Sparta was the first democracy in recorded history, predating Athenian democracy by at least fifty and possibly one hundred years. Furthermore, Sparta was the only Greek city-state to introduce land reform aimed at equalizing wealth among its citizens. The Spartan public educational system, the agoge, trained the mind as well as the body, and Spartans were not only literate, but admired for their intellectual culture and verbal skills.  Socrates himself says the "most ancient and fertile homes of philosophy among the Greeks are Crete and Sparta, where are found more sophists than anywhere on earth." (Plato, Protagoras, 343b:366.) Certainly, Spartan wit and mastery of rhetoric were so widely admired that ancient Greek scholars collected Spartan sayings, and the laconic style of speech was studied and imitated in intellectual circles. Sparta was the capital city of the large, prosperous, and economically powerful city-state of Lacedaemon.  The economy of Lacedaemon was diverse, based on a wealth of natural resources and abundant fertile land.  While trading in luxury goods, self-sufficiency in grain gave Sparta a significant political advantage. Sparta was the only Greek city-state in which women enjoyed elementary rights such as the right to education, inheritance, and property. Furthermore, Spartan women prided themselves on their intellectual accomplishments, possessed economic power, and were not afraid to express their opinions – leading other Greeks to condemn them as undisciplined, dangerous, and immoral. The high status of women is the best refutation of persistent allegations that Spartan society institutionalized pederasty; modern psychology has demonstrated that the victims of pederasty usually grow up to be misogynous men. There is no convincing contemporary evidence that homosexuality was more common in Sparta than elsewhere in ancient Greece. Sparta was the first Greek city-state to develop a complex system of mutual defence treaties, and it repeatedly intervened to defend democracy against tyranny. Spartan diplomacy was arguably even more effective than Spartan arms in maintaining Sparta's status for centuries. Although Spartans were proud to say that they built their monuments "in flesh" – meaning that the virtue and courage of Sparta's citizens were the greatest monuments to the city-state – they were not lacking in architectural and artistic achievements.  The ancient Greek tour guide, Pausanias, catalogued hundreds of sites worth seeing.  Nor was Sparta itself a collection of rural villages, as Athenian detractors depicted it, but rather a prosperous capital city with broad, tree-lined avenues, temples, monuments, public buildings, and royal palaces. Spartan music and dance were famous throughout the ancient world, and the oldest recorded heterosexual love poem was the work of a Spartan poet praising Spartan maidens.

        In short, in the ancient world Sparta was admired as much for its constitution, its system of education, its philosophical culture, its economic self-sufficiency, its diplomacy, and its music and dance as it was for its famous hoplites.  Not her kings, but her citizens – the lawgiver Lycurgus, the philosopher Chilon, and the poet Tyrtaios – were the most widely admired Spartans in ancient times.

        But Sparta was eclipsed by the rise of Athens, a city with roughly five times the number of citizens and, by the mid-fifth century, an empire. Sparta's once revolutionary and innovative institutions became calcified while democracy continued to develop – and become more radical – in other cities. Its artistic achievements stagnated as the population declined and the demands of power grew, following Sparta's victory in the Peloponnesian War.  Yet the decline of Sparta starting in the fifth century BC should not be allowed to obscure its early accomplishments.

        This site is dedicated to throwing some light on those forgotten achievements – and hopefully awakening more curiosity and understanding for this complex and fascinating ancient culture.

        In addition, based on the research that went into this site, I have written a series of novels which – adding imagination and an understanding of human nature to historical research – attempt to bring Sparta back to life.

Three novels set in archaic Sparta are now available for purchase.   Are They Singing in Sparta? describes the Revolution which led to the introduction of Sparta's unique constitution and to the Second Messenian War (critical to the understanding of all subsequent Spartan foreign policy).  Spartan Slave, Spartan Queen  describes the fate of two women captured in a raid who come to Sparta as slaves; it is a sequel to Are They Singing in Sparta?  The Olympic Charioteer  is the story of a slave and Olympic competitor in the age of Chilon the Wise. It tells of a young man's journey from tragedy to triumph and the founding of the first non-aggression pact in recorded history, the Peloponnesian League. 

Helena is currently writing a three-part biographical novel of Leonidas and Gorgo. Book I, A Boy of the Agoge, and Book II, A Peerless Peer , are finished and available for purchase from any online retailer.  Book III, A Heroic King, is scheduled for release in late 2012.

"…an extremely entertaining novel....Anyone interested in exploring the years prior to the Persian invasion – the alliances and intrigues, especially between Sparta and her future ally Tegea – will enjoy this novel." 

Jon Martin, author of The Headlong God of War and In Kithairon's Shadow

 
"…this is another gem to polish and keep in my bookcase when I want a look back to Greece!" 

Millien

Under "SOURCES" you will find the research materials I used in this website. These materials are also additional recommendations of both fiction and non-fiction books, including selected ancient and modern sources for your own research and/or reading pleasure.

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Text varies on this site between British and American English spelling.   Most research was done in Europe and compiled for British English publications.   Interviews and reviews reflect both American and British English as Helena Schrader is a leading authority on this subject in the US and Europe.

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