Spartan Literary Sources

Understanding Fact from Fiction Regarding
Sparta in Literary Sources

During most of the Archaic and Classical periods Sparta became an equally feared and dreaded state, which led to their eventual rise as the most powerful city in the Greek world. Despite the Spartans rise to power and glory it is extraordinarily difficult to write about the history of Sparta. The problem does not lie in the lack of sources but whether or not the sources can be viewed as historically accurate. When looking at literary sources pertaining to Spartan history, there are five issues that must be analyzed and understood if we are to attempt to depict the fact from the fiction regarding the truth of Sparta from both modern day and ancient Greek literary sources.
Because these non-Spartans often marvelled Spartan society their stories were subject to embellishment turning mere deeds and triumphs into epic legends that were recorded as history; "Spartan legend first became crystallized and as to the manner in which it was enshrined in Hellenic literature: the Spartiates fashioned the legend in the early decades of the fifth century, and Herodotus propagated it in his History" (Hooker 230). This turning of common Spartan deeds into legends and then recorded as history has led to diluted misinterpreted facts that distort the truth behind the actions. In fact Athenian aristocrats who hated democracy were also known to greatly admire Sparta, with whom they held an extreme grudge. The exaggerated tales have warped much of the truth behind Spartan history which has led to the rise of certain key figures or events in history into becoming legendary battles; "Herodotus heard at Sparta of these men, whose character and career passed into legend: the noble king who fell at Thermopylae" (Hooker 230). As certain Spartans were made legend it also led to the Spartan civilization as a whole to become immortalized and legendary. "The dominant traits of the Spartan legend had been expressed in such definitive manner during Isocrates' life-time that they were not after-wards lost sight of [. . .] The legend was left unimpaired and even more potent than before"(Hooker 237). From evidence above the awe of Sparta, produced legends of this city-state that spread far and wide through Greece gaining prominence and power through each retelling. From the exaggeration that was constantly being circulated about Spartans and their triumphs legends were made that became history to most people making most