Cleomenes I

Cleomenes (Eng. /kli:'ɑməni:z/ Greek Κλεομένης, d. ca. 490 BC) was one of the Kings of Sparta in the 6th and 5th centuries BC. Cleomenes is notable for an unusual interest in foreign conquests (unusual for a Spartan king), for his controversial accession to the throne, and his even more controversial deposition, exile and mysterious death (allegedly suicide by self-mutilation). He was also the half-brother and father-in-law of his successor Leonidas I, the King of Sparta who died at Thermopylae and husband of Queen Gorgo.

Background

He was the son of Anaxandrides II (of the Agiad royal house) and his second wife (apparently a daughter of Prinetades), and was the half-brother of Dorieus, Leonidas I, and Cleombrotus. Although the three younger half-brothers were the sons of Anaxandrides' first wife and therefore had a better claim to the throne according to tradition, Cleomenes was apparently the eldest-born son and succeeded his father around 520 BC. He allowed his half-brother Dorieus to mount expeditions overseas, perhaps as a way of expanding Spartan influence and territories, and perhaps to rid himself of a potential rival.[1] His interest in the world outside the Peloponnesse may have accounted for some of his reputation for insanity among fellow Spartans who tended to be highly insular, conservative, and suspicious of all things foreign.

Career

Around 510 BC the Alcmaeonidae family, who had been exiled from Athens, requested that Sparta help them overthrow Hippias, the son of Pisistratus and tyrant of Athens. The Alcmaeonidae, led by Cleisthenes, bribed the oracle at Delphi to tell the Spartans to assist them, and Cleomenes came to their aid. The first attack on Athens was a failure, but Cleomenes personally led the second attack and besieged Hippias and his supporters on the Acropolis. He was unable to force Hippias to surrender, but the Spartans captured some of Hippias' relatives and took them hostage until he agreed to give up the city. Cleisthenes and Isagoras then fought for control of Athens. Cleomenes came with an armed force to support Isagoras, and they forced Cleisthenes and the Alcmaeonidae family to go into exile for a second time. Cleomenes also abolished the Boule, a council set up by Cleisthenes, and occupied the Acropolis. The citizens of Athens objected to this and forced him out of the city. The following year Cleomenes gathered an army, intending to set up Isagoras as tyrant, and invaded Attica. The Corinthians in his force refused to attack Athens once they learned of Cleomenes' plan, and the invasion failed. Sparta then proposed to her allies to mount an expedition to restore Hippias. Given that Sparta had been instrumental in the overthrow of Hippias it was something of a U-turn. The excuse was that Sparta had only overthrown Hippias because of the Delphic oracle had asked this of them. It was now "discovered" that the Alcmaeonidae had bribed the oracle. According to Forrest Cleomenes was behind this move. However the allies, led by Corinth didn't buy this and rejected the proposal.^[1] Cleomenes was still king when Aristagoras, the tyrant of Miletus, came to Sparta to request help for the Ionian Revolt in 499 BC. Aristagoras was almost able to convince Cleomenes to help, promising an easy conquest of Persia and its riches, but Cleomenes sent him away when he learned how far away Persia really was. According to Herodotus, Cleomenes's young daughter Gorgo warned him not to trust a man who threatened to corrupt him. When the Persians invaded Greece after putting down the revolt in 494 BC, many city-states quickly submitted to them. Among these states was Aegina, so Cleomenes attempted to arrest the major collaborators there. The Aeginetans would not cooperate with him, and the other Spartan king, Demaratus, was also attempting to undermine his efforts. Cleomenes overthrew Demaratus, after first bribing the oracle at Delphi to announce that this was the divine will, and replaced him with Leotychides. The two kings successfully captured the Persian collaborators in Aegina. Also around 494, Cleomenes invaded Argos, and by fooling the Argive army he killed about 6000 inhabitants. Argos remained a bitter enemy of Sparta for decades after this attack. Though the attack could have been instigated by previous anxieties over Argos and their pro-Persian tendencies, or due to Argos being one of the closest threats to the Spartans and their security.

Exile and death

Around 490 BC Cleomenes was forced to flee Sparta when his plot against his co-king Demaratus was discovered, but the Spartans allowed him to return when he began gathering an army in the surrounding territories. However, according to Herodotus he was by this time insane, and given to attacking any Spartan in his way. The Spartans put him in prison. By the command of his half-brothers, Leonidas I and Cleombrotus, Cleomenes was chained in the stocks 491 BC. While in said stocks, a bloody knife was found near him. Also found were slices of flesh carved from his legs, hips and belly; despite this, his death was ruled a suicide by self-mutilation. He was succeeded by the elder of his surviving half-brothers Leonidas I, who then married Cleomenes's daughter Gorgo. The manner of Cleomenes's death and his insanity have the subject of some speculation among modern historians.

Notes