Further Reading

Cartledge, P.A. (2001) Spartan Reflections. London: Duckworth
This is an excellent collection of discussions of various topics. For a discussion of the role of Spartan women see especially pages 106-126, ‘Spartan Wives: Liberation or Licence?’

Cartledge, P.A. (2003) The Spartans. London: Pan Books - pp. 153-166
A general survey written for general readers, but easy to read and a good general introduction to several topics.

Cartledge, P.A. (2003) ‘Raising Hell? The Helot Mirage – a personal re-view’, in Luraghi, N. and Alcock, S.E. (eds), Helots and Their Masters in Laconia and Messenia, 12-30, Cambridge: Harvard University Press
This article puts forward one side of the scholarly debate concerning the life of helots; for a different viewpoint see Hodkinson’s Property and Wealth . . . below.

Ducat, J. (2006) ‘The Spartan Tremblers’, in Hodkinson, S. and Powell, A. (eds) Sparta and War, 1-55, Swansea: Classical Press of Wales
This is an excellent study of the various ways in which the Spartans treated men who were perceived as cowards, with a thorough analysis of all the sources. The first Hodkinson reference in the section above also discusses this topic.

Ducat, J. (2002) ‘The Obligations of Helots’ in Whitby, M. (ed) Sparta, 195-199, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press
This short article is a good overview of the various obligations the helots had and the evidence from the sources on which this is based.

Figueira, P. (2010) ‘Gynecocracy: how women policed masculine behaviour in archaic and classical Sparta’ in Powell, A. and Hodkinson, S. (eds) Sparta: The Body Politic, 265-96, Swansea: Classical Press of Wales
A good recent survey and discussion of the role of women in Sparta. An alternative is the third Hodkinson reference below.

Harvey, D. (2004) ‘The Clandestine massacre of the helots (Thucydides 4.80)’, in Figueira, T.J. (ed) Spartan Society, 199-217, Swansea: Classical Press of Wales
There is some scholarly debate about the historicity of the disappearance of the helots mentioned by Thucydides (4.80). (See also the Whitby article mentioned below.) Harvey’s article puts one side of the argument, that this is a true account. This can be balanced by Paradiso’s article, also in the Figueira book (see below).

Hodkinson, S. (1989) ‘Inheritance, Marriage and Demography: Perspectives upon the Success and Decline of Classical Sparta’ in Powell, A. (ed) Classical Sparta: Techniques behind her success, 79-121, Abingdon: Routledge
Another collection of essay on a variety of topics. In this essay Hodkinson examines the reasons behind Sparta’s decline in the early 4th century, so is not strictly relevant to the timespan of this specification. However in the course of his investigation he discusses the Spartan system of land ownership and inheritance, Spartan marriage practices and the importance (or otherwise) of wealth and status in Sparta. He also examines the failure of Sparta’s leaders to tackle the problems facing them, from the mid-5th century onwards.

Hodkinson, S. (2000) Property and Wealth in Classical Sparta. Swansea: Classical Press of Wales - pp. 125-131
This article sets out the evidence for the helots’ contributions being a 50/50 share of what they produced, and that land ownership by the classical period was unequal and so some Spartans received more produce than others. Hodkinson also provides an alternative interpretation to that of Cartledge in ‘Raising Hell? . . .’ above.

Hodkinson, S. (2004) ‘Female property ownership and empowerment in classical and hellenistic Sparta’, in Figueira, T.J. (ed) Spartan Society, 103-36, Swansea: Classical Press of Wales
An alternative discussion of the role of women to the Figueira article above.

Kennell, N.M. (2010) Spartans: A New History. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell - pp. 76-88
This is a fairly recent book. Kennell has a good, and suitably cautious, discussion of the origin of the helots (pp. 79-80), and of the manner in which Spartan land was inherited (pp. 49-50).

Lewis, D. (2017) Greek Slave Systems and their Eastern Neighbours. Oxford: Oxford University Press - Chapter 6, ‘Helotic Slavery at Sparta’.
This book is due to be published this year, but is likely to be very expensive. The chapter on Sparta will be the fullest and most up-to-date discussion of the Spartan helots.

Paradiso, A. (2004) ‘The Logic of Terror: Thucydides, Spartan duplicity and an improbable massacre’, in Figueira, T.J. (ed) Spartan Society, 179-188, Swansea: Classical Press of Wales
This puts the other side of the argument to the Harvey article above, and is more sceptical.

de Ste. Croix, G.E.M. (2002) ‘The Helot Threat’, in M. Whitby (ed) Sparta, 190-5, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press
This short article documents the evidence for the relationship between the Spartans and the helots.

