From: Alan Patrick (a.patrick@btinternet.com)
Date: Tue 22 Feb 2005 - 09:24:46 GMT
> At the root of almost all downfalls is a damaged environment, sometimes
> complicated with climate change.
Long term I'd agree....but over the c 2 generations it took to fell Starta?
Sparta was weakened in winning the Peloponnesian war v Athens, and the
struggle v Thebes, so Philip/Alex cleaned up. Despite any environmental
damage Sparta had been a very efficient power for 300+ years, and had just
got its hands on the Athenian colonies....I'd argue it was just very
unfortunate that Philip of Macedon happened just as they were rebuilding
after finally beating Athens.
If Philip had come 1 generation later, Sparta would have rebuilt itself and
it may have been a different story - after all they did give Macedon a hard
time twice, (and one of their women brained Pyrrhus of Epirus a generation
later) even though they were severely weakened, and Spartan generals were
still highly valued in the Hellenistic world...
Imagine a world where its Spartan, not Athenian memes that are Greece's
dominant heritage!
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