Sparte et son commencement

Résumé En Fr

Spartans of Classical times had various conceptions of the beginning of their community. Its strongly conservative side comes from their will to keep to a system they thought efficient because it brought stability and power to the city. Yet Spartans also realized that their political system came as the result of an evolution. Lycurgus was supposed to have put an end to troubled times, but literary texts disagree as to the extent of the changes he was supposed to have introduced. Xenophon in particular hinted that several constitutional reforms may have occurred in Sparta ; he was therefore fully aware of the course of time. Such a feeling was enhanced by the recitation of genealogies and king lists, and confirmed Spartans into a constant search for improvements. As time went by, Spartan community was adding to its experiences.

Les Spartiates de l'époque classique ont manifesté des conceptions diverses du commencement. Le profond conservatisme de la collectivité de Sparte repose sur la volonté d'entretenir un système jugé efficace, qui a apporté la stabilité et la puissance. Néanmoins, le système politique dans lequel vivent les Spartiates est, a leurs propres yeux, le fruit d'une évolution. C'est à une phase de désordres que Lycurgue est censé avoir mis fin, mais les sources divergent sur l'ampleur de l'oeuvre qui lui est attribuée. Xénophon, notamment, exprime l'idée que Sparte a pu connaître des réformes; cela marque bien une pleine conscience de l'écoulement du temps. La récitation de généalogies et de listes de rois a étayé une telle conscience, qui alimentait un souci de perfectionnement continuel. Au cours du temps, la collectivité enrichit son expérience.