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Informationen zum Autor Alfred S. Bradford is the John Saxon professor of ancient history at the University of Oklahoma. He earned his PhD in classical languages and literature from the University of Chicago. He served with the 1/27th infantry in Vietnam. He has been a research assistant and a member at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. Klappentext This pivotal history of the kings of Sparta not only describes their critical leadership in war, but also documents the waxing and waning of their social, political, and religious powers in the Spartan state.The Spartans have seemingly never gone out of interest, serving as mythic icons who exemplify fearlessness and an unwillingness to give in against impossible odds. Yet most are unaware of the true nature of the Spartan leaders-the fact that the kings maintained their position of power for 600 years by their willingness to compromise, even if it meant giving up some of their power, for example. Organized in a logical and chronological order, Leonidas and the Kings of Sparta: Mightiest Warriors, Fairest Kingdom describes the legendary origins of the dual kingship in Sparta, documents the many reigning eras of the kings, and then concludes with the time when the kingship was abolished six centuries later. The book examines the kings' roles in war and battle, in religion, in the social life of the city, and in formulating Spartan policy both at home and abroad. No other book on Sparta has concentrated on describing the role of the kings-and their absolutely essential contributions to Spartan society in general. Zusammenfassung This pivotal history of the kings of Sparta not only describes their critical leadership in war, but also documents the waxing and waning of their social, political, and religious powers in the Spartan state. Inhaltsverzeichnis Illustrations, Maps, and Tables Preface Introduction Names and Terms Part I. The Dorian Wars 1. By Bus to the "Hollow" 2. "Tell the Spartans ." 3. The Sons of Heracles 4. The First Kings of Sparta Part II. The Messenian Wars 5. Over the Mountains 6. Shoulder to Shoulder 7. "Never Retreat" 8. Deeds of the Wolf 9. The Spartan Way Part III. The Arcadian and Argive Wars 10. The Spartan Alliance 11. The "Strangers" 12. The Accidental King 13. The King Who Saved Greece Part IV. The Persian Wars 14. The "Greeks" 15. Defeat and Victory 16. The Battle of Plataea 17. The Treason of Pausanias Part V. The Athenian Wars 18. The Precarious Entente 19. King Archidamos Gives Sound Advice 20. The Archidamian War 21. War within Peace 22. The Decelean War 23. The Man Who Would Be King Part VI. The Theban Wars 24. The Common King 25. "Free and Autonomous" 26. Sparta's Empire 27. The Battle of Leuctra 28. Sparta at Bay Part VII. The Macedonian Wars 29. The Struggle to Survive 30. In the Shadow of Great Powers 31. The Gentle Reformer 32. The Revolutionary 33. The Betrayal of Greece 34. The Last Kings of Sparta Part VIII. The Roman War 35. The Tyrant Who Was a King 36. Sparta under the Romans Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index ...
