Book description
The Spartan legend has inspired and captivated subsequent generations
with evidence of its legacy found in both the Roman and British Empires.
The Spartans are our ancestors, every bit as much as the Athenians. But
while Athens promoted democracy, individualism, culture and society,
their great rivals Sparta embodied militarism, totalitarianism,
segregation and brutal repression. As ruthless as they were
self-sacrificing, their devastatingly successful war rituals made the
Spartans the ultimate fighting force, epitomized by Thermopylae. While
slave masters to the Helots for over three centuries, Spartan women,
such as Helen of Troy, were free to indulge in education, dance and
sport. Interspersed with the personal biographies of leading figures,
and based on 30 years' research, The Spartans tracks the people from 480
to 360 BC charting Sparta's progression from the Great Power of the
Aegean Greek world to its ultimate demise.
Paul Cartledge is widely acknowledged to be the world's leading
expert on the subject of Sparta and the Spartans. He is Professor of
Greek History at Cambridge University. He has written and edited many
works, including Spartan Reflections and acted as academic consultant
on the Channel 4 television series 'The Spartans'.
