Comments by "Evan" (@MrEvanfriend) on "Misunderstood Moments in History - The Spartan Myth" video.

  1. I get the bit about decline. But the beginning of this whole thing, denying the agoge and the militaristic nature of the Spartans seems very suspect, as literally everything I've read on the topic agrees with the general consensus. Herodatus claims that the 300 Spartiates sent to Thermopylae were all fathers of sons, which speaks to the idea that it was something of a suicide mission (though it is true that there were 5-7,00 Greeks at Thermopylae, and that the Thespians and Thebans stayed on the last day - though the Thebans surrendered). I also don't deny that the reputation the Spartans won at Thermopylae played a big role in their later reputation.
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