Chapter 1
Sparta
(Historical novel)
By: Razzaq Shahid Koher
The ancient Greek state of Sparta, which played an important role in the history of the world and which was famous in the world for the military training of its citizens. The Spartan government of that time was responsible for the basic needs of every citizen.
It is said that when these ancient Dorians first settled in Greece, they settled in different places. The Greeks called the city a polis, but in reality these settlements were not cities but states. These states were also based on small islands. Their number was in hundreds. Aristotle says that the number of these states, excluding the islands, was 157 at that time. Their language, culture, customs and way of life were the same, but there was absolutely no political unity among them. They used to quarrel with each other day and night and cut each other's throats like the ancient Arabs on trivial matters. Every state was a free state in its own right. existed according to which people lived. These people had political freedom, they used to discuss political issues freely, but they always considered the opinion of the majority as the priority. Therefore, the decision of the majority was considered final.
Each state used to have an assembly hall for such decisions. Where people used to gather and not only participate in the discussion but also present their opinions. Each state was self-sufficient and protected itself. The people of the state usually did not settle in one place but were settled at distances from each other like tribes. They used to do different things, but in case of a fight or any danger, they would gather in hill forts and fight the enemy together.
At times, some of these states would also form alliances and help each other in fighting against their enemies. These states gave equal rights to their neighboring villages. Among them, the famous states were Sparta and Attica. The story of the novel revolves around these two states. Along with fiction, you will also get to read historical facts. I am sure my readers will like this novel too
About 1,000 years before Christ, people of the Dorian race of ancient Greece settled a city called Laconia, which became known as the state of Sparta in world history, twenty-five kilometers south of the southern coast of the Peloponnese. Spartan people were not only warriors but also extremely brave and hardworking. The citizens of the state were like a regular trained army. The laws of the state were the same for all. It was not only impossible to evade these laws, but it was deplorable. To the west of the city was Mount Tegetus, at the foot of which lay a vast plain. The land here was arable and sufficient to meet the needs of the Spartans. Apart from this, the Spartans did trade and other types of work.
The Spartans used to call the city the police, and it wasn't all that wrong. Sparta was indeed a police state but largely a military state, whose laws were enforced on men and women from seven years of age. Spartan were ruled by ephors. These ephors were more powerful than the rulers and were elected every year by popular vote. Whenever the army of the state went out on a campaign, its command was in the hands of an ephorus who had all kinds of powers. The state also had a council of twenty-eight members and each councilor had to be over sixty years of age. These councilors assisted the magistrates in administrative and political matters. When a political or administrative problem arose, it was presented to the common people in the assembly hall and then the problem was solved in the light of popular support.
There was a law in the state that when a child turned seven, he was handed over to the state for education. where he was trained to make a fighter. This period of training consisted of thirteen years. During this time, the children were trained in military games, shooting, swordsmanship, javelin, wrestling, swimming, horse riding and other physical sports. Along with this, children were also given elementary education so that they could read and write. In their free time, these students used to read Homer and other poets.
Homer was an ancient Greek poet who lived in the 8th century BC. He wrote masterpieces like Iliad and Odyssey. Their actual date is not known, but Herodotus says that Homer's time is about four hundred years before him, while some ancient estimates are made of the Trojan War, which is the twelfth century BC. Homer is also known as blind story teller man.
