Lycurgus’s Sparta - The Most Ambitious Behavior Design Experiment in History?

Sparta’s wealthy had finally had it with Lycurgus. A furious mob denounced him in the marketplace and chased him as he attempted to flee. Lycurgus is said to have lost an eye in the encounter.

And his fault – He had set upon one of the most ambitious behavior design projects in history.

One that withstood the test of entropy for five hundred years.

Lycurgus said to have lived between 800 BC, was responsible for laying down Sparta’s unique system of governance and martial lifestyle.

In transforming the Spartans, Lycurgus redesigned the environment to make desired behaviors easy and undesired ones nearly impossible:

• Redistribution of land so that everyone had equitable lots. Just enough to sustain themselves and their families.

• Replace all gold and silver as currency with iron.

• Meals at common messes with simple and specified food instead of at homes.

• Taking all male children over 7 years of age under state control where the children lived, studied, and ate together. The meals allowed to them were deliberately scanty to make them resourceful by stealing if needed.

• Using music and poetry in shaping aspirations. Either to praise desired behavior or censure unwanted ones.

• Training so rigorous that, during wars, Spartans felt respite and relief. Talk about sweating more during training versus during performance.

Having achieved a complete transformation, Lycurgus assembled the Spartans and made them take an oath that they would not change any of the laws till he returned.

Then he left to never return.

Spartans continued to follow his laws unchanged and prospered for five hundred years till gold and silver finally made their way back into Sparta.