The Polity of the Athenians and the Lacedaemonians

Xenophon, 431 BCE-350？ BCEProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.5

Word count: 113K words
Chapters: 12

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Polity of the Athenians and the Lacedaemonians by XenophonAuthor: Xenophon, 431 BCE-350? BCE,Language: English, Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature, Release Date: Jan 1, 1998

Editor's review

This work sets the Athenian and Spartan constitutions side by side, making it a primary source for understanding political life in ancient Greece. Xenophon writes from the perspective of a firsthand observer, discussing both institutional arrangements and customs and education, so readers can see the logic and the costs of each system. His criticism of Athenian democracy and scrutiny of Spartan order have been cited repeatedly in the history of political thought, making this a suitable introductory classic for classical political studies. The English public-domain text from Project Gutenberg is easy to search and compare, and the work is short enough to read through in one extended sitting. Readers need not rush to judge which system was better; first grasp the institutional and customary details the author describes, then consider his stance against the historical background. For readers who want to approach ancient Greek political texts without starting with a bulky volume, this is a lightweight work with considerable information density.

Who it's for

A good fit for

History enthusiasts interested in ancient Greek political institutions and city-state life
Lower-division politics and classics students using it as a primary-text introduction
Readers who want to understand Xenophon's style through a short text
Researchers who need an English public-domain source for comparative reading

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a systematic general history or detailed institutional study
Beginners unfamiliar with English classical texts who need line-by-line notes
Those who want only modern political-theory overviews and prefer not to engage primary texts

Reading tips

Read the Athenian section first and the Spartan section second, listing the main differences between the two systems as you go.
Keep a map of ancient Greece at hand and match the institutions and places mentioned in the text to reduce spatial confusion.
After finishing, summarize the author's criticism of both systems on one page, then check it against your own judgment.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book written by Xenophon himself?

Sources list Xenophon as the author, and Project Gutenberg publishes it as a public-domain English text. The discussion of the Athenian and Spartan polities reflects the author's own stance, so it should be read in historical context rather than as a neutral social-science report.

Can I read this public-domain book if my English is weak?

The text is in public-domain English, with somewhat classical syntax; the vocabulary is not very difficult but demands some patience. If your English is weak, start with introductory material for background, then work through it alongside a Chinese translation or annotated edition rather than plodding word by word.

What background should I have before reading this book?

It helps to know the basic framework of Athenian democracy and the Spartan polity, and the general course of the Peloponnesian War. With that background, the descriptions of institutions and customs are easier to place, and the author's selective narration becomes more apparent.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Xenophon, 431 BCE-350？ BCE Author

Xenophon (c. 431–c. 350 BCE) was an ancient Greek historian, military commander and prose writer. Public information about the details of his life is limited, and his works are the main basis for understanding him and his thought. The collection holds 20 of his works, including Anabasis, Hellenica, Cyropaedia and The Memorabilia. These writings combine historical narrative, military memoir and philosophical dialogue; their style is clear and plain, their narration concrete and vivid, and they are especially notable for firsthand accounts of campaigns he experienced. His works have long circulated as important sources for the study of ancient Greek politics, warfare and thought, and have influenced later historical writing and educational ideas.