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The Bronze (Shoe) Lie
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The Bronze (Shoe) Lie

Spartans did not practice infanticide

Dec 17, 2021
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Polemology Positions
Polemology Positions
The Bronze (Shoe) Lie
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Pursuant to my review this week of Myke Cole’s excellent book on Sparta’s military record (linked below), a new consensus among academics is that Spartans did not expose imperfect babies (leave them to die) as portrayed so prominently in fascist propaganda. Turns out this is a Roman-era invention. No archaeology supports it and there are no primary sour…

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