A ruling family might thus have a number of dynastic names; for example, Agis I named the Agiads, but he was a Heraclid and so were his descendants. The Brothers of the most Beautiful Woman= The Spartan Helen … A dyarchy, rather than a monarchy, effectively divided the strength of the kings and introduced a permanent tension and state of competition between the two houses. Sparta was a constitutional monarchy, made up of the kings, advised by and (supposedly) controlled by a college of ephors; a council of elders called the Gerousia; and an assembly, known as the Apella or Ecclesia. Reputedly founded in the 9th century bce with a rigid oligarchic constitution, the state of Sparta for centuries retained as lifetime corulers two kings who arbitrated in time of war. Cynuria is said to have been colonized by. Page, A New Classical Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography, Mythology, and Geography, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_kings_of_Sparta&oldid=995003059, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Short description with empty Wikidata description, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Briefly deposed while in exile avoiding trial, last Agiad, deposed by the Eurypontid Lycurgus, Actually an Agiad; installed by Cleomenes III, deposes the Agiad Agesipolis III and ruled alone, first regent for Pelops, then usurper, claiming descent from the Eurypontid king Demaratus, last known king of Sparta from Heraclid dynasty, The Cyclopædia, Volume 20. Kingship was hereditary. The Achaean League annexed Sparta in 192 BC. N.S. Agiad people were treated as a tribe, presumed to have descended from an ancestor bearing its name. Sparta was ruled by two kings. Sparta also had a council that created laws. The Ecclesia was made up of every Spartan male full citizen who had attained his 30th birthday; it was led by the ephors and they supposedly made decisions on when to go to war and who would be the commander in chief. Ancient Sparta was built on the banks of the Eurotas River, the largest river of Laconia, which provided it with a source of fresh water.The valley of the Eurotas is a natural fortress, bounded to the west by Mt. The ancient Greek city of Sparta was ruled by two kings, one from each of the two founding families, Agaidai and Eurypontidae. Called Kings but elected. Democratic Two Kings of Sparta. There was also a Council of Elders (Gerousia), each member of which was over the age of 60 and could serve for life. The Heracleidae became ascendant in the Eurotas valley with the Dorians who, at least in legend, entered it during an invasion called the Return of the Heracleidae; driving out the Atreids and at least some of the Mycenaean population. That mythologizing extended even to place names. Oligarchy Sparta always had two kings, the state was ruled by two hereditary kings of the Agiad and Eurypontid families (probably the two gens had great merits in the conquest of Laconia). This article is part of the series: There are way too many other regions that got 0 content since launch and deserve more attention. Sparta is located in the region of Laconia, in the south-eastern Peloponnese. 2 Answers. • Four villages along the Eurotas Agesilaus II, distinguished king of Sparta, being asked which was the greater virtue, valor or justice, replied: "Unsupported by justice, valor is good for nothing; and if all men were just, there would be no need of valor". This want of information was attributed by most of the Greeks to the stability of the Spartan constitution, which had lasted unchanged from the days of Lycurgus. Sparta always had 2 kings. It is odd, however, that the number two should have been so permanently entrenched. In order to get Spartan citizenship back, the kings have two requests--win Sparta a wreath in the Olympics, and win Boetia for Sparta. Remarkable examples of this include the famed first Leonidas (ruled 490–480 BCE for the house of Agaidai), who traced his ancestry to Hercules and was featured in the movie "300". Answer Save. With roots going back to its founding myth, Sparta had not one, but two royal houses: the Eurypontid and the Agiad. Dual Kingship = Two Kings Sparta • founded sometime around 900 BC. Sparta was unusual among the Greek city-states in that it maintained its kingship past the Archaic age. Lv 7. I need the information for a History assignment. Within this Delphic Oracle it was stated that Sparta was to have two kings Careful there Ancient Sparta … The dynasty was named after its second king, Agis. Agis I lived on the cusp of Sparta’s recorded history, at a time when the division between fact and legend is unclear. Sparta ran on a system of democracy, therefore it had two kings who shared responsibilities. In mythology, they were the Perseides. 