Speaker: Susan Downie – Carleton University

The ancient Greek city-state of Sparta has never really left the imagination of western civilization. From political philosophers like Plato and Aristotle to modern political parties such as Greece’s Χρυσή Αυγή “Golden Dawn”, the Spartan state and its citizens have represented an ideal for which to strive.  What elements of the ancient Spartan state and society have made it the poster-child for modern Totalitarianism?  Given the significant problems with our sources about ancient Sparta, can we ever understand exactly how the state and its citizens functioned, or must we forever deal with the “Spartan mirage”?

There will also be an initial talk by Christos Zigoumis on Mani and Cephalonia: Survey and Excavation.