Podcast #1 - HST 205

This podcast is the first of a two-part series discussing relics from the historic Mediterranean. The focus is on the Spartan Woman Runner, a bronze-casted statue from the archaic period. It is believed to have been attached to a larger vessel and reflects the artistic choices of the Greeks during that era. The statue represents the athletic and political roles of Spartan women, who were encouraged to exercise and participate in Olympic events. Women in Sparta had more freedom in politics compared to other Greek societies. The statue highlights the empowering roles of women in ancient Greece, particularly in Sparta. Hello, welcome to my first podcasting series, a two-part series about different relics from the historic Mediterranean. I would have not been able to create this episode without the many sources I used, such as the British Museum's online collective of sources, The Global West by Kinder, and Sources of Western Civilization by Berger. Thank you for listening, and let's get into it. In this first episode, we will be focusing on the ancient relic from the archaic period called the Spartan Woman Runner. Kept in the British Museum of London, this almost 12 cm tall, bronze-casted statue is of a woman who is in a lunging position, comparable to the Yoko Poe's Warrior II, with a little twist in her waist as if she is looking backwards. While looking at it, this woman pictured appears to have on a dress or a toga with a braid in her hair, as well as a headband or a crown of some kind. This statue was discovered in Prizren, Kosovo, and was estimated to be made around 520-500 BCE. It has been hypothesized by scholars that with the shape and the stature of the foot, this statue was once attached to something, such as a bigger vessel of some kind. Many of these artistic choices reflect the Greeks and the era in which they were in. From the estimated creation date, we can tell that the Spartan Woman Runner was an avid ideal of the archaic period, as scholars say, between 1100 and 387 BCE, the Greeks evolved from the rudimentary agricultural society to the most important cultural and political presence in the Mediterranean world. Their development was fueled by a great sense of competition among individuals, social classes, and cities, as every Greek strove to gain some advantage over every other Greek. Competition extended to every aspect of Greek life, including politics, warfare, religion, athletics, literature, and art. When Greece had just discovered its identity at its height, specifically cities like Sparta, women were able to be athletically and politically active, which was not a common trait for women in other civilizations. A statue like this follows the historic definition of Spartan women, who were instructed to follow the good rule of Sparta, meaning to raise and become good soldiers. Not only was this a man's job, but women were also asked to do these tasks. Recorded by the Greek historian Plutarch, Lycurgus, who created the good rule, advocated that women needed to exercise themselves for wrestling, running, and other forms of exercise to maintain healthy, strong bodies, which would benefit childbearing. Not only were they allowed to train, but they were able to compete in Olympic events alongside men. Spartan women were athletic and active, but they were also able to perform political sciences more than traditional Greek women. Though they could not hold office or be in any official kind of government, they were allowed to voice their opinion in politics, which was a rarity in this era. Though it's seen as incredibly unfair in today's society, at this time, women being able to voice politics was a liberal and freeing idea. One of the most memorable quotes involving women during this period would be Gorgo, Queen of Sparta, discussing women's roles in society. She states that, The women of Sparta were the only women in the world who could rule men, because we are the only women who are the mothers of men. After all, when men would go off to war, women were the only ones who ruled the home, took care of domestic issues, and consoled men in privacy. Overall, the Spartan woman runner is just a statue, but this statue has given us the ability to see and believe the truths behind women's roles in Greece, specifically the strong and empowering roles within Sparta. Thank you for listening.