Lykurgos (King of Sparta)

Lykurgos ( ancient Greek Λυκοῦργος ) was from 219 BC. BC to 211 BC King of Sparta . Its origin is unknown. He was in the alliance war from 220 to 217 BC. An opponent of the Achaean League and Philip V of Macedonia , however, turned out to be a bad warlord. His deeds were recorded by Polybius .

In winter 220/219 BC Was the death of Cleomenes III. , King of Sparta from 235 to 222 BC BC, known. He fled to Alexandria after his severe defeat in the Cleomenic War . Now the Spartians voted in 219 BC. After a three-year period without a kings in Macedonian occupied Sparta, two new kings under their constitutional dual kingship . While the one lot on the still young Agesipolis III. fell out of the house of the Agiads , the hitherto unknown Lykurgos was elected as part of this anti-Macedonian putsch on the royal seat of the Eurypontids . In the following summer he invaded the neighboring Arcadia and Argolis , but was pushed back. During the social revolutionary unrest triggered by Chilon and directed against him, Lykurgos had to flee Sparta for a short time.

In the year 218 BC BC he attacked the Arcadian city of Tegea in Messenia and, as he fought with little success against the Macedonians invading Laconia, had to be besieged by the Ephors in autumn 218 BC. Fled to Aetolia, but returned in the spring of 217 BC. BC back.

In the same year he proceeded in vain against the Messenian city of Andania . The peace of Naupaktos concluded that year ended the alliance war in favor of the Macedonians and the Achaean League. Lycurgus later drove out his fellow king Agesipolis III, without the event being precisely determined, and thus appropriated the power of both royal houses. He died at the latest in 211 BC. BC, whereupon his underage son Pelops formally became Spartan king, but power was actually exercised by his guardian Machanidas .

literature

• Karl-Wilhelm Welwei : Lykurgos 11. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 7, Metzler, Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-476-01477-0 , Sp. 583.