The Spartan Tradition in European Thought (Clarendon Paperbacks)

Ancient polemics on Sparta (by Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch, and others) have had a remarkable afterlife in the political and educational thought of Renaissance Italy, the France of the Philosophes, Whig England, and Nazi Germany. This book outlines the little we know of ancient Sparta, describes Greek reaction to the ambiguous institutions of the great rival to democratic Athens, makes a first attempt to follow the subsequent fortunes of the debate, and indicates Sparta's role--over twenty-five centuries--in the intellectual history of Europe. Rawson Describes How The Spartan Ideals Have Influenced Western Europe Over Twenty-five Centuries, Including A History Of Spartan Culture, The City's Role In Greek Civilization, And How Its Polemics Spread To Such Countries As Italy, France, And England. The Growth Of Laconism -- The Fourth Century In Greece -- Laconism In The West -- Plato And Aristotle -- Laconism In The Hellenistic Age -- Laconism Exported -- Under The Empire -- The Middle Ages -- Sparta Rediviva -- Kings And Ephors - In Utopia And Among The Savages -- The Revolutionary Period In England -- Spartans On The Stage -- France In The Eighteenth Century (i) -- France In The Eighteenth Century (ii) -- The French Revolution And Its Aftermath -- Italy In The Eighteenth Century -- Sparta In Germany -- England : From The Whigs To The Liberals. Elizabeth Rawson. Originally Published In 1969, With A New Foreword To The Paperback Ed. By Keith Thomas. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes.