Sparta

Fall of a Warrior Nation

Philip Matyszak

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Hardback

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English

Pen and Sword
01 August 2018

History; Ancient history: to c 500 CE

Universally admired in 479 BC, the Spartans were masters of the Greek world by 402 BC, only for their state to collapse in the next generation. What went wrong? Was the fall of Sparta inevitable? Philip Matyszak examines the political blunders and failures of leadership which combined with unresolved social issues to bring down the nation - even as its warriors remained invincible on the battlefield.

The Spartans believed their constitution and society above the changes sweeping their world, and in resisting change, they were eventually overwhelmed by it. Yet this is also a story of defiance, for the Spartans refused to accept their humiliation and – although never more than a tiny and underpopulated city-state – for many years their city exercised influence far beyond its size and population. This is a chronicle of political failure, but also a lesson in how to go down fighting. Even with the Roman legions set to overwhelm their city, the Spartans never gave up.

Sparta: Fall of a Warrior Nation tells a seldom-told tale, yet one rich in heroes and villains, epic battles and political skulduggery.

The book features 16 illustrations.

By: Philip Matyszak
Imprint: Pen and Sword
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781473874725
ISBN 10: 1473874726
Pages: 192
Publication Date: 01 August 2018
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Unspecified

PHILIP 'MATY' MATYSZAK holds a doctorate in Ancient History from St John's College, Oxford University, and has been studying, teaching and writing on the subject for over twenty years. He specializes in the history of Classical Greece and of the Late Republic and Early Imperial periods of Rome. Maty has personal military experience both as a conscript in Rhodesia and with the Territorial Army in Britain. These days he splits his time between writing in his home in Canada's Monashee Mountains and providing e-learning courses for Cambridge University's Institute of Continuing Education.

Reviews for Sparta: Fall of a Warrior Nation

Noted Classicist Matyszak follows his Sparta: Rise of a Warrior Nation with this account of why the seemingly invincible Sparta failed as a great power, ultimately becoming the ancient world's equivalent of a theme park. [...]Sparta: Fall of a Warrior Nation is a good read for anyone interested in Greek history or the fate of nations. --StrategyPage Matyszak closes with some comment on the influence of Sparta's institutions more recent political thought, notably Nazism. A good read for anyone interested in Greek history or the fate of nations. --The NYMAS Review