Leonidas

Also known as: the ancient Leonidas · Family: Sparta · Role: king · First appears: Lycurgus

Leonidas, king of Sparta, was a sibling of Charilaus and Lycurgus, with whom he once argued and predicted that Lycurgus would become king. He married Gorgo, was a near kinsman of Olympias, and served as Alexander’s foster father and governor. In another royal line, he was the son of Cleonymus and the guardian of Acrotatus.

During the struggle involving Agis, the common people followed Agis while the rich adhered to Leonidas. He was deposed, and Cleombrotus became king in his place: “they pronounced a sentence of deposition against him, and made Cleombrotus king in his place.” Leonidas’s daughter was Chilonis, whose husband was Agis; Cleombrotus was his son-in-law, and he had lived among the great lords of Persia as a follower of Seleucus. He was opposed by Agis and Amphares, and Agiatis hated him.

At Tegea, Leonidas was restored to the kingdom while Agesilaus escaped and Agis and Cleombrotus fled to sanctuaries: “openly bringing hack Leonidas from Tegea, reestablished him in the kingdom.” Upon Leonidas’s death, his son Cleomenes succeeded him. Asked what sort of poet Tyrtaeus was, the ancient Leonidas gave an answer recorded in the account.

Relationship record

Life events

• Leonidas was deposed, and Cleombrotus became king in his place.(Agis)
  • With: Cleombrotus
  • “they pronounced a sentence of deposition against him, and made Cleombrotus king in his place.”
• Leonidas was restored, Agesilaus escaped, and Agis and Cleombrotus fled to sanctuaries.(Agis · 📍 Tegea)
  • With: Agesilaus Hippomedon Agis Cleombrotus
  • “openly bringing hack Leonidas from Tegea, reestablished him in the kingdom”

Lycurgus

• siblings with Charilaus “Her brother Leonidas, in a warm debate which fell out betwixt him and Lycurgus”
• married with Gorgo “Gorgo, for example, the wife of Leonidas”
• with Lycurgus (interaction) “Her brother Leonidas, in a warm debate which fell out betwixt him and Lycurgus, went so far as to tell him to his face that he was well assured that ere long he should see him king;”

Alexander

• younger kin: Olympias “Leonidas, a near kinsman of Olympias”
• guardian: Alexander “the title of Alexander's foster father and governor”
• ward: Alexander “the title of Alexander's foster father and governor”

Agis

• parent: Cleonymus (parent->child) “Leonidas, son of Cleonymus”
• ward: Acrotatus (guardian->ward; the ward is Acrotatus's posthumous son, also called Leonidas in the surrounding genealogy, creating an ambiguous naming passage.) “Leonidas, son of the above-named Cleonymus, was made his guardian”
• rivals with Agis (They lead opposing political factions.) “From this time forward, as the common people followed Agis, so the rich men adhered to Leonidas.”
• parent: Chilonis (parent->child) “His wife, Chilonis, the daughter of Leonidas”
• enemies with Agis (The people detested Leonidas and Amphares for the execution of Agis.) “the contrivers of it”
• with Amphares (Leonidas and Amphares jointly contrived Agis's execution.) “the contrivers of it”
• child: Cleonymus “Leonidas, son of Cleonymus, was of the other royal house of the Agiadae”
• with Cleombrotus (interaction) “Cleombrotus ... was his son-in-law”
• with Seleucus (interaction) “having lived a long time among the great lords of Persia, and been a follower of king Seleucus”

Cleomenes

• child: Cleomenes “Upon the death of his father Leonidas, he succeeded”
• enemies with Agiatis “she indeed hated Leonidas”
• with Tyrtaeus (interaction) “The ancient Leonidas, as story tells, being asked what manner of poet he thought Tyrtaeus, replied, ”

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