SPARTA, or LACED2E1VION, a cele brated city of ancient Greece; capital of Laconia and of the Spartan state, and the chief city in the Peloponnesus; on the W. bank of the Eurotas river, and embraced a circuit of 6 miles. Sparta was a scattered city consisting of five separate quarters. Unlike Athens it was plainly built, and had few notable pub lic buildingsi consequently there are no imposing ruins to be seen here as in Athens, and the modern Sparta is only a village of some 4,000 inhabitants. La conia, the district in which Sparta was situated, was the S. E. division of the Peloponnesus, bounded on the W. by Messenia, from which it was separated by the chain of Taygetus, on the N. by Arcadia and Argolis, and on the E. and S. by the sea. The Eurotas (Vasilo potamo, "king of rivers") here flows through a picturesque valley and empties into the Gulf of Laconia.
The Spartan state was founded, ac cording to tradition, by Lacedwmon, son of Zeus. The most celebrated of its legendary kings was Menelaus. It is said to have been conquered by the Heraclidx from N. Greece about 1080, who established a dyarchy or double dynasty of two kings in Sparta. Apart from this legend it is accepted as a his torical fact that the Spartans were the descendants of the Dorians who invaded the Peloponnesus about that period, and that from an early period they followed a set of rigorous laws which they ascribed to Lycurgus. Shortly after their settle ment in the Peloponnesus it is probable that the Spartans extended their sway over all the territory of Laconia, a por tion of the inhabitants of which they re duced to the condition of slaves. They also waged war with the Messenians, the Arcadians, and the Argives, against whom they were so successful that be fore the close of the 6th century B. C. they were recognized as the leading peo ple in all Greece.
Early in the following century began the Persian wars, in which a rivalry grew up between Athens and Sparta. This rivalry led to the Peloponnesian war, in which Athens was humiliated and the old ascendency of Sparta re gained. (See GREECE.) Soon after this the Spartans became involved in a war with Persia, and Athens, Thebes, Corinth, and some of the Peloponnesian states took this opportunity to declare war against them. This war, known as the Bceotian or Corinthian war, lasted eight years and increased the reputation and power of Athens. To break the alliance of
Athens with Persia, Sparta, in 387 B. C., concluded with the la tter power the peace known by the name of Antalcidas; and the designs of Sparta became apparent when she occupied, without provocation, the city of Thebes, and introduced an aristocratical constitution there. Pelop idas delivered Thebes, and the celebrated Theban war (378-363) followed, in which Sparta was much enfeebled. Dur ing the following century Sparta steadily declined, though one or two isolated at tempts were made to restore its former greatness. The principal of these was made by Cleomenes (236-222), but his endeavors failed, because there were then scarcely 700 of Spartan descent, and the majority of these were in a state of beggary. With the rest of Greece Sparta latterly passed under the domin ion of the Romans in 146 B. C.
The Spartans differed from the other Greeks in manners, customs, and con stitution. Their kings (two of whom always reigned at once) ruled only through the popular will, acting as um pires in disputes, and commanding the army. The Spartans proper, that is, the descendants of the Dorians, occupying themselves with war and the chase, left all ordinary labor to the Helots (slaves), while the class known as Periceci (de scendants of the ancient inhabitants of the country) engaged in commerce, navi gation, and manufactures. The distin guishing traits of the Spartans were severity, resolution, and perseverance, but they were also accounted faithless and crafty. When a child was born, if it proved vigorous and sound the state re ceived it into the number of citizens, otherwise it was thrown into a cave on Mount Taygetus. They wore no outer garment except in bad weather, no shoes at any time, and they were obliged to make their beds of rushes from the Eurotas. The principal object of atten tion during the periods of boyhood and youth was physical education, which con sisted in running, leaping, throwing the discus, wrestling, boxing, the chase, etc. The Spartans were the only people of Greece who avowedly despised learning and excluded it from the education of youth. The education of the Spartan females was also different from that of the Greeks elsewhere. Instead of re maining at home, as in Athens, spin ning, they danced in public, wrestled with each other, ran on the course, threw the discus, etc.