Sparta
12.06.2006
28 °C
Sparta, home of Spartacus, is nestled in a valley in southern Peloponnese and is ringed by mountains giving views across the city...
Sparta was one of the most important Greek city-states throughout the Archaic and Classical periods and was famous for its military prowess. The professional and well-trained Spartan hoplites with their distinctive red cloaks, long hair, and lambda-emblazoned shields were probably the best and most feared fighters in Greece, fighting with distinction at such key battles as Thermopylae and Plataea in the early 5th century BCE. The city was also in constant rivalry with the other major Greek cities of Athens and Corinth and became involved in two protracted and hugely damaging conflicts, the Peloponnesian Wars of the mid- to late 5th century BCE and the Corinthian Wars of in the early 4th century BCE. The mountains surrounding Sparta are littered with ruined castles...
This ruined monastery in the foothills has been partially restored.
This little church is typical of so many in this area of Greece.
The city of Sparta is relatively modern and its most distinctive feature seemed to be numerous street cafes. We visited on a Sunday morning and found every table taken by men - not a single woman in sight.
