Step 4: Understanding the Language
When attempting to analyse and use sources within history, there are particular words and phrases that indicate that you have a strong grasp of the theory and concepts involved. Much like real life, you would not want a doctor to be calling an infection of the blood, "icky gross stuff inside you"! Show your knowledge, impress the markers by using the appropriate language for an historian.
Source vs Evidence
You need to understand the difference between a source and evidence. As mentioned previously, a source is something that can give you information. That information can then be used as evidence to discuss, prove or disprove a question, theory or idea that you are investigating.
Fact vs Opinion
Is the information presented in the source factual or based upon opinion? Factual information seeks to present events or information without alteration or bias. Opinion is the perspective or view that an author or creator brings to the source, it is what they believe.
Don't immediately thing that factual information is more accurate or reliable. Facts can be omitted or selected to serve a particular purpose, as we shall see next.
Selection vs Omission
What information has been included (selected) or left out (omitted) within the source? Why would the author/creator have chosen to select or omit this information? What is the effect of this?
Untruth or Distortion
Is the source obviously untrue or distorted? What is the effect of this?
Propagandist
Is the language obviously propagandist? If it is, how is it trying to make you think and what are the truths or reality of the information?
Propaganda is the presentation of information that is trying to obviously trying to convince you to believe a particular viewpoint. World War 1 and World War 2 posters are particularly obvious examples of propaganda.
Natural/Unintentional Bias
Sometimes the information that is presented in a source has natural or unintentional bias which impacts our information.
For historians trying to investigate the reasons for the Persian empire invading Greece during the Persian Wars, every contemporary literary source is Greek. Therefore they present events and information which promotes the Greek superiority against the 'barbarian' Persian invaders.
Answer the following questions
When attempting to analyse and use sources within history, there are particular words and phrases that indicate that you have a strong grasp of the theory and concepts involved. Much like real life, you would not want a doctor to be calling an infection of the blood, "icky gross stuff inside you"! Show your knowledge, impress the markers by using the appropriate language for an historian.
Source vs Evidence
You need to understand the difference between a source and evidence. As mentioned previously, a source is something that can give you information. That information can then be used as evidence to discuss, prove or disprove a question, theory or idea that you are investigating.
Fact vs Opinion
Is the information presented in the source factual or based upon opinion? Factual information seeks to present events or information without alteration or bias. Opinion is the perspective or view that an author or creator brings to the source, it is what they believe.
Don't immediately thing that factual information is more accurate or reliable. Facts can be omitted or selected to serve a particular purpose, as we shall see next.
Selection vs Omission
What information has been included (selected) or left out (omitted) within the source? Why would the author/creator have chosen to select or omit this information? What is the effect of this?
Untruth or Distortion
Is the source obviously untrue or distorted? What is the effect of this?
Propagandist
Is the language obviously propagandist? If it is, how is it trying to make you think and what are the truths or reality of the information?
Propaganda is the presentation of information that is trying to obviously trying to convince you to believe a particular viewpoint. World War 1 and World War 2 posters are particularly obvious examples of propaganda.
Natural/Unintentional Bias
Sometimes the information that is presented in a source has natural or unintentional bias which impacts our information.
For historians trying to investigate the reasons for the Persian empire invading Greece during the Persian Wars, every contemporary literary source is Greek. Therefore they present events and information which promotes the Greek superiority against the 'barbarian' Persian invaders.
Answer the following questions
Question 9
“Thucydides tells how those helots who had been singled out by the Spartiates for their bravery were first crowned as if they had been granted their freedom, and made a round of the sanctuaries of the gods; but then a little later they all vanished – over 2000 of them – and nobody either at the time itself or later was able to explain how they had been eliminated. Aristotle makes the further notable point that immediately upon taking up office the ephors would declare war on the helots, so that they could be killed without pollution.” |
What does this source tell us about the Spartan treatment of helots? What factors limit its usefulness as a source?
Consider the ways in which this source may or may not have natural bias. Was anyone actually at the event? Is the information distorted, factual or opinion based? |
Question 10
“Suddenly there came over the whole phalanx the look of some ferocious beast, as it wheels at bay, stiffens its bristles and turns to defend itself, so that the barbarians could no longer doubt that they were faced with men who would fight to the death. The Persians therefore set up their great wicker shields like a wall in front of them and shot arrows at their opponents. But the Spartans. Keeping their shields locked edge to edge as they advanced themselves upon the enemy, wrenched away their wicker shields and then thrust with their long spears at the faces and breasts of the Persians and slaughtered them in great numbers.” |
To what extent is this source useful for an historian studying Spartan military tactics?
Take note of who the author is, and the natural bias that he may bring to the source. What information is given? Is it fact or opinion? Is the source distorted or propagandist? |
Question 11
“The history of Sparta, it is not too much to say, is fundamentally the class struggle between the Spartans and the Helots.” |
Using this source and your own knowledge, discuss the role of helots within Spartan society during this period.
Start by considering what the main features of Spartan society were. Next, consider how the Spartan educational and governmental systems were organised, and whether the repression of helots had any influence on the formation of these systems? As something else to consider, do you actually agree with Cartledge's assertion? Do you know of any evidence that supports this view? How reliable is this evidence? |