The Spartans and their xenoi in Herodotus’ Histories

Abstract

The paper explores the explicit or implicit interrelation between the Spartans and the xenoi as featured in Herodotus’ work. To this end, the lexical family of xenos is examined with a view to outlining the characterization of the Spartans in the narration. The analysis shows a persistent correlation between the lexical family of xenos and the representation of the Spartans alongside with manifold references to ritualized-friendship bonds between the Lacedemonian aristocrats and their xenoi. The paper also discusses the ideological implications of such narrative presentation. Furthermore, the historical consistency of such portrayal of the Spartans is examined in the light of the evidence about the Spartan ethos and politeia provided by other sources and current historical research.