Helen of Sparta (play) carries her off to Troy for a casual affair, only to discover that she is an extremely fastidious and demanding captive. At the same time, Helen’s husband, King Menelaus, finds his efforts to rescue his wife impeded when he is placed on the Pan-Hellenic “Do Not Sail” list. T. Smith in the "Baltimore Sun" described the play as "original but problematic." The play was shortlisted for the "Best American Plays 2010". It was named one of the ten best regional plays of 2009 by the American Theatre Association. Helen of Sparta (play) Helen of Sparta is a tragicomic play by
History of Sparta The alarming decline of Spartan citizens was commented on by Aristotle. Sparta never fully recovered from the losses that the Spartans suffered at Leuctra in 371 BC and the subsequent helot revolts. Nonetheless, it was able to continue as a regional power for over two centuries. Neither Philip II nor his son Alexander the Great attempted to conquer Sparta itself. By the winter of late 370 BC, King Agesilaus took the field, not against Thebes, but in an attempt to preserve at least a toehold of influence for Sparta in Arkadia. This backfired when, in response, the Arkadians sent an