Leonidas II

Leonidas II (Greek Λεωνίδας, * around 310 BC; † 235 BC ) was a king of Sparta from the house of the Agiads . He was the son of Cleonymus . He married Kratesikleia and fathered Cleomenes III with her . and chilonies . as well as Eukleidas .

stay abroad

Leonidas' father Cleonymus himself had claimed the Spartan throne. However, Akrotatos became king and Cleonymos left Sparta and wanted to usurp the throne by force. However, this failed. For this reason Leonidas lived abroad and was long at the court of Seleucus I.

King of Sparta

As Akrotatos 262 BC When Areus II had died, the government fell to Areus II. Since he was still a child, Leonidas was called back to Sparta and became Areus' guardian. Areus died in 254 BC. At the age of seven and Leonidas, his only living relative, became his successor. Agis IV , the king of the house of the Eurypontids , accused Leonidas of disregarding the old customs and laws and of introducing foreign customs. He lives in pomp and not in simple "Spartan" circumstances. As of 243 BC BC Lysander Ephor , supported this Agis. He accused Leonidas of breaking an old law that forbade Heracles' descendants from marrying strangers. He also made a law condemning Spartans who lived with strangers to death. During the sky observation, which takes place in Sparta every nine years on a moonless night, Lysander put his plan into action. He claimed to have seen a shooting star . This was a sign that a reigning king was not obeying the laws of the gods. Now Lysander accused Leonidas of having two children with a Seleucid wife. He also succeeded in turning Leonidas' son-in-law Kleombrotus against him. Leonidas fled to the temple of Athene Chalkioikos in Sparta. Since he did not obey a summons, his son-in-law became king. Chilonis, Leonidas' daughter, fled with her father and stood by him.

Return to Sparta

Lysander's term of office ended shortly thereafter. The new ephors encouraged Leonidas to return to Sparta and punish Lysander and Mandrokleidas for their injustice. But Agis had the ephors removed and replaced them with his followers, including Agesilaus , his father's brother. Leonidas then went into exile in Tegea . After the wrongdoing of Agesilaos it was considered right to reinstate Leonidas as king. The ephors brought him back and sentenced Agis to death. Chilonis was able to dissuade her father from killing Cleombrotus, and the latter therefore exiled him. He married his son Cleomenes, who also succeeded him, to Agiatis , the widow of Agis.

predecessor	Office	successor
Areus II.	King of Sparta 254–242 BC Chr. The first period of government	Cleombrotus II

predecessor	Office	successor
Cleombrotus II	King of Sparta 241–235 BC Chr. 2. reign	Cleomenes III.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Pausanias , Journeys in Greece , 2, 9, 1.
2. ↑ Plutarch , Agis , 3.
3. ^ Pausanias, Travels in Greece , 3, 6, 7–9.
4. ↑ Plutarch, Agis , 7-11.
5. ↑ Plutarch, Agis , 12-21.
6. ↑ Plutarch, Kleomenes , 1-3.