Zeno's Influence on Spartan Kings

In the 3rd Century B.C., Sparta was not the kingdom that she once was. She had turned away from the laws of Lycrugus which had helped her ascend to a dominating position over all of Greece. There was a political movement, at this time, to guide Sparta back to the ascetic ways of their ancient past and to restore the character and honor of the city-state. At this same time, Zeno of Citium was forming the Stoic philosophy in Athens. There was much respect in philosophy for the virtue-centric lifestyle of the ancient Spartans, and it seems that this pollination of ideas came full circle when a follower of Zeno named Sphaerus visited Sparta and influenced the soon-to-be-king Cleomenes III.

This is what the Roman historian Plutarch says about this relationship in his book On Sparta:

"He was certainly not satisfied with the state of affairs in the city, where the citizens had been lulled by inactivity and indulgence, and the king let all business slide so long as no one disturbed him in his desire to live a life of leisure and luxury in affluent circumstances. Public affairs were disregarded as everyone amassed profits for themselves privately. As for training, self-discipline on the part of the young, stamina and equality, it was unsafe so much as to mention these now that Agis and his family were dead. [Agis was a King who had recently been murdered by political rivals because he had very nearly succeeded at returning Sparta back to her roots. He had managed to have all debts erased and was in the process of redistributing all land equally between Spartan peers when he was murdered along with his wife and mother.]

While still a youth, Cleomenes is also said to have taken part in philosophical discussions at the time when Sphaerus from Olbia visited Sparta and devoted a good deal of attention to both the young men and the ephebes. Sphaerus had become one of the leading followers of Zeno of Citium and apparently he was delighted by the manliness of Cleomenes' character and tried to fire his ambition. There is a story that when the Leonidas of ancient times was asked his impression of Tyrtaeus' quality as a poet, he replied: 'A good one for firing the spirits of the young.' For the poems filled them with such excitement that they stopped caring for themselves in battle. But where great and passionate characters are concerned, Stoic doctrine has an element that is unstable and hazardous; it is rather when combined with a profound and mild temperament that it particularly develops towards its intrinsic worth."

Cleomenes III went on to enact great reforms and was greatly respected in Sparta for his plain lifestyle and the example that he set for his people.

The Folly of Trying to Please the Mob

This is an excerpt from Plutarch’s On Sparta. It is the introduction to the section of the work in which he discusses the rule of the Spartan kings Agis and Cleomenes.

When Phocion was asked by Antipater to do something that was not at all honorable, he said to him: ‘You cannot have Phocion both as a friend and as a toady.’ It is this, then, or something like it, which needs to be said to the crowd: ‘The same man cannot be your ruler and your servant.’ When this actually does occur, his situation is like that of the snake in the fable. Its tail rebelled against its head and demanded to take a turn at leading rather than continually following the head. So it took the lead and got into difficulties itself by going off the road as well as bruising the head, which was forced unnaturally to follow a part of the snake that was blind and stupid. We observe this to have been the predicament of those whose sole concern in politics is to win popularity. After making themselves dependent upon capriciously shifting mobs, they have later been unable either to reassert themselves or to control the disorder. 

The True Believer

In wake of the Paris attacks I've been thinking about this quote a lot recently. I also watched a video last night of ISIS in Afghanistan attacking an ANA truck, killing the occupants, and putting one of their heads on a stump with the truck burning in the background.

Evil must be confronted.

"Somewhere a True Believer is training to kill you. He is training with minimal food or water, in austere conditions, training day and night. The only thing clean on him is his weapon and he made his web gear. He doesn't worry about what workout to do - his ruck weighs what it weighs, his runs end when the enemy stops chasing him. This True Believer is not concerned about 'how hard it is;' he knows either he wins or dies. He doesn't go home at 17:00, he is home.

He knows only The Cause.

Still want to quit?"

As far as I can tell, this quote originated on http://www.professionalsoldiers.com by user NousDefionsDoc.

Lycurgus: Governments are like individuals, happiness and stability comes from virtue...

"All the same it was not Lycurgus' main aim at the time to leave his city as the leader of so many other cities. Instead his view was that happiness in the life of a whole city, as in that of one individual, derives from its own merits and from its internal concord: it was to this end that all his arrangements and his structures were combined, so that Spartans should be free and self-sufficient, and should have the good sense to continue thus for a very long time. This theory of government was adopted by Plato, Diogenes, and Zeno and all those who are praised for their attempts to make some statement about these matters, even though they left only paper theories."

-Plutarch, On Sparta - Lives - Lycurgus - 31

• Though the Spartans were respected as the defacto leaders of Greece at the time of Lycurgus, this was not his aim.
• Lycurgus believed that cities should focus on their own internal virtue and self-sufficiency.
• This will lead to long periods of stability.
• This is similar to the individual philosophies of the Cynics and the Stoics.

Silence is Golden

This is as an indictment of myself.

I have a difficult time keeping my mouth shut. The greatest interpersonal problems that I have had in my life were caused either by blurting something out without pausing to consider what I was saying, or worse, violating someone's confidence. When I have violated the confidence of people, it is generally implied confidence where they have not specifically asked me to keep my mouth shut, but I should've known better.

Also, by babbling, when I do have something significant to say, the signal is often lost in the noise.

One of the biggest gains that I have made this year is not criticizing people behind their backs. I still catch myself doing it occasionally, but I am very conscious of it and feel ashamed if something slips out.

I am trying to train myself to embrace silence. I turn to the advice of the Stoics and Spartans on this matter.

“For as the Celtiberians make steel of iron by burying it in the ground, thereby to refine it from the gross and earthy part, so the Laconic way of speech has nothing of bark upon it, but by cutting off all superfluity of words, it becomes steeled and sharpened to pierce the understanding of the hearers. So their consciousness of language, so ready to turn the edge to all manner of questions, became natural by their extraordinary practice of silence.”  -Plutarch

“… they conceal their wisdom, and pretend to be ignorant, so that they may seem to be superior only because of their prowess in battle … This is how you may know that I am speaking the truth and that the Spartans are the best educated in philosophy and speaking: if you talk to any ordinary Spartan, he seems to be stupid, but eventually, like an expert marksman, he shoots in some brief remark that proves you to be only a child" -Socrates in Plato's Dialog Protagoras

"In answer to the ambassador from Abdera, who, after winding up a long discourse, asked him what report he should make to his people at home, he said, "Report that during all the time you wanted to speak I listened in silence.” -Agis son of Arcidamus

"Be silent for the most part, or, if you speak, say only what is necessary and in a few words. Talk, but rarely, if occasion calls you, but do not talk of ordinary things - of gladiators or horses races or athletes or of meats or drinks - these are topics that arise everywhere - but above all do not talk about men in blame or compliment or comparison. If you can, turn the conversation of your company by your talk to some fitting subject; but if you should chance to be isolated among strangers, be silent. Do not laugh much, nor at many things, nor without restraint." - Marcus Aurelius "Meditations"

"You do not seem to realize that he who knows how to speak knows also the right time for speaking.” -Archidamidus

When a public lecturer spoke at considerable length about bravery, he burst out laughing and when the man said, "Why do you laugh, Cleomenes, at hearing a man speak about bravery, and that, too, when you are a king?" "Because, my friend," he said, "if it had been a swallow speaking about it, I should have done the same thing, but if it had been an eagle, I should have kept very quiet.” -Plutarch