This false belief that Spartans did not eat enough food, in my opinion, stems from depictions of the agoge, or Spartan educational system. In actuality, though, Spartans typically consumed large amounts of incredibly nourishing food—despite the fact that their cuisine was sometimes criticized for lacking flare.
But first, let's talk about the agoge misunderstanding. Boys from seven to twenty-one years old in Sparta trained together to become Homoioi, the city's citizen-soldiers.
Agoge, which means "leading" or "training," included teaching the lads to be careless with their meals. They were purposefully underfed at different times, with the idea that they would scavenge or steal to supplement their meals; if discovered, they would be punished by having their portions further reduced.
Although it had a function, this method undoubtedly seems cruel to audiences today. It was designed to get prospective warriors ready for the realities of fighting in times of war, when food was scarce because of the Spartan army's inadequate logistical capabilities despite their otherwise exceptional prowess.
After completing their agoge, the young Spartans were supposed to report to one of the syssitia, or barracks mess, where they were expected to eat daily—a norm that was rarely broken, even by Spartan monarchs.
The Homioi, or peers, of Sparta, were men with substantial property supplied by the state. The helots worked their estates, with their wives overseeing them while they were away.
As per the “Life of Lycurgus” by Plutarch:
They gathered in groups of fifteen or so, and each was required to bring in a bushel of grain, eight gallons of wine, five pounds of cheese, two pounds and a half of figs, and ten obols each month in order to purchase meat or fish.
In addition to this, each time one of them offered a sacrifice to the gods, they would always send a portion of the game they had slaughtered to the common hall; for these reasons, The only justifications permitted for home-based supping were these two instances.
Do you think this is a bad diet plan? There was more than enough cheese, even without hunting, to meet every man's protein demands. A meagre ten obols might really buy a good amount of meat too, considering the Spartans' dislike of money, but even so, hunting was an excellent method to supplement that.
It has to be reiterated that among the other Greeks, Spartan cuisine was, to put it mildly, not well-regarded. Specifically, their black soup—a purportedly repulsive concoction of boiling pigs' legs, blood, salt, and vinegar—which, according to a Spartan cook, made the tyrant of Syracuse gag when he spat it out.
To enjoy this broth, Your Majesty, you must have worked out in the Spartan style and taken a bath in the Eurotas.
It was even said that older Spartans would rather eat this soup than any other specialty. Nevertheless, the meal also included the ἐπάϊκλοv (after-meal), which was prepared by the participants and comprised game, fruit, chicken, and other delicacies.
Lastly, considering Spartan cuisine, it begs the question of why the reputation of the dish hasn't improved despite the employment of professional chefs. As stated by Herodotus:
The Lacedaemonians are similar to the Egyptians in that their heralds, cooks, and flute players all inherit their trade from their fathers; no one else usurps these positions and declares themselves a herald simply by using a loud voice; these people practice their trade by birth.
But first, let's talk about the agoge misunderstanding. Boys from seven to twenty-one years old in Sparta trained together to become Homoioi, the city's citizen-soldiers.
Agoge, which means "leading" or "training," included teaching the lads to be careless with their meals. They were purposefully underfed at different times, with the idea that they would scavenge or steal to supplement their meals; if discovered, they would be punished by having their portions further reduced.
After completing their agoge, the young Spartans were supposed to report to one of the syssitia, or barracks mess, where they were expected to eat daily—a norm that was rarely broken, even by Spartan monarchs.
The Homioi, or peers, of Sparta, were men with substantial property supplied by the state. The helots worked their estates, with their wives overseeing them while they were away.
As per the “Life of Lycurgus” by Plutarch:
They gathered in groups of fifteen or so, and each was required to bring in a bushel of grain, eight gallons of wine, five pounds of cheese, two pounds and a half of figs, and ten obols each month in order to purchase meat or fish.
In addition to this, each time one of them offered a sacrifice to the gods, they would always send a portion of the game they had slaughtered to the common hall; for these reasons, The only justifications permitted for home-based supping were these two instances.
Do you think this is a bad diet plan? There was more than enough cheese, even without hunting, to meet every man's protein demands. A meagre ten obols might really buy a good amount of meat too, considering the Spartans' dislike of money, but even so, hunting was an excellent method to supplement that.
It has to be reiterated that among the other Greeks, Spartan cuisine was, to put it mildly, not well-regarded. Specifically, their black soup—a purportedly repulsive concoction of boiling pigs' legs, blood, salt, and vinegar—which, according to a Spartan cook, made the tyrant of Syracuse gag when he spat it out.
To enjoy this broth, Your Majesty, you must have worked out in the Spartan style and taken a bath in the Eurotas.
It was even said that older Spartans would rather eat this soup than any other specialty. Nevertheless, the meal also included the ἐπάϊκλοv (after-meal), which was prepared by the participants and comprised game, fruit, chicken, and other delicacies.
Lastly, considering Spartan cuisine, it begs the question of why the reputation of the dish hasn't improved despite the employment of professional chefs. As stated by Herodotus:
The Lacedaemonians are similar to the Egyptians in that their heralds, cooks, and flute players all inherit their trade from their fathers; no one else usurps these positions and declares themselves a herald simply by using a loud voice; these people practice their trade by birth.