"We Died Here, Obedient to Her Laws": The Reception of Sparta in the Lost Cause and Confederate Memorialization

Abstract

Abstract: Although scholars have explored many aspects of the Lost Cause, few have focused on the presence of classical analogies in its many iterations. Citing Confederate monuments, memorial speeches, and other sources, this essay explores previously under-analyzed classical reception in Confederate memorialization. It argues that white Southerners invoked the ancient Spartans frequently to reinforce specific elements of the Lost Cause mythology. Comparing Confederate soldiers to Spartans, especially in the context of the Battle of Thermopylae, upheld a key Lost Cause belief in the superiority of the Confederate soldier while also deflecting blame for the Confederacy's military loss solely onto the factor of overwhelming US numbers and arms. Former Confederates also identified Confederate women as Spartan to emphasize their loyalty and sacrifice to the South during the war—another major aspect of the Lost Cause. By referencing the classical world in such a manner, postwar white Southerners continued a rich antebellum tradition of citing antiquity to defend conservative Southern values.