Spartans

Paul Cartledge argues that the Spartans are our ancestors, every bit as much as the Athenians. But while Athens promoted democracy, individualism, culture and society, their great rivals Sparta embodied militarism, totalitarianism, segregation and brutal repression. As ruthless as they were self-sacrificing, their sucessful war rituals made the Spartans the ultimate fighting force. The battle of Thermopylae epitomises all that is Sparta. While slave masters to the Helots for over three centuries, Spartan women enjoyed an unparalleled freedom indulging in education, dance and sport. From this environment was born Helen of Troy. Interspersed with the personal biographies of leading figures, 'The Spartans' tracks the people from 480 to 360BC charting Sparta's progression from the great power of the Aegean Greek world to its ultimate demise.