<div dir="ltr"><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px">To the long list of examples of historical fakery, we can now add the appropriation of Sparta by the neo-Fascist "Golden Dawn" organization that currently terrorizes immigrants and others in Greece. Alexander Clapp did a <a href="http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n23/alexander-clapp/diary">fine column on his experience with Golden Dawn in London Review of Books</a>, December 14, and now Paul Cartledge and Stephen Hodkinson, major authorities, add their own expert comment. (The letter that follows, from Martin Sanderson, is also worthwhile.)<br><br>Dan<br><br></blockquote><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:5.05pt 0in 0.0001pt 23.1pt"><a href="http://www.lrb.co.uk/"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(1,105,216);text-decoration:none">lrb.co.uk</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(1,105,216)"> </span></b><a href="http://www.lrb.co.uk/v37/n01/letters"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(1,105,216);letter-spacing:-0.05pt;text-decoration:none">http://www.lrb.co.uk/v37/n01/letters</span></a></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0.5pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0.5pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:2.8pt 0in 0.0001pt 6.3pt"><span style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(7,0,0)">Letters [RE] </span><span style="font-weight:bold;color:rgb(7,0,0)">I</span><span style="font-weight:bold;color:rgb(7,0,0);letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span><span style="font-weight:bold;color:rgb(7,0,0)">was</span><span style="font-weight:bold;color:rgb(7,0,0);letter-spacing:0.45pt"> </span><span style="font-weight:bold;color:rgb(7,0,0)">a</span><span style="font-weight:bold;color:rgb(7,0,0);letter-spacing:0.4pt"> </span><span style="font-weight:bold;color:rgb(7,0,0)">Greek</span><span style="font-weight:bold;color:rgb(7,0,0);letter-spacing:0.45pt"> </span><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)"><b>neo-fascist </b>[By Alexander Clapp]:</span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0.05pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></b></p></div><div><p class="" style="margin:0in 9.75pt 0.0001pt 6.3pt;line-height:120%"><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)">As<span style="letter-spacing:-0.55pt"> </span>Alexander<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>Clapp<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>makes<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt">clear,</span><span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>Golden<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>Dawn<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>is<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>indeed<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>neo-fascist<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.15pt">party,</span><span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>which<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>seeks<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>reinforce<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>its<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>electoral<span style="letter-spacing:1.2pt"> </span>charm<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>by<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>appeals<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>myths<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>about<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>ancient<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>Sparta<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>(</span><a href="http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n23/alexander-clapp/diary"><i><span style="color:rgb(1,105,216);text-decoration:none">LRB</span></i><span style="color:rgb(1,105,216);text-decoration:none">,<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>4<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>December<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt">
</span><span style="letter-spacing:0.05pt">2014</span></span></a><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0);letter-spacing:0.1pt">)</span><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0);letter-spacing:0.05pt">.</span><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0);letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)">It<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>is<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>worth<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>reiterating<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>that<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>at<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>least<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>one<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>key<span style="letter-spacing:1.2pt"> </span>element<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>Golden<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>Dawn’s<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>claimed<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt">
</span>ancestral<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>connection<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>is<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>indeed<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>myth:<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>ancient<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt">
</span>Sparta,<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>though<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>militarily<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>proficient<span style="letter-spacing:1.35pt"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>an<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>exceptional<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>degree,<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>was<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>not<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>as<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>brazenly<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt">
</span>militaristic<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>as<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>Golden<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>Dawn<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>imagines<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt">
</span>or<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>would<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>like<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>have<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>been.<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>But<span style="letter-spacing:1.35pt"> </span>then,<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>as<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>Clapp<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>points<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>out,<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>party’s<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>guiding<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt">
</span>ideology<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>is<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>rooted<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>not<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>some<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>fantasised<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt">
</span>antiquity<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>but<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>Greek<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>Civil<span style="letter-spacing:1.2pt"> </span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.25pt">War</span><span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>1946-49,<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>which<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>afflicted<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>Sparta<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>its<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>wider<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>region,<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>Laconia,<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>with<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>particular<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>bitterness<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt">brutality,</span><span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt">
</span>following<span style="letter-spacing:1.5pt"> </span>on<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>from<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>horrors<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>Nazi<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>occupation.</span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0.4pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0.4pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)">Paul</span><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0);letter-spacing:0.55pt"> </span><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)">Cartledge;</span><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0);letter-spacing:0.6pt"> </span><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)">Stephe</span><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)">n</span><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0);letter-spacing:0.55pt"> </span><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)">Hodkinson</span></p></div><div><p class="" style="margin:2.45pt 0in 0.0001pt 6.3pt"><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)">Clare<span style="letter-spacing:0.45pt"> </span>College,<span style="letter-spacing:0.4pt">
</span>Cambridge;<span style="letter-spacing:0.45pt"> </span>University<span style="letter-spacing:0.45pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing:0.45pt"> </span>Nottingham</span></p></div><div><p class="" style="margin-top:3.15pt"><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)"> </span></p></div><div><p class="" style="margin-top:3.15pt"><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)">Golden<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>Dawners<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>‘ambush<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>immigrants<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>about<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>once<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>week,’<span style="letter-spacing:-1.4pt"> </span>Alexander<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>Clapp<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>writes.<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>‘They<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>call<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>these<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>raids<span style="letter-spacing:2.65pt"> </span></span><i><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)">krypteia, </span></i><span style="line-height:120%;color:rgb(7,0,0)">“secret<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>things”.’<span style="letter-spacing:-0.5pt"> </span>That<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>is<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>what<span style="letter-spacing:0.5pt"> </span></span><i style="line-height:120%"><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)">krypteia<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span></span></i><span style="line-height:120%;color:rgb(7,0,0)">means,<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>but<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>was<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>also<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>name<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>an<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>alleged<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>ancient<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>Spartan<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>practice.<span style="letter-spacing:1.2pt"> </span>Plutarch<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>describes<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>his<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>life<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt">Lycurgus,</span><span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt">
</span>citing<span style="letter-spacing:-0.55pt"> </span>Aristotle<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>as<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>his<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>source:</span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 38.25pt 0.0001pt 41.2pt;line-height:120%"><i><span style="line-height:120%;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(102,102,102)">The<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>magistrates<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>from<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>time<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>time<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>sent<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>out<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>into<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>country<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>at<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>large<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>most<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>discreet<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt">
</span>of<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>young<span style="letter-spacing:1.2pt"> </span>warriors,<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>equipped<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>only<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>with<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>daggers<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>such<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>supplies<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>as<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>were<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span><span style="letter-spacing:-0.1pt">necessary.</span><span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt">
</span>In<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>daytime<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>they<span style="letter-spacing:1.45pt"> </span>scattered<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>into<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>obscure<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>out<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>way<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>places,<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>where<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>they<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>hid<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>themselves<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>lay<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>quiet;<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>but<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:1.15pt"> </span>night<span style="letter-spacing:0.25pt"> </span>they<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>came<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>down<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>into<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>highways<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>killed<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>every<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>Helot<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>whom<span style="letter-spacing:0.35pt"> </span>they<span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt"> </span>caught.</span></i></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></i></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0.35pt"><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)">Martin</span><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0);letter-spacing:0.85pt"> </span><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)">Sanderson</span><br></p></div><div><p class="" style="margin-top:2.45pt"><span style="color:rgb(7,0,0)">Ipswich</span></p></div><div><p class="" style="margin-top:2.45pt"> </p></div></blockquote><div>
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