On Sparta (Penguin Classics) Paperback – December 27, 2005

Amidst all the contemporary historical deconstructionist prattling over the Spartans, the views and words of the more proximate historians among the ancients shine out like stars in a dark firmament.Plato and Aristotle had much to say of the Spartan constitution. Likewise did Plutarch, who was a later Greek historian living from 46-120 AD during the period of Roman Imperial ascendacy.In this book there is much instructive and readable biographical information on prominent Spartan lives, as well as explantions of culture and customs surrounding the "Laws of Lycurgus."There are Spartan tales and aphorisms as well and the inclusion of the tragic stories of the later reformers are invaluable inclusions taken from the perspective of time. They are archetypal stories of heroic-tragic figures who strive greatly to resurrect a noble but dying people and their way of life. I enjoy to ponder parallels between late Spartan reformer-Kings and the Roman Emperor Julian Apostate.Plutarch's book is required reading for students of Sparta. This edition is a good editing and compilation and the first version of Plutarch's writings on Sparta that I would recommend readers select.

Himself a Greek, Plutarch was a witness of Spartan life first hand, but most of his accounts come from different sources. Well written book about a great civilization.

This book is a collection of some lives and excerpts from lives (or biographies) by Plutarch about Spartan kings. It provides a great deal of food for thought and I would recommend it.The book consists of roughly three parts: The first is a collection of biographies of Spartan kings (Lycurgas, etc). The Life of Lysander has been omitted because it is included in another Penguin edition. The second part consists of excerpts of Putarch's writings consisting of sayings which provide insight into Spartan life and culture. The third part is an appendix which includes some of Xenophon's notes about Sparta.The book allows us to ask a number of questions which may provide fruitful, such as the specific relationship between Spartan culture and Plato's ideas in "Republic." In general a lot of things in Republic that seem particularly contrary to the Athenian state are found in Sparta in this book. Perhaps this is why Plutarch places Lycurgus above Plato, saying that the latter wrote books on political theory but the former had invented them and put them in practice. These include descriptions of everything from female public nudity being equivalent to male public nudity to the idea that children should all be wards of the state and not the wards of their fathers. A great number of small details seem to be taken directly from Spartan life in Plato's work and this suggests that Plato, like Xenophon, was fundamentally more sympathetic to Sparta than to Athens.On the negative side, I agree that it would be good to have a more complete reference of Plutarch's references to Sparta in one volume.On the whole, this is an interesting book. 4 stars

Fantastic!! I’m learning so much and it’s also quite entertaining!

Read this after "Achilles in Vietnam" as part of a command-directed recommended reading list. Was enlightening to see that even the most storied society of warriors was considered to be naive and difficult to deal with. Plutarch says, "The guardian class must always be deceived" and this philosophical 'deceit' on the part of the state towards the guardian class is an interesting concept to reflect upon - even if Plutarch gets it wrong about Lycurgus.

I got this book in the library, read it, then went and bought it from the store. They only had one so I got this one online. Discusses Sparta and her laws from a late contemporary of the time. I use this as a basis for my own personal philosophy.

Informative and very well written. I can only recommend the book.

love the book and in good condition