During the amazing class I am in for my Masters in Military Strategy, I was asked to write a paper about how I viewed the importance of maritime power in Ancient Greece.  This is what I wrote:

"I have Themistocles the Athenian."

There is a great academic debate that has transcended history regarding Lycurgus the Law Giver of Sparta.  The debate focuses on whether or not this legendary leader actually existed or was he an amalgumation of myths that have lived throughout Spartan history.  Why is this so heavily debated?  In my opinion, as all of these blog posts are in, it is because he was such an amazing leader who lived principles that far surpassed their time.  His rhetras are in many respects now emerging in our current time as revolutionary.  The concept of equality (except the helots which many speculate was after his time), the concept of frugality and the concept of decreasing the reliance on materialism are all things that modern society would find appealing. 

So what evidence exists that Lycurgus lived other than the writings of Plutarch?  Not much.  Even Plutarch raised this debate which indicates that even in his time many questioned.  At the end of the day, I chose to believe Lycurgus did exist.  Why?  Besides the details left to us by Plutarch, it is very difficult to believe that Sparta, as a Society could have lived for such a long period of time (over two centuries) living by such stringent rules (or rhetras).  Aside from minor changes (such as the introduction of the ephors) the "concept" of Lycurgus had held Sparta a major, disciplined power far longer than any other civilization under similar stringent laws.

As mentioned above, it would probably still have lived on if the greed spawned by war and facilitated by Lysander did not take hold.  Who knows, maybe in these times of economic turmoil, the principles of Lycurgus will once again take hold and help stabilize society focusing on a balance of equality and sustainability.