Ancient History HSC > Greece: Spartan Society to the Battle of Leuctra 371BC

The issue of Lycurgus and the Great Rhetra

Who was Lycurgus? What was the Great Rhetra?

Please explore the following Internet sites and write a small report on Lycurgus and the Great Rhetra following the three questions that follow. Email your report to your teacher or utilise this template and submit your report in person.
 

1. Descriptions of Lycurgus @ (i) Wikipedia (ii) About.com

2. The Great Rhetra. "So eager was Lycurgus for the establishment of this form of government, that he obtained an oracle from Delphi about it, which they call a 'rhetra'."

3. Lycurgus - The Father of Sparta. This is a series of extracts from Plutarch's Lives.

4. Lycurgus. Plutarch's Lives. Annotated comments in the margins.

4. Lycurgus. Plutarch's Lives.

5. Democracy and Oligarchy in the Greek World. Lecture notes that include references to Lycurgus and the Great Rhetra.

6. Contrast of the reforms of Solon with those of Lycurgus. This article compares and contrasts the reforms of Solon with those of Lycurgus.

7. A student's essay on Lycurgus. There are some galring spelling errors in this one but interesting all the same.

8. The Lycurgus Cup at the British Museum. Check out this intriguing cup. It illustrates the life or myth of Lycurgus.

1. Was Lycurgus man or myth? Justify your answer.

2. What do you think was the purpose of the Great Rhetra?

3. Were the reforms of the Great Rhetra achieved overnight or do you think it was a gradual process?