Tag Archives: wit

Spartan Wit

Posted on May 3, 2009 by 100swallows

Spartan wit was famous.   Laconic (Laconia was another word for Sparta) means short, pithy, to the point. Plutarch, the old Greek historian,  gives some examples: Once a Spartan king was watching a show with a sword-swallower.  “That’s easily done here … Continue reading →

Posted in 1, books, history, Sparta, The Greeks | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

The Legend of Sparta (Part 2)

Posted on September 25, 2008 by 100swallows

Up to now, the nobles had only squirmed a little. That shows they already had that very Spartan ability to bite their lip. But do you know what the last straw was—what finally made them howl? They woke up one … Continue reading →

Posted in books, history, Romans, warfare | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments