Geography of Ancient Sparta
Ancient Sparta was located in the southern/center of Peloponnese. This location provided an advantage from both a defensive and agricultural standpoint. Being surrounded by mountains on three sides and able to control the mountain passes other armies could pass through made Sparta a practical fortress.
Another factor that helped Sparta geographically was that it was located near the river Evrotas. Spanning 82 km, this river was the main source of crop nourishment and fresh water for Laconia. Sparta was located along its left bank and had one central bridge running across it so as to stop invaders if necessary. The climate of Sparta was warm and very dry, this made the need of a river such as the Evrotas essential to its survival and success. The Evrotas not only provided Sparta with a source of water and protection, but also provided them with extremely fertile soil to grow many variants of crops such as wheat, barley, whole grains, etc...
Sparta's geographical location had pros and cons, however it is undeniable that without the strategically placed location of Sparta, it wouldn't have become the military superpower that we remembered. Although all of these geological factors protected and nourished Sparta, it very much isolated it from other countries/civilizations and caused a lack of technological advancement as compared to other civilizations. An example of this is Sparta's navy. While other civilizations such as Athens had the ability and actual need for a navy, Sparta's closest sea port was 27 miles away and wasn't as used. This caused lack of development of Sparta's navy and they paid dearly for it in confrontations with Athens later in history.
Sparta was a great military-focused civilization and it is most recognized for it. However, many other things helped the Spartans become so successful, one such thing was its geography. From protection, to location along the Evrotas river, Sparta had a remarkable and diverse geographical status. While its true that there are many different factors contribute to the success of a civilization, none contribute as much as the civilization's geography.
- The Taygetos Mountains bordered Sparta on the west
- The Parnon Mountains bordered Sparta on the east
- In the north Sparta was protected by hilly uplands reaching 1000 m in altitude
- The fourth side was not bordered by mountains, and although it was not protected by the walls of nature, faced the sea which was at closest 27 miles away
Another factor that helped Sparta geographically was that it was located near the river Evrotas. Spanning 82 km, this river was the main source of crop nourishment and fresh water for Laconia. Sparta was located along its left bank and had one central bridge running across it so as to stop invaders if necessary. The climate of Sparta was warm and very dry, this made the need of a river such as the Evrotas essential to its survival and success. The Evrotas not only provided Sparta with a source of water and protection, but also provided them with extremely fertile soil to grow many variants of crops such as wheat, barley, whole grains, etc...
Sparta's geographical location had pros and cons, however it is undeniable that without the strategically placed location of Sparta, it wouldn't have become the military superpower that we remembered. Although all of these geological factors protected and nourished Sparta, it very much isolated it from other countries/civilizations and caused a lack of technological advancement as compared to other civilizations. An example of this is Sparta's navy. While other civilizations such as Athens had the ability and actual need for a navy, Sparta's closest sea port was 27 miles away and wasn't as used. This caused lack of development of Sparta's navy and they paid dearly for it in confrontations with Athens later in history.
Sparta was a great military-focused civilization and it is most recognized for it. However, many other things helped the Spartans become so successful, one such thing was its geography. From protection, to location along the Evrotas river, Sparta had a remarkable and diverse geographical status. While its true that there are many different factors contribute to the success of a civilization, none contribute as much as the civilization's geography.