Need a 3-4 page primary source analysis paper
auXDAN
psa_sample2.pdf
Random Student
HIST 2001
14 July 2012
Ancient Greece: A War Song by Tyrtaeus
The source document- A War Song was lyric poetry written by a man named Tyrtaeus,
who wrote about Spartan warrior values. His writing dates around mid-7th century B.C.E.
Spartans were born and raised to be warriors, so Tyrtaeus would have been an anomaly. Spartans
didn’t study the arts or literature, because these activities encouraged free thoughts and artistic
expression; both of which were discouraged. Free thought was believed to cause deference to
authority figures. Spartan leaders were so against free expression that their citizens couldn’t
travel abroad if it wasn’t for military reasons, and foreigners were discouraged from visiting
Sparta. New people could plant a seed of rebellion into the minds of Spartans. In his writings,
Tyrtaeus expressed his strong, proud Spartan heritage.
In ‘A War Song’, Tyrtaeus conveys the honor of doing one’s duty for their country. It
begins with talking about a soldier whose parents have to move in with him and his wife due to
extreme poverty, even though they can’t afford for themselves. He fights in the war and he
would proudly give his life for his family. (Tyrtaeus- “And, ah! while youths shrink back,
unshielded, stain his silver temples, and breathe out his soul!”) The young will be afraid of
fighting in war because they have their whole lives ahead of themselves. While the young are
more reluctant to put their lives on the line, he doesn’t ever think about running away; he accepts
the probability of his death.
The author clearly portrayed his message by stressing the importance of their principles,
but the language use was a bit confusing. The poem was translated from Greek to English by
Random Student
HIST 2001
14 July 2012
Rev. R. Polwhele; phrases don’t always translate smoothly from one language to another. The
time gap of about 2700 years also would have major differences in language use, because society
has developed in unbelievable ways, such as technology and higher education. The language is
relatively simple; there were only a couple of words that a person may not know off-hand, but
Tyrtaeus was very descriptive in the way that he wrote. ‘A War Song’ could also relate to present
time, because military prevalence in the world has increased. We have built up our numbers of
troops; a lot of enlisting servicemen are starting fresh out of high school, so they may not fully
understand the oath that they are taking. The experienced members of the military realize that
they may have to make that ultimate sacrifice at any time.
The document is significant due to the fact that Spartans did not write. They had to focus
on their military lifestyle. Tyrtaeus would have been somewhat of a revolutionary with his
writing. It wasn’t “creative” writing because it accounts for Spartan history, so I do not think that
he would experience too much backlash or punishment for wanting to write. His writings
portrayed the ideal Spartan citizen defending his homeland no matter what.
I read this source document and I got more details about the culture from dissecting each
line of poetry, but I don’t feel like I’ve gained that much out of it. The most insight is obtained
from first-hand accounts, but this single document doesn’t give a complete or well-rounded
picture. This is only one aspect of one man’s life. Studying more of his poems could help me
better understand more of his Spartan history.
Tyrtaeus had written lyric poetry about the importance of doing one’s own duty as being
a Spartan warrior in mid-7th century B.C.E. A young warrior may be afraid to sacrifice his own
life for his country, but he will grow to accept what needs to be done to better the lives of his
Random Student
HIST 2001
14 July 2012
family and protect them. His writing was not supported, but he wrote about the ideals that his
Spartan leaders were trying to uphold.
Tyrtaeus wrote ‘A War Song’ to encourage his fellow Spartans to perform their
commitment to their homeland. Being a warrior was important and what one was born to do. If
one could not perform their duty, they were a shame to their family and their country. From
birth, they were raised to live a highly disciplined lifestyle to prepare for a life of serving and
once they were of age, they would defend their country. Speaking to any other good would have
made this poem mean nothing. This poem would inspire Spartans to be selfless, and reading this
poem of the warrior lifestyle is almost like a journal of the Spartan life- no fear, the importance
of family, and being proud of your homeland.
Random Student
HIST 2001
14 July 2012
Works Cited
Banks, Rev. J, Chapman, J.M., Bell, G (2014, July 26). Tyrtaeus: A War Song Retrieved from
http://wadsworth.cengage.com/history_d/special_features/ilrn_legacy/wawc1c01c/content/wciv1
/readings/tyrtaeus.html
Instructor’s Comments
Points Section Comments
5\5 Introduction: √ Who is the author?
√ When was this primary source originally written? (This should be addressed in the first paragraph.)
√ What type of primary source is it (memoir, government document, letter, etc.)?
√ Who is the audience?
√ What was the author’s purpose in writing this primary source?
15\15 Summary: The summary gives a clear and concise overview of the primary source.
20\20 Analysis: √ Was the author clear?
√ In what ways is this primary source significant or insignificant?
√ What insights did you gain into the time period or culture? (Address this question using first person language and examples.)
√ What was your reaction to or opinions of, this primary source?
√ Other comments for analysis or interpretation
10\10 Formatting: √ Courier New or Times New Roman font, 11 or 12
Random Student
HIST 2001
14 July 2012
√ Double spacing
√ MLA, APA, or Chicago-‐style formatting
√ Quotations and citations used properly.
Bibliography (primary source author, primary source title, date (if applicable), website name, date accessed, URL address) (For this assignment, the web site information is required.)
Comments: You did an excellent job covering the content and analysis of this paper! Well done.
50\50 Grade:
