ephor, (Greek ephoros), title of the highest Spartan magistrates, five in number, who with the kings formed the main executive wing of the state. In antiquity, time periods were recorded by the names of the ephors on a list that dated back to 754 bc.

What is council of the Greek?

Greek Council is the joint governing body of the social greek organizations. Inter-Fraternity Council is the governing body of the social fraternities and Panhellenic Council is the governing body of the social sororities.

What is Wanax Greek?

The Wanax,, the king, is at the highest grade of the Mycenaean hierarchy. This supreme monarch ruled the state from the palaces, he made laws and determined the rate of taxes, he directed the collective works and defined the international conditions.

What was the name of the training that boys were given in Sparta?

the agoge



How did the Spartans become so awe-inspiring? One factor was the agoge, the Greek city-state’s educational and training system, which used harsh, extreme and sometimes cruel methods to prepare boys to be Spartan citizens and soldiers.

Are the ephors real?

The ephors were a council of five Spartan men elected annually who swore an oath monthly on the behalf of the state. The Spartan kings, however, would swear on behalf of themselves.

How did Spartans treat their wives?

Women could inherit property, own land, make business transactions, and were better educated than women in ancient Greece in general. Unlike Athens, where women were considered second-class citizens, Spartan women were said to rule their men. The Greek philosopher Aristotle (l.

Who betrayed the Spartans in real life?

… pass by the Greek traitor Ephialtes, outflanked them. Sending the majority of his troops to safety, Leonidas remained to delay the Persians with 300 Spartans, their helots, and 1,100 Boeotians, all of whom died in battle.