In this blog we're taking a look at the equipment of the Spartan Kryptai Theron in the fifth century BC.
The Kryptai were members of the Krypteia, an organization whose precise structure and purpose remained unclear. This is no surprise, since the name Kryptai comes from the Greek word κρυπτός, 'secret'. From the few sources in which they are mentioned, it's clear that they were a kind of very lightly armed commandos who carried out assassinations and other secret tasks, a counterpoint to the heavily armed Spartan hoplites of the battlefield. The Krypteia was also an extension of the agoge, Sparta's rigorous education system. After young men had completed the agoge at age 21, the best of them became members of the Spartan warrior class who fought as hoplites. The Krypteia can be seen as a Spartan variant of Proto-Indo-European war bands the koryos.
Origin of the Helots
One of the goals of the Krypteia was suppressing the Helots, the enormous underclass of slaves in Spartan society. They provided for the necessities of life for Sparta, so that the Spartans (the class of Spartan citizens) could dedicate themselves entirely to the art of war. Unlike other forms of slavery, Helots were not the property of individual citizens, but collective property of the Spartan state.
This division of Spartan society had emerged in the eighth to seventh century BC as a result of the Messenian Wars, large-scale conflicts between two peoples in the Peloponnese, the Messenians and the Spartans (Laconians). The war was started by the Spartans due to overpopulation in Laconia and ended in a Spartan conquest of the Messenian part of the Peloponnese. This homeland of the Messenians was largely depopulated and the large population was completely enslaved to work the Spartan estates.
In later centuries, the Spartans themselves believed that the origin of the division of Spartan society was much older. According to them, the Helots were descendants of the Achaeans, the original inhabitants of the Peloponnese who after the fall of Mycenaean civilization in the bronze Age were enslaved by the Dorians, the ancestors of the Spartans. This 'Dorian invasion' of the Peloponnese was allegedly even led by the descendants of Hercules, the 'return of the Heraclids'. This story was integral to Spartan identity in the classical period.
Although this was claimed by the Spartans themselves and Greek historians such as Herodotus and the aforementioned Thucydides, there is no archaeological evidence of a violent Dorian invasion to be found; therefore, this theory is nowadays considered by archaeologists mainly as mythical. What did occur in this period in the Peloponnese was a spread of the Dorian dialect that was later spoken by the Spartans, a process that took place over a longer timeframe and was not specifically tied to one 'Dorian' population.
The Kryptai and the Suppression of the Helots
The suppression of the Helotic population was a centuries-old and active process. The Helots were seen by the Spartans as inferior and weak, but were also feared because they could pose a threat due to their vast numerical superiority. For this reason, the Kryptai were deployed to prevent possible uprisings.
After the annual election of Spartan magistrates (ephores), the new leaders of Lacadaemonia declared war on the Helots. The Kryptai were sent out to murder village leaders, popular figures, and the strongest Helots. They did this by, according to Greek writers, stalking the land unseen 'like beasts of prey' and surviving on what they could steal from the Helots. According to the philosopher Plato, the Kryptai wore no shoes, slept outside in winter, and were completely self-reliant; a Kryptai who needed help was not worthy of his name. Plato indicated that they were active both day and night, but Plutarch contradicted this, claiming that Kryptai mainly did their work at night; this suggested that they remained unseen, but could also mean that the Helots were subject to an evening curfew. But why were those poor Helots treated so harshly?
The Indo-European Class System
In Indo-European culture, both the divine and human world were characterized by a hierarchical division. Society was probably structured into three classes: the working class (herders and craftspeople), the warrior class and the ruling or priestly class. Within this latter class, there was no distinction between priests, aristocrats, and kings; they shared a common role in maintaining order and governing the community.
This division originates from the Proto-Indo-European cosmic creation myth. According to this myth, two of the three classes emerged from separate parts of the body of Yemo, the cosmic twin. The royal class was formed from both body parts, allowing them to understand and connect all layers of society. The other twin brother, Manu, became the first priest and taught mankind to make sacrifices to the sky god to preserve the cosmic order.
Spartan Class Society
Both the Spartans and the Helots were probably descendants of Dorian peoples and differed little in ethnicity or culture. The complex relationship between the two groups likely originated from a collective traumatic conflict in the past.
The Spartans, numerically outnumbered by the hostile Helots, felt threatened. To ensure their survival, they became extremely focused on the warrior class and transformed their society into a military state. At the same time, the Helots as a whole were assigned the role of an unfree working class.
Whereas among other Indo-European peoples the warrior class consisted of free citizens who could also be farmers or craftspeople, the Spartans developed from this a permanent professional army, completely devoted to warfare.
Clothing
Chiton (tunic)
Greek tunics were made of linen, sometimes also of wool. The tunic that Theron wears has short sleeves, but in the warmer months Greeks often wore light, warm garments that left their arms and shoulders uncovered. Classical Greeks wore no trousers under their tunics, as they considered them barbaric.
Belt / strap
To shape the tunics, both simple leather straps and fabric belts were used.
Chlamys (cloak)
The chlamys was a woolen cloak worn in classical Greece. This kept clothing clean and offered the wearer protection against weather and wind. However, the cloak that Sophron wears is not only meant to keep him warm, but also helps him to disguise or hide himself in the darkness.
The cloak was fastened with a fibula, a metal clothing pin that was often decorated.
Dagger
Kryptai had as their only weapon a dagger, which they used to carry out assassinations but also as a tool to survive in the wild.
