Brilliant Bruins Study Abroad 

Sparta was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece known for its militaristic qualities and unique social structure.  Sparta’s origins are attributed to the mythical founder, Lycurgus and the city-state is infamous for the extreme military training that boys endured from the age of 7. Sparta was a ruthless, oligarchic power, but was also unique for the liberal rights afforded to their female inhabitants. In the mid 7th century BC Sparta rose to become the dominant military land-power in the Ancient Greek world. Due to their military prowess, Sparta led the Greeks during the Persian Wars. Perhaps the most enduring example of Spartan military power is the Battle of 300 at Thermopylae. Sparta later became an enemy of Athens during the Peloponnesian Wars. After a period of Athenian dominance, the Spartan Hegemony lasted from 404-371 BC.  Our program spent one day at Sparta and visited the Temple of Artemis Orthia as well as the Spartan Archaeological Museum. Despite the fact that modern Sparta lacks the antiquities found in other Greek cities, it was fascinating to visit such an important place in the history of ancient Greece.