The age of Leonidas : the legend of Themopylae in British political culture, 1737-1821
This thesis traces the reception of the Battle of Thermopylae of 480 B.c. during the period 1737-1821. The first chapter analyses Richard Glover's nine-book epic poem, Leonidas (1737). It argues that Glover's poem, ignored by modem critics, was of central importance to not only the Legend of Thermopylae, but the classical tradition as a whole in the eighteenth century. Glover took the idealisation of the battle that had existed since antiquity, and represented it in contemporary terms. By identifying Spartan patriotism and virtue with the manifestation of those ideals in the eighteenth century, Glover made Thermopylae the paradigm par excellence of those virtues. The second chapter analyses the fortunes of Thermopylae in the eighteenth century as a whole. Central to this was the Athens-Sparta debate, in which various thinkers compared and contrasted the relative merits of the constitutional forms of those two poleis. In light of this debate, the reception of Thermopylae can be seen to alter throughout the century. In the wake of the French Revolution, when Sparta's reputation went into decline, that of Leonidas came to the fore, as the one Spartan whose reputation was salvaged from the mirage spartiate. In
MacGregor Morris, Ian William James
The age of Leonidas : the legend of Themopylae in British political culture, 1737-1821. This thesis traces the reception of the Battle of Thermopylae of 480 B.c. during the period 1737-1821. The first chapter analyses Richard Glover's nine-book epic poem, Leonidas (1737). It argues that Glover's poem, ignored by modem critics, was of central importance to not only the Legend of Thermopylae, but the classical tradition as a whole in the eighteenth century. Glover took the idealisation of the battle that had existed since antiquity, and represented it in contemporary terms. By identifying Spartan patriotism and virtue with the manifestation of those ideals in the eighteenth century, Glover made Thermopylae the paradigm par excellence of those virtues. The second chapter analyses the fortunes of Thermopylae in the eighteenth century as a whole. Central to this was the Athens-Sparta debate, in which various thinkers compared and contrasted the relative merits of the constitutional forms of those two poleis. In light of this debate, the reception of Thermopylae can be seen to alter throughout the century. In the wake of the French Revolution, when Sparta's reputation went into decline, that of Leonidas came to the fore, as the one Spartan whose reputation was salvaged from the mirage spartiate. In
age legend british political_culture trace reception battle period first analyse book epic poem argues poem ignore modem critic central_importance legend classical tradition whole take idealisation battle exist since antiquity represent contemporary term identify spartan patriotism virtue manifestation ideal make paradigm par_excellence virtue second analysis fortune whole central athens sparta debate various thinker compare_contrasted relative_merit constitutional form poleis light debate reception see alter throughout_century wake french_revolution sparta reputation decline come fore spartan whose reputation salvage