It's absolutely historical, although most of what we read is written by non-Spartans. You can still visit the ruins of Sparta in modern Greece -- though they're not very impressive. read more
It makes you think that Sparta didn't really existed. Sparta existed before the Roman Empire began, so around 700-400 B.C, it was part of The League of Delos, the response pf Atenas to the Persa invasions and it later became The League of Peloponeso with the city of Sparta. read more