The Spartan War-State

Paper Summary:

The paper looks at one of the most famous city states of Ancient Greece, Sparta. The paper discusses how Athens and Sparta were two states that represent diametrically opposed concepts of the ancient Greek political state. The paper examines the Spartan lifestyle, its political orientation and why many looked upon this land with both respect and fear.

From the Paper:

"The two most famous city states of Ancient Greece are Sparta and Athens. History has not been kind to Sparta; the majority of historical narratives and textbooks refer to this war-state as "brutal", "an armed camp", "culturally stagnant", and other such niceties. The reality of the situation is that Sparta was a complex government system and political entity that used its military strength as the foundation of its power. The reason for the negativity associated with such a powerful city-state is that most historical narratives come from the "knowledge center of Athens", the bitter enemy of Sparta."

Sample of Sources Used:

• - W. G. Forest. A History of Sparta, 950-192 B.C.. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1968.
• Xenophon. Xenophon in Seven Volumes, 7. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA; William Heinemann, Ltd., London. 1984.
• Herodotus, The Histories [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tech Classics Archive]
• Jones, A.H.M. Sparta. Great Britain: Basil Blackwell & Mott, Ltd., 1967.

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