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Politics- Ephors (Xenophon (suggests the ephors were around in the time of…
Politics- Ephors
Xenophon
suggests the ephors were around in the time of Lycurgus. Elsewhere Xenophon contradicts himself and suggests the institution of the ephors was created later.
Ephors exchanged oaths of obedience with the kings every month. Ephors represented the Spartan state and people; the kings represented themselves. The kings promised to obey the laws of Sparta and the Ephors, on behalf of the state and people, promised to respect the rights of the kings
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they could impose fines on individual citizens (including kings) for not carrying out their duties or for not meeting the required standards of behaviour.
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Ephors were therefore involved in the judicial process as well as the executive process (passing and implementing laws).
Athenians, having lost the battle at Aigospotamoi and then finally finding themselves besieged and out of grain, asked Agis II for a treaty as long as they could keep their Long Walls and a fortified Peiraieus. Agis II told them he did not have the power to make a treaty and suggested they send envoys to Sparta. However, the ephors prevented the Athenian embassy from entering.
decided which sections of the citizen body should be called up for military service. Two ephors accompanied the king on campaign from the beginning of the 5th century.
Aristotle
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the Ephors’ decisions were too arbitrary as they had no written rules to help judge; needed written guidance to help them make fair decisions, especially as they weren’t always the most qualified men as they were elected by ‘chance’
each new group of Ephors declared war on the helots on behalf of Sparta when they took up office each year (Plutarch quoting Aristotle)
implies that the kings and ephors competed for popular favour to the detriment of the state – he is implying that they sometimes made decisions to win popular support rather than decisions that would benefit the Spartan State in the long term.
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didn’t agree with the method by which the ephors were selected and felt they lived in too much luxury compared to fellow Spartiates
Plutarch
Institution of the Ephorate doesn’t appear in the Great Rhetra Plutarch quotes and was a later addition to the Spartan constitution.
Implies Ephors were brought in to ‘curb’ (control/counter balance) the power of the kings. Plutarch implies that during the reign of Theopompus (c. early 7th century) there was unrest amongst the common Spartiates regarding the power of the Kings. Theopompus’ solution was to give up some authority and pass it to the newly created Ephors
Thucydides
Ephors may have been allowed to propose legislation (ideas for laws) when in the Assembly if the evidence from Thucydides on Sthenelaidas is interpreted that way.
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Herodotus
Ephors could impose fines, even on Kings- Agis II after Mantinea
even a king could be put on trial before the ephors. This is apparently what happened to Cleomenes on his return from Argos in 494. He had failed to capture the city and was accused of taking bribes not to do so