| Dear Members and Friends of CANI,
Spartan Warriors? Modern Myths and Ancient Realities
Abstract: Images of the ancient Spartans as full-time warriors whose lives were entirely devoted to war resonate strongly in modern politics and popular thought — and even in traditional academic accounts. My talk will start by discussing these modern images and some of their negative aspects. I will then contrast these ‘myths’ with what new research is revealing about the realities of Spartan life. I will argue that the Spartans did not always fight to the death, that they were not full-time warriors but disciplined part-time soldiers, and that soldiering was a prominent but not a dominant element of Spartan life.
Stephen Hodkinson is Emeritus Professor of Ancient History at the University of Nottingham and Director Emeritus of its Centre for Spartan and Peloponnesian Studies. He is author of multiple studies on Spartan society and its modern reception, especially Property and Wealth in Classical Sparta (2000). As co-organiser of the International Sparta Seminar, he has published several edited volumes, including Sparta: Comparative Approaches (2009), Sparta in Modern Thought (2012) and Herodotus, Sparta and Austerity (2025). He was historical adviser to Kieron Gillen’s graphic novel Three (Image Comics, 2014) set in fourth-century Sparta. He has been awarded Honorary Citizenship of modern Sparta for his contributions to the global understanding of Spartan history.
We hope to see you there.
With best wishes,
Katerina Kolotourou
CANI Convenor
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