The ancient Greek historian Thucydides called it "a war like no other"—arguably the greatest in the history of the world up to that time. The Peloponnesian War pitted Athens and her allies against a league of city-states headed by Sparta. Thucydides himself was an Athenian general in the fighting, sentenced to exile partway through the 27-year struggle, after losing a key battle to one of Sparta's leading commanders.
In this course, Professor Kenneth W. Harl draws on this masterpiece as well as other ancient sources to give you a full picture of the Greek world in uneasy peace and then all-out war in the late 5th century B.C.
A History of Ancient Sparta: Valor, Virtue, and Devotion in the Greek Golden Age
A born teacher and lecturer, Professor Timothy B. Shutt examines the history and culture of ancient Sparta, a society renowned for military excellence and adherence to the values of courage, discipline, duty, and the overcoming of fear. Vastly outnumbered at the Battle of Thermopylae, the Spartan "300" held off an overwhelming Persian force before finally succumbing - but not without inflicting massive casualties and inspiring the rest of the Greeks with the notion that they could persevere. In this enlightening series of lectures, Professor Shutt delves into Spartan culture, examining its origins, government, religion, and the major events that defined its history.
Hellenistic and Roman Sparta, a tale of two cities
This original and compelling account of later Spartan history challenges the conventional misperception of Spartan "decline" after the loss of her status as a great power on the battlefield in 371 BC. In this thorougly revised and updated edition, Paul Cartledge and Antony Spawforth have used recent scholarship to enhance their authoritative overview of later Spartan history and society. The book focuses on a frequently overlooked period and will be a must-have for anyone interested in Sparta and for all those concerned with Hellenistic Greece.
Two books in one. Sparta and Lakonia: A Regional History 1300-362 BC and Hellenistic and Roman Sparta: A Tale of Two Cities (Societies & Cities of Ancient Greece)
Course No. 3372
