SORA, t. A town of Latium, on the Liris. 2. A town of Paphlagonia.
SORACTE, a mountain of Etruria. SOSIGENES, an astronomer, 46 B.C., assisted Cmsar in reforming the Calendar.
Somus, as'-8-us, two brothers, the Sash, were noted publishers at Rome temp. Horace. SOSPITA, sod-fl-ta (saving goddess), Juno. SPARTA, spar'-tez, or Lialdidman, the capital of the country (Lliania or Lac(infra) of the SPARTIATES, spar-ii-d'-tes, or SPAR TAN!, Or LACONES, Or LACED.EMONII, ha'-a-da-Mild-r-i, was on the plain of the river Euratas (on its right bank), about twenty miles from the sea ; it was not walled till very late. In the pre-historic period Sparta was the seat of Menelaus, and it was united with Argos by the marriage of Agamemnon's son Orestes, with Menelaus's daughter Hermi6ne. On the conquest by the Heraclidw, Sparta fell to Eurysthenes and Procles, the twin sons of Aristodemus, whence its two lines of jointly-reigning kings, Eury sthinida (q.v.) and Procliaa. It received a new constitution from I.ycurgus (q.v.). At the
close of the second Messenian war, 668, Sparta became the most powerful state in the Pelo ponnesus, and, after the overthrow of its rival Athens, 404 (see PELOPONNESIACUM BELLUM), it held the hegemony in Greece till humiliated by the victory of the Thebans at Leuctra, and the restoration of the Messenians. It there after gradually declined, despite the endea vours of Agis and Cleom6nes III. The popula tion of Sparta consisted of Dorian citizens only, while the lulota (serfs) and the old Achman remnant, the Phiceci (dwellers around): occu pied the country districts and the towns, The life of the citizens of military age was that of a regular garrison, and all family life, or literary, &c. pursuits, were discouraged ; the citizens of military age took their meals together (see PHIDITIA). The government was vested in two kings (see EURYSTHENIDIE), the (who really wielded all power), a Geronsia (see SENATUS, 3), and a popular Assembly, who had no real power.