Spartan/Greek Hairstyles?

**Katsumoto** · May 05, 2009, 02:38 PM

Hey guys, I was just wondering what Spartan/Greek hairstyles looked like. I'm reading Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield, and there's lots of mention of Spartans dressing their hair, so yeah are there any pictures or something of how they had their hair? Also, while we're at it, I was wondering if the Spartans used the lambda on their shields, I think the book mentioned somewhere they did, not sure. If they didn't, what kind of emblems would they have used on their shields? One final thing, does anyone know what Sparta looked like at this time? The book mentions several villages put together or something, but I'm just finding it difficult to imagine. I really like to imagine everything when reading a book, to really put me into that time and place. Any info/pics would be appreciated greatly, thanks.

**Captain Jin** · May 05, 2009, 02:50 PM

I believe the Spartans had long shoulder length hair that was braided or something like that, and I don't know what Sparta looked like only that it had no walls. And that is a BAD ASS book, and you need to read all of Pressfield's other books, too. Hurry, go.

**conon394** · May 05, 2009, 03:52 PM

Also, while we're at it, I was wondering if the Spartans used the lambda on their shields, I think the book mentioned somewhere they did, not sure. If they didn't, what kind of emblems would they have used on their shields?

That is a difficult question.

There are jokes in Athenian dramas from the late 5th century that make it clear circa 430 BC Spartans carried a lambda. Xenophon is also fairly clear that by the end of the war (circa 400 BC) most Spartan allies seem to have adopted the practice. However there are references to personal crests on shields for Spartans in Plutarch (and maybe Herodotus?).

Thus the situation in and around the Persian wars is less than clear, but given that Plutarch was not producing a history it is not unreasonable to argue the lambda was likely part of the final form of the ‘classical’/Lycurgan state at Sparta (especially if you set that date late).

**Phalanx300** · May 05, 2009, 03:55 PM

Spartans did use the Lambda, but they only adopted it during the Pelopenesian war I believe. Before that they used the Mora emblems! Which I prefer!

On hair, Spartans were famous of having long hair and a beard but no moustache! Search for The Spartan Army, it has something about Spartan hairstyle. You should be able to read it at Google Books Preview.

**neoptolemos** · May 05, 2009, 03:57 PM

Sparta at the beginning of the Dorian rule was like any other Greek city and it has also a surprisingly good production of art pieces...

Under the pressure of need and certain circumstances had became the well known military state.

Spartans may looked like these guys :

**conon394** · May 05, 2009, 04:02 PM

Spartans did use the Lambda, but they only adopted it during the Pelopenesian war I believe. Before that they used the Mora emblems! Which I prefer!

I don't really think you can prove that. You can set a date on when the lambda was used for certain its hard to think the Athenian jokes work unless it a relatively well understood situation not just a recent adoption.

**Pallantides** · May 05, 2009, 04:14 PM

Here is a Greek statue of man with long braided hair

**Hookah Smoking Caterpiller** · May 06, 2009, 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by Pallantides

Here is a Greek statue of man with long braided hair

Thats archaic (pre-classical) sculputure

**][Xyphos][ - Lee** · May 10, 2009, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by Modern Life is Rubbish

Thats archaic (pre-classical) sculputure

yep and also Athenian, but i guess it is an attempt at common hair styles of c600bc. But seeing that your book follows the events of Thermopylae which happened in 480bc its doubtful their hair styles resembled that kourous.

**Starlightman** · May 05, 2009, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by Katsumoto

Hey guys, I was just wondering what Spartan/Greek hairstyles looked like. I'm reading Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield, and there's lots of mention of Spartans dressing their hair, so yeah are there any pictures or something of how they had their hair? Also, while we're at it, I was wondering if the Spartans used the lambda on their shields, I think the book mentioned somewhere they did, not sure. If they didn't, what kind of emblems would they have used on their shields? One final thing, does anyone know what Sparta looked like at this time? The book mentions several villages put together or something, but I'm just finding it difficult to imagine. I really like to imagine everything when reading a book, to really put me into that time and place. Any info/pics would be appreciated greatly, thanks.

Too many questions...

Ancient Greeks Long hair was always considered a mark of beauty, and kings, nobles and dignitaries grew their hair long and kept it well-groomed and cared for and beards received the same care as hair and were occasionally dyed.
During the early Babylonian period, men wore long beards.
Assyrian kings were represented with square beards made of a group of ringlets.
In the First Temple period, a shaved head and beard was a sign of disgrace. Greek men wore beards, but from the time of Alexander the Great, they appeared clean-shaven. Roman men shaved their beards until the time of Emperor Hadrian who brought beards back into fashion.
Also you can see my sig of ancient Greeks...

