Sparta was eventually absorbed into the Roman Empire in the 2nd century BCE. Helen, whose abduction started the Trojan War, was married to the king of Sparta in Homer’s Iliad (probably composed in the 8th century BCE). Sparta, located in Greece’s southern peninsula, the Peloponnese, was one of the oldest and most powerful Greek city-states. The inclusion of Sparta in a gathering of Lego warrior figurines might seem incongruous to those familiar with ancient history.
They went on to build a giant Spartan warrior, standing protectively against white city walls. In the lucky dip that followed, teammates Fleur and Sarah drew a Spartan figure to signal their theme for the task (others worked on Viking, Medieval or samurai strongholds). In the second episode of the current season of the TV show Lego Masters, contestants were asked to build a castle - then watch it be destroyed by a bowling ball.