4. Their role in Spartan life was shouldering certain magisterial and juridical responsibilities. The kings held little judicial or domestic power in Sparta, but each was considered an equal and supreme commander of the army during wartime, and had the power to declare war and lead the army in battle. Not shown is Lycurgus, the lawgiver, a younger son of the Eurypontids, who served a brief regency either for the infant Charilaus (780–750 BC) or for Labotas (870–840 BC) the Agiad. [4] The kings' firstborn sons, as heirs apparent, were the only Spartan boys expressly exempt from the Agoge; however, they were allowed to take part if they so wished, and this endowed them with increased prestige when they ascended the throne. Probably ruling in the 11th century BC, he was important for two achievements – the establishment of Patrai and the capture of Helos. Like Mycenaean kings in Greece, the Spartans had a political leader (the Eurypontidae kings) and a war leader (the Agaidai kings). Agis himself was responsible for establishing a port city called Patrai on the north shore of th… She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise. Each year the ephors, or magistrates, chose the 300 best hoplites in Sparta to become the hippeis—elite soldiers who formed the king’s private guard. Oligarchy– Sparta always had two kings, the state was ruled by two hereditary kings of the Agiad and Eurypontid families (probably the two gens had great merits in the conquest of Laconia). In peacetime they were responsible for the cult and to some legal issues. Having two kings share power was fairly common in several Bronze Age Indo-European societies; they shared power but had different roles. There was an Assembly. Intended to stop any king trying to overstay his wellcome. The common people had no say Clarification Sparta had two kings. Pindar and the cult of heroes. The purpose of having two kings was to … In time of peace, power was concentrated in a Senate of 30 members. Sparta was unusual among the Greek city-states in that it maintained its kingship past the Archaic age. This meant that the kings were not related to each other, but their titles were passed down to their sons. High state policy decisions were discussed by this council who could then … Ancient Greeks named males after their fathers, producing a patronymic with the infix -id-; for example, the sons of Atreus were the Atreids. Sparta was a dinarchy, under the rule of two consecutive kings along with nine 'ephors' and a council. The Lelegid were the descendants of Lelex (a back-formation), ancestor of the Leleges, a Pelasgian tribe inhabiting the Eurotas valley before the Greeks, who, according to the mythological descent, amalgamated with the Greeks. For one, Sparta had two kings. Sparta in time developed a system of dual kingship (two kings ruling at once). 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 sixth century BC or so. Robert Drews (1983: 81) Sparta had a highly unusual system of government. Sparta had two kings, or basileis. Spartan kings received a recurring posthumous hero cult like that of the Doric kings of Cyrene. 2 Answers. 7 Points to Know About Ancient Greek Government, Politics and the Political System of the Ancient Maya, The Ancient Spartans Had a Murderous Secret Police, Biography of Helen of Troy, Cause of the Trojan War, The Thirty Tyrants After the Peloponnesian War, King Leonidas of Sparta and the Battle at Thermopylae, M.A., Linguistics, University of Minnesota. This List of Kings of Sparta details the important rulers of the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta in the Peloponnese. Spartans had a very unique political system consisting of two kings who took care of the military affairs, region improvements, such as roads and bridges, and were important religious figures. The Lacedaemonids contain Greeks from the age of legend, now treated as being the Bronze Age in Greece. Relevance? Pg, A Prosopography of Lacedaemonians, Part 396. Sparta had a special policy maker, the gerousia, a council consisting of 28 elders over the age of 60, elected for life and usually part of the royal households, and the two kings. As they both claimed descent from Hercules, the kings were considered above the other Spartiates by virtue of their leadership positio… Priests were people outside of the regnal pair and neither of the kings was considered sacred — although they could enable contact with the gods, they were never interpreters. Answer Save. They were the supreme commanders of the army. Both Kings had jointly decided. Indeed the history of classical Sparta is rife with examples of the royal houses butting heads politically. Thus, battlefield success was a way for the dueling monarchs to one-up each other, according to historian Scott Rusch’s 2011 book Sparta at … 5. The Gerousia was a council made up of men who were over the age of 60; they made decisions in criminal cases. The Assembly had men over the age of 30. Disallowed the Peloponnesus, Hercules embarked on a life of wandering. These kings working in partnership would share their duties, and by the nature of the dual leadership would keep the other king honest. The kings would lead armies into battle and attend religious ceremonies. The Spartan kings as Heracleidae claimed descent from Heracles, who through his mother was descended from Perseus. The Atreidai (Latin Atreidae) belong to the Late Bronze Age, or the Mycenaean Period. Both kings would ensure that one king would not abuse or obtain to much power, that they could cause hard to the state. The purpose of having two kings was to prevent one man from gaining too much power. In his Histories, Herodotus explains to us how this dual kingship came about. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: William Smith (Ed.) Division of power, internal and external. Sparta was insignificant during IR timeframe and already got a mission tree, unique events, and unique units due to 300 fanboys. It was even more unusual in that it had two kings simultaneously, who were called the archagetai,[n 1] coming from two separate lines. Spartan kings inherited their roles, a job filled by the leader of each family. Spartan Constitution. Spartan kings had royal reputation, first places in all, holding the biggest portion of lands. The Spartan kings weren't believed to be supernaturally strong or sacred, either. They were there to call up the army and receive foreign envoys. A brief description of the Spartan kings with a list of the known kings. 0 0. epic username. By Abraham Rees. How many kings ruled Sparta? Sparta was ruled by two kings and a Council of Elders. The council consisted of, apart from the two kings with the most influence, twenty-eight people of rich families over the age of sixty. Kings of Sparta (Dictionary of Government). 0 0. epic username. In the language of mythologic descent, the kingship passed from the Leleges to the Greeks. For royal houses, the patronymic was formed from the name of the founder or of an early significant figure of a dynasty. Spartan political system was a combination of monarchy (kings), oligarchy (Gerousia) and democracy (ephoroi, ephors). Sparta was insignificant during IR timeframe and already got a mission tree, unique events, and unique units due to 300 fanboys. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. Although not much is known about the kings — note how few of the kings listed below even have regnal dates — ancient historians have pieced together general information about how the government worked. Two Kings of Sparta Of the internal development of Sparta down to this time but little is recorded. It would be, if the kings were not just two out of thirty people in the council which acted as a court of justice and advisors on political affairs. The council was made up of the two kings and twenty-eight elders. At the time of Agis I’s rule, Spartans were looking outwards, creating colonies in Asia Minor. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: This page was last edited on 18 December 2020, at 17:53. According to tradition, the two lines, the Agiads and Eurypontids, were respectively descended from the twins Eurysthenes and Procles, the … Sparta was following the Tradition of 2 Kings since the time the Spartan Dioscouroi Gods Polydefkes and Kastor, wider known today as Gemini/Twins were reigning over Sparta together. If the descent was not known or was scantily known, the Greeks made a few standard assumptions based on their cultural ideology. These kings would lead the army in times of war. Sparta was ruled by two hereditary kings. Sparta had a very unique system of government. The kings held little judicial or domestic power in Sparta, but each was considered an equal and supreme commander of the army during wartime, and had the power to declare war and lead the army in battle. Dual Kingship in Ancient Sparta By Georgia Connelly (King of Sparta), Josie Copley (King of Sparta) and Eloise Dwyer (Poor Peasant)..... Benefits of Dual Kingship What is Sparta? The city was ruled by two kings, and a 28-member Council of Elders limited their power. Their power was counter-balanced by the elected board of ephors (who may only serve a single one-year term). T… Kings of Sparta Sparta due to its constitution would have two kings rule over the state. 2 kings. 10 years ago. The two kings were more like military commanders and generals. It was even more unusual in that it had two kings simultaneously, who were called the archagetai,[1][n 1] coming from two separate lines. ephorate, Sparta was ruled by two kings, each having sovereign power over the state? Relevance? 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. Lv 7. It is evident from Plutarch's; "Life of Lycurgus", that a lawgiver known by the name of Lycurgus derived the Spartan laws from the oracle at Delphi, which outlined how Sparta was to function. They were involved in certain religious or cultic activities, members of the priesthood of Zeus Lacedaemon (a cult group based honoring the mythical king of Laconia) and Zeus Ouranos (Uranus, the primal sky god). Some of the listed kings are hot-linked. Parnon (1,935 m). They made decisions about war and peace. Five ephors, chosen annually by popular election, had the main power. There are way too many other regions that got 0 content since launch and deserve more attention. Two kings ruled the city, but a 28-member 'council of elders' limited their powers. At