Shipley, G. (2002) ‘Perioecic Society’ in Whitby, M. (ed), Sparta, 177-189, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press
Pages 177-181 are an introduction to the following three essays, including the de Ste. Croix essay above. Shipley’s essay is concerned with the position of perioeci in Spartan society. He leaves some questions open due to lack of evidence.

Whitby, M. (1994) ‘Two shadows: Images of Spartans and helots’ in Powell, A. and Hodkinson, S. (eds) The Shadow of Sparta, 87-126, Abingdon: Routledge
Thucydides and Aristotle do seem to give the impression that the Spartans were constantly in fear of helot revolt and that this influenced their policy-making. However there is no mention of this in Herodotus’ discussion of the Spartans’ slowness or reluctance to commit troops during the Persian Wars, and there is not much suggestion of this idea either in Xenophon. This article is the key study of this topic.

Whitby, M. ed (2002) Sparta. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press
This is an excellent collection of essays, many of which are referenced elsewhere in this list.

Andrewes, A. (2002) ‘The Government of Classical Sparta’ in Whitby, M. (ed) Sparta, 49-68, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press
Another essay from this book; Andrewes sets out the evidence for the various institutions of the Spartan constitution and discusses the most well-known examples of decision-making given in the sources.

Buckley, T. (2010) Aspects of Greek History, 750-323 BC, Second Edition. Abingdon: Routledge
This is an excellent book, very accessible, and highly recommended for students. Chapters 19, 20 and 22, on the Archidamian War, Alcibiades and 421-404 BC, are especially useful.

Cartledge, P.A. (2001) Spartan Reflections. London: Duckworth
This is an excellent collection of discussions of various topics. For a discussion of the role of the Spartan kings see especially pp. 55-64.

Cartledge, P. (2003) The Spartans. London: Pan Books - pp. 120-127 and 145-152
As mentioned above, this is a good general introduction. The two passages cited are short biographies of the regent Pausanias and king Archidamus. See also pp. 171-6 on Brasidas and 182-5 and 188-90 on Lysander.

Cartledge, P. (2009) ‘Spartan Government and Society’, Appendix E in Strassler, R.B. (ed) The Landmark Xenophon’s Hellenica, 347-358, New York: Pantheon Books
This is an excellent series of editions of Greek historians, including Xenophon, Thucydides and Herodotus; they are expensive, but have extensive notes, maps and cross-references, and a series of appendices on related topics by leading scholars. This appendix very succinctly covers many aspects of Spartan society and discusses some of the sources.

Hodkinson, D., and Powell, A., eds., (2010), Sparta: The Body Politic. Swansea: Classical Press of Wales

Hodkinson, S. (1993) ‘Warfare, Wealth and the crisis of Spartan Society’, in Rich, J. and Shipley, G. (eds) War and Society in the Greek World, 146-176, Abingdon: Routledge
This essay gives an overview of the various non-royal Spartan commanders active outside the Peloponnese, not including ambassadors named in the sources. Hodkinson surveys all the sources, not just Thucydides (see Westlake below). There is a very useful summary table on p. 154.

Hornblower, S. (1996) A Commentary on Thucydides, Vol II. Oxford: Oxford University Press - pp. 38-61
This is probably more suited to teachers than students, but is an excellent discussion of Thucydides presentation of Brasidas.

Pritchard, D.M. (2016) ‘Sparta becomes Athens: The Peloponnesian War’s last 10 Years’ in Agora: The Journal of the History Teachers’ Association of Victoria, 51.4: 12-23
This is a thorough but easily accessible review of the end of the war, downloadable from academia.edu for subscribers.

de Ste Croix G.E.M. (1972) ‘How Spartan foreign policy was determined’ in The Origins of the Peloponnesian War, 124-151, London: Duckworth
There is an extract from this essay in Whitby’s Sparta, referenced elsewhere in these lists, pp. 69-77.

Westlake, H.D. (1968) Individuals in Thucydides. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
A seminal study of all individuals mentioned by Thucydides. It is relatively expensive, but is now available in paperback. Interestingly, there are as many chapters on Spartans as on Athenians. See especially chapters 10 on Brasidas and 12 on Alcibiades.

Cartledge, P. (2009) ‘The Spartan Army (and the battle of Leuctra)’, Appendix F in Strassler, R.B. (ed) The Landmark Herodotus, 359-64, New York: Pantheon Books
Another appendix from this volume. This essay is more wide-ranging than its title implies, as Cartledge discusses the evidence for the organisation of the Spartan army, the different forces available to the Spartans and the fleet, as well as the battle itself (which is beyond the scope of the specification).

Hodkinson, D. and Powell, A. ed (2006), Sparta and War. Swansea: Classical Press of Wales
Another good selection of essays on all aspects of the military aspects of Spartan society.

