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They were the finest fighters of the ancient world. Their bravery and skill helped preserve Western Civilization in the face of a massive invasion from the east. Concepts they developed, like the boot camp/military service and frontal assault, remain fixtures of military life and tactics to this day. Along with the Athenians with whom they fought a decades-long war they helped to shape, advance and preserve the glory that was Greece.
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: They were the finest fighters of the ancient world. Their bravery and skill helped preserve Western Civilization in the face of a massive invasion from the east. Concepts they developed, like the boot camp/military service and frontal assault, remain fixtures of military life and tactics to this day. Along with the Athenians with whom they fought a decades-long war they helped to shape, advance and preserve the glory that was Greece. ...Rise and Fall of the Spartans
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Roughly three hours of high quality documentary are on this DVD, and (at the moment) at only £7 represents a bit of a bargain. With scholars like Barry Strauss (Trojan War, Salamis) Donald Kagan (Pericles, The Peloponnesian War) Paul Cartledge (too numerous to mention) and others, the DVD is not only entertaining but highly educational too. There is no `dumbing down' of the subject, and although The 300 is mentioned, it doesn't take up too much space. You get a broad military and social history of Sparta from Helen all the way to their eventual defeat at the hands of the Thebans.
Although not as high profile as the very good `Sparta' with Bettany Hughes, it is just as good, and with the other currently out of press this is only 1/4 of the price, so get it while you can.
Although not as high profile as the very good `Sparta' with Bettany Hughes, it is just as good, and with the other currently out of press this is only 1/4 of the price, so get it while you can.
41 of 45 people found the following review helpful
This two-episode documentary explains much more about the ancient Greek civilisation than just a resume of the Spartan 300 episode (when 300 Spartan warriors held off tens of thousands of Persian invaders; a glorious tale captured in graphic novel form by Frank Miller and filmed with staggering visual results in the 2007 movie).
'Spartans: the Rise and Fall' is a complete history of the Spartan civilisation. It explains how a warrior caste was bred and trained, how it fit into the city-state geopolitical situation of the time; how it reached for glory, how it expanded in a generational war against Athens, and how it eventually collapsed after failing to win the peace. The episode of the 300 is only a small piece of the Spartan story and, in three hours, this dvd tells all of it.
The story is explained by half a dozen extremely well versed American historians. You get the impression, as the film cuts between them, that they know the detail and depth of the lives of individual Spartan warriors. These academics have studied Spartan society and its heroes for their whole lives, and their enthusiasm for sharing its quirks and personalities is evident throughout the two episodes. (All the historians have strange hair styles, however, something which has no relevance but you tend to notice after a couple of hours....)
The talking heads are backed up by the inevitable drama reconstructions of well-built men in red cloaks waving swords around, and a very useful series of maps so you don't spend too much time trying to remember where all the vying Greek states were located. You don't get to see too much in the way of Spartan archeology or artowrk -- mainly because they didn't make pots or statues or pictures, but instead made war and killed people! There's a good representation of Athens in its heyday, however.
Overall, this dvd gives a huge chunk of Greek history in an accessible format, with the Spartans at its centre. If you're after blood and glory then you should watch 300 instead; 'Rise and Fall' isn't particualrly thrilling. It is very well detailed and carefully presented, and filled a big gap in our understanding of the Greek and Persian conflict, c400BC.
One big gripe; many of the interviews were filmed in a horrid soft focus, which makes the picture actually look blurred. A daft and pointless effect which only served to irritate.
Otherwise, 8/10.
'Spartans: the Rise and Fall' is a complete history of the Spartan civilisation. It explains how a warrior caste was bred and trained, how it fit into the city-state geopolitical situation of the time; how it reached for glory, how it expanded in a generational war against Athens, and how it eventually collapsed after failing to win the peace. The episode of the 300 is only a small piece of the Spartan story and, in three hours, this dvd tells all of it.
The story is explained by half a dozen extremely well versed American historians. You get the impression, as the film cuts between them, that they know the detail and depth of the lives of individual Spartan warriors. These academics have studied Spartan society and its heroes for their whole lives, and their enthusiasm for sharing its quirks and personalities is evident throughout the two episodes. (All the historians have strange hair styles, however, something which has no relevance but you tend to notice after a couple of hours....)
The talking heads are backed up by the inevitable drama reconstructions of well-built men in red cloaks waving swords around, and a very useful series of maps so you don't spend too much time trying to remember where all the vying Greek states were located. You don't get to see too much in the way of Spartan archeology or artowrk -- mainly because they didn't make pots or statues or pictures, but instead made war and killed people! There's a good representation of Athens in its heyday, however.
Overall, this dvd gives a huge chunk of Greek history in an accessible format, with the Spartans at its centre. If you're after blood and glory then you should watch 300 instead; 'Rise and Fall' isn't particualrly thrilling. It is very well detailed and carefully presented, and filled a big gap in our understanding of the Greek and Persian conflict, c400BC.
One big gripe; many of the interviews were filmed in a horrid soft focus, which makes the picture actually look blurred. A daft and pointless effect which only served to irritate.
Otherwise, 8/10.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
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Don`t confuse this with the excellent Channel Four (UK) Bettany Hughes version, which is much its superior. Saying that it is still a good documentary, for beginners, to learn about Sparta. Although the American contributors sound a little unconvincing when telling their bits of the story of Sparta. Plus they skirt around the subjects that offend current American values - homosexuality and feminist ideals. Be warned.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Bad Quality DVD - Unwatchable
I discovered that the DVD kept stopping and refused to restart. I could get a restart only by ejecting the DVD and beginning again. Read more
Published 16 months ago by M. Brookes
good value for an interesting 3 hr long documentary
Having read some reviews saying that this was dull and repetitive with grainy, poorly
shot and weakly done visuals. I wasn't expecting a lot. Read more
shot and weakly done visuals. I wasn't expecting a lot. Read more
Published 17 months ago by dave210
Don't waste your money
Lightweight, inaccurate and repetitive (for those with a short concentration span). Lots of out of focus, slow motion footage of actors dressed as Spartans clashing swords. Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2010 by Paul Williams
Very informative
I really enjoyed this documentary!
I have quite a few of these historical DVDs, and even several about this particular event (because it is truly amazing). Read more
I have quite a few of these historical DVDs, and even several about this particular event (because it is truly amazing). Read more
Published on 28 Jun 2009 by Geralt of Rivia
JUST DULL... A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Just a mixture of talking heads with badly produced and repetitive and grainy recreations of scenes of Spartan life. Read more
Published on 29 Aug 2008 by Bartolome Mesa Gil
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