Gerousy

The gerousy (in Greek old γερουσία / gerousía , of γέρων/ gérôn , “the old man”) is the equivalent Spartan Sénat: it is an aristocratic element and oligarchical, in opposition to the assembled of the people.

It is an assembly of 28 old men of more than 60 years, the gérontes ( γέροντες ), elected with life, without rendering of accounts. This age limit corresponds at the end of the obligation of the military service. It is chaired by both kings.

Recruitment

The recruitment procedure is described by Plutarque in its Vie of Lycurgue . Each future géronte must make application form. It is then subjected to the vote of the Parliament, which is done by acclamations. Each candidate ravels, according to the order of the drawing lot, in front of the Spartans. Judges, in an adjacent house, must determine the intensity of the acclamations for each candidate, without knowing who precisely ravels at this time. One declares then elected that which obtained “the most cries and strongest”. Aristote judge puerile procedure ( παιδαριώδης / paidariốdês , Political , II, 9).

The statute of géronte is supposed being reserved to the worthiest men ( καλοὶ κἀγαθοί / kaloì kagathoí ). Once elected, new the géronte, the crowned head, visit the sanctuaries Spartans, accompanied by a procession of young people who celebrate his merits. It receives a second share with the Syssitie S. This contributes to make to gerousy an aristocratic assembly, reserved to the big families. Aristote declares thus that all the Spartans are satisfied of the mode, the aristocrats because of the gerousy, and populates it because of the éphorat. It is also probable that the candidatures must be the subject of an examination. Isocrate thus declares in the Panathénaïque that Lycurgue forced by the law to make the choice of the gérontes with as much of care than formerly one did it with Athens for the members of the Aréopage.

Prerogatives

The gerousy constitutes the supreme court. She considers the crimes serious, for example the cases of murder of a citizen, or by a citizen. In partnership with the éphores, it can judge the kings. It also decides between rivals during a royal succession, like in the case of Agésilas II and of Léotychidas.

From a political point of view, it is it which prepares the decisions. The private bills are submitted to him, and it can block them while using of its right to veto. Plutarque, to solve the problem of this redundancy of competences, supposes that the right to veto was useful in fact to block amendments voted by the Parliament. According to Edmond Levy (“large the Rhêtra ”, Ktèma 2,1977), it is rather a question of an evolution of being able to them. The exercise of the veto is attested only once, about the reforms of Agis IV.

In fact, the importance of the gerousy appears enough exaggerated by the Old ones which, of Pindare to Plato ( Lois , III), while passing by Démosthène ( Against Leptine ) and Eschine ( Against Timarque ), insists on the capacity and the authority of the gérontes. The authors of fourth century BC, large admirors of Sparte, undoubtedly recognize themselves more easily in the gerousy than in the éphorat or the double royalty. For the late authors, like Polybe or Plutarque, they could be let influence by the model of the Roman Senate, that Plutarque calls “gerousy” in the Vie of Romulus . On the other hand, the old texts evoke the gerousy little.

In the political arena, their capacity thus seems rather weak. On the other hand, their authority, magnifiée by their legal prerogatives, is undeniable. The kings as the éphores tried to reconcile them to follow their policy.

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