About the λάμδα "Λ"οne of the misconceptions which has been perpertrated by Hollywood is that the letter lamda (inverted V) was the emblem which adorned the Spartan warrior's shield at Thermopylae. Evidence suggests that the hoplite carried his own individual emblem (see below) and that the lambda did not make its appearance until much later.

Hoplite Shields of Sparta

This detailed map lists all the major poleis (cities) which were situated within the Peloponnesian Peninsula during the Classical Age of Greece. Special emphasis is placed on the districts from Sparta which assigned the citizens that were responsible for maintaining the elite warrior class of the ancient Greek world.

The recruitment center of each mora, which is defined as a unit of hoplites, selected their male citizens between the ages of 20-60 for induction into the Spartan army. Their respective regimental emblem is identified by the corresponding shield which has been researched extensively, thereby providing an image of unparalleled aesthetics and accuracy.

Hoplite Shields of Sparta - Copyrighted image courtesy of Nikos Panos & George Heliopoulos

Officer of the Spartan Mora(regiment)

This image is emblematic of an officer of the Hippeis regiment which was comprised of the 300 elite warriors who were the personal bodyguard of the Kings of Sparta. The transverse crest symbolizes the officer's status, while the Gorgon emblem on the shield was representative of the warrior from the city of Sparta.

Officer of the Spartan mora (regiment) - Copyrighted image courtesy of Nikos Panos & George Heliopoulos

About Sparta...

http://www.300spartanwarriors.com/ (En)

http://www.elysiumgates.com/~helena/ (En)

http://www.ancienthoplitikon.com/index.html (En)

http://www.spartanandamazonwarriors.com/ (En)

http://www.spartan-world.de/ (En)

http://www.spartans.gr/index2.htm (Greek)

Originally Posted by conon394

I don't really think you can prove that. You can set a date on when the lambda was used for certain its hard to think the Athenian jokes work unless it a relatively well understood situation not just a recent adoption.

My friend conon Phalanx have right about "λάμδα"...see above...

**Katsumoto** · May 06, 2009, 09:04 AM

Thats very helpful, thanks.

**Stavroforos** · May 05, 2009, 06:46 PM

Damn Greeks and their long hair, freakin' sauvages.

**Phoebus** · May 06, 2009, 01:27 PM

Something you should remember about the beard & mustache thing. Spartans, according to Plutarch (or was it Xenophon?) were commanded by their Ephors to shave their mustaches and obey the laws. This happened when the Ephors took office, which indicates that the moustacheless beard was probably not a year-long thing.

**Katsumoto** · May 07, 2009, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by Phoebus

Something you should remember about the beard & mustache thing. Spartans, according to Plutarch (or was it Xenophon?) were commanded by their Ephors to shave their mustaches and obey the laws. This happened when the Ephors took office, which indicates that the moustacheless beard was probably not a year-long thing.

Yeah, cos I was thinking, it must have been kind of hard to shave back then, so why shave just the mustache and not the beard? Seemed impractical. Looked kinda stupid too

Thanks for the info.

**Keravnos** · May 10, 2009, 01:39 AM

It was a cultural thing. All shaven face hair would be that of a civillian/ priest.
An all unshaven face could be considered even barbarian. (my own speculation).
A bearded face without a mustache would be the face of a warrior without being a "barbarian".

A face with a shaven mustache is shown in too many statues to mention, but the single most defining example is the one of the "Leonidas" statue found in the temple of Chalkoikos Athena in Sparta (The one with the ramheads as cheekguards)

Goatee with NO mustache.

So, let's re-iterate what we do have:
Ephors were elected to keep the men "mustache-less" not beard-less.
Statues (many of them) show the Spartans having long hair, short or long beard and NO mustache. I could go on for a long time speaking about how "cultural taboos" are an order higher of anything that "internet logic 2500+ years later" can supply.

Therefore, for anyone to dismiss what the Spartans obviously did as stupid, well, that would be quite erroneous.

**Phoebus** · May 10, 2009, 03:12 AM

I still believe that the Spartans' standard mode was beard plus moustache. The fact that the ephors called for the men to shave their moustaches on their election indicates that it wasn't something they did on a regular basis. I mean, even if you assume that they simply didn't shave their moustache every day, it's a bit odd for a religious-political proclamation to tell you to do something you were going to do anyways.

Where the statues are concerned, I think that their depiction is specifically tied to that proclamation: as the shaving was supposed to demonstrate one's fealty to the laws and his desire to make war for his state, that may have been the "ideal" for a statue to portray.

That's just my opinion, though!