A view to the ruins (and modern village) of Sparta, Greece.
A defiant cry
“Molon labe” is a defiant classical Greek phrase meaning “come and take [them].” It is most famously attributed to King Leonidas I of Sparta in response to the Persian King Xerxes' demand for the Spartans to surrender their weapons at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.
The location of Sparta
Classical Sparta was strategically situated in the fertile valley of the Eurotas River within the Laconia region of the southern Peloponnese, flanked by the towering Taygetus and Parnon mountain ranges which provided the city with formidable natural defenses.
Watch the video, visit sparta
Click the panel below to visit Sparta, the home of Leonidas I.
To learn more about Sparta, click the panel below: “Bold Words from a Bold King.”
To learn more about Sparta, see our post: “The Fate of Ancient Sparta: From Ruins to the Modern City of Sparti.”