Cleomenes ICleomenes I (; Greek Κλεομένης; died c. 490 BC) was AgiadKing of Sparta from c. 524 to c. 490 BC. One of the most important Spartan kings, Cleomenes was instrumental in organising the Greek resistance against the Persian Empire of Darius, as well as shaping the geopolitical balance of Classical Greece. Herodotus's accountMost of the life of Cleomenes is known through the Histories of Herodotus, an Athenian historian of the second half of the 5th century.
Leotychidas IILeotychidas II (Ancient Greek: Λεωτυχίδας; Doric: ΛατυχίδαςLatychidas; c. 545 – c. 469 BC) was king of Sparta from 491–476 BC, alongside Cleomenes I and later Leonidas I and Pleistarchus. He led Spartan forces during the Persian Wars from 490–478 BC.
SpartaCity-state in ancient GreeceSparta was a prominent ancient Greekpolis in Laconia. In classical antiquity, the state was known as Lacedaemon (Λακεδαίμων, Lakedaímōn), while Sparta referred to its capital, a group of villages in the valley of the Evrotas River in Laconia, in southeastern Peloponnese. During the 7th century BC, it rose to become the most prominent land military power in the Greek world, a status it retained until its defeat at Leuctra in 371 BC.
List of kings of SpartaFor most of its history, the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta in the Peloponnese was ruled by kings. Sparta was unusual among the 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, who were called the archagetai, coming from two separate lines.
Agiad dynastyThe Agiad dynasty (Ancient Greek: Ἀγιάδαι, Agiádai) was one of the two royal families of the ancient Greekcity-state of Sparta. They ruled jointly along with the Eurypontid dynasty, possibly from the 8th century BC onwards, being the senior of the two houses. The alleged founder of the dynasty was Agis I, possibly the first king of Sparta at the end of the 10th century BC, who subsequently gave his name to the dynasty.
Ancient GreeceAncient Greece (Ancient Greek: Ἑλλάς, romanized: Hellás) was an ancient civilization existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (c. 600 AD), comprising a loose collection of culturally and linguistically related city-states and regions, primarily centered in the northeastern area of the . Prior to the Roman period, most of this area was officially unified only once, from 338 to 323 BC under the Kingdom of Macedon.PleistarchusPleistarchus (Ancient Greek: ΠλείσταρχοςPleistarchos; died c. 458 BC) was the AgiadKing of Sparta from 480 to 458 BC. BiographyPleistarchus was born as a prince, likely the only son of King Leonidas I and Queen Gorgo. His grandparents were Kings Anaxandridas II and Cleomenes I. He was born from an avunculate marriage – his parents were uncle and niece. His uncle Cleombrotus was his tutor.Anaxandridas IIAnaxandridas II (Ancient Greek: Ἀναξανδρίδας, meaning "descendant of Anaxander") was an Agiad king of Sparta from c. 560 BC to 524 BC, father of Leonidas I and grandfather of Pleistarchus. Under the leadership of the ephor Chilon, in office during the middle of the 6th century, Sparta ended its streak of violent conquests, such as in Messenia, and adopted a pro-Achaea policy based on diplomacy.
DiarchyForm of government with dual co-rule Kings of the Visigoths (c. 1641) by Alonso Cano Diarchy (from Greek δι-, di-, "double", and -αρχία, -arkhía, "ruled"), duarchy, or duumvirate is a form of government characterized by co-rule, with two people ruling a polity together either lawfully or de facto, by collusion and force. The leaders of such a system are usually known as corulers.
PolisA polis (pl.: poleis) was any Ancient Greekcity-state. The ancient word polis had socio-political connotations not possessed by modern usage. For example, Modern Greek πόλη (póli), "city", is located within a χώρα (chóra), "country", which is a πατρίδα (patrída) or "native land" for its citizens. In ancient Greece, the polis was the native land; there was no other. It had a constitution and demanded the supreme loyalty of its citizens.
HeracleidaeThe Heracleidae (; Ancient Greek: Ἡρακλεῖδαι) or Heraclids were the numerous descendants of Heracles, especially applied in a narrower sense to the descendants of Hyllus, the eldest of his four sons by Deianira (Hyllus was also sometimes thought of as Heracles' son by Melite). Other Heracleidae included Macaria, Lamos, Manto, Bianor, Tlepolemus, and Telephus.
Ancient GreekAncient Greek (Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ [hellɛːnikɛ̌ː]) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (c. 1400 – c. 1200 BC), Dark Ages (c. 1200 – c. 800 BC), the Archaic or Homeric period (c. 800 – c. 500 BC), and the Classical period (c. 500 – c. 300 BC).*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.