by
The Time: About 30 years from now
The Place: ...
His feet were getting sore, his legs starting to ache, the bag on his shoulder getting heavy. It was time for a rest, if not to stop. And then he saw the sign, he went over to it and read it:
"We welcome you to our town of Nova Sparta and you ARE welcome if you respect the law and our citizens and we are glad to return your respect to you. We hope you have a good day during your stay and a good life once you have left our town".
He decided that these people seemed like good folk he might as well stay a while, definitely no harm, so he walked on into town, found a bus shelter and sat down, got out his plastic bowl to catch coins and his music pipe and began to play it.
"Not bad," thought Warrior Citizen Ian and he smiled as he walked by then. "He seems able to provide all but food; it's nearly time for lunch -- I'll deal with that for him"
Next: The Warrior Citizen's communal mess, the kitchen.
Warrior Citizen Ian looked in the kitchen of his communal mess for some good sandwich fillings for the "beggar man's" lunch; there was some cheese and cooked beef, that would do.
He asked the head cook if he could take the food to the "beggar man," and the cook said, "Sure."
So Ian got it out and made some sandwiches, and placed them with a bottle of distilled water and a Warrior's drinking cup. Ian knew that he could see to his own meal later -- the needs of the young man waiting at the bus shelter he would see to first. So he went back to find the man still hopefully playing on his pipe.
"I bring you lunch," and with that he gently placed the bag with the food in it next to the man who stopped playing to say "Thanks" as he opened the bag to find the box of sandwiches, the bottled water and the cup.
"All very good of you the food and all and not that I'm ungrateful, but could you spare a few cents too?"
"Oh sorry but that's not our way here in Nova Sparta. You see our community believes that every one contributes to the whole and in return the community provides for the individual, his or her NEEDS. You notice I said NEEDS not desires, in your case you need food, breakfast, lunch, evening meal, but cash as well? Sorry, what for?"
Next: Day three, lunch time.
Tony (that, Ian had found out, was the "beggar man's" name) paused in his playing to look up. "Oh right on time with my lunch I see, thank you, Warrior Citizen Ian." The bowl was gone, and the card asking for money now read "Thanks for all the food and water" yet he had kept on playing! "Yes, he understands our way," thought Ian. "I wonder would you like to eat your lunch somewhere more comfortable, how about coming back to our Warrior Long House and we can also talk about if you would like to stay and become a real part of our community."
"O.K. that sounds good to me," said Tony. So they went.
Next: Back at Ian's room in the Warrior Long House, Ian tells Tony how things work in Nova Sparta.
"How we would expect you to contribute is in some sort of definite job, not that there's anything wrong with your playing and in your way you give by entertaining people; however I think you've had jobs in the past and everyone has a basic talent or knowledge."
"So I should have a proper job from now on to have my food then?" asked Tony.
"Well not just food but all that you need is provided by the community in exchange for your good honest work in contribution to the community, somewhere to live, enough furniture and food for a single man, either an employer gives you a job and through them you give to the community or the Warrior Council may employ you."
"What's the Warrior Council?" asked Tony.
"Well, here in Nova Sparta," said Ian, "we expect every Man to learn how to Fight. We call those Fighting Men 'Warriors,' and every Warrior has a seat on the Council and gets to decide how our City is governed."
Impressed, Tony decided to take up this offer and stayed. So he was employed painting the public buildings and keeping the town in good order; he does his work well and with pride.
He's also begun learning to Fight.
He still plays his pipe in the evening in places of Warrior entertainment and gets a bit extra -- that is, the barkeep will give him a "free" drink or meal for entertaining the Warriors. Now he has fit in well in Nova Sparta and is happy in his new life!
Post Scriptum: Tony recently found Warrior Citizen Cliff at one of those evening entertainments and they are starting to develop a great relationship. We wish them well for their future in Eros together.
Re: The Beggar's Story
10-12-09
Thank you Brian.
As Brian indicates, Sparta was a communal society.
And there was a lot of music and dance and poetry at Sparta.
As a matter of fact, for about two hundred years, Sparta led the Greeks in the production of poetry.
Here, for example, are some lines by the seventh-century BC Spartan poet Alkman:
At feasts and in the companies
of the men's mess 'tis well beside them that sit at meat
to strike up and sing the Paean[, the Hymn of Praise].And most of you, I hope, are familiar with these words by another Spartan poet, Terpander:
The spear-points of young men blossom there
And Justice is done in open air
The stuff of gallant enterprise.While Athenaeus tells us that at their various festivals, there were three choruses,
boys in front, old men on the right, men on the left, dancing gymnoi [= nude] and singing songs by Thaletas, Alkman, and Dionysodotos.Of course, their festivals had a Warrior purpose, as Philostratos says:
[T]he Spartans have turned even dancing, in times of peace the most relaxed kind of entertainment, into a military exercise. For they dance as if throwing spears or avoiding them; in their dancing they leap from the ground and show their skill in manipulating their shields.That would have been done nude too.
