Anaxandridas II.

Anaxandridas ( Greek Ἀναξανδρίδας Anaxandrídas ), the son of Leon , was a king of Sparta from the house of the Agiads . In his time ruled Croesus in Lydia .

family

Anaxandridas was married to his brother's daughter. Since the marriage remained childless, the Ephors asked him to divorce and marry another woman. However, Anaxandridas refused to leave his wife. That is why the Ephors consulted with the Geronts . They suggested to the king, contrary to the Spartan custom, to marry a second wife. Anaxandridas agreed and married the daughter of Prinetades, son of Demarmenos. His second wife gave birth to their son, Cleomenes . But a short time later his first wife also gave birth to a son, Dorieus . With her he had two other sons named Leonidas and Kleombrotos . Anaxandridas's successor was the first-born Cleomenes, although he was not considered particularly gifted.

War with Tegea

Anaxandridas, together with Ariston , the Spartan king from the house of the Eurypontids , carried on the war against Tegea , which his father and grandfather had already waged in vain. They consulted the Delphi Oracle and received the answer that if they brought the remains of Orestes to Sparta they would win the war . But nobody knew where his grave was, so they questioned the oracle a second time. At first, nobody understood the spell they received. Only Lichas , an Agathoergos , found the grave under a forge and brought the body to Sparta. In the third generation, the Spartans could now defeat the Tegeates.

swell

• Herodotus , Histories 1.67; 3.148; 5.39-42. 64; 6.50. 108; 7.148. 158, 204-205; 8.71; 9.10. 64
• Pausanias , travels in Greece 2,20,8; 3.3.5. 9-10; 3,4,7; 3,16,4-5; 8.52.2
• Plutarch , Apophthegmata laconica 216F-217B

literature

• Benedikt Niese : Anaxandridas 1 . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume I, 2, Stuttgart 1894, Col. 2078.

predecessor	Office	successor
Leon	King of Sparta in the middle of the 6th century BC Chr.	Cleomenes I.