We are delighted to invite you to next week’s CSPS SPECS BEING PELOPONNESIAN webinar, featuring
Dr Javier Jara Herrero (Catholic University of Avila)
on
Power, Legitimacy, and Divination: Delphi as a Political Tool in Spartan Geopolitics
The event will take place on Monday 16 November, at 17:00 GMT (19:00 Athens time)
Summary:
Few places in the ancient Greek world carried the religious and political significance of Delphi. Perched on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, the sanctuary of Apollo came to be regarded as the spiritual centre of the Hellenic world, attracting envoys and private individuals from across the Mediterranean who sought guidance from the Pythia. Over several centuries, the oracle operated at the intersection of sacred tradition and high politics, and its pronouncements frequently shaped the decisions of Greek city-states.
Against this backdrop, Sparta emerged as one of the most distinctive and enduring powers of classical Greece. Celebrated for its military discipline, institutional stability, and austere way of life, the Lacedaemonian state transformed itself from a regional force in the Peloponnese into a dominant player on the wider Greek stage. This webinar examines how Sparta consistently exploited the authority of the Delphic oracle as a deliberate instrument of power and political legitimacy between the eighth and fourth centuries BC. By exploring the ways in which oracular consultation helped reinforce constitutional arrangements, justify territorial expansion, and sustain Spartan hegemony, it argues that the relationship with Delphi was not merely advantageous but fundamental to Sparta’s long-term success as a major geopolitical actor.
Our speaker:
Dr Javier Jara Herrero is Lecturer in Ancient History at the Catholic University of Ávila. He received his PhD in Ancient History from the University of Salamanca in 2023, completing a doctoral thesis on the geopolitical and diplomatic relationship between Delphi and Sparta from the eighth to the fourth centuries BC. His research focuses on the political, diplomatic, and religious history of Archaic and Classical Greece, with particular emphasis on Sparta and the Peloponnese. His principal research interests include the political uses of the Delphic oracle, Spartan history and interstate relations, and the development of democratic political cultures beyond Athens, particularly in Argos.
More broadly, he is interested in the reception of ancient Sparta in the modern world, especially its appropriation and political instrumentalisation by contemporary far-right movements in the West. He is the author of two monographs, one on the Persian Wars and another on the oracles and sanctuaries of ancient Greece, and has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes. His work explores the intersections of religious authority, political power, and interstate relations in the ancient Greek world. He has presented his research at numerous national and international conferences.
The BEING PELOPONNESIAN Webinar Series
is organised and hosted by the Sparta and Peloponnese Early Career Scholars Global Network (CSPS SPECS Global Network), which was established by and forms part of the Centre for Spartan and Peloponnesian Studies (CSPS) at the University of Nottingham. The Network brings together postgraduate students and early career researchers with interests in the history, archaeology, reception and legacy of Sparta and the Peloponnese. Managed by an international committee and PGR subcommittee, SPECS welcomes members from around the world. To join, contact csps@nottingham.ac.uk
Please forward this invitation to anyone you think might be interested in attending. All welcome!
The event is free to attend but you must register in advance via this link:https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/c217edc6-08ae-43d4-9c18-b9f45f25deaf@67bda7ee-fd80-41ef-ac91-358418290a1e
The talk will also be livestreamed via: https://vachosradio.gr/
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