The International Spartan Studies Forum was an international academic, networking, policymaking and public engagement event (hybrid) organized by the University of Nottingham (UK), the Centre for Spartan and Peloponnesian Studies of the University of Nottingham (UK), the Municipality of Sparti and the Society for Spartan Studies. It was held at Sparti, Greece, 8 – 11/6/2023. Aim of the forum was to demonstrate the recent trends and new developments of ancient Sparti and Laconia in the 21st century, to explore: (a) the wide-ranging application of Sparta beyond antiquity, for good and for ill, inside and outside of Europe, aesthetic and substantive, (b) the extent to which Sparta’s reputation is deserved: whether Sparta’s political organisation, laws and customs (in Greek nomoi) were in fact responsible for Sparta’s success (and indeed eventual decline), and (c) how our understanding of the Spartan Constitution, and ancient politics in general, can impact on the theory and practice of modern politics.

The final panel of the forum, to which AKTES contributed a presentation about the impacts of climate change on the coastal landscape of Laconia, opened the discussion on formulating strategy and policies to encourage Green Tourism and how the city of Sparti and Laconia, with its rich archaeological, historical, and cultural heritage, can act as a pioneer case study on how to deliver an eco–friendly and cultural tourism agenda.

Presentation

• Climate change and coastal landscape: Tracing ancient coastlines in the Laconic Gulf (by: Dr Eleni Kolaiti)