GREEK DEMOCRACY

​Erasmus tells of a Spartan practice which required young boys to be kept underfed. It was assumed that they would fill themselves up on stolen food. This was war training to increase their hardiness and foraging skills. Interestingly, the Spartans considered it extremely shameful for someone to be caught stealing. And hence, what we in effect had was a system that tacitly allowed (and expected!) misdemeanours, but insisted on being outraged whenever that misdemeanour became public.
So, do they still seem all that unique and original? The Indian public’s terms of engagement with their public-office bearers.