Rusch, S.M. (2014) Sparta at War. Barnsley: Frontline Books
This is a thorough survey of Spartan military action. Chapters 5-8 are of particular interest, but be wary of the discussion of how helots were integrated into Spartan forces in the late fifth century.

Sekunda, N. (2008) The Spartan Army. London: Osprey Publishing 
A good basic description of all aspects of the Spartan military. It is very well illustrated with sections on the arrangement of the army, equipment and armour, and other branches of the Spartan military, but not the fleet.

Shepherd, W. (2013) Pylos and Sphacteria 425 BC. Oxford: Osprey Publishing
Another in the Osprey series, detailing the 425 BC campaign in some detail. A good basic grounding.

Buckley, T. (2010) Aspects of Greek History, 750-232 BC, 2nd edn., pp. 72-77. Abingdon: Routledge
A good basic discussion of the debate about the nature of Spartan land ownership.

Cartledge, P. (2001) Spartan Reflections, pp. 169-84. London: Duckworth
A discussion of the ‘Spartan Mirage’ and Lycurgan Sparta, and the reasons for the decline of Sparta.

Cartledge, P. (2007) Thermopylae, pp 155-167. London: Pan Macmillan
This is a very readable book, and is primarily concerned with the events which led up to the battle and the battle itself, which are beyond the scope of this specification. However the final chapters and epilogue are concerned with the effect the battle had on history, and are a very good discussion of how it became legendary, and how it contributed to the ‘myth of Sparta’. There is also an excellent appendix on the interpretation of Herodotus (Appendix 1).

Cartledge, P. (2003) The Spartans, pp 131-52. London: Pan Books
An excellent and very accessible account of 478-432 BC, a very good starting point.

Fitzhardinge, L. F. (1980) The Spartans. London: Thames & Hudson
This is an excellent survey of the archaeological evidence for the Spartans, with chapters arranged according to the type of artefact. Chapter 9 (pp 124-135) is about Spartan poets, and chapter 10 (pp 136-147) ‘Through Foreign Eyes’ is of particular relevance to this section of the topic.

Forrest, W. G. (1980) History of Sparta. London: Duckworth
An excellent account of the history and institutions of Sparta, although has been superseded in some areas by more recent research. However Forrest produced an updated second edition in 1995 (Bristol Classical Press). Chapter 1 is about the sources, and the rest of the book is arranged chronologically. Of relevance to our specification are the last part of chapter 9 (pp 99-105) and then chapters 10-12. The brief ‘Conclusion’ (pp 152-153) is also very worthwhile.

Hooker, J. T. (1989) ‘Spartan Propaganda’ in Powell, A. (ed) Classical Sparta: Techniques Behind her Success, 122-41, Abingdon: Routledge 
This is an excellent article, but much of the source material discussed relates to events outside the scope of the specification. However, pages 133-139, discussing Sparta’s military reputation, is more relevant.

de Ste Croix, G. E. M. (2002) ‘Sparta’s Foreign Policy’ in Whitby, M. (ed) Sparta, 218-22, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press
This brief essay is an abbreviated reprint from de Ste Croix’s The Origins of the Peloponnesian War, the fuller account being pages 96-101. De Ste Croix discusses the influence the helots had on foreign policy.

Cartledge, P. (2009) ‘The Spartan State in War and Peace’, Appendix B in Strassler, R.B. (ed) The Landmark Herodotus, 728-36, New York: Pantheon Books
This is another volume in the Landmark series (see above on the Xenophon volume). This appendix is a brief discussion and summary of many aspects of Sparta as they are mentioned in Herodotus, but does reference other sources as well.

Hodkinson, D. (2009) Sparta: Comparative Approaches. Swansea: Classical Press of Wales
This is a collection of essays on a variety of Spartan themes and deliberately sets out to challenge some more traditional viewpoints. It is expensive, but is a good stretch and challenge for more able students.

Hodkinson, D. and Powell, A. ed (1999) Sparta: New Perspectives. London: Duckworth & Classical Press of Wales
This is a collection of essays by some of the leading scholars on Sparta. It is divided into three sections, Spartiate Institutions and Society, Spartans and the Outside World and Representations of Spartan Society.

Hodkinson, D. and Powell, A. ed (2002) Sparta: Beyond the Mirage. London: Duckworth & Classical Press of Wales
The fourth in the series of collections of essays edited by Hodkinson and Powell. The essays deal with ancient representations of Sparta, discuss how some of the ancient traditions about Sparta may have come about and conclude with a section on Historiographical Reception.

Hodkinson, D. and Morris, I.M. ed (2012) Sparta in Modern Thought. Swansea: Classical Press of Wales
This is not really relevant to the specification but would be good for keen and able students to obtain through a library. The essays follow the development of thought about Sparta and its influence on thinking from medieval times through to the contemporary world.