I’m reading a rather wonderful book, “Schools of Hellas” by Kenneth J Foreman, published in 1907.

In this rather lengthy, juicy paragraph he describes the arrangements for the education of young Spartans:

At seven the boys were taken away from home, and organised in a most systematic ways into ‘packs’ and ‘divisions’… These packs fed together, slept together on bundles of reeds for bedding, and played together. The boys had to go barefoot always, and wore only a single garment summer and winter alike. They were all under the control of a ‘Paidonomos’ or ‘Superintendent of the boys’, a citizen of rank, repute, and position, who might at any moment call them together, and punish them severely if they had been idle: he had attendants who bore the ominous name of Floggers.

In order that the boys might not be left without control, even when the Paidonomos was absent, any citizen who might be passing might order them to do anything which he liked, and punish them for any fault they committed. The most sensible and plucky boy in each pack was made a Prefect over it, and called the Bouagor, or ‘Herd-leader’; the rest obeyed his orders and endured his punishments.

Over every school was set one of the young men over twenty who had a good reputation both for courage and morality. He was called the Eiren. …The boys dined with him in his house; they were supplied with a scanty meal by their parents to eat there, and were encouraged to make up the deficiency by stealing. When the Eiren had finished supper, he ordered one of the boys to sing, and to another he propounded some question which needed a thoughtful answer… The answer had to be accompanied by a concise reason; failure was punished by a bite on the hand. Elder men watched, saying nothing at the time, but rebuking the Eiren severely afterwards if he was too strict or too lenient.

I could have a very good time imagining myself as a Spartan boy, or even an unduly lenient Eiren who has to pay for unwanted kindness…