Which one has the geographic advantage, Sparta or Athens?

Good question! Looking at the ancient sources, most emphasize how rich Lacedaemon was and how comparatively poor Attica was. read more

Furthermore, trade with the rest of the world made Athens more open and cosmopolitan than Sparta. So in a way its weakness was its strength. I have found, however, that most modern writers completely underestimate the richness of Sparta. read more

Sparta technically had more territory on the map, but it was Athens that had the greatest geographic advantage, due mostly to the fact that its city states were positioned along the Mediterranean Sea. read more