Modern Laconophilia Laconophilia

1 modern laconophilia

1.1 zionism
1.2 racial laconophilia

1.2.1 karl müller
1.2.2 nazi laconophilia


1.3 contemporary laconophilia

modern laconophilia

admiration of sparta continued in renaissance. niccolò machiavelli agreed sparta noteworthy long , static existence, nevertheless asserted that, virtù , glory, rome preferable (discourses). elizabethan english constitutionalist john aylmer compared mixed government of tudor england spartan republic, stating lacedaemonia [meaning sparta], [was] noblest , best city governed ever . commended model england. swiss-french philosopher jean-jacques rousseau contrasted sparta favourably athens in discourse on arts , sciences, arguing austere constitution preferable more cultured nature of athenian life. samuel adams expressed disappointment american republic failing meet ideal of christian sparta .

alexander hamilton mocked laconophilia of era unrealistic:

we may preach till tired of theme, necessity of disinterestedness in republics, without making single proselyte. virtuous declaimer neither persuade himself nor other person content double mess of porridge, instead of reasonable stipend services. might reconcile ourselves spartan community of goods , wives, iron coin, long beards, or black broth. there total dissimulation in circumstances, manners, of society among us; , ridiculous seek models in simple ages of greece , rome, go in quest of them among hottentots , laplanders.

laconophilia increased in importance during nineteenth century. development of english public schools influenced schooling of spartan children, ivy league american universities. sparta used model of social purity revolutionary , napoleonic france. slavoj Žižek stated modern egalitarian radicals, rousseau jacobins…imagined republican france new sparta .

early zionism

early zionists, , particularly founders of kibbutz movement in israel, had been influenced spartan ideals, , drew on spartan model in particular when disparaging materialistic values associated diaspora communities had left. tabenkin, example, founding father of kibbutz , palmach, influenced ancient sparta. prescribed fighters education should begin nursery , children should kindergarten age taken spend nights in mountains , valleys , taught fight, , educated war.

racial laconophilia
karl müller


karl müller

a new element introduced laconophilia karl otfried müller, linked spartan ideals supposed racial superiority of dorians, ethnic sub-group of greeks spartans belonged. while greek laconophiles plutarch had praised spartans, did not extend admiration dorians whole. plutarch argued founder of constitution, lycurgus, had inherited corrupt dorian institutions. argos, traditional enemy of sparta, dorian state; corinth, rhodes, , syracuse, 3 of commercial states in greece.

in 1824, however, müller wrote die dorier, history of dorian race . has been described thousand-page fantasia , portrays dorians heroic , noble race expanded greece north. used new disciplines of comparative linguistics , source-criticism argue dorians represented distinct ethno-linguistic group original culture isolated later influences. linked origin of dorians mythic myrmidons of trojan war, , leader achilles.

nazi laconophilia

müller s emphasis on northern origins , racial qualities of spartans later fed development of nordicism, theory of superiority of north european aryan master race. later german writers regularly portrayed spartans model modern prussian state, emphasised military self-discipline. short step argue prussians , spartans of same race. frank h. hankins summarises views of american nordicist madison grant, writing in 1916:

sparta pictured particularly nordic on account of purity of dorian stock, while athens more of mixture. sparta exhibited military efficiency, thorough organization , patriotic sacrifice of individual state characteristic of nordics everywhere , exemplified in modern prussia, while athens exhibited intellectual brilliancy, instability, extreme individualism, tendency treason , conspiracy characteristic of populations having large mediterranean element.

these arguments repeated nazi race theorists such hans f. k. günther , alfred rosenberg. adolf hitler particularly praised spartans, recommending in 1928 germany should imitate them limiting number allowed live . added spartans once capable of such wise measure... subjugation of 350,000 helots 6,000 spartans possible because of racial superiority of spartans. spartans had created first racialist state.

following invasion of ussr, hitler insisted slavs should treated helots under spartans: [the spartans] came conquerors, , took , , should germans. nazi officer specified germans have assume position of spartiates, while... russians helots.

contemporary laconophilia

modern laconophilia has been present in popular culture, particularly reference battle of thermopylae, portrayed in films such 300 spartans. evident in graphic novel 300 , film derived it.

in modern world, adjective spartan used imply simplicity, frugality, or avoidance of luxury , comfort. because of reputation physical prowess, name spartans has been adopted teams in several sports. michigan state university adopted spartans collegiate team identity in 1925. in addition michigan state spartans, other teams include san jose state spartans, Ħamrun spartans, norfolk state spartans, , others. soccer clubs include ac sparta prague (czech republic), spartans f.c. (scotland), , sparta rotterdam (netherlands).