Akrotatos (King)

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Akrotatus († 262 BC ), the son of Areus I , was from 265 to 262 BC. King of Sparta from the house of the Agiads .

Chilonies

Chilonis , the wife of his uncle Cleonymus , fell in love with Akrotatos. So she left her husband. Cleonymus, who was already bitter about the Spartans, therefore went to Pyrrhus I and persuaded him to conquer Sparta. When Areus I, who ruled at that time, stayed in Gortyn to provide military support to this city, they saw a good chance. Pyrrhus gathered an army and besieged the city. Chilonis, who would rather die than fall into Kleonymos' hands, put a rope around her neck as a precaution. But thanks to Akrotatos, who sneaked out of the city with 300 soldiers and attacked the besiegers from the flank and thus fended them off, the city was saved. After this act, his reputation among the Spartans had grown and the marriage to Chilonis was legitimized.

Domination

Akrotatos entered 265 BC. To succeed his father, who had fallen in battle with Antigonus II. Gonatas . 262 BC There was a war with Aristodemus of Megalopolis . There were great losses on both sides and eventually Aristodemus gained the upper hand. Akrotatos died in this war. His son Areus II , who was born after Akrotatos' death, became the next king. According to Phylarchus , Akrotatos is said to have turned away from the simple, proverbial Spartan way of life and surrendered to luxury. Pausanias wrongly calls him a son of Cleomenes II and confuses him with Akrotatos , Cleomenes' son, who lived about 50 years earlier.

predecessor Office successor
Areus I. King of Sparta
265–262 BC Chr. 		Areus II.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Parthenios von Nicaea , Liebesleiden , 23. (theoi.com: Classical E-Text: PARTHENIUS OF NICAEA, LOVE STORIES 2 , accessed on September 11, 2010)
  2. ↑ Plutarch , Pyrrhos , 26-28.
  3. ^ Pausanias, Journeys in Greece , 3, 6, 3; 8, 27, 11.
  4. ↑ Plutarch, Agis , 3.
  5. ↑ Phylarchos, in Athenaios 4, p. 142

literature

personal data
SURNAME Akrotatos
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Acrotatus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION King of Sparta
DATE OF BIRTH 4th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 262 BC Chr.