Sparta

Sparta is a town in the Peloponnese peninsula of southern Greece. In ancient times, it was a major city-state that was renowned for its military prowess.

Sparta was possibly established by Achaeans in the late Bronze Age, or the early Iron Age, after c.1300 BC. At that time, according to legend but supported by archaeology, Mycenae was the main centre of Greek civilisation while Sparta was regarded as a secondary power along with Argos, Athens, and Thebes. In The Iliad, Sparta is ruled by King Menelaus, whose wife Helen elopes to Troy with Paris. Led by Agamemnon of Mycenae, the Achaeans united to fight the Trojan War.