Sparta in Comparative Perspective
The project, 'Sparta in comparative perspective, ancient to modern: history, historiography and classical tradition' has been running since 2004 under the directorship of Prof. Stephen Hodkinson. From 2004 to 2010 the project was funded by a generous research grant from the UK Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC), with additional assistance from the University of Nottingham School of Humanities.
Project summary
The project integrates three interrelated areas of academic enquiry which are normally separated in scholarly research. Its first strand is a substantive study of Spartan social institutions from the perspective of comparable institutions at other times and places. Its second strand is historiographical scrutiny of attempts in historical writings since the eighteenth century to illuminate Sparta through comparison with other societies. The third strand is an examination of the broader intellectual context of this modern historiography: the appropriation of Sparta in modern European thought, especially through explicit or implicit comparison with contemporary European and non-European societies. More on project summary…
Project team
We are pleased to announce that two of the project's doctoral students have already gained academic posts: Rosie Harman had been appointed Lecturer in Greek Historiography at University College, London; and Lydia Langerwerf has been appointed Assistant Professor of History and Culture at the Lebanese American University at Byblos.
Applications are warmly encouraged from other students wishing to pursue doctoral research within the framework of the project or on topics related to it. For further information, please contact Professor Stephen Hodkinson.
Project Publications
To date the project has published four edited books:
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Stephen Hodkinson and Ian Macgregor Morris (eds.), Sparta in Modern Thought (Classical Press of Wales, Swansea, 2012) - the second volume from the project's 2007 conference
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Stephen Hodkinson and Anton Powell (eds.), Sparta and War (Classical Press of Wales, Swansea, 2006)
The project has also published over 20 articles in journals and edited volumes: see list of publications
Project Doctoral Dissertations
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Rosie Harman, Viewing Sparta, viewing Asia: Vision and Greek identity in Xenophon (2009)
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Lydia Langerwerf, ‘No freer than the helots’: Messenian rebel behaviour in Pausanias’ Messeniaka in comparative perspective (2010)
Project Conference
Sparta: Comparative Approaches and Classical Tradition, University of Nottingham, 18-22 September 2007
This international meeting brought together scholars in the fields of ancient history, classics and the history of ideas for focused discussion of:
(1) Spartan institutions in the comparative context of other Greek poleis; (2) the appropriation of Sparta within later medieval and modern European thought and academic scholarship
Conference publications:
Stephen Hodkinson (ed.), Sparta: Comparative Approaches (2009) – for details see above
Stephen Hodkinson and Ian Macgregor Morris (eds.), Sparta in Modern Thought (2012) - please see above for details.