SHARK
08-25-2007, 10:54 PM
Greetings!
Here is a book review of "The Spartans" that I did. The book is written by Paul Cartledge. Have you read the book? What do you think? What are your thoughts on:
(1) My review of the book
(2) "The Spartans" by Paul Cartledge
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
Book Review The Spartans
Reviewed By: SHARK
Cartledge, Paul. The Spartans, (New York: Vintage Books, 2004)
The Spartans is a new book written by Mr. Paul Cartledge concerning the ancient warrior city-state of Sparta in ancient Greece. Cartledge has attempted a comprehensive analysis of the Spartan society, and the salient contributions that the Spartans have made to Western Civilization, as well as the significance of such contributions to Western Civilization today. After September 11, and the ensuing conflict between Western Civilization and radical Islamic Civilization, Cartledge explains that understanding the roots of Western Culture—and the Spartans role in that foundation—is perhaps more important than ever before.
Mr. Paul Cartledge is a Professor of Greek History and former Chairman of the Classics Faculty at Cambridge University. Cartledge has written many books and articles on ancient history, and is recognized as a top-tier authority on the classical civilizations of Rome and Greece. Cartledge has also been involved as an academic consultant to the BBC and PBS for the series The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization and the PBS series, The Spartans. Cartledge is a professional scholar and writes from a position of an upper-middle class status, at least by profession if not also from birth. From such an educated, precise background Cartledge writes in an environment that insists on scholarly standards and professional methods that are peer-reviewed as a matter of course. By tradition, the British academic establishment is well-known for professionalism and precise methodology, and has earned a proud and distinct reputation for the highest academic standards. Mr. Cartledge’s membership within such an august academic establishment provides a good basis for trustworthiness in the work presented, and the methodology in forming such a work. From the foundation of such a distinguished background, readers can be confident that they are reading a work written by a thoroughly professional scholar.
Cartledge has written The Spartans in an effort to thoroughly analyze the Spartan culture in light of the recent deluge of interest in the Spartans, from television, to different academic interests, to novel writers such as Stephen Pressfield, famous for his novel dealing with the Spartans, Gates of Fire. Despite the many books written about the Spartans, Cartledge maintains that more can be said, and perhaps more importantly, more can be learned about and from, this ancient civilization that continues to awe, impress, and captivate the imagination.
In the beginning of the book, Cartledge provides a detailed timeline of Spartan history, and a selection of regional maps. Cartledge’s timeline and maps are especially helpful for the reader in fixing the sequence of events and trends within Spartan history, as well as being able to locate the geographical environment where such historical events take place. Following such, Cartledge introduces a broad schematic for his book, discussing early Spartan history, trends, and ideals. Cartledge mentions the importance of how the terms “Spartan” and “Laconic” have entered the English language and the echoing ripples of influence that Sparta exerted on the Roman Empire, through the British Empire, and beyond. (43).
Cartledge discusses the topography of Sparta, and how the rugged mountains and landscape shapes the area. Cartledge explains that such a rugged geography—in ancient times called “Lacedaemon”—and how such a name is unsurprising. (47) The rich farmland and rugged environment played a significant role in shaping the character of the Spartans as people—which in turn shaped their destiny and contributions as a culture and civilization. Cartledge proceeds to discuss various theories and ideas about Lycurgus, and his relation to the god Apollo. Throughout the book, Cartledge makes reference to various important historical sources such as Herodotus. Cartledge includes a broad discussion of Mycenaean roots and connections through the Trojan War and the different theories concerning various points of myth and inspiration. Cartledge discusses Lycurgus, and the foundations of the Spartan system and Hoplite warfare. Military training of young boys started early in Sparta, as Cartledge relates with “Between the ages of seven and eighteen, the boys and youths were organized in “packs” and “herds” and placed under the supervision of young adult Spartans.” (69). Cartledge provides interesting commentary on the nature of courage, and the psychological conditioning and the tactics used by the Spartan Hoplites in forging their disciplined war machine, and the process that Sparta developed to build the only professional army in all of Greece. (69)
Cartledge in later sections discusses the early development of the Helot system, and the development of agriculture throughout the Peloponnesus. Early Spartan government, discussions of the Ephors, the two-king system, and the early Spartan leadership is covered in broad detail, with interesting asides and discussions of sources and commentaries by Herodotus and others is provided. Such discussions provide a solid understanding of the issues and principles involved in early Spartan government, and the Spartan response to problems and challenges.
