On Sparta

by Plutarch, Richard Talbert (Introduction), Richard Talbert (Translator)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780141925509
Publisher:	Penguin UK
Publication date:	05/26/2005
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	852,240
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Plutarch's life spanned the second half of the 1st century AD. He was highly educated in rhetoric and philosophy at Athens but his deep interest in religion led him to Delphi, where he was eventually appointed a priesthood. He travelled, most crucially to Rome, where he lectured and made friends of considerable influence. He wrote and taught throughout his life.


Richard J. A. Talbert, the translator and editor, is Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Christopher Pelling, the Plutarch series adviser, is Professor of Classics at Oxford University and a fellow of Christ Church.