Sparta was an important Greek city-state in the Peloponnesus. It was unusual among Greek city-states in that it maintained its kingship past the Archaic age. It was even more unusual in that it had two kings simultaneously, coming from two separate lines. According to tradition, the two lines, the Agiads and Eurypontids, were respectively descended from the twins Eurysthenes and Procles, the descendants of Heracles who supposedly conquered Sparta two generations after the Trojan War. The Agiad line was regarded as being superior to the Eurypontid line. [1] Although there are lists of the earlier purported Kings of Sparta, there is little evidence for the existence of any kings before the middle of the 6th century BC or so. Spartan kings received a recurring posthumous hero cult like that of the Dorian kings of Cyrene[2].
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Mythical Kings
- Lacedaemon, husband of Sparta.
- Amyklas, son of Lacedaemon. He founded Amyklai.
- Kynortas (son of Amyklas)
- Oibalos
- Tyndareos (First reign), father of Helen.
- Hippocoon, brother of Tyndareus
- Tyndareos (Second reign)
- Menelaos, husband of Helen.
- Tisamenos
Agiad dynasty
- Eurysthenes ? - c.930 BC.
- Agis I c.930 - c.900 BC.
- Echestratus c.900 - c.870 BC.
- Labotas c.870 - c.840 BC.
- Doryssus c.840 - c.820 BC.
- Agesilaus I c.820 - c.790 BC.
- Archilaus c.790 - c.760 BC.
- Teleclus c.760 - c.740 BC.
- Alcamenes c.740 - c.700 BC.
- Polydorus c.700 - c.665 BC.
- Eurycrates c.665 - c.640 BC.
- Anaxander c.640 - c.615 BC.
- Eurycratides c.615 - c.590 BC.
- Lindius c.590 - 560 BC.
- Anaxandridas II c.560 - c.520 BC.
- Cleomenes I c.520 - c.490 BC.
- Leonidas I c.490 - 480 BC.
- Pleistarchus 480 - c.459 BC.
- Pleistoanax c.459 - 401 BC.
- Pausanias 409 - 395 BC.
- Agesipolis I 395 - 380 BC.
- Cleombrotus I 380 - 371 BC.
- Agesipolis II 371 - 370 BC.
- Cleomenes II 370 - 309 BC.
- Areus I 309 - 265 BC.
- Acrotatus II 265 - 262 BC.
- Areus II 262 - 254 BC.
- Leonidas II 254 - 235 BC.
- Cleomenes III 235 - 222 BC.
Eurypontid dynasty
- Procles - c.930 BC.
- Soos ? - c.890 BC.
- Eurypon c.890 - c.860 BC.
- Prytanis c.860 - c.830 BC.
- Polydectes c.830 - c.800 BC.
- Eunomus c.800 - c.780 BC
- Charilaus c.780 - c.750 BC.
- Nicander c.750 - c.720 BC.
- Theopompus c.720 - c.675 BC.
- Anaxandridas I c.675 - c.645 BC.
- Zeuxidamas c.645 - c.625 BC.
- Anaxidamus c.625 - c.600 BC.
- Archidamus I c.600 - c.575 BC.
- Agasicles c.575 - c.550 BC.
- Ariston c.550 - c.515 BC.
- Demaratus c.515 - c.491 BC.
- Leotychidas c.491 - 469 BC.
- Archidamus II 469 - 427 BC.
- Agis II 427 - 401/400 BC.
- Agesilaus II 401/400 - 360 BC.
- Archidamus III 360 - 338 BC.
- Agis III 338 - 331 BC.
- Eudamidas I 331 - c.305 BC.
- Archidamus IV c.305 - c.275 BC.
- Eudamidas II c.275 - c.245 BC.
- Agis IV c.245 - 241 BC.
- Eudamidas III 241 - 228 BC.
- Archidamus V 228 - 227 BC.
- Eucleidas 227 - 221 BC (Eucleidas was actually an Agiad - his brother Cleomenes III deposed his Eurypontid colleague and installed his brother as co-king).
After Sellasia
Following Cleomenes III's defeat in the Battle of Sellasia by Antigonus III Doson of Macedon and the Achaean League, the Spartan system began to break down. Sparta was a republic from 221 to 219 BC.
- Agesipolis III (Agiad) 219 - 215 BC - the last Agiad King of Sparta.
- Lycurgus (Eurypontid) 219 - 210 BC.
- Machanidas (tyrant) 210 - 207 BC.
- Pelops (king) (Eurypontid) 210 - 206 BC - last king from either of the old dynasties, opponent of Machanidas.
- Nabis (a usurper) 206 - 192 BC.
The Achaean League annexed Sparta in 192 BC.
Notes
- ^ Cartledge, Paul, The Spartans, Vintage Books, 2003
- ^ Pindar and the cult of heroes By Bruno Currie Page 245 ISBN 0199277249
External links
- Livius
- Eurypontids and Agiads by Jona Lendering
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