Spartans

Rating:
Summary:

Cooking wears out, kissin' don't

Review:
[preamble] After reading Plato's "Republic" early in my high school years, I realized that Plato's ideal society was what today we'd call fascism. Plato's "Republic" isn't a republic at all, it's mighty similar in fact to the Spartan system. Plato later expressed the wish that "either true and genuine philosophers attain political power or the rulers of states by some dispensation of providence become genuine philosophers." The appeal of being the brainy despot, sitting at the top, and ordering everyone around does have appeal, but that's not a good way to run a government. It is a good way to run a company though. ;') [end of preamble]

Sparta's system was based on the enslavement of neighboring towns, the development and maintenance of a warrior elite class, brutal training, eugenics, separation of the genders, and, as the narration says, a complete rejection of change. The disk goes into detail that frankly I wouldn't want young children to listen to, unless I wanted to scare them into obedience -- "behave, or I'll send you to Sparta!"

That said, even folks with no knowledge whatsoever of ancient Greece should enjoy this disk.

The detail on the disk of the Peloponnesian War (Sparta vs Athens) was particularly well chosen.

The location shots were mostly the scenes being discussed, beginning with the surviving Spartan monument at Thermopylae, and including Sparta itself, Athens, and other Greek locales. The quality of this production is very high.

Having also watched the PBS Empires Series disk "The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization", I'd have to say I much prefer "The Spartans". The brains behind the latter is interviewed for the former, but "The Greeks" just doesn't hold the attention like "The Spartans", which is well worth the few extra dollars.

This DVD is excellent. Despite its three hour duration, I watched it twice in two days, all the way through, and revisited specific segments a few more times. Bettany Hughes teases her way through the whole disk, which has plenty of shots of her walking away in tight jeans, or close ups of her face as she narrates. This is no reason to buy this, but it certainly is a nice unexpected bonus.

One problem I had may have been related to the cheap Daewoo player I used -- the picture was too wide for the TV screen. I wound up figuring that out during the second run-through, and set the player to 1/2 resolution, which worked fine on the 27 inch TV.



Rating:
Summary: Engaging and informative, a cut above standard documentaries
Review: An engaging documentary artfully assembled, this 2003 British production has been a hit for PBS in the United States, with the videos and tie-in book (the US edition of Paul Cartledge's The Spartans) often on backorder status. It is a rarity in that it gives Sparta its due for helping Greece resist the Persian threat and credits Sparta for its more enlightened attitude toward women. Although at times it may project a faint pro-Athens bias, host Bettany Hughes is a sympathetic and knowledgeable narrator (and pretty danged attractive to boot for a classicist). THE SPARTANS boasts terrific location photography by Douglas Hartington, with some impressive aerial shots of the Taygetus gorges. For the first time in a television documentary, we are treated to detailed examination of many artifacts in the Sparta Museum as well as shown many photos of archaeological excavations at Sparta. The atmospheric soundtrack is composed by Anthony Burke. Evocative reenactor footage is used - not as much as in the A&E production "Rise & fall of the Spartans," maybe, but effectively presented, even if the footage tends to be come repetitive by Part 3.

Part 1
THE SPARTANS opens at Thermopylae and with the epitaph of the Three Hundred -- and very stirring it is to hear this spoken in the original Greek -- before introducing some of the topics that will be addressed in the program. (Hmm. The claim that "male homosexuality was compulsory" is extremely dubious; the first boldfaced assertion as fact of a subject hotly debated among ancient and modern experts.) After the introduction, we journey to the Dark Ages of Greece, the end of the Achaean Age and the coming of the Dorian Greeks to the Peloponnesus and Laconia. An effective look at the development of hoplite warfare is presented. Next comes the Messenian conquest, then the establishment of the Spartan constitution. The upbringing of Spartan youths, warts and all, is then addressed at length. A good point is made that the sublimation of the individual as practiced by the Spartans can be very liberating - "the possibility of transcending your limitations as an individual and becoming part of something bigger and better." Spartan institutions are credited for initiating a system of political rights and responsibilities among its citizens centuries before other Greek states conceived of such things.

The finding of the so-called statue of Leonidas in 1925 is used to introduce the Persian Wars, which are then examined in detail. There is much footage of Thermopylae, including the eponymous hot springs, and the commentary casts the Spartans' self-sacrifice in terms that hearken to the Japanese samurai's bushido code.

