Plutarch on Sparta (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Plutarch (Author), Richard J. A. Talbert (Editor, Translator, Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1988 | ISBN-10: 0140444637 | ISBN-13: 978-0140444636

Plutarch's vivid and engaging portraits of the Spartans and their customs are a major source of our knowledge about the rise and fall of this remarkable Greek city-state between the sixth and third centuries BC. Through his "Lives of Sparta's leaders" and his recording of memorable "Spartan Sayings", he depicts a people who lived frugally and mastered their emotions in all aspects of life, who also disposed of unhealthy babies in a deep chasm, introduced a gruelling regime of military training for boys, and treated their serfs brutally. Rich in anecdote and detail, Plutarch's writing brings to life the personalities and achievements of Sparta with unparalleled flair and humanity.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Plutarch (c. 50–c. 120 AD) was a writer and philosopher born in central Greece.
Richard J. A Talbert is professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Christopher Pelling is professor of classics at Oxford University and a fellow of Christ Church.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (November 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140444637
• ISBN-13: 978-0140444636
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,286,119 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great research source, April 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Plutarch on Sparta (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

This collection contains Plutarch's Life of Lycurgus, Life of Agis and Cleomenes, and his collection of Spartan Sayings. It also has Xenophon's Spartan Society in an appendix, as well as other useful objects such as king lists, maps, and a glossary. This is on top of Richard Talbert's excellent notes. This volume is interesting enough to read for pleasure, and Talbert's notes and appendices aid in understanding Sparta and its people. It was very useful to me when writing a research paper, and I am sure it would be to anyone else. The index is thorough and accurate, and the translation understandable and consistant. I would recommend this to anyone interested in either Plutarch or Sparta.

34 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read the fine print, October 21, 2001

By 

D. Roberts "Hadrian12" (Battle Creek, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Plutarch on Sparta (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

It is with a slight reservation that I recommend this book to classical history buffs & fans of the ancient Spartans. Those (like myself) who lick their chops @ the chance to read a book about the Spartans in their prime might be a bit disappointed.

The Lacedaemons were never the same after their defeat at the hands of the Thebans @ Leuctria in 371BC. A good chunk of this book (about 1/3, in fact) is spent on Agis & Cleomenes. These personages were post-Leuctria fellows who tried to resurrect the Lycurgan principles and traditions which the Spartans were so well known for. Both failed, but gave noble efforts to these ends. Basically, they represented the death-knell to the hardcore Laconian way of life.

Now, both figures are certainly important to classical history; that much is not in debate. However, confronting them in a book entitled "On Sparta" by a historian the calibre of Plutarch is a bit anti-climactic. Again, I was so looking forward to reading about this magnificent culture while it was in its prime - cover to cover.

On the upside, the best part of the book deals with Lycurgus. It was he who founded the famous "Spartan way of life" around the 8th century BC. It was he who contrived such innovations as the long hair on Spartan males, the Lacedamonian distaste for $$ and all things artistic (with the exception of music) as well as virtually all luxuries and comforts of life. It is because of Lycurgus that the Laconians who came after shunned all things effeminate and became such a brutal fighting force. It was also he who promoted egalitarian distribution of land - noted as his most significant reform. Here Plutarch furnishes one of the most detailed biographies of this great man that you will find. The chapter on Lycurgus alone is well worth the price of the book.

In the remainder of the treatise, Plutarch displays sundry quotations of Spartan kings, warriors and women [it is ironic that in such a militaristic state that Lacedaemon women had more rights and privileges than any other city state in Greece]. There are many salient quotes that exemplify Spartan ideals quite nicely.

If you're looking for a book on Sparta, you can do much worse than this one. I will continue my search for more books on Sparta during her heyday. In the meantime, I will have to settle for daydreams about Lycurgus.

I will leave you with one of my favorite Spartan sayings (this one by King Agesilaus):

"Courage has no value if justice is not in evidence too; but if everyone were to be just, then no one would need courage." (P. 119)

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good introduction to Spartan History, January 11, 2001

By 

Douglas E. Raineault (Ithaca, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plutarch on Sparta (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

This book contains Plutarch's biographies of Agis, Cleomenes, and Lycurgus. It is not exactly a linear book about Spartan history, like W.G. Forrests, but it contains a great deal of information about the society within the biographies. Like any of Penguin's translations this one is good and faithful to Plutarch's words. The book is great for the newcomer to the study of ancient Greek history, but even an experienced classics student would appreciate it, especially the section on famous Spartan quotes. The lives of the Spartan nobles are interesting and Plutarch's writing is very readable. There are some concerns about the accuracy of the information since Plutarch was writing about these people long after they died. Some scholars even doubt if Lycurgus really existed. Regardless, Plutarch is one of the only available sources of information about Sparta, a civilization that kept few records. I would recomment this book to someone desiring an introduction to Spartan history. A more advanced reader would probably want to buy a complete copy of Plutarch's lives and get the biographies in this volume with those of two other Spartans, Lysander and Agesilaus and many other classical figures. However, the chapter in "Plutarch on Sparta" containing famous quotations alone makes the book a necessity for the serious Laconiphile.