Description
Book SynopsisXenophon has long been identified as a chief contemporary source, if not the chief source, for the history of classical Sparta. But his information has commonly been treated in restricted ways. Scholars who have studied Xenophon's oeuvre have tended to apply a knowledge of Athenian history and of general Greek literature rather than a specialist knowledge of Sparta. And specialist students of Sparta have commonly `mined' elements of Xenophon's work without sufficient regard either for the author's general characteristics and biases or for the variety of his literary genres. In this volume, 12 internationally-recognised experts on Sparta examine the quality of Xenophon's information on central topics of Laconian history, in the light of the author's political, literary and intellectual characteristics. This book is the first of a series in which the Classical Press of Wales will apply to Spartan history the approach it is already using for the history of Rome's revolutionary era: focusing in turn on each of the main sources on which historians depend, and analysing with a combination of historical and literary methods. This book is the first of a series in which the Classical Press of Wales will apply to Spartan history the approach it is already using for the history of Rome's revolutionary era: focusing in turn on each of the main sources on which historians depend, and analysing with a combination of historical and literary methods.
Trade ReviewAn invaluable addition to the library shelves. * Classics for All *
A comprehensive analysis of Sparta’s presence in the whole corpus of Xenophon. * Electrum *
Powell's] memory and to continue his studies ... A book of great value and interest, that addresses many problems pertaining to history, literature, economy [and] law. * The Classical Review *
Table of ContentsSparta and the Cyropaedia (Vincent Azoulay); Did Xenophon write for Spartans? (Gianluca Cuniberti); Xenophon and the myth of Lycurgus (Ephraim David); Xenophon and the selection of the Hippeis (Jean Ducat); Xenophon and the Spartan economy (T.J.Figueira); Xenophon and Spartan law (Vivienne Gray); The 'Agesilaos' and the genre of encomium (Noreen Humble); Foxes and lions: Spartan commanders in the 'Anabasis' (Ellen Millender); Xenophon, Sparta and Phleious (Pierre Pontier); Sparta in the 'Hellenica', the 'Lac.Pol.' and the 'Agesilaos' (Giovanna Daverio Rocchi); Xenophon and Sparta's binary logic (Anton Powell); Sparta as model in Xenophon's non-historical works (Nicolas Richer); Spartans in the 'Anabasis' (Christopher Tuplin).
