Spartan society to the Battle of Leuctra 371 BC:Texts and analysis

In the first episode of The Spartans, Bettany Hughes examines the evolution of this intriguing ancient civilisation. While Athens is credited with art, architecture, science, philosophy and democratic politics. Sparta's ideals and traditions are equally potent and enduring: duty, discipline, the sacrifice of the individual to the greater good and mind over matter.

In this episode, the focus is on the bitter rivalry with Athens and the two cities' startlingly different view of women. They were two cities with totally opposed views of the 'good life'. For Athens, Sparta was a frightening place that turned its children into fighting machines. But worse still were Sparta's women: liberated, independent and opinionated.

Concludes the chronicle of the rise and fall of an extreme civilisation. Triumph in a brutal war against Athens sees Sparta as the most powerful city-state in Greece. But dreams of a Spartan utopia ultimately come crashing down.

The library provides access to a range of resources including JSTOR, which is useful for HSC History, English, and Society & Culture. Membership of the State Library is required to access JSTOR.

A useful guide on how to use historical sources for HSC Ancient History and general information on essay writing.

This site provides a point-form overview of the syllabus. It includes sections on social structure, the role of the Spartan army, and everyday cultural and religious life.

This document provides a point form summary of the HSC Ancient History topic of Sparta.

This tutoring site gives a concise overview of the Sparta topic.