Esparta

In the year 479 a. C, Sparta was admired throughout the known world. And shortly after, in 402, it became the hegemonic power of Greece. However, a generation later, the city-state was unimportant... Why? What went wrong? Was the fall of Sparta inevitable? Although its fearsome hoplites were always considered invincible on the battlefield, Sparta brought together many political errors and diverse and serious social problems, in the belief that its customs and laws were immutable, superior to those of any other people. It is the Spartan story, in any case, a story of defiance: that of a small city-state that dominated the world and that never accepted its fall and submission; the chronicle of a political failure -never a warrior-, but also a lesson on how to go down fighting; Not surprisingly, even with the Roman legions poised to besiege their city, the Spartans never gave up. Philip Matyszak examines what happened step by step, breaks it down and examines it historically, in great detail. And with it, in this essay, Sparta. The defeat of the warrior, as documented as it is entertaining, tells us a story known to all but rarely told: that of Sparta, a nation rich in heroes and villains, in political tricks and in epic wars and unforgettable battles.