Lacedaemon

Lacedaemon is the ancient name for the region of Laconia in the southeastern Peloponnese and, more specifically, for the city-state of Sparta. In classical Greek usage, Lacedaemon (Lakedaimon) is often used as a formal or poetic designation for Sparta, while Laconia denotes the broader geographic area surrounding the city. The two terms are closely linked in ancient sources.

Geography: It lies in eastern Peloponnese; the Eurotas River runs through the central valley that gives the region its name; the Taygetus range forms the western landscape; the Laconian Gulf lies to the east. The city of Sparta stood on the banks of the Eurotas.

Myth and name: In Greek myth Lacedaemon is a figure associated with the founding of the region; the name is said to derive from him and to be connected to Sparta. In literature the name Lacedaemon becomes a conventional appellation for Sparta, used by poets and historians.

History and usage: Lacedaemonian power rose in the Archaic and Classical periods as Sparta developed a dominant militarized city-state within Laconia. The term is attested in Homer as well as in Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, and other writers, where it denotes either the city-state or the Spartan people and realm. After the classical era the term continued in Hellenistic and Roman texts as a geographic and historical label. In contemporary usage, Lacedaemon appears chiefly in scholarly writing and in historical or literary contexts.

See also: Sparta; Laconia; Eurotas River; Peloponnese.