This book, in the Very Short Introductions series published by Oxford University Press, offers ‘a stimulating and accessible way into a new subject’ (as printed in the series advert inside the book). B.'s contribution on the Spartans certainly achieves this aim. From the first chapter, ‘Go Tell the Spartans’, it is clear that B. aims to focus on introducing the uninitiated to the problematic nature of our source material and the uncertainties that this creates for the study of Spartan history and society. Indeed, in this opening chapter B. deconstructs that most famous incident – the battle of Thermopylae – as a way of grappling with the different sorts of evidence and the problems that they bring about.
The book then moves on to Spartan civic life, particularly social structures, citizenship (including different groups such as mothakes), the Spartan constitution and the mythical figure of Lycurgus. Here, it must be pointed out, for this reviewer B. leaves the reader wanting a little more on the dyarchy, which B. points out was unusual (p. 34). There is a chance missed here to give readers some impression of the chaos that having two kings could cause – a rather unique element of Spartan political life.
The next four chapters (on lifestyle, education, women and helots) all interrogate the particulars of what made Sparta tick. In each of these, B. is careful to highlight not only the ways in which Sparta was different – often seen as such in exaggerated ways from our outsider sources – but also the many ways in which Sparta was mundane. For instance, B. stresses the significant freedoms allowed to unmarried Spartan girls before also noting the similarities between the life of a married Spartan woman and those of other Greek communities, such as Athens. Similarly, in his discussion of pederasty, B. shows how some have taken the claims of Aelian too far by drawing on the example of the Sambia peoples of Papua New Guinea, which distorts Aelian's story somewhat, in order to verify his claims. Indeed, throughout these four chapters B. does an excellent job of signalling key controversies, offering the bare-bones of scholarly positions (which is all that should be expected in such a work, given both its length and intended audience), and then showing how, because of the state of the evidence, we often do not know what happened. On occasion, B. also supplements these views with his own and justifies his position.
The views that B. puts forward are generally uncontroversial and based on the most recent scholarly discussions. On helots, for example, B. finds space for an interesting discussion about whether or not the Spartans conquered all of Messenia (which he suspects they did, albeit gradually). This is a reflection of debates had by scholars such as N. Luraghi, Helots and Their Masters (2003) and D. Lewis, Greek Slave Systems in their Eastern Mediterranean Context (2018), both of which feature in the references section along with similar discussions. It is a slight shame that readers are only given references to chase up and some further readings; however, this is the standard practice of the Very Short Introductions series and stops the work appearing overly scholarly to more casual readers. Nonetheless, these lists, presented at the end (pp. 127–34 and pp. 134–8), are extremely up to date. It is welcome also to see that foreign language texts feature in these recommendations.
The final chapter discusses the legacy of the Spartans in both popular culture and academic discourse. This final chapter is a welcome contribution in a work aimed at those coming into ancient history from the outside. Not only does B. show how the voice of Sparta has echoed down the ages, but he also highlights neatly the darker side of classical receptions in the twentieth century. In particular, B. offers a frank assessment of Helmut Berve's role in the Nazi regime's attempts to link themselves with Sparta and draw on it as a model. Similarly, the film 300 is treated with much scepticism.
At the outset of the book (p. 1), B. makes it clear that his intention ‘is not to provide a narrative history of Sparta, but rather to show what the Spartans were really like at the height of their power (550–371 bce)’. There is logic behind this decision: this is a brief introductory work, and B. clearly intends to focus on the elements that made Spartan society. Nonetheless, the decision to exclude narrative almost completely – there is a timeline at the end – has the potential to hinder readers’ appreciation of the story B. is trying to tell. For example, we are given a brief overview of the career of Cleomenes I through the medium of his various misdemeanours (pp. 54–5), but these stories and their role in the wider Spartan tale would have more impact if it was clearer precisely where Cleomenes fits into things. Linked to this decision to eschew a narrative is the lack of broader context for the political position and role of Sparta in the wider Greek world. The Peloponnesian League is mentioned just twice (p. 4 and p. 52), which seems an omission given the centrality of Sparta to it and of the league to Spartan foreign policy.
Ultimately, we can only judge a Very Short Introduction by whether or not it succeeds at the aims of the series. In that, the book is a great success. B. untangles the many problems and controversies surrounding Spartan culture and society, and constantly reiterates to his readers just how uncertain our knowledge can be. The book is a good stepping stone for curious readers not yet ready to get into the deeper debates and source discussions that feature in, for example, that of A. Powell's A Companion to Sparta (2017).
