Paul Cartledge
2) The Spartans: the world of the warrior-heroes of ancient Greece, from utopia to crisis and collapse
Author
Description
This book traces the rise and fall of Spartan society and explores the influence the Spartans had on their world and even on ours. Paul Cartledge brings to life figures like legendary founding father Lycurgus and King Leonidas, who embodied the heroism so closely identified with this culture, and he shows how Spartan women enjoyed an unusually dominant and powerful role in this hyper-masculine society. --From publisher's description