Spartan Ephorate
What was the role and the authority of the ephors in the Spartiate Constitution?In ancient Sparta the office of ephor was both the most interesting and the most obscure of the offices under the Spartan constitution. It seems that the ephors became more important and gained more and more political power as the history of Sparta proceeded. According to tradition, the order was established at the time of the first Spartan war to help the kings of Sparta to carry out their main duties Messenia (736-716 BC), which necessitated the protracted absence from their country of the two reigning kings of Sparta, Alcamenes and Theopompus. But by the time first Persian invasion of Greece in 480 BC, the kings had lost much of their power, and it is certain that the ephorate had gained
But it was limited in an important way by the fact that the Assembly elected the ephors. At its peak of authority the board of ephors was the organ of citizen control over the dual kingship of Sparta. During campaigns they had no voice in command, but they might bring the royal leaders to trial for alleged errors in conducting war. The ephorate, therefore, undoubtedly possessed great power. There were five ephors, elected each year by the full Assembly of Equals. In practice it is fairly clear that the ephorate had the political power and influence in time of peace, and the kings had the authority in war, although the ephors always keep a close eye on the doings of the kings. They could fine people on the spot; and as well as joining the Gerousia in conducting criminal trials, they also had sole responsibility for conducting trials involving civil offences. Their relation to the two Spartiate kings was curious. a great deal of what the kings had lost. They had overall responsibility for the education of the Spartan youth and the maintenance of discipline throughout the community. At times of war the two Spartan kings was acting as commander in the field he was always accompanied by two ephors. Later it was revived and lasted until A. They controlled the Crypteia (Spartan secret police) and the state they had the power to direct generals to particular campaigns, and when one of finances. Anybody who was a Spartan Equal and over thirty years old was eligible to stand for election.
Common topics in this essay:
Spartan Equal,
Crypteia Spartan,
Spartiate Constitution,
Theopompus Persian,
Gerousia Assembly,
Assembly Equals,
Cleomenes III,
History Assignment,
Agis IV,
BC Spartan,
kings sparta,
kings lost,
war ephors,
spartan kings,
main duties,
political power,
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Acceptance Essays