Part 2
This segment begins by exploring at how Sparta and Athens fell out after the Persian Wars, with a look at Athenian politics and society and how these contrasted to Sparta's. This is a refreshingly non-partisan treatment, not hesitating to be equally critical of Athens. Women's life in Sparta is given much attention. Sparta comes off as considerably more enlightened, by modern Western standards, than Athens. (Interesting sidebar - in her remarks during a November 24, 2003, online chat with Channel 4 (UK) viewers, narrator Bettany Hughes, when asked where she'd have rather lived, Sparta or Athens, replied "Sparta. No doubt.") Hughes wryly notes how Spartan women were "objects of fear and fascination" to non-Spartan men. The legacy of these "radical" Spartan customs on later societies is discussed. Amusingly, whether by design or not, Hughes wears a scarlet dress for much of this sequence - fit garb for a Spartanette - and conducts her narration while striding purposefully about the Laconian countryside or riding on horseback in full exhibition of energetic Spartan vitality.

Lastly, the Laconian earthquake of 465 or 464 BC and subsequent helot revolt is noted and seen as the event that lit the sparks of conflict between Greece's two leading cities. The opening clashes of the Peloponnesian War and the Spartan disaster at Sphacteria ends Part 2.

Part 3
The last section of the film opens at Delphi and takes a look at Greek religion and Spartan attitudes toward the gods and oracles before resuming the history of the Peloponnesian War. Alcibiades, the Syracuse expedition, and Lysander are all examined, taking up half of Part 3. Then the period of the Spartan Hegemony is briefly described, shaped by the "crippled kingship" of Agesilaus and marked by power struggles among Sparta's ruling factions. Hughes notes the critical decline of Spartan citizen manpower and the rise of Thebes as a rival. She takes us to the battlefield of Leuctra, where Spartan military superiority was broken in 371 BC. The remaining sequences very quickly sketch how classical Sparta became a second-class power and finally a tourist attraction for wealthy Romans. The show concludes with a summation of Sparta's influence on Western philosophy.

THE SPARTANS is a standout documentary, wonderfully photographed and directed, and is highly recommended as a visual overview of Spartan history.

Those interested in further information about this production can read an online interview about "The Spartans" with classicist Bettany Hughes and historical consultant Paul Cartledge answering questions from viewers (November 2003) (...)

Rating:
Summary: Serious History Made Interesting
Review: Having taught "Ancient Greece" on the college level I was impressed with the PBS production of "The Spartans" and will no doubt make use of the video in class the next time around. Here is serious history in a comfortable format. Part travelogue with ample views of the pertinent areas in Greece (Hellas) this program transports the viewer to the important sites and makes history seem contemporary. Bettany Hughes serves as an amiable, well spoken, and informed host who is as engaging as the subject matter. While most subjects are handled quite well, Spartan society and constitution, the Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian Wars, and the singularly distinct status of Spartan women, there is one weakness. A bit more could have been said about the rise of Sparta's late rival, Thebes, and its great leader Epaminondas (who is not even mentioned). Beyond that watch, learn and enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: could it be more boring?
Review: I couldn't believe how boring this documentary was. I'm an avid history buff, and I study most ancient civilisations in university. Even my teacher in an audotorirum, without the tools of media such as recreating ancient greek scenes or actually being in sparta is more interesting than Bettany (the host of the show) Were bascically served to body shots of Bettany walking around or driving in her car. Really not worth watching or furthermore buying. If you want to learn about Sparta and not be bored to death, read a book instead of watching this trash.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent overview of the Spartans
Review: I was surprised by some of the negative reviews of "The Spartans" here on Amazon, because I honestly thought that this program was quite good, maybe just not quite in the style of what some viewers were expecting. I first saw it by chance on PBS and couldn't wait to get the DVD.

I can understand some of the comments about how it doesn't do things like get a variety of researchers and historians together for commentaries, or show 3D animations, or that the battle reenactment gets a bit repetitive after a while. However, it seems to have been the filmmakers' intention to use more of a "walking tour" approach, with host Bettany Hughes taking the audience by foot or by car around sites as they are today and explaining how things were like back in the day. The style of the program is very similar to walking tours I went on when I visited Italy back in college. This DVD is probably the next best thing to going over to visit the Spartan sites in person!

The location photography was terrific and the music was pretty solid as well. The presentation content was also strong and fits the walking tour format - informative and accessible to pretty much anyone, touching on major themes and ideas, and not getting too overly crammed with detailed statistics. All the major people and events in Spartan history are vividly described and analyzed. Alcibiades comes off like a rascal and Lysander seems like a clever fox. I highly recommend this show if you want to go walk around Greece and hear ancient history all in the comfort of your own chair!

