Sparta has been romanticized in epic novels and colorful films, glorified on stage, and remembered for being the only, truly successful militant based oligarchy the world has ever known. While the Greeks of Athens are heralded for their philosophy, art, economic prowess, architecture and political brilliance, it is Sparta that has captured the imaginations of that time, and for good reason. The Spartan way should not be dismissed for its brutality and xenophobia, but defended for the uniqueness of its views on the importance of the state, and for the rational motives some of its parameters of governance should be, and in some ways, are followed today. It must be pointed out that the histories of Sparta were not penned with a Spartan hand, but insights by the likes of Xenophon, Plato, Socrates, Thucydides, Herodotus, and Aristotle, who lived during the heyday of Spartan dominance in classical Greece, provide a glimpse into the psyche …show more content…
Stephen Hodkinson & Ian Macgregor Morris for inclusion in Sparta in Modern Thought: Politics, History and Culture (Swansea: The Classical Press of Wales, 2012) ch 8 However, what is being witnessed in modern times is the erosion of the freedoms and liberties of common individuals in these democratic societies (per Socrates’ prediction) as the integrity of each country’s sovereignty is possibly being compromised by multiculturalism, global economic dependency, rapid technological advancement, lack of immigrant assimilation, global energy interdependence, and the growing divide of who possesses the lion’s share of the world’s wealth. It is in this context the Spartan way can be defended, and perhaps be implemented in moderation for the good of the state, and the people in which it should