Cartledge expands his discussion in sections on the Persian Wars. Of particular interest is Cartledges’ discussion of the Persian Emperor, Xerxes, plans and motivations for the Greek Campaign. (115). Many historians shy away from questioning the sources involved, or the motivations and psychology of the sources used. Cartledge frequently questions his sources, framing questions and alerting the reader to the sources’ psychology, motivations, and intentions. Cartledge frames such discussion in a manner that never disparages the sources, but rather to direct the reader to appreciating how such motivations developed, and how the historical situation most likely occurred with—or despite—the sources’ bias or mixed motivations in recording and presenting the history and commentary concerning the subject in the manner that they did. Cartledge provides occasional biographical focus on various individuals and of special interest is the Spartan woman Gorgo. Cartledge relates her early life, her childhood, marriage, and lifestyle in such a manner as to provide a good picture of a Spartan woman’s life, and the contrast that Spartan women lived in comparison to Athenian women.
Cartledge then dives into the critical Greek struggles of Marathon—which the Spartans missed—and perhaps most famous of all—the Battle of Thermopylae. The Battle of Thermopylae was a defeat for the perhaps 7,000 Greek troops there, including the Spartan king, Leonidas, and three hundred Spartan champions. Despite the defeat, however, Cartledge describes the epic battle, even while being conservative in narrative language and scholarship, in a manner that is grippingly inspiring and heroic. Thermopylae has gone down in history as one of Western Civilization’s finest moments, and as Cartledge describes, as perhaps the Spartans’ finest hour. (9). Cartledge discusses the Spartans and the Persians soldiers, equipment, and tactics, and conveys the Spartans sense of desperation, and their dignified resolve and fierce courage. Cartledge says that “With their weapons gone or broken, the Greeks fought literally tooth and nail, using their bare hands and their mouths. Yet even at the finish the Persian weapon of choice was the arrow, safely released at a distance.” (131). Cartledge mentions the famous monument of a stone lion erected at the site of the famous battle, and explains that the monument is a nice echo of Leonidas’ own name, which in the ancient Greek “Leon” means “Lion”. Perhaps one of the most famous epitaphs in all of history honours the noble Spartans in their heroic sacrifice at that battle, stating
Go, tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,
That here, obedient to their laws, we lie. (131)
Cartledge discusses how Xerxes was astonished to learn that the Spartans were fighting for an ideal held dearer to them than life—they were fighting for the ideal of freedom. (132).
In later sections of the book, Cartledge provides insight and profiles to major Spartan kings and leaders, and the struggles of Greek politics and the rise and fall of Spartan political and military fortunes. Cartledge provides a chapter on discussing Spartan women, their contributions and features that set them apart from women in all other areas of Greece. Cartledge concludes the work by an extensive discussion of Spartan myths and influence on nations and culture to the present day, from Hollywood to books and cultural ideals of masculinity and the inspiration to culture and society.
Mr. Cartledge has written a masterful analysis of the Spartans, and a salient work that is authoritative, scholarly and accessible. Cartledge provides a clear, thoughtful thesis, and supports it well with research that demonstrates the importance of the Spartan’s contributions and their relevance to people today. Cartledge provides insights and commentary about issues in conflict, as well as areas of speculation. Cartledge helps the reader through the tangle of possibilities, motivations, and variant theories, and presents cogent conclusions and detailed description of Spartan life and customs. Cartledge is skilled in presenting ancient material and the often conflicting fragments of evidence, piecing such together into a cohesive picture of ancient life, and the struggles and challenges facing the ancient Spartans. Cartledge has written a truly excellent work on the Spartans, and provides a thorough and interesting book that is informative and engaging. Paul Cartledge’s The Spartans is simply essential reading on the Spartans, and is an outstanding resource for any academic reading list.
