Archelaus

Family: Sparta · Role: king · First appears: Lycurgus

As king of Sparta, Archelaus was the brother-king of Charilaus, a relationship to which Lycurgus alluded when Charilaus was praised for his goodness. He later served Mithridates, commanding his fleet and holding “absolute mastery of the sea”; Sylla pressed Mithridates to ratify Archelaus’s treaty. Aristion was at enmity with him, while Diogenes was his step-son.

During Sylla’s campaigns, Archelaus was driven into the sea, and when he fell dangerously ill at Larissa, Sylla stopped the army’s march to care for him as a captain or fellow commander. Diogenes later fought on the right wing and died honorably. Archelaus subsequently deserted Mithridates and joined the Romans, sending Demonax as his messenger and protesting to Lucullus. He had also been Antony’s guest and acquaintance, while Aratus dismissed him after taking him prisoner under Antigonus.

Relationship record

Lycurgus

siblings with Charilaus “to which Archelaus, his brother-king, alluded, when, hearing him extolled for his goodness, he said, ”

Sylla

employer: Mithridates “Then charging him with and inveighing bitterly against the outrages he had committed, he asked again whether he was willing or no to ratify the treaty of Archelaus?”
child: Diogenes “Here Diogenes, step-son to Archelaus, fighting on the right wing with much gallantry, made an honorable end.”
with Sylla (interaction) “For Archelaus being taken dangerously ill at Larissa, he stopped the march of the army, and took care of him, as if he had been one of his own captains, or his colleague in command.”
enemies with Aristion “Aristion the tyrant, who was at enmity with Archelaus”
servant: Mithridates “Archelaus, in particular, with his fleet, held absolute mastery of the sea”
parent: Diogenes “Diogenes, step-son to Archelaus”
friends with Sylla “For Archelaus being taken dangerously ill at Larissa, he stopped the march of the army, and took care of him”

Comparison of Lysander with Sylla

enemies with Sylla (Sylla defeated Archelaus in battle.) “he took Rome itself twice, as also the Athenian Piraeus, not by famine, as Lysander did, but by a series of great battles, driving Archelaus into the sea”

Lucullus

with Lucullus (interaction) “Archelaus, the former commander in Boeotia under Mithridates, who afterwards deserted him and accompanied the Romans, protested to Lucullus”
with Demonax (interaction) “Demonax, a messenger sent in by Archelaus”

Antony

friends with Antony “He had been formerly his guest and acquaintance”
with Antony (interaction) “He had been formerly his guest and acquaintance”

Aratus

with Aratus (Aratus captured and released Archelaus.) “Of the captains of Antigonus, he dismissed Archelaus, whom he had taken prisoner”

⭐ Character constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places →

Extracted from the original text of Plutarch's Lives. Made with Rho MD.