Plutarch on Sparta (Penguin Classics)

Plutarch on Sparta (Penguin Classics) by Plutarch. mass_market edition. ISBN: 9780140444636.

Plutarchs 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 Spartas 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, Plutarchs writing brings to life the personalities and achievements of Sparta with unparalleled flair and humanity.