Miltiadis Michalopoulos

It was refreshing to read something on Sparta which was not centered on what I'd term "Classical Sparta"--the Sparta of the Greco-Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, of Leonidas, Brasidas, and Gylippos. This book covered a later period, 243-146 BC, what the author calls the Spartan Revolution, a period of intense radical reform, in which the name of Lycurgus, the legendary lawgiver, was invoked but in pursuing debt cancellation and re-allotment of land, the kings Agis, Kleomenes and the tyrant Nabis eventually gutted Lykourgian laws by changing or eliminating other Lykourgian institutions. What was retained was a pale shadow of what had been. The book traced the long history of Sparta's decline as a power, beginning with her defeat at Leuctra by Thebes, through various wars and upheavals, and ending with her conquest by Rome in 146 BC. Under Rome, Sparta became a showcase for tourists, a "living museum", as it were. Affluent Romans would visit Athens for culture and Sparta to view the vestiges of an eccentric society. They delighted in the cruelty of two rites of passage for adolescent males to the status of young men.

The copious notes and maps and illustrations were invaluable. The history was impeccable, judging by the exhaustive bibliography.
This book was fascinating, readable, and fairly easy to understand for non-Greeks. The translation was excellent. Highly recommended.… (meer)