This is Sparta: Fierce warriors of the ancient world - Craig Zimmer

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Mile Živković

In ancient Greece, violent internal conflict between bordering neighbors

U antičkoj Grčkoj su nasilni unutrašnji konflikti između neposrednih suseda

and war with foreign invaders was a way of life,

i rat sa stranim osvajačima bili način života,

and Greeks were considered premier warriors.

a Grci su smatrani vrhunskim ratnicima.

Most Greek city-states surrounded themselves with massive defensive walls

Većina grčkih grad-država je okruživala sebe masivnim odbrambenim zidovima

for added protection.

zarad dodatne zaštite.

Sparta in its prime was a different story,

Sparta je na vrhuncu svoje moći bila nešto drugo,

finding walls unnecessary

smatrali su zidove nepotrebnim

when it had an army of the most feared warriors in the ancient world.

jer su imali armiju čiji su ratnici bili strah i trepet antičkog sveta.

So what was Sparta doing differently than everyone else

Pa, šta je to Sparta radila drugačije od svih drugih

to produce such fierce soldiers?

da bi proizvela tako žestoke vojnike?

To answer that question, we turn to the written accounts of that time.

Kako bismo odgovorili na to, okrenućemo se zapisima iz tog vremena.

There are no surviving written accounts from Spartans themselves,

Ne postoje preživeli zapisi od samih Spartanaca

as it was forbidden for Spartans to keep records,

jer je Spartancima bilo zabranjeno da beleže,

so we have to rely on those of non-Spartan ancient historians,

pa se moramo osloniti na nespartanske antičke istoričare,

like Herodotus, Thucydides, and Plutarch.

poput Herodota, Tukidida i Plutarha.

These stories may be embellished

Ove priče možda ulepšavaju

and depict Sparta at the apex of its power,

i oslikavaju Spartu na vrhuncu svoje moći,

so take them with a grain of salt.

pa ih uzmite s blagom rezervom.

For Spartans, the purpose for their existence was simple:

Za Spartance je smisao postojanja bio jednostavan:

to serve Sparta.

služiti Sparti.

On the day of their birth,

Na dan rođenja,

elder Spartan leaders examined every newborn.

starije spartanske vođe su pregledale svako novorođenče.

The strong healthy babies were considered capable of fulfilling this purpose,

Snažne, zdrave bebe su smatrane sposobnim da ispune svoju svrhu,

and the others may have been left on Mount Taygetus to die.

a ostali su verovatno ostavljani na planinu Tajget da umru.

Every Spartan, boy or girl, was expected to be physically strong,

Od svakog Spartanca, dečaka ili devojčice, se očekivalo da bude fizički jak,

mentally sharp,

mentalno oštrouman

and emotionally resilient.

i emotivno otporan.

And it was their absolute duty to defend and promote Sparta at all costs.

A njihova apsolutna dužnost je bila odbrana i promocija Sparte po svaku cenu.

So in the first years of their lives,

Pa su tokom prvih godina svog života

children were raised to understand that their loyalty belonged first to Sparta,

deca odgajana da razumeju da njihova lojalnost prvo pripada Sparti,

and then to family.

a onda njihovoj porodici.

This mindset probably made it easier for the Spartan boys,

Ovakav mentalni sklop je verovatno bio lakši za dečake,

who upon turning seven, were sent to the agoge,

koji bi, napunivši sedam godina, bili poslati u agogu,

a place with one main purpose:

mesto sa samo jednom svrhom:

to turn a boy into a Spartan warrior

da pretvori dečaka u spartanskog ratnika

through thirteen years of relentless, harsh, and often brutal training.

tokom 13 godina nemilosrdnog, strogog i često brutalnog treninga.

The Spartans prized physical perfection above all else,

Spartanci su iznad svega cenili fizičku savršenost,

and so the students spent a great deal of their time learning how to fight.

pa su đaci provodili značajan deo svog vremena učeći kako da se tuku.

To ensure resilience in battle,

Kako bi osigurali otpornost u bici,

boys were encouraged to fight among themselves,

dečaci su ohrabrivani da se tuku između sebe,

and bullying, unlike today, was acceptable.

a siledžije, za razliku od danas, su bile prihvatljive.

In order to better prepare the boys for the conditions of war,

Kako bi što bolje pripremili dečake za ratne uslove,

the boys were poorly fed,

slabo su ih hranili,

sometimes even going days without eating.

nekad su provodili dane bez hrane.

They also were given little in the way of clothing

Takođe su im davali malo odeće,

so that they could learn to deal with different temperatures.

kako bi mogli da nauče da se nose s različitim temperaturama.

Spartan boys were encouraged to steal in order to survive,

Spartanski dečaci su ohrabrivani da kradu da bi preživeli,

but if they were caught,

ali ako bi bili uhvaćeni,

they would be disciplined,

sledilo je disciplinovanje,

not because they stole, but because they were caught in the act.

ne zato što su ukrali, već zato što su uhvaćeni na delu.

During the annual contest of endurance

Tokom godišnjeg nadmetanja u izdržljivosti

in a religious ritual known as the diamastigosis,

u religioznom ritualu, poznatom kao dijamastigoza,

teenage boys were whipped in front of an altar

dečaci tinejdžeri su bičevani ispred oltara

at the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia.

u Svetilištu Artemide Ortije.

It was common for boys to die on the altar of the goddess.

Bilo je uobičajeno da dečaci umiru na oltaru ove boginje.

Fortunately, not everything was as brutal as that.

Srećom, nije sve bilo toliko brutalno.

Young Spartans were also taught how to read,

Mladi Spartanci su takođe podučavani čitanju,

write,

pisanju

and dance,

i plesu,

which taught them graceful control of their movements

kojim su sticali elegantnu kontrolu svojih pokreta,

and helped them in combat.

a to im je pomagalo u borbi.

While the responsibilities for the girls of Sparta were different,

Iako su zaduženja spartanskih devojaka bila drugačija,

the high standards of excellence

visoki standardi izvrsnosti

and expectation to serve Sparta with their lives remained the same.

i očekivanje da služe Sparti svojim životima su bila ista.

Spartan girls lived at home with their mothers as they attended school.

Spartanske devojke su živele kod kuće sa majkama, dok su pohađale školu.

Their curriculum included the arts,

Njihov nastavni plan je uključivao: umetnost,

music,

muziku,

dance,

ples,

reading,

čitanje

and writing.

i pisanje.

And to stay in peak physical condition, they learned a variety of sports,

A da bi bile na vrhuncu fizičke kondicije, učile su niz sportova,

such as discus,

poput bacanja diska,

javelin,

bacanja koplja

and horseback riding.

i jahanja konja.

In Sparta, it was believed that only strong and capable women

U Sparti se smatralo da jedino snažne i sposobne žene

could bear children that would one day become strong and capable warriors.

mogu da rađaju decu koja će jednog dana da budu jaki i sposobni ratnici.

To all Spartans, men and women,

Svim Spartancima, muškarcima i ženama,

perhaps the most important lesson from Spartan school

je možda najvažnija lekcija iz spartanske škole

was allegiance to Sparta.

bila vernost Sparti.

To die for their city-state was seen as the completion of one's duty to Sparta.

Umreti za svoju grad-državu se smatralo izvršenjem dužnosti prema Sparti.

Upon their death,

Nakon smrti,

only men who died in battle and women who died in childbirth

jedino su muškarcima umrlim u bici i ženama umrlim na porođaju

were given tombstones.

podizani spomenici.

In the eyes of their countrymen, both died so that Sparta could live.

U očima svojih sunarodnika oni su umrli kako bi Sparta živela.