Rating:
Summary: Intense!
Review: The ancient Spartans were perhaps the most intense people to ever walk the face of the earth! I thought I knew all about them - I was wrong. I barely knew half the story.

This is a lengthy documentary: running over three hours. It's also surprisingly formatted in 16x9 widescreen, which was a joy. The picture is clean, bright, and mastered well. There's some re-enactments herein, a nice use of re-created "Spartan" music for the background score, and plenty and plenty of info, facts, trivia, ancient and modern quotations, and tidbits.

You'll get the whole story here: they leave little out - from Sparta's early beginnings, to it's strict social code, to it's intense training, it's subjectism of the neighboring Messenians, and the city-state's eventual decline. The only thing the documentary failed to capitalize on is the rise of the Macedonian powers and the fall of the various Greek city-leagues to Phillip II and his son Alexander the Great.

This documentary is excellent! It certainly helps that your host throughout the tour is a gorgeous British brunette with a sexy voice who walks around the various parts of Greece in tight bluejeans and sexy red tank tops. Aristophenes would have agreed no doubt. It's certainly a whole lot more interesting watching this intellectual beauty story-tell her way around the Greek islands than it would be to have a dull, monotone, male narrator VOG. She's alot easier on the eyes and her voice would launch a thousand ships to make Hellen of Troy seem pitiful. (I think I'm in love).

I've since watched this DVD from beginning to end several times now and it does not get redundant in the least! Indeed, I would recommend several viewings to absorb all the details it's so rich in research and information about ancient Sparta. Both the novice and casual observer will be highly entertained by this DVD, but hardcore scholars and history students will find a well-researched documentary that will add to their expertise as well.

Well worth every penny. I am proud to have it as part of my DVD collection for years to come.

Rating:
Summary: Bettany Boring as Beige
Review: This is by far the worst product I have ever seen from PBS. Bettany (your host) spends almost three hours walking around the Greek countryside yammering on about what should be a dynamic and exciting period of ancient history. She may have an armful of credentials but fails to make the subject live. Thank goodness that she was not my first ancient history professor, I would have died a thousand times and missed out on a vital part of human history. Save your money buy something else. Have you ever watched paint dry? This is it.

Rating:
Summary: The glory of the Lacedamonians
Review: This is one of the greatest historical documentaries I have ever seen. Of course, the fact that it details the chronicles of one of my very favorite historical peoples doesn't hurt.

The documentary is narrated and put together by a scholar named Bettany Hughes. Hughes brings ancient Greece to life by travelling to all the relevant locales in modern day Greece, and some of the topography has not changed hardly at all since the days of the Spartans.

Hughes stands at the cliffs of rejection, wades in the river Evrotas, takes us to Thermopylae, Athens and Sphacteria. Basically, all of the primary places of prominent interest in Laconian history are visited in this film. One can almost imagine the Spartans standing in these locales some 2,400 years ago.

During our journey thru Greece, Hughes offers a historical narrative of the brave Spartans, from the mythical times of the Trojan war to the apex of their prestige after the battle of Thermopylae. Hughes continues on throughout the pages of Greek history to the Peloponnesian War, the eventual defeat of Athens, the decline of Sparta and the ultimate defeat of the Lacedamons on the plains of Leuctria.

Along the way, Hughes points out various aspects of the austere Spartan lifestyle, such as the brutal Agoge, the presence of homosexuality in the Spartan social norms, the conquest of Messenia and subsequent fate of the "Helot" class and much more.

This is one of the most thorough documentaries on ancient Greece I have ever seen and is a must for people who even have so much as a passing interest in the mighty Spartans. It is also a nice "balancing" DVD as so many Greek documentaries tend to focus on Athens and more-or-less forget about Sparta.

For those who would like another excellent documentary on Sparta, I would recommend the History Channel's RISE AND FALL OF THE SPARTAN EMPIRE. To date, I do not believe this DVD is available on www.Amazon.com, however. The History channel DVD and this PBS documentary complement each other superbly.

Rating:
Summary: OK, Needs Computer Animated Battle Scenes & Analyzation
Review: Thorough but has a slightly out-of-date feel due to no computer animated battle scenes as seen on History Channel's programs of the ancient Greeks. The Spartan's cruelty to their slaves and rampant homosexuality in both sexes could have been analyzed through interviews with a couple of academics (along with some moderately strong comparisons to Nazi Germany). Doing this would have broken the monotony of constantly having the middle-aged actress explaining everything.
An overall okay effort enchanced by the severe scarcity of productions about the Spartans.