Here is a book review of "The Spartans" that I did. The book is written by Paul Cartledge. Have you read the book? What do you think? What are your thoughts on:
(1) My review of the book
(2) "The Spartans" by Paul Cartledge
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
Book Review The Spartans
Reviewed By: SHARK
Cartledge, Paul. The Spartans, (New York: Vintage Books, 2004)
The Spartans is a new book written by Mr. Paul Cartledge concerning the ancient warrior city-state of Sparta in ancient Greece. Cartledge has attempted a comprehensive analysis of the Spartan society, and the salient contributions that the Spartans have made to Western Civilization, as well as the significance of such contributions to Western Civilization today. After September 11, and the ensuing conflict between Western Civilization and radical Islamic Civilization, Cartledge explains that understanding the roots of Western Culture—and the Spartans role in that foundation—is perhaps more important than ever before.
Mr. Paul Cartledge is a Professor of Greek History and former Chairman of the Classics Faculty at Cambridge University. Cartledge has written many books and articles on ancient history, and is recognized as a top-tier authority on the classical civilizations of Rome and Greece. Cartledge has also been involved as an academic consultant to the BBC and PBS for the series The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization and the PBS series, The Spartans. Cartledge is a professional scholar and writes from a position of an upper-middle class status, at least by profession if not also from birth. From such an educated, precise background Cartledge writes in an environment that insists on scholarly standards and professional methods that are peer-reviewed as a matter of course. By tradition, the British academic establishment is well-known for professionalism and precise methodology, and has earned a proud and distinct reputation for the highest academic standards. Mr. Cartledge’s membership within such an august academic establishment provides a good basis for trustworthiness in the work presented, and the methodology in forming such a work. From the foundation of such a distinguished background, readers can be confident that they are reading a work written by a thoroughly professional scholar.
Cartledge has written The Spartans in an effort to thoroughly analyze the Spartan culture in light of the recent deluge of interest in the Spartans, from television, to different academic interests, to novel writers such as Stephen Pressfield, famous for his novel dealing with the Spartans, Gates of Fire. Despite the many books written about the Spartans, Cartledge maintains that more can be said, and perhaps more importantly, more can be learned about and from, this ancient civilization that continues to awe, impress, and captivate the imagination.
In the beginning of the book, Cartledge provides a detailed timeline of Spartan history, and a selection of regional maps. Cartledge’s timeline and maps are especially helpful for the reader in fixing the sequence of events and trends within Spartan history, as well as being able to locate the geographical environment where such historical events take place. Following such, Cartledge introduces a broad schematic for his book, discussing early Spartan history, trends, and ideals. Cartledge mentions the importance of how the terms “Spartan” and “Laconic” have entered the English language and the echoing ripples of influence that Sparta exerted on the Roman Empire, through the British Empire, and beyond. (43).
Cartledge discusses the topography of Sparta, and how the rugged mountains and landscape shapes the area. Cartledge explains that such a rugged geography—in ancient times called “Lacedaemon”—and how such a name is unsurprising. (47) The rich farmland and rugged environment played a significant role in shaping the character of the Spartans as people—which in turn shaped their destiny and contributions as a culture and civilization. Cartledge proceeds to discuss various theories and ideas about Lycurgus, and his relation to the god Apollo. Throughout the book, Cartledge makes reference to various important historical sources such as Herodotus. Cartledge includes a broad discussion of Mycenaean roots and connections through the Trojan War and the different theories concerning various points of myth and inspiration. Cartledge discusses Lycurgus, and the foundations of the Spartan system and Hoplite warfare. Military training of young boys started early in Sparta, as Cartledge relates with “Between the ages of seven and eighteen, the boys and youths were organized in “packs” and “herds” and placed under the supervision of young adult Spartans.” (69). Cartledge provides interesting commentary on the nature of courage, and the psychological conditioning and the tactics used by the Spartan Hoplites in forging their disciplined war machine, and the process that Sparta developed to build the only professional army in all of Greece. (69)
Cartledge in later sections discusses the early development of the Helot system, and the development of agriculture throughout the Peloponnesus. Early Spartan government, discussions of the Ephors, the two-king system, and the early Spartan leadership is covered in broad detail, with interesting asides and discussions of sources and commentaries by Herodotus and others is provided. Such discussions provide a solid understanding of the issues and principles involved in early Spartan government, and the Spartan response to problems and challenges.
