The History of Sparta

Walking around the streets of Sparta, you will feel that history is still "alive" here. Ancient place names are still used to this day and usually refer to the heroes of ancient Sparta, preserving the historical memory of the city. In Sparta, history unfolds in front of you, as a continuation and not as a remnant of an ancient civilization.
For prehistoric Sparta we rely on the myths of the Mycenaean period, according to which the city was founded by Lacedaemon, son of Zeus and the nymph Taygeti. Lacedaemon married Sparta, daughter of the mythical king Evrotas and named the city after his wife.
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Homer mentions in his epics that Sparta was the famous kingdom of Menelaus, the husband of Beautiful Helen, whose abduction by Paris, the prince of Troy, became the reason for the start of the legendary ‘Trojan War’. Findings of this period in excavations around Sparta, Pellana, Amykles, Vafeio and elsewhere, certify the glorious civilization of the area. The historical period of Sparta begins with the descent of the Dorians around 1.100 BC. Who displaced the Mycenaeans - Achaeans of the area and settled in the valley of Evrotas. Unlike other ancient cities, Sparta of the historical period was not organized in a single ensemble but it was separated in 'comes', residential districts situated on the west bank of Evrotas river and this is the reason why it was not surrounded by walls. The ancient Spartans used to say that their bodies were considered as the city’s walls. The four known “comes” of the city were Pitani, Mesoa, Limnes and Kinosura. A fifth “come”,named Amycles was added later.
 
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Τhe personality of the legislator Lycurgus dominates the city of Sparta during the 7th century B.C. Plutarch and Pausanias state that Lycurgus was worshiped as a god and not as a mere hero by the Spartans, leading many historians to consider he was a mythical figure. Lycurgus enacted the distribution of equal lots to the free citizens of Sparta, the use of heavy iron coins in order to prevent the creation of rich, the upbringing of children by the state and many more. The Spartan regime, also known as “Megali Retra” is attributed to this legendary lawmaker. The laws of Lycurgus, which in the broadest sense of the word included numeral customs and traditions, made the Spartans to behave as moral citizens. Unlike the other ancient greek cities, Sparta had two kings originating from the genera of Agides and Euripontides.
 
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Another particular characteristic of the Spartan society was the special role of women. Every Spartan mother was preparing her children to become members of the 'herd' at a tender age. She would welcome her children as hoplites if they had shown courage and self-sacrifice in battle but she would also insult and devalue them if they returned dishonored from the battle field. The Spartan mother is also credited with the phrase " I tan i epi tas " in which she urged her son to return either with his shield, alive and victorious, or on his shield, dead but honored. Sparta was a military machine and its citizens were mentally and physically trained for the city's military operations. The members of this society were influenced by the Laconian mindset, the so-called ethos of the Spartans. They were prudent and men of few words. That is why they were given the expression: "to laconizein esti filosofein" meaning “brevity is the source of wit”. The Spartan diet was simple, as was their general lifestyle, and they main dish was called “melanas zomos”, a black broth made from pork, salt, vinegar and blood.
 
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During the Persian Wars, being the leading force of the Greek alliance, Sparta with only 300 warriors led by the legendary King Leonidas, would fight against the thousands of Persian swords in the Straits of Thermopylae in 480 BC. The phrase "Molon Lave" meaning “Come and get them” given in response to the messengers of the Persian king Xerxes, when he demanded the surrender of the Greek weapons, remained immortal in world history, giving Leonidas eternal glory, as an example of bravery, as a guardian of patriotic principles, laws and duty. The following year, Athens and Sparta, as leaders of the Greek army, would defeat the Persians in the battle of Plataea and would end the Persian threat permantly. Unfortunately, after the Persian wars, the two cities would be involved in a devastating civil war, known as the 'Peloponnesian War', which began in 431 BC, with the invasion of Attica by the Spartans and their allies and ended in 404 BC with the victory of the Spartans and the defeat of the Athenians. After the end of the war, Sparta was now the strongest force in Greece (Spartan hegemony), however it had been weakened by the constant battles with the Athenians and as a result, it was not able to consolidate its dominance in Greece. The hegemony of Sparta ended with its defeat by the Thebans in 371 BC. in Lefktra of Viotia.
 
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During the first centuries of Roman occupation, the city would flourish and experience economic prosperity, along with the construction of large public works and monuments. The Roman emperors, acknowledging the great history of the city, would show absolute respect to the legacy of the area. Temples, roads, water systems and an impressive theater would adorn Roman Sparta. Unfortunately, , in 396 , Alaricus and the Visigoths, would destroy what was still healthy and prosperous, and most of the inhabitants would eventually leave the city, seeking refuge at higher places, far from the valley of Eurotas.
 
 
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