Start your paper with a very short introduction paragraph on your topic.
Include a thesis statement in this introduction. This sentence will explain what the
paper is about and tell the reader the main issues which will be explored in the body of
the paper.
Focus in on your topic and include lots of specific details. A paper which jumps from
topic to topic can only provide a surface treatment of the evidence. Do more research to
narrow your topic so that you can provide a more in-depth discussion. (Just as an
example, a paper discussing the Greco-Persian war would be far too large, but a paper
on the Battle of Plataea would provide an appropriate focus.)
As noted above, your research must contain ancient evidence in order to support your
discussion. Ancient evidence includes:
o literary information from ancient authors, archaeological information from
excavations, artistic images from ancient buildings or artifacts (etc.).
The paper should finish with a conclusion which sets the nature of the problem within a
wider context. This is not simply a reiteration of your introduction, but it could look
ahead to offer new avenues to be explored through more research.
In this paper you can provide in more in depth discussion around the unusual social structure of ancient Sparta. How was Sparta organized socially and poltically? Who is credited with these developments? What do we believe was unique about the Spartan system? Is this view of Sparta entirely accurate?
Sources to consider:
Modern Source: Pomeroy, S.B. et al., Chapter 4: Sparta in A Brief History of Ancient Greece. Politics, Society, and Culture (3rd Ed.)(Oxford U Press) 2014, 99-120.
Ancient Source: Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus in N.M. Bailkey and R. Lim, Readings in Ancient History 6th ed. (Houghton Mifflin) 2002.
Youtube Video: Invicta: Misunderstood Moments in History – Myth of Sparta: https://youtu.be/hMQmU0epVr4(19:43 mins)
