2820: Laconic Sep 9, 2024

The word ‘laconi'c’ describes a style of speaking that is brief and to the point, a trait famously associated with the Spartans of ancient Greece. The term comes from Laconia, the region where Sparta was located. While ‘Sparta’ is the more familiar term today, ‘Laconia’ referred to the entire territory under Spartan control, which included several towns beyond the city itself. The Spartans were known for their terse, direct way of speaking, reflecting their values of discipline and austerity. On the other hand, the term ‘laconicum’ is Latin for what we might call a dry sauna, which isn’t exactly related to savage living.