Thermopylae 1 was on the field the other was in Sparta. Sparta ran on a system of democracy, therefore it had two kings who shared responsibilities. As per the peculiar provisions of the Constitution of Sparta two kings ruled over the country at a time. The dynasties themselves, however, were named after the twins' grandsons, the kings Agis I and Eurypon, respectively. Two kings ruled the city, but a 28-member 'council of elders' limited their powers. During the 5th century BC Sparta was very powerful. The fact that 2 Spartan kings are not represented in-game is an unimportant issue IMO. Favorite Answer. These elder… Division of power, internal and external. This List of Kings of Sparta details the important rulers of the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta in the Peloponnese. Taygetus (2,407 m) and to the east by Mt. Kings often became divinities, in their religion. Sparta had a highly unusual system of government. King was succeeded by his the first born son after he … Their power was counter-balanced by the elected board of ephors (who may only serve a single one-year term). If it is right that this title merely denotes hereditary nobles with stated prerogatives, this was originally one of its less remarkable aspects. The Constitution of Sparta had fair organs-the King, Jerusia, Appella and Ephor. Sparta was ruled by two hereditary kings. The kings were automatic members of the Gerousia, the council of 28 elders picked for life plus the two kings. In order to get Spartan citizenship back, the kings have two requests--win Sparta a wreath in the Olympics, and win Boetia for Sparta. The kings also performed the duties of the priests. The fact that 2 Spartan kings are not represented in-game is an unimportant issue IMO. Favorite Answer. As the name of Atreus is attested in Hittite documents, this dynasty may well be protohistoric. The dynasty is named after its third king Eurypon. The kings belonged to the Council of Elders (Gerousia) which had 5 Ephors along with nobles who were over 60 years of age. Why did Sparta have two kings? The ancient Greek city of Sparta was ruled by two kings, one from each of … By Bruno Currie Page 245, A Classical Dictionary By John Lemprière. Of the internal development of Sparta down to this time but little is recorded. We have all heard about kingdoms divided between two princes, or about co-regencies of father and son, but one can hardly visualize a single state ruled by two sovereigns. Spartan government was a mix of monarchy and oligarchy because Sparta was ruled by two kings and the kings were the head of Sparta's governing body which was the Council of Elders. A Spartan king named Aristodemus had twin sons. The council governed the city, declared wars, supervised the kings, and could propose laws. King was succeeded by his the first born son after he came to power. Page. Sir William Smith. I need the information for a History assignment. This is a real shame because Sparta had its own unique political system with two, count them, two kings sitting on the throne at once. There was an assembly of citizens, but this did not have the power of the citizen assembly in democratic Athens. 10 years ago. Sparta in time developed a system of dual kingship (two kings ruling at once). There were five ephors who were elected annually and swore fealty to Sparta rather than the kings. A list of Spartan kings and an insight into why the two kings became an institution in Sparta. In addition to the kings, there were five ephors (magistrates) that were elected from aristocratic families. Although this made them relatively weak kings and there was always input from the other pieces of the government on most of the decisions they made, most of the kings were fierce and acted independently most of the time. The Agiad line was regarded as being senior to the Eurypontid line.[3]. Intended to stop any king trying to overstay his wellcome. By Alfred S. Bradford. The Constitution was effected in the following way. This was due to her army, which was feared by other Greeks. Now that reminds us of oligarchic government. This meant that the kings were not related to each other, but their titles were passed down to their sons. Called Kings but elected. The institution was already well-developed by the 8th century BC, when Theopompos of the Eurypontid clan emerges as the first recorded Spartan king Why did Sparta have two kings? Almost immediately after the two boys were born Aristodemus croaked. The oligarchy had two kings, they weren't very powerful. How old did you have to be to be in the Council of Elders? He must have been a king, who founded a dynasty of his name. This want of information was attributed by most of the Greeks to the stability of the Spartan constitution, which had lasted unchanged from the days of Lycurgus. In ancient Greece, Sparta was unique in having a dual kingship - two kings from different clans, the Agiads and the Eurypontids, reigning simultaneously. They were presumed to have been named after kings and divinities. 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