Plutarch - 'Lycurgus'

I'm going to roll these out in pieces every couple of days. I think that will work best for general discussion.

And it should be said upfront that there is no way to really tell how reliable a historian Plutarch was. That's especially true when it comes to semi-legendary figures like Lycurgus. This doesn't mean we shouldn't pay attention, just that we should keep a dose of salt handy.

Lycurgus was the father of the Spartan way of life. He was somewhat in in line for the throne but kept away from it out of fear that he would be blamed if his nephew died. He went so far as to choose exile in Crete so as to be beyond suspicion. While there he studied the way different societies work (or don't work) and decided to create a perfect society in Sparta.
This was done by force. He got together a band of armed men and took over the marketplace. The king was worried that he would be assassinated but they soon convinced him to join them. A Senate was formed and only it would decided when matters would be put to a vote. Plutarch finds that this solved the problems presented by either monarchy or democracy.
He went about this methodically. Lycurgus redistributed the wealth of everyone so that there would be no envy or greed. He also pushed the citizens away from arts and crafts. He purposefully made outside trade difficult so that everyone would have 'moderation'.
He also redefined the family structure. Men and women barely spent time together. Husbands would allow other men to sleep with their wives if the husband thought better children would result. (I can't, for even a single moment, comprehend how that thought process would work out in practice.) At the age of seven, boys would go from their families to the Spartan academy. There they would learn the Spartan code and be raised as warriors. Plutarch tells of a young boy who stole a fox and hid it under his coat. He didn't cry out, even as the fox disemboweled and killed him. They were pretty tough.

Lycurgus had some strong ideas on what a perfect society would look like. Unlike other philosophic theorists, he was able to actually bring this about. To my modern ears, it sounds awful. It should be noted that Sparta became a power after these reforms took place. They became the most feared army in Greece. But at what price?