Author: Plutarch
Context: The historian Plutarch (ca.
45–120 CE) writes about the reforms of the Spartan
structure under Lycurgus (ca. 600
BCE). Until Lycurgus came to power, Sparta enjoyed a relatively unrestricted
political and economic system. Lycurgus transformed the city-state into a
military powerhouse. Consequently, Sparta began to enslave Helots in order to
provide a means for labor while the bulk of the male population was in military
training. Although Sparta did not contribute much to the arts or sciences, they
did establish a strict code of discipline that established societal order.
Summary: Plutarch examines the social and economic reforms enacted
by Lycurgus. In his excerpt, Lycurgus effectively
reduces the power of material wealth in several ways. For one, he establishes
the exclusive coinage of silver greatly inflating the market and reducing the
change of monetary robbery. Second, he outlawed all extraneous imports and
comedies such as gold and jewels, hence the use of the phrase “Spartan.”
Lycurgus also shrunk the class discrepancy by eliminating the power of the
wealthy. Lycurgus commanded that the wealthy eat the same as the poor. In
eliminating differing social tendencies, Lycurgus greatly reduced the influence
and power of the upper class. Overall, these reforms instilled the equality,
order, and discipline that Lycurgus required to build a warrior-state.
Key Quotation: “For the
rich, being obliged to go to the same table as the poor, could not make use of their
abundance, nor so much as please their vanity by looking at or displaying it
(77).”
This post was very well thought out Dan and I liked how you described what Lycurgus was doing when he places the wealthy and the poor together at the same table and then gave a quote to further describe it.
ReplyDeleteI would have liked to see some back ground on the author Plutarch, for example did he have any biases to the Spartans or against them. I think you could have put the dates he was alive in the author section of the post the approximate date of his writing in the context section, if you could had the date it was written. I did enjoy how you included the origin of the word Spartan and how it pertains to the text.
Good job. Plutarch (ca. 46-120 CE), a Greek essayist and historians, has been described by some as the most influential writer to ever live. His biographies served as moral and political guides. In this excerpt, he describes how Lycurgus crushed individuality and abandoned frivolity to create a military machine. The tone of this text is factual and admiring.
ReplyDeleteAnother quote to consider: "He struck a yet more effectual blow against luxury and the desire of riches , was the ordinance he made, that they should all eat in common."
ReplyDelete