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Spárti

Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names | 2005 | 700+ words | Copyright

Spárti, Greece Sparta, Lacedaemon An ancient and powerful city‐state founded, according to tradition, by Lacedaemon, who named it after his wife, Sparta, the daughter of Evrótas, one of the first Kings of Laconia. Spárti lies on the Evrótas River. When the Byzantines repopulated the city after its destruction by the Visigoths, they renamed it after Lacedaemon. More probably, however, the name comes from spartí or sparton ‘rope made from the shrub spartos’ which grows abundantly and is used for making rope, brooms and baskets. The inhabitants of Sparta were known for their frugality, stern discipline, and endurance; hence the word ‘spartan’ to describe one who can withstand hardship without complaint. Another Greek word for Spartan was lakónikos ‘laconic’ because the Spartans were known for their concise speech.

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