The Return of the Spartans

"The Return of the Spartans" is a sequel to "The Myth of Sparta" and continues from where that book ends with the capture of the Spartan Hoplites at the battle of Sphacteria. We follow their captivity through the eyes of their leader Styphon and watch individual's machinations as the Spartans and Athenians continue their war against each other. We observe numerous battles between the two in detail, seen through the eyes of their most famous and in some instances, infamous citizens. We follow the political machinations of Cleon, Nicias and Alcibiades in Athens and see how they are dealt with by the political satirist at the time, Aristophanes, who referred to all of them in his plays. Many of the characters from "the Myth of Sparta" appear again including the philosopher, Socrates, the Athenian General, Demosthenes and the Spartan General Brasidas, whose campaign in Northern Greece we observe through the eyes of his men. The book recreates the period in significant detail and as was described by one reviewer of "The Myth of Sparta", is, "a highly enjoyable way to revisit one of the most significant periods of western history".