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Poetry
300 - Sparta
By Fledermaus
17 March 2007
The second part, about the Spartans in general:
A violent culture which killed their own babies, hunted down the native people of Lakonia for sport, were not at all chivalrous in battle and destroyed Athenian democracy...

You cheer the Spartans of old
Who killed Helots just for fun
That's a story not much told
In the lands under the sun

The Spartans were brave indeed
A treacherous kind, cruel beasts
They saved Hellas in its need
Battles were to them like feasts

But freedom they did not bring
As they killed democracy
On Athens' throne a Spartan king
Lakonian oligarchy

Reviews

Written by ellipinnock (1790 comments posted) 17th March 2007
Liked this more than the other. But again I found myself wanting something personal to give it some life - left me a bit cold. 
 
Elli
Good
Written by CrazyBubbles (10 comments posted) 17th March 2007
Your poem simply and effectively tells the story of Sparta. It would have left more of an impression if you had included more images of the harshness of Spartan life. 
 
I've just finished a study on Sparta at my school, so I was excited to read this poem. Thanks for posting it! :)

Written by Phil (6963 comments posted) 17th March 2007
Read both of these Fledermaus, both very interesting. I was at least a little aware of the Spartans but knew little of the Persians. As poems, I think they need a little more. As Elli says, something to make it a little more personal. An eye witness account perhaps? 
 
Phil.

Written by Fledermaus (3492 comments posted) 19th March 2007
Thanks Elli, Bubbles and Phil, 
Maybe an idea for a short story to be written somewhere in the future... Especially the way the spartans treated the Helots seemed rather shocking to me.  
Strange isn't it, that Hollywood seems to view them as heroes while they were probably the most brutal, inhumane tribe of all Greeks...

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