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If there were any visible defects, or the child looked weak, it was taken to mount Taygetos, and left to die, owing to this harsh custom, women far outnumbered men in ancient Sparta.Ĭynisca, whose name means “ little puppy”, being a wealthy Spartan princess, would have perfected her equestrian expertise, through her daily habit of overseeing all the land she owned, on horseback, a sight unprecedented anywhere in the ancient world.Ĭynisca, sporting legend, successful trainer and owner of a champion chariot team, at the age of around forty, proved herself to be as worthy as any man, when, at the Olympic Games of 396 BC, she employed male charioteers to drive the horses she trained (a man employed by a woman must have been unthinkable to the rest of Greece back then) and won the four-horse chariot race ( tethrippon Greek : τέθριππον).Īnd, as if that was not enough proof, she did it all over again at the 392 BC Olympics, even men were astounded at her achievements. Explore Abby Hutsons board 'Chariot race', followed by 1,227 people on Pinterest. Soon after birth, male babies of Sparta, were bathed in wine and if they survived this, were taken to the elders, who decided if the child was strong enough to become a Spartan. Outside of Sparta, they had a reputation for promiscuity and controlling their husbands and unlike Athenian women Spartan women could legally own and inherit property.īy the fifth century, Sparta, a militarist state, was the most powerful nation in all of Greece.
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Spartan women, some of the most unique women of ancient Greece, had more freedom and were usually better educated than women elsewhere in the ancient Greek world, the thought being, that an educated women would produce strong, intelligent children. If you were born a woman in ancient Greece, Sparta was the place to be, unlike their counterparts of Athens, Sparta, when it came to women, was positively radical. It was a known to be a more important event than horseback riding which was removed from the Olympic Games. It was added in 680 BC expanding the racing games from a one-day event to a two-day event.
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Sparta: “ the country of lovely women” Homer Chariot racing was said to be the event that founded the Olympic Games in Greece. To do this, they simply have been sending their chariot, which participated in the race. Despite the above, sometimes rich women took part in the chariot race in absentia, the most long-awaited stage of the ancient Olympic Games. Spartan women wrestling., fresco, 1835-36. An exception was made only for the priestesses of Demeter, the ancient Greek goddess of agriculture and fertility.