Sparta was a prominent city-state located in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the state was known as Lacedaemon, while the name Sparta specifically referred to its capital, which consisted of a group of villages situated in the valley of the Evrotas River in southeastern Peloponnese.
The city-state rose to prominence during the 7th century BC, becoming the most significant land military power in the Greek world. It maintained this status until it was eventually defeated at Leuctra in 371 BC.