Fall of Sparta

E621 - Fall of Sparta

Published: January 8, 2026

Duration: 1:14:04

How did Sparta, the most feared military state in ancient Greece, fall from grace in a single generation?


In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Roel Konijnendijk and Dr Owen Rees to chronicle Sparta's catastrophic collapse in the fourth century BC. Fresh from its victory over Athens in the year 404, Sparta stood unrivalled. Yet within decades, its power would be shattered, its authority broken, and its golden age over. From decisive battles against resurgent rivals Thebes and Corinth to over-ambitious kings and a defining clash with a warband of sacred lovers...