Publisher's Synopsis
Viewed at least until the Renaissance as the epitome of classical virtues, Sparta has in the last two centuries suffered a rapid demotion of reputation among liberal-minded scholars repelled by the repressive aspects of its polity. Yet it was, in historical terms, for many centuries a remarkably successful "polis" . The essays collected in this book offer a survey of the major aspects of Spartan life designed to bring out what was distinctive and politically effective in Spartan polity.