Cartledge expands his discussion in sections on the Persian Wars. Of particular interest is Cartledges’ discussion of the Persian Emperor, Xerxes, plans and motivations for the Greek Campaign. (115). Many historians shy away from questioning the sources involved, or the motivations and psychology of the sources used. Cartledge frequently questions his sources, framing questions and alerting the reader to the sources’ psychology, motivations, and intentions. Cartledge frames such discussion in a manner that never disparages the sources, but rather to direct the reader to appreciating how such motivations developed, and how the historical situation most likely occurred with—or despite—the sources’ bias or mixed motivations in recording and presenting the history and commentary concerning the subject in the manner that they did. Cartledge provides occasional biographical focus on various individuals and of special interest is the Spartan woman Gorgo. Cartledge relates her early life, her childhood, marriage, and lifestyle in such a manner as to provide a good picture of a Spartan woman’s life, and the contrast that Spartan women lived in comparison to Athenian women.
Cartledge then dives into the critical Greek struggles of Marathon—which the Spartans missed—and perhaps most famous of all—the Battle of Thermopylae. The Battle of Thermopylae was a defeat for the perhaps 7,000 Greek troops there, including the Spartan king, Leonidas, and three hundred Spartan champions. Despite the defeat, however, Cartledge describes the epic battle, even while being conservative in narrative language and scholarship, in a manner that is grippingly inspiring and heroic. Thermopylae has gone down in history as one of Western Civilization’s finest moments, and as Cartledge describes, as perhaps the Spartans’ finest hour. (9). Cartledge discusses the Spartans and the Persians soldiers, equipment, and tactics, and conveys the Spartans sense of desperation, and their dignified resolve and fierce courage. Cartledge says that “With their weapons gone or broken, the Greeks fought literally tooth and nail, using their bare hands and their mouths. Yet even at the finish the Persian weapon of choice was the arrow, safely released at a distance.” (131). Cartledge mentions the famous monument of a stone lion erected at the site of the famous battle, and explains that the monument is a nice echo of Leonidas’ own name, which in the ancient Greek “Leon” means “Lion”. Perhaps one of the most famous epitaphs in all of history honours the noble Spartans in their heroic sacrifice at that battle, stating
Go, tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,
That here, obedient to their laws, we lie. (131)
Cartledge discusses how Xerxes was astonished to learn that the Spartans were fighting for an ideal held dearer to them than life—they were fighting for the ideal of freedom. (132).
In later sections of the book, Cartledge provides insight and profiles to major Spartan kings and leaders, and the struggles of Greek politics and the rise and fall of Spartan political and military fortunes. Cartledge provides a chapter on discussing Spartan women, their contributions and features that set them apart from women in all other areas of Greece. Cartledge concludes the work by an extensive discussion of Spartan myths and influence on nations and culture to the present day, from Hollywood to books and cultural ideals of masculinity and the inspiration to culture and society.
Mr. Cartledge has written a masterful analysis of the Spartans, and a salient work that is authoritative, scholarly and accessible. Cartledge provides a clear, thoughtful thesis, and supports it well with research that demonstrates the importance of the Spartan’s contributions and their relevance to people today. Cartledge provides insights and commentary about issues in conflict, as well as areas of speculation. Cartledge helps the reader through the tangle of possibilities, motivations, and variant theories, and presents cogent conclusions and detailed description of Spartan life and customs. Cartledge is skilled in presenting ancient material and the often conflicting fragments of evidence, piecing such together into a cohesive picture of ancient life, and the struggles and challenges facing the ancient Spartans. Cartledge has written a truly excellent work on the Spartans, and provides a thorough and interesting book that is informative and engaging. Paul Cartledge’s The Spartans is simply essential reading on the Spartans, and is an outstanding resource for any academic reading list.