One cause of slavery in ancient Greece was, in the case of Sparta, a complex interplay between political structure, economic pressures, and military intentions.  The Lacedaemonians (i.e., the Spartans), as Polybius explains in his  Histories,  were a militaristic and warlike nation.  Yet they were hindered in pursuits of glory by the very constitution that their lawgiver, Lycurgus, had established.   To be sure, it was an excellent constitution, claims Polybius, for self-containment and freedom within their own Peloponnesian territory.  Yet it failed to enable the nation's expansionist inclinations.  A key hindrance for Sparta was the restriction that no one of them could own more property than another (Polybius, Histories VI.45.3).  Also, they eschewed money-making (VI.45.4).  As Polybius observes, this limited their ability to create wealth, and, instead of fostering the virtue of self-control, their covetousness turned to war and the enslavement of others (VI.49.1). What the Sp

Is the Republic of South Africa at a breaking point?  Major challenges include a continuation of violent crime, social unrest, economic vulnerability, and health concerns amidst the highest reported incidents of the Covid-19 epidemic in Africa—all this being managed by a government that many claim is riddled with systemic corruption and incompetence. News24 recently [1] reported a study by the South African Medical Research Council that concludes that 17,000 more deaths should be attributed to Covid-19 than what has been reported.  The finding is based on observing that the death rate has climbed to 59% above the expected death rate in the country.  Of the official tally of 408,502 infections by 23 July, 2020 [2] in the country—fifth highest in the world—about 6,000 deaths had occurred. [3]   By 3 August, 2020, the number of infections in South Africa was 516,862, and the number of deaths was 8,539. [4]  The country also reports a high percentage of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, and t