More than 2500 years ago a confederation of small Greek city-states defeated the invading armies of Persia, the most powerful empire in the world. In this meticulously researched study, historian Paul Rahe argues that Sparta was responsible for the initial establishment of the Hellenic defensive coalition and was, in fact, the most essential player in its ultimate victory.
 

Drawing from an impressive range of ancient sources, including Herodotus and Plutarch, the author veers from the traditional Atheno-centric view of the Greco-Persian Wars to examine from a Spartan perspective the grand strategy that halted the Persian juggernaut. Rahe provides a fascinating, detailed picture of life in Sparta circa 480 B.C., revealing how the Spartans’ form of government and the regimen to which they subjected themselves instilled within them the pride, confidence, discipline, and discernment necessary to forge an alliance that would stand firm against a great empire, driven by religious fervor, that held sway over two-fifths of the human race.

2500多年前，一个希腊小城邦的联盟打败了世界上最强大的帝国--波斯的入侵军队。在这项经过精心研究的研究中，历史学家保罗-拉赫认为，斯巴达对希腊防御联盟的最初建立负有责任，事实上，它是最终胜利的最重要参与者。

 

作者从包括希罗多德和普鲁塔克在内的一系列令人印象深刻的古代资料中，偏离了传统的以雅典为中心的希腊-波斯战争的观点，从斯巴达的角度审视了阻止波斯巨无霸的大战略。拉赫对公元前480年左右的斯巴达生活进行了精彩而详细的描述，揭示了斯巴达人的政府形式和他们所受的制度如何向他们灌输了必要的自豪感、信心、纪律和洞察力，从而形成了一个联盟，在宗教狂热的驱使下，坚定地对抗一个控制着人类五分之二人口的大帝国。