( See map 1- 800 BC)īecause Sparta was located inland, it did not have many opportunities to participate in maritime trade or establish colonies on far off coasts as many other Greek cities began doing in the 8th Century BC. By 800 BC, the Dorians were firmly established in Laconia and Sparta was clearly a Dorian city.
During the Archaic Age of Greece, the Dorians migrated to the Peloponnese and came to dominate the region. Sparta had existed during the Mycenaean Age, and is mentioned by Homer as an important participant in the Trojan Wars. Sparta was located in the center of Laconia in the southern portion of the Peloponnese. Whilst other Greek city-states such as Athens, Corinth and Thebes rose to prominence and then faded, Sparta seems to have maintained it's empire throughout the Ancient Greek period and even withstood the expansion of the great Macedonian generals of the Hellenistic Age.
The Spartans produced little of value in the realms of the arts and philosophy, their legacy lies in their military might. Sparta is renown today for it's militaristic society and land-based empire, which is often presented in contrast with other Greek city-states such as Athens, who grew rich from maritime trade.
