Editing Sparta (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Antique Map of Classical City of Sparta.jpg|thumb|right|Antique map of classical city of Sparta (based on ancient sources and not archaeology).]]
Sparta is located in the region of Laconia, in the south-eastern [[Peloponnese]]. Ancient Sparta was built on the banks of the [[Evrotas River|Eurotas]], the largest river of Laconia, which provided it with a source of fresh water. The [[Evrotas Valley|Eurotas valley]] was a natural fortress, bounded to the west by [[Taygetus|Mt. Taygetus]] (2,407 m) and to the east by [[Parnon|Mt. Parnon]] (1,935 m). To the north, Laconia is separated from [[Arcadia (regional unit)|Arcadia]] by hilly uplands reaching 1000 m in altitude. These natural defenses worked to Sparta's advantage and protected it from sacking and [[invasion]].  Though landlocked, Sparta had a vassal harbor, [[Gytheio]], on the [[Laconian Gulf]].