After 1100

c. 750

c. 730–710

c. 700

c. 667–650

Late 7th century

c. 600

c. 555

c. 545

c. 525

c. 510

c. 506

494

490

481

480

479

The Spartans conquer the rest of Laconia; system of helots and perioeci created.

Sparta conquers Messenia in the First Messenian War.

Sparta founds its only colony, Taras.

Second Messenian War; Tyrtaeus composing war poetry.

Likely period for the emergence of the Lycurgan reforms.

Arts and culture flourish; Alcman composing lyric poetry.

Sparta defeats Tegea in battle and makes a treaty with the city; early development of the Peloponnesian League.

Sparta defeats Argos.

Sparta and Corinth make an unsuccessful expedition to Samos.

Cleomenes I of Sparta deposes Hippias from his tyranny in Athens.

Peloponnesian League fully established.

Sparta crushes Argos at the battle of Sepeia.

Spartans arrive too late to fight the Persians at Marathon.

Sparta becomes leader of the Hellenic League against Persia.

Battle of Thermopylae.

Battle of Plataea; Herodotus gives Sparta the most credit for the Greek victory.

c. 465

460–446

446

431–404

404

371

369

337

Sparta suffers a terrible earthquake; a helot revolt follows.

‘First’ Peloponnesian War.

The ‘30 Years’ Peace’ treaty established.

The Peloponnesian War.

Sparta finally defeats Athens and becomes the leader of the Greek world.

Battle of Leuctra; Sparta is defeated.

Messenia is liberated and the Spartan System is at an end.

Sparta remains outside the League of Corinth after the Macedonian conquest of Greece.

235–222

c. 197

146

King Cleomenes III tries to reintroduce the ancient laws of Lycurgus.

Sparta loses independence and is forced into becoming a member of the Achaean League.

The Romans take control of Greece and become fascinated by the history of Sparta.