Indeed, the most important Spartan festival was the Gymnopaidiai -- Festival of the Naked Youths -- at which, Pausanias says, "the boys of fighting age dance to Apollo."
"Fighting age" often means eighteen.
So these were youths who'd spent eleven years in the Agogé and were in no doubt awesome condition -- doing a Warrior dance to Apollo.
And they didn't dance only to Apollo, because we also have these lines from a popular song cited by Alkman:
Come, armed youths of Sparta, to the dance of Ares...The dance of Ares, Warrior God and Guardian of the Warrior Spirit, must have been something to see.
So:
Brian's Beggar Man, who plays a music pipe, could well find a home in Nova Sparta.
Thank you Brian.
You're a true Warrior.
Bill Weintraub
by
The Good Young Citizen
(or I won't litter!)
This town would stick in Richard Boons' memory -- he would never forget it or the encounter he had that day.
As a travelling salesman his journey took him through the town of Nova Sparta and he had stopped to break his long trip and for something to eat so he went in to town. Immediately he was impressed by how fresh everything looked. The public buildings were so good and well painted the streets neat and tidy the shops clean and neat, and as he walked along a sidewalk some children coming towards him stopped and stood back so he could pass, "How polite and well behaved." he thought.
Later:
Having bought his food and eaten in the nearby park Richard went for a little walk to aide digestion.
It was then that he really came to understand the spirit of Nova Sparta.
Warrior-in-training Peter walked down the street with a healthy, confident, masculine, stride, even though this was his first time on this street on his way to Warrior Widow Doris's place.
He had been assigned to help her in her garden by the Warrior Council, as she was the widow of a Warrior Citizen.
Peter was told by the Council to do the heavy digging and other jobs that an 87 year old lady could no longer do; and it seemed fair exchange if she gave him some home-made lemonade and cookies for his company and help, and it also helped to build respect across the generations.
Peter was 16 and in a couple of more years, well more like one-and-a -half and he would be a full Warrior Citizen! Still he knew and understood his responsibilities well.
Anyway today was warm enough so Peter was walking NAU (Naked And Unashamed) and he was drinking a bottle of fresh, pure water to maintain his health, which for this reason he had got free from a nearby shop, but now the disposable bottle was empty and Peter stopped to look for a litter (actually a re-cycle) bin. Just then along came Richard from the other direction. "Excuse me Sir, have you seen a litter bin near by?" As he had looked up and down the road already with no luck, Richard answered, "Sorry I'm not local and I haven't seen any bins on my way, anyway why not just dump the bottle, like anyone else?"
"Oh sir, I could never do that, to litter would be to act against the community and I'm part of the community so I would be acting against myself, littering makes the street messy and the town messy in turn and the town gets a bad name, so littering acts against the whole community and I will never do it! No I'm sure I'll find a bin a little further, but thank you anyway, and have a good day Sir"
With that Peter strode off giving Richard a friendly salute as he went looking for the bin.
Stunned but impressed, Richard went back to his car to continue his journey.
Never to drop a single item of litter, ever again, anywhere.
Re: The Good Young Citizen
10-21-09
Thank you Brian.
In raising their children, the Spartans stressed communal values, and taught their kids that they must always put the interests of Sparta first.
As Plutarch explains:
Thank you Brian.
You're a true Warrior.
Bill
by
The Time: About 30 years from now -- from Prize Giving Day to Memorial Day
The Place: ...
Nova Sparta was closed.
Everyone was gathering in the town square.
It was an important day.
Because today was the Prize Giving for the Agogé and parents as well as students and indeed all Citizens were to be there to encourage ALL the students whether or not they got a prize, a "well done", or a "try harder" for next time.
A temporary wooden platform was in place to the left of the town memorial for the those who were to give out the prizes, some teachers and members of the Warrior Council, so as soon as everyone was ready then they could begin.
"Welcome to the Annual Agogé Prize Giving Day" was announced over a loudspeaker and everyone applauded.
