The Spartan Dyarchy. Sparta was unique in maintaining a dyarchy — two kings holding office simultaneously. The origins of this odd arrangement are lost in antiquity and shrouded in legend. According to the Spartans, the institution dated from the twin sons of Aristodemus, the great-great-grandson of Heracles (Hercules), the son of Zeus. The Spartans traced their arrival in the Peloponnesus to the mythic return of Heracles' descendants. Unsurprisingly, the cult of the twin heroes Castor and Polydeuces (Pollux), brothers of Queen Helen of Trojan War fame, was especially strong in Sparta. It is possible there is an element of truth to some aspects of these legends, since a propensity to twins is genetic and there is evidence it ran in the historical Spartan line (Leonidas I and Cleombrotus, for example, were twins). Twin births in dynasties have occurred in other places and times and always cause confusion and discord when the rights of the firstborn are paramount. (In some instances, the second twin has been immediately put to death.) Perhaps the early Spartans, when faced with such a dilemma, took the unusual position of dividing the royal power and duties between two princes, each serving to check the other's potential despotism. Most likely, though, the dual monarchy originates in a compromise between two disparate but related tribes of Dorian invaders who settled in Laconia in the 900's B.C. Or possibly it represents a more or less peaceful merger between the conquerors and the native aristocracy. The Origins of Spartan Royalty. The list of kings believed to be historical and not purely legendary begins with the grandsons of Aristodemus, Agis and Eurypon, who gave their names to their respective dynasties. The Agiad line was traditionally held to be the senior of the two, but this apparently counted for very little in practical terms. We know practically nothing about other members of the royal houses: queens, junior sons, daughters, or other relatives. Yet this network must have become enormous, much like the current British royal family and senior peerage, and probably constituted an aristocracy of sorts among the Spartan citizen class — one whose bloodlines possibly run through southern Greece to this very day. Sources. This list draws from many sources, and much of it must be conjectural. No two modern authorities completely agree, and many ancient ones are unreliable. Most of the information is taken from books by Bickerman, Forrest, Herodotus, Jones, Lazenby, and Pausanias (see the Book List). The dates for Sparta's early kings are especially hypothetical, and the succession cannot have always been from father to son. After about 550 B.C. the royal successions become better documented as well as more complicated. The relationship of each king to his predecessor is indicated in parentheses.   MYTHICAL ANCESTRIES Heracles Hyllus Cleodaeus Aristomachus Aristodemus Eurysthenes Procles Sous Agis Eurypon (The two boldfaced names mark the end of the "mythical" ancestries).   HISTORICAL ANCESTRIES Agiad House Eurypontid House Unknown Agis I (930-900?) Eurypon (895-865?) Echestratus (900-870?) Prytanis (865-835?) Leobotas (870-840?) Polydectes (835-805?) Doryssus (840-815?) Eunomus (805-775?) Agesilaus I (815-785?) Charillus (c. 775-750) Archelaus (c.785-760) Nicander (c.750-720) Teleclus (c.760-c.740) Theopompus (c.720-675) Alacamenes (c.740-700) Anaxandridas (c.675-660) Polydorus (c.700-c.665) Archidamus I (c.660-645) Eurycrates (c.665-c.640) Anaxilas (c.645-c.625) Anaxander (c.640-c.615) Leotychidas I (c.625-600) Eurycratidas (c.615-c.590) Hippocratidas (c.600-575) Leon (c.590-c.560) Agasicles (c.575-550) Anaxandridas I (c.560-c.520) Ariston (c.550-c.515) Cleomenes I (son) (c.520-c.490) Demaratus (son) (c.515-491) Leonidas I (half-brother) (c.490-480) Leotychidas II (cousin) (491-476) Pleistarchus (son) (480-458) Archidamus II (grandson) (king regent: 476-469? in his own right: 469-427) Pleistoanax (cousin; son of the regent Pausanias, nephew of Leonidas) (458-408) In exile c.445-c.427 Agis II (son) (427-399) Pausanias (son) (king regent: c.445-c.427; in his own right: 408-395) Agesilaus II (half-brother) (399-360) Agesipolis I (son) (395-380) Archidamus III (son) (360-338) Cleombrotus I (brother) (380-371) Agis III (son) (338-331) Agesipolis II (son) (371-370) Eudamidas I (brother) (331-c.305) Cleomenes II (brother) (370-309) Archidamus IV (son) (c.305-c.275) Areus I (grandson) (309-265) Eudamidas II (son) (c.275-244) Acrotatus (son) (265-c.260) Agis IV (son) (244-241) Areus II (son) (c.260-c.251) Eudamidas III (son) (241-c.228) Leonidas II (grandson of Cleomenes II) (c.251-236) In exile c.243-241 Archidamus V (uncle; brother of Agis IV) (c.228-227) Cleombrotus II (son-in-law of Leonidas II; reigned during Leonidas' exile) (c.243-241) Eucleidas (an Agiad; brother of Cleomenes III) (c.227-222) Cleomenes III (son of Cleombrotus II) (236-219) (in exile, 222-219) Lycurgus (a Eurypontid descended from Agis II) (219-c.210) Agesipolis III (grandson of Cleombrotus II) (219-215) Deposed by Lycurgus and not replaced. Pelops (son) (c.210-c.206) Very young, under the regency (c.210-207) of the tyrant Machinidas, a man of royal blood but whose connection to the succession is unknown; and then the tyrant Nabis (see below) who deposed him. (c. 206)   Nabis (Descended from Demaratus and styled himself as King.) (c.207-192) Laconicus (of royal blood, relationship unknown) (192-???) The last known king of Sparta. The decline of Sparta. The clear lines of relationship between the royal houses and the succession itself break down substantially by the end of the third century B.C., shortly before the institution of the Spartan monarchy withers away and is suppressed. A series of external wars coupled with internal revolutions and coups effectively ends the Lycurgan system of government after 192 B.C.; Sparta slips into its twilight and soon passes under the rule of Rome. Historical discrepancies. This list contains much that is disputable. John Lazenby (The Spartan Army), for example, believes that many of the early Eurypontid kings are spurious; he claims that the names are too serendipitous (Sous = "Savior"; Prytanis = "President"; Eunomus = "good government") to reflect real people. But all Greek names mean something: Leonidas = "lion's son"; Archidamus = "chief of the people"; Ariston = "the best"; Xanthus = "golden" and so on. There is even a "Prytanis" in the Iliad, so this is not wholly convincing. There are also disagreements between ancient scholars: Herodotus and Pausanias give different names for four early Eurypontids (this list follows Herodotus) and Herodotus forgets Sous, who is nonetheless listed by the other writers. The ancient sources also imply that the succession ran direct from father to son up until the Persian Wars era, which is absurd given the long reigns ascribed to some kings. Diodorus, in Book VII of his History (as revised by Eusebius), gives a detailed chronology of the Spartan kings beginning in the year 1104, eighty years after the traditional date of the fall of Troy. According to him, in the senior house succession ran: Eurystheus (Eurysthenes) (reigned 42 years); Agis (one year); Echestratus (35 years); Labatas (Leobotas) (37 years); Doristhus (Doryssus) (29 years); Agesilaus (44 years); Archeslaus (60 years); Teleclus (40 years); and Alcamenes (38 years). For the junior house, Diodorus lists Procles (reigned 41 years); Sous (34 years); Eurypon (51 years); Prytanis (49 years); Eunomius (Eunomus) (45 years); Chariclus (Charillus) (60 years); Nicandrus (Nicander) (38 years); and Theopompus (47 years). Diodorus further anchors these reigns by confidently stating that the first Olympiad, i.e. 776 B.C., fell during the tenth year of each of the last two listed kings' reign. Unfortunately, this doesn't add up in either case.   "It's Good To Be King" "The purple is the noblest winding-sheet." - Empress Theodora of Byzantium Is noblesse oblige all it's cracked up to be? A look at some known fates of Spartan royalty. Assassinated Killed in Battle Suicide Teleclus? Leonidas I Cleomenes I? Polydorus? Cleombrotus I Cleomenes III Cleomenes I? Archidamus III Pausanais (regent) Agis III Agis IV Areus I Archidamus V Acrotatus Nabis Machinidas (regent) Temporarially Banished Deposed or Died in Exile Cleomenes I Demaratus Pleistoanax Leotychidas II Leonidas II Pausanias Lycurgus Cleomenes III Ageisipolis III Pelops   Kevin Hendryx