LACEDÆMON, a noble city of Peloponnesus, called also Sparta; these names differing in this, that the latter is the proper and ancient name of the city, the former of the country, which afterwards came to be applied to the city (Strabo, Stephanus). Homer also makes this distinction; who calls the country holy, because encompassed with mountains. It has also been severally known by the name of Lelegia, from the Leleges the first inhabitants of the country, or from Lelex one of their kings; and Oebalia, from Oebalus the sixth king from Eurotas. It was also called Hecatompolis, from 100 cities which the whole province once contained. This city was the capital of Laconia, situated on the right or west side of the Eurotas: it was less in compass than, however equal, or even superior to, Athens in power. Polybius makes it 48 stadia, a circuit much inferior to that of Athens. Lelex is supposed to have been the first king of Lacedæmon. His descendants, 13 in number, reigned successively after him, till the reign of the sons of Oretes, when the Heraclides recovered the Peloponnesus about 80 years after the Trojan war. Procles and Eurythenes, the descendants of the Heraclides, usurped the crown together; and after them it was decreed that the two families should always sit on the throne together. The monarchical power was abolished, and the race of the Heraclides extinguished at Sparta about 219 years before Christ. Lacedæmon in its flourishing state remained without walls, the bravery of its citizens being instead of them (Nepos). At length in Cassander's time, or after, when the city was in the hands of tyrants, distrusting the defence by arms and
bravery, a wall was built round it, at first flight, and in a tumultuary or hasty manner; which the tyrant Nabis made very strong (Livy, Justin). Pausanias ascribes the first walls to the times of Demetrius and Pyrrhus, under Nabis. The walls of the city were pulled down 188 years before Christ by Philopœmen, who was then at the head of the Achaean league, and Laconia some time after became a Roman province when reduced by Mummius. See SPARTA.—The present city is called Misura, situated in E. Long. 23. 0. N. Lat. 36. 55.