"As you know these prizes are given as a celebration of achievement by our students and to encourage greater achievements from others. We relish the highest achievements and ALL our students are encouraged especially if we find a special talent in them but we do all to help all to do as well as possible, so let us begin. First, for the best behaved and most hard working student overall, Student Paul Johnson, we decided to give him his first bicycle, come on Paul, I'm sure your dad and the other Warriors will teach you to ride." There then followed masses of applause as Paul a little shyly (being only 10) went to collect his new 'bike. After thanking his teacher for the gift he then joined his proud family in the crowd; Peter his older brother while he was on the platform had been bursting with pride and unable to stop himself had turned to the nearest person who was Warrior Citizen Ian and said "Sir, that's MY little brother and he has done WELL." "Yes, I know," smiled Ian, "And it's good that you're proud of him, because it's lads like you and him that the future depends on."
There then followed the giving of the other prizes, which were:
A book of Ancient Greek Poetry for the best English Literature student to study from.
A set of art materials for the best art student.
Then the cup for the most willing and helpful student as agreed to by the teachers.
Next came the sports prizes -- these were voted by those training to Fight.
First Best Wrestler -- that is the one who is not only good at his sport but fair and shows a good sporting attitude whether winning or not.
Then in the same manner the Best Boxer.
Then the Best Overall Sports Man. All these were certificates and when they were handed out and everyone was ready to go there was one last thing to do -- to close the day with this announcement:
"Well as you know prize-giving day ends the Agogé year and today the children and teens go to the woods for a two weeks break with some of their teachers to get close to nature and as someone we all know of once said 'Live like Warriors' in those woods camping, having fun but also putting together their wreath to bring back on Memorial Day so, off you go and see you then"
Memorial Day.
Two weeks later and once again Nova Sparta is closed, and everyone is gathering in the town square to welcome the children back from camp.
Into town they came proudly carrying their wreath (made from twigs tied together with grass and decorated with wild flowers and berries) marching like an army of miniature solders. Their bare feet had dried mud on them and they looked dusty and more than a bit sweaty but no one minded, it was all in the spirit of getting back to nature and anyway they could soon have a quick shower and be fresh and clean after all so it really did not matter.
The town square was changed, the platform gone except for one set of steps and this up against the Memorial which looked like this:
A large bronze erect penis and testicles on a stone plinth with a plaque which read:
Amen.
Forward they came, one chosen from each of the four age groups carrying the wreath up the steps. With great care and reverence they placed it over the phallus, so that it hung there. Then they joined their companions, and the youngest came forward to salute the memorial and then give it a bow of the head; they moved out of the way for the next group who did likewise and so on up to the teens. When they'd had their turn the Citizens and then the Warrior Council did reverence too.
At this point Warrior Tony began to play the Hymn "Mine eyes have seen the Glory" and everyone sang:
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
Chorus:
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
Chorus.
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
Chorus.
Watching all this on the edge of the crowd were two men with white hair looking like they were in their 80's, and as the rest began to leave they also honoured the memorial with salutes and bows. Then the one with glasses said to his friend, in a regional British accent, "You know, Bill, going by what we have just seen, we don't need to worry, the future is in safe hands, we can pass the dick, er baton, to these young people, the Fight WILL go on."
"Yes Warrior Brian, I agree. Look, another beautiful sunset here in Nova Sparta -- come on let's go."
To which his companion replied "As Samuel Pepys often said 'and so to bed' " -- and with that they left the town square.
or May be just the beginning?
As the sun sets we leave Nova Sparta, its Citizens and Warriors in the care and protection of The Great Warrior Himself The Lord Jesus.
Amen. Re: The Beggar's Story
10-21-09
Thank you Brian.
Guys, what Brian has done in these three short Tales of Nova Sparta, is to begin the work of imagining what such a place might look like three decades from now.
That's important.
His vision may not be identical to your own.
But just as Brian tithes to the Alliance -- so is he working in other ways to help make Nova Sparta a reality.
I encourage you to join him.
And to share your vision of how a New Sparta might function in the years ahead.
Brian ends his story with these words from an old hymn:
It's a noble and worthy goal -- and that's what Brian is doing.
Thank you again Brian.
You're a true Warrior.
Bill Weintraub
© All material Copyright 2009 by Bill Weintraub. All rights reserved.
Also by Warrior Brian Hulme:
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Spartiates' training extended into adulthood, for no one was permitted to live as he pleased. Instead, just as in a [miltary] camp [while at war], so in the city they followed a prescribed lifestyle and devoted themselves to communal concerns. They viewed themselves absolutely as part of their country, rather than as individuals, and so unless assigned a particular job they would always be observing the boys [in the Agogé] and giving them some useful piece of instruction, or learning themselves from the elders.
He is trampling out the vintage were the grapes of wrath are stored;
He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
O be swift, my soul, to answer Him; be jubilant my feet!
Our God is marching on.
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me;
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free!
While God is marching on.
© All material on this site Copyright 2001 - 2011 by Bill Weintraub. All rights reserved.
