Apella

The so-called Apella was the popular assembly of ancient Sparta.

General

To participate in the People's Assembly every male Spartan citizens with full rights ( Spartan ) was authorized more than 30 years, which this right was not denied. Perioeci and especially women and helots were excluded from it. While arguably the kings presided in earlier times, this was in the 6th century to the ephors about what convening a public meeting from then on. The conference took place - as specified by the Rhetra - apparently on a monthly basis, possibly at full moon. Voters were decided in the archaic manner according to the volume, in which the respective advocates or rejectors a template with call or roar " expressed ". If in doubt about the outcome of the voting was done by so-called Hammelsprung.

Powers

Formally, the Apella was the supreme decision-making body, but had issues in the current foreign policy and ultimately little discretion, as it was in its decision to the templates of the Kings ( Doppelkönigtum ), the Gerontes and in particular the ephors bound. In general, however, their approval of laws and other related decisions was necessary, for example, what concerned the decision on war and peace.

The People's Assembly elected furthermore all officials of the Lacedaemonian State, especially the Gerontes and the ephors. The election procedure corresponded to the general tuning mode: Selected by the government authorities in the run candidates were presented to the citizens present and won the election the one who received the greatest encouragement from damos ( laconically people ). In cases of dispute the succession of the royal houses, the Assembly decided on the future king.

Since the citizens apparently approached no speech or petition rights and was therefore not normally debated in the Apella ( unlike Athens), brought only the Gerontes and ephors an application over which the Spartans were able to vote in the sequence. If discussions of Apella have survived, they seem to be limited to the representatives of the authorities and foreign ambassadors who possibly even to the vote of the people " wrestling ", which was made after the discussions.

Although the legislation was a major task of the People's Assembly, specific laws have been passed down only sparse. In particular, the written record of laws said to have been frowned upon and / or prohibited.

Etymology

The name " Apella " apellázein was closed for the verb, which is used in the Great Rhetra for the convening of the National Assembly. Since it is assumed that the Rhetra should legitimize an already existing constitution in Sparta in retrospect, the name could be derived of the Spartan citizen assembly so. Thucydides and Xenophon, however, both connoisseurs of the Spartan conditions used, consistent with the generally usual Greek term ekklesia for the Spartan citizens' assembly, which can be seen as problematic use of the name Apella.