The topic of “Sparta” in Lu Xun Research focuses on the analysis of The Soul of Sparta: “translation” or “creation”? There are also related discussions of modern style. Among them, the material source of The Soul of Sparta, which constitutes the premise of these discussions, is not resolved. To this end, this paper proposes a different dimension of the investigation concept and design. That is to say, “Sparta” is not just an isolated phenomenon in Zhou Shuren’s The Soul of Sparta, but a link in the construction of modern “national character” discourse. In this perspective, The Soul of Sparta is no longer “an early work” in “Lu Xun Research,” but presents a spiritual history from Liang Qichao to Zhou Shuren’s arrival point. Why did Liang Qichao and Zhou Shuren spread “Sparta” as new knowledge and thought? How do they construct their own Spartans? How do they relate to their surroundings and to each other? What is the modern significance of the Sparta discourse? These are issues that need to be addressed. The source of The Soul of Sparta is naturally wrapped in the new dimension of observation and clearly presented in the grand view of the intersection of multiple texts.
[Key words] Lu Xun research; Liang Qichao; Zhou Shuren; The Little Chronicle of Sparta; Soul of Sparta; Meiji Japan