were at the core of his philosophical method. stealing, but for being clumsy enough to have Spartan women kept
Nothing that he actually wrote has survived, been spotted. fit through athletics
but we know a great deal about him and spartan society impressed not only
ears ago
tournaments and even
his ideas thanks to his pupil Plato, who some ancient philosophers like Plato, participated in flogging
y also became one of the most influential but later ideologies such as the hitler contests
philosophers of all time. Youth Movement of the 1930s, where
some of Plato’s works concern the children were taught that their duty to
dramatic and bizarre circumstances the state was of greater importance than
surrounding the execution of socrates, to the individual or the family.
who was famously sentenced to death by spartan soldiers, called hoplites,
an athenian jury for ‘corrupting the youth of were expected to put the welfare of
athens’ – possibly the charges against him were the city above their duty to their
2,500 – 2,300
trumped up by those who regarded his ideas families. they were trained in the
as heretical. despite socrates having discipline of the phalanx – a highly
various opportunities to escape, effective form of warfare, where
Plato describes how socrates troops were linked together by their arms into
argued that it was his a human wall. rectangular formations of
duty to die, having been convicted tightly packed soldiers, at least four lines deep,
by a democratic jury; and in 399 bC socrates with shields and spears locked closely
performed the customary ritual and drank together, were trained to march towards
a fatal dose of hemlock. the enemy to the beat of pipes and drums,
Book signing
Plato’s most famous philosophical work, The Republic, breaking into a run just before battle commenced.
Christopher Lloyd will be
continued the debate about the best way to rule a a phalanx required total loyalty and depended on every
signing copies of the book
human society. Plato was furious at how the democratic man in the fighting force. Just one drooping shield, like a
at Sevenoaks Library on 22
assembly in athens had sentenced his friend and mentor weak link in a chain, could expose the whole formation
november from 10.00am
to death, and his work is scornful of all popular forms to failure. the forces with the strongest, most fearless
– 12.30pm
of government. he argued that it was better to be soldiers, who pushed hardest from the rear, invariably
ruled by a tyrant, since then there was only one person won. this was a form of war that the spartans revelled
committing bad deeds, than to be a bad democracy, in.
where everyone was responsible for bad decisions. the selective breeding programme was carried
like thales, Plato believed that what underpinned through to male adulthood. Young soldiers were
the universe was a reality that didn’t originate from the rewarded for military victory by being given the
traditional ragbag of greek gods like Zeus, apollo and opportunity to couple with as many as twenty spartan
Win!
Aphrodite, who inflicted their fancies on an unsuspecting women, providing a powerful incentive to be brave
copies of
world. instead, like socrates, Plato believed that the in war. Failure on the battlefield was not an option. A
truth could be revealed through philosophical reasoning hoplite returning from battle alive but without his shield
the book
and contemplation. therefore, in his description of an was disowned by his family and sentenced to death.
ideal society, it was philosopher-kings who ruled, sharing by cultivating beauty, intelligence and strength in their
the wisdom of their insights with their subjects. females, the spartans believed they could succeed in
Plato came up with the ingenious suggestion that if producing a master race. Men and women, both naked,
To celebrate the launch
man could successfully control nature by selectively trained for athletics championships alongside each other,
of What on Earth
breeding plants and animals, then why not apply the with the women even participating in flogging contests Happened? Vine is giving
same techniques to humans? to see who had the most endurance, an ordeal known as away 5 copies of
‘the brave man is to be selected for marriage more diamastigosis.
the book to lucky
frequently than the rest so that as many children as with a social structure so completely based around
readers who score
possible may have such a man for their father.’ physical fitness, selective breeding and military victory,
highest in the 5-minute
this radical idea was put into practice by the southern it is no wonder that an athletics championship should
online quiz at www.
greek city of sparta, which from 431 to 405 bC led have been established at nearby olympia to test
a league of city states locked in a vicious war against the absolute limits of human physical prowess in a
whatonearthhappened.
the growing power of athens and her empire. the competitive context. According to Greek legend the first
com. Every entry also
Peloponnesian war was eventually won by sparta thanks ever olympic stadium was built by heracles to honour
raises £1 for charity.
to its famous commander lysander, who led its forces his father Zeus after completing his twelve labours.
To qualify for the
in an epic sea battle at aegospotami (404 bC) that By the fifth and sixth centuries BC the games had competition, just choose
annihilated the Athenian fleet (168 out of its 180 ships come to have enormous importance in greek society. Vine from the “select
were sunk). Each city state fielded its best athletes in the hope of
organisation” box next
the secret behind the power of this city that overthrew winning the ultimate accolade in civic pride. winners
to the “submit” button.
mighty athens was a prime example of how mankind were immortalized with poems, statues, and the most
was beginning to organize itself in experimental new prestigious honour of all – a crown made of olive leaves.
ways. sparta was a totalitarian military society at its
most pure and powerful. lycurgus (c.700–630 bC), its
legendary founder, decreed that baby boys born too
weak to become soldiers should be abandoned and left
vine
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to die on the desolate slopes of Mount taygetos. all
the others were sent off to a military training camp at
the age of seven to learn to become fearless warriors.
Vine readers can purchase a copy of What
boys were initiated into the camp by having to run the on Earth Happened? at a specially discounted
gauntlet of older youths who would flog them with
rate of £20 (normal price £25) by taking
whips, sometimes causing the weakest to die on the
spot, thus furthering the selective breeding principle.
a copy of this magazine to Sevenoaks
instead of being fed, the boys were encouraged to steal
Bookshop, 147 High Street, Sevenoaks.
food. they were punished if they were caught – not for
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ends on 1 December.
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