Spartan cultural life

Signs of cultural stagnation by the end of the 6th century BC, followed by the loss of quality and the disappearance of some production completely in the 5th century BC

Not big on Architecture, really only temples. No houses have been excavated

- Not enough surviving material to know what the building actually looks like 

- base of the statue was like an altar

- Primary function (from pausanias) was that it was to serve as a throne for ancient cult statues of a Apollo

- Shrine to Apollo and a tomb of Hyakinthos

- All from Pausanias 

Catling: Archeologists, it was built in late 7th century

Small monumental building

Was rebuilt from the original building of 5th century BC

- First temple 700 BC was a small strucuture, long and only 4.5m wide. Simple construction. Roof was triangular and covered with painted tiles

- A raised dais was found inside the temple and this was interpreted as the place where the Xoanon, was placed

- Reowned for it's fine music

- attracted the most famous muscians and poets who travelled around the Greek world

- songs sung by dancing choruses- famous for this. It was accomplished by a string instrument (kithera) and by wind instrument

- Poetry sung by massed voices with a choir master

- Those who learnt songs about the city were taught lessons about the gods, Sparta's hereos and Sparta's military, social and political views

- Different modes of music had an affect on people's character they belived

- singing and dancing brought everyone in time with each other

- music was a socialising influence because it blended voices and playing set parts the singers to cooperate with each other

- music was rekated to hoplite drill and to psychological prepartion for battle

- it was used to accompany work, to set the stroke for rowers, accompany gymnastic exercise and even aid to discuss and javelin contestants in their build up to the throw

- Thucydides: "slowly to the sound of many flutes... in order that the hoplite line should not be broken"