Spartan Reflections

by Cartledge, Paul

• ISBN13: 9780520231245
• ISBN10: 0520231244
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-07-01
• Publisher: Univ of California Pr

Summary

The complex and distinctive Spartan tradition has been a prominent theme in western thinking from antiquity to today. Sparta is also one of a handful of ancient Greek cities with enough existing evidence for historians to create a realistic social portrait. Over the past quarter-century Paul Cartledge has established himself as the leading international authority on ancient Sparta.Spartan Reflectionsis a superb collection of his essays--two are published here for the first time, and the rest, often difficult to locate, have been revised and updated for publication in book form. Giving us a real sense of what Sparta was like as a culture, these essays constitute a fascinating introduction to and overview of ancient Spartan history and its reception. This collection, unique in breadth and scope, will be an essential source for anyone interested in this idiosyncratic society. Cartledge brings us up to date on what is known about the most important and intriguing aspects of Sparta: its military development, questions of gender and sexuality, and the difficult problem of artistic and literary aspects of Sparta. We learn about the institutions that distinguished Sparta from other city-states, including its religion, education process, degree of literacy, secret service, unusual system of servitude, and institutionalized pederasty. Throughout, Cartledge also makes important comparisons with Athens, helping us grasp what is really striking about Sparta. Cartledge's writing is clear and engaging as he draws from myriad sources both ancient and modern, as well as from political and cultural theory. These essays, together with their magisterial bibliography, demonstrate his remarkable scholarly and intellectual range.Spartan Reflectionswill be an important source on the most significant issues in Sparta scholarship today as well as a fascinating look at this culture for general readers. A Selection of the History Book Club

Author Biography

Paul Cartledge is Professor of Greek History at the University of Cambridge. He is the author of many books

Table of Contents

List of Plates	p. vii
Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Sparta-Watching
'Sparta-Watching': General Introduction	p. 3
Polity, Politics and Political Thought
City and Chora in Sparta: Archaic to Hellenistic	p. 9
The Peculiar Position of Sparta in the Development of the Greek City-State	p. 21
Literacy in the Spartan Oligarchy	p. 39
The Spartan Kingship: Doubly Odd?	p. 55
Comparatively Equal: A Spartan Approach	p. 68
Society, Economy and Warfare
A Spartan Education	p. 79
The Politics of Spartan Pederasty	p. 91
Spartan Wives: Liberation or Licence?	p. 106
Rebels and Sambos in Classical Greece: A Comparative View	p. 127
The Birth of the Hoplite: Sparta's Contribution to Early Greek Military Organization	p. 153
The Mirage Re-Viewed
The Mirage of Lykourgan Sparta: Some Brazen Reflections	p. 169
The Importance of Being Dorian: An Onomastic Gloss on the Hellenism of Oscar Wilde	p. 185
Notes	p. 193
Bibliography	p. 231
Index Locorum	p. 264
General Index	p. 268
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.