What We Are Reading Today: ‘Athens and Sparta’ by Adrian Goldsworthy

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Updated 04 June 2026
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Athens and Sparta’ by Adrian Goldsworthy

In “Athens and Sparta,” eminent historian Adrian Goldsworthy tells the definitive history of the relationship between brutal, militaristic Sparta and brash, radically democratic Athens.

He narrates their incredible rise to prominence and how they became allies, rivals, and and ultimately, enemies.

They were polar opposites in ideology and culture, both driven by the Greek longing to excel, who led radically different experiments in how to run a state.