Posted on 01/16/2007 5:11:53 AM PST by 7thson
Thank you.
People are getting hung up on semantics. Our concept of 'freedom' didn't exist then. Ours didn't emerge until the 18th century - a mere 22 centuries after Sparta.
Instead of 'freedom' I think of it as 'self-determination' versus slavery. The Spartans were fighting for self-determination and independence. I can get behind that 100%.
Too many people view history though the lens of the 21st Century. They'd do better to put things into the context, norms, and values of the era. To the Spartans, they had the best deal going and weren't going to let anyone take it away from them.
And I'm glad the imperfect Greeks beat back the Persians Had they not we'd be living in a far worse world today. The 'moral of the story' in 300 is a good one.
Me too.
However, it is also fair to point out that the Spartan system is not weird and oppressive only from today's point of view.
Essentially all other Greeks, while often admiring the Spartants, were generally appalled by their society.
To be fair, they were sometimes appalled by aspects, such as the freedom of their women, that we'd consider positive.
The mass enslavement of fellow Greeks was not considered kosher even then, if you'll pardon the term.
I think we can admire the nobility and courage of the Spartans while recognizing that the society for which they fought was in many ways as far from the American ideal as possible.
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Just updating the GGG info, not sending a general distribution. |
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