Spartan Women at War

The tradition on the relationship between Spartan women and war is not unequivocal. Some sources (in particular Plutarch, Moralia 227 d 12; Lyc. 14, 3) emphasise the contribution of women to the defence of the homeland, also as a result of the special training they received from a physical point of view. Other sources, on the other hand (Plato and Aristotle), in polemic with the previous ones, downplay the military value of the training received by Spartan women and the extent of their contribution in war. Moderns have generally argued against an actual participation of Spartan women in warfare, except in exceptional cases related to the direct threat to the city (Napolitano); they would have shown their arete through sport, ideological collaboration and, above all, by giving birth to warriors (Ducat); accounts of their military valour would actually be aitia to explain cults (Graf). The chapter intends to examine the dual ancient tradition and focus on the actual role of Spartan women in the war, examining the episodes of direct participation recorded in the sources and also taking into consideration the forms of ideological collaboration, i.e. the contribution made by women to the consolidation of the Spartan ideology of war and their sharing of the city's values. A particular aspect of the problem is the presence of armed female deities in Sparta (e.g. Aphrodite, who is not usually associated with weapons), to verify their relation to the possible military role of Spartan women; adequate space will also be given to ritual aspects.