The name Taygetos, as Pausanias testifies, has mythological roots. It comes from Taygete, one of the Atlantids, who, full of shame from her involuntary mating with Zeus, ended her life by falling into a cliff of the mountain. Homer calls Taygetos “perimikis”, because of the great length of the mountain range, while Hesychius of Alexandria considers that its name comes from the Greek word “taus”, which means “great” or “much”. Virgil refers to it as Taygeta, while during the Byzantine period it was also called “Pentadaktylos” (Five-fingered), because of the five peaks of the central complex.

During the period of Frankish rule, the name Zigos of Meligou prevailed, from the Slavic tribe of Melingoi who, along with the also Slavic-speaking Ezerites, lived there. In the years of the Revolution of 1821, the mountain range was called “Agolias the long”, from the great length of the mountain range, until finally it took back its ancient name, Taygetos. By the Greek sailors who take its peak in sightings it is called “mountain of Mani”.

Source: wikipedia.org

Historical times

The historical period of Sparta begins after the “Descent of the Dorians” in southern Greece around 1,100 BC, and coincides with the end of the Mycenaean civilisation. The Dorians were a Greek tribe of central Greece, who headed to Peloponnese and dominated with their strength. A strong group of them occupied Sparta and the surrounding areas, subjugating the Achaeans of Laconia. The “Descent of the Dorians” – as well as all the changes associated with it – is the last great event of the mythical times of Greece. At the same time, however, it is also the first event of the historical times that follow.

Initially, Sparta, the new kingdom of the Dorians, extended around the area of the fertile valley of Evrotas river, between Taygetos and Parnonas. The city, the main part of Ancient Sparta that remained for many centuries without walls, as a sign of confidence and strength, consisted initially of four villages (self-contained settlements): Kynosoura, which was located southeast, Pitana, which is located west, Limnes, which extended east to Evrotas, and Mesoa, the central settlement. Later, around the 8th century BC, a fifth village was added, Amykles. The peak of Sparta began after the expansion of its territory, with the conquest of Messenia first (8th-7th century BC) after long wars. Then (6th -5th century BC) the Spartans conquered areas of southern Arcadia and extended their domination to the rest of Laconia while also managing to limit the power of Argos. From the late 7th BC to the 4th BC century, the Doric Sparta dominated the military scene of Greece. Its emergence as a political and military power was the result of institutional reforms attributed to the legendary legislator Lycurgus.

Roman period

In 146 BC, Sparta, following the fate of the rest of the Greek world, was conquered by the Romans. Due to its glorious past, it enjoyed the favor of several Roman emperors, such as Augustus and Hadrian, and attracted the interest of many wealthy Romans who visited to witness firsthand a place with such a distinguished history. Thus, a new era of peace and prosperity began for Sparta during the Roman period, during which an aqueduct, a theater, baths, and other luxurious private and public buildings were constructed. The Sparta of the mid-2nd century AD, as described by the traveler Pausanias, was a wealthy and flourishing city, with vivid memories of its imposing history.

In 146 BC, Sparta followed the fate of the rest of the Greek world, and was conquered by the Romans. Due to its glorious past, it had the favor of several Roman emperors such as Augustus and Hadrian and attracted the interest of many wealthy Romans who came to see up close the place with such a glorious history. Thus, a new era of peace and prosperity began for Sparta during the Roman period, when the aqueduct, the theater, baths and other luxurious private and public buildings were built. The Sparta of the mid-2nd century AD, as described by the traveler Pausanias, was a rich and prosperous city with vivid memories of its imposing history.

The city thrived relatively well until the 3rd century AD. The mosaics discovered in excavations from this period are considered particularly significant, with the most outstanding being the famous mosaic of the “Abduction of Europa.” However, the city later suffered barbarian invasions and plundering by northern tribes. Following the devastating earthquake of 375 AD, the Gothic raids led by Alaric in 396 AD resulted in the destruction of Sparta.

Medieval and modern times

After the division of the Roman Empire, Laconia, like the rest of the Peloponnese, came under the jurisdiction of Constantinople. During the Byzantine period, Sparta was renamed Lacedaemonia and became the seat of a bishopric.

Lacedaemonia was conquered by the Franks in 1210 AD and became part of the domain of the Frankish Prince of Achaea, Geoffrey of Villehardouin. In 1249, William II of Villehardouin built the castle of Mystras, which he was later forced to surrender to the Byzantines in 1262. By 1265, the inhabitants of Lacedaemonia had abandoned it and moved en masse to Mystras for greater security.

Mystras became the capital of the Despotate of Morea, established by the Byzantines. For nearly six centuries, despite successive occupations by the Ottomans and the Venetians, Mystras remained the major urban center of Laconia, while Sparta had long since faded into historical obscurity.

Sparta was reestablished in 1834, after Greece’s liberation from the Ottomans, by royal decree of King Otto, fulfilling the wish of his father, Ludwig I. On New Year’s Day of 1857, the official installation of local authorities and the first settlers, who had come from Mystras, took place.