Austin James

“The idea of descent from twins obliged the two Spartan houses to tolerate each other’s existence. We do not know what historical accident actually produced Sparta’s unusual dual kingship.”
― Scott Rusch, Sparta At War: Strategy, Tactics and Campaigns, 550–362 BC

“The real enforcer, and this is true for the entire Lycurgan system, was peer pressure.”
― Scott Rusch, Sparta At War: Strategy, Tactics and Campaigns, 550–362 BC

“Numa forbade the Romans to revere an image of God which had the form of man or beast. Nor was there among them in this earlier time any painted or graven likeness of Deity, 8 but while for the first hundred and seventy years they were continually building temples and establishing sacred shrines, they made no statues in bodily form for them, convinced that it was impious to liken higher things to lower, and that it was impossible to apprehend Deity except by the intellect.”
― Plutarch, Complete Works of Plutarch

“The Spartans’ unusual aggression probably arose from the atypical dual kingship, which would have set two ruling families against each other in efforts to be acclaimed the best in warfare, manliness, policy, and wealth.”
― Scott Rusch, Sparta At War: Strategy, Tactics and Campaigns, 550–362 BC