CLEOMENES III

'Cleomenes III' () was the King of Sparta from 235 BC—219 BC. As a reformer of Spartan society, he revitalized the army and united most of Peloponnesos before he was defeated and exiled to Egypt.

Contents

Early life

As king

Leading the Spartan army

In exile

References

External links

Notes

Early life

He was the son of Leonidas II. Consistent with the Spartan ''agoge'' and the native pederastic tradition Cleomenes was the hearer ''(aites)'' of Xenares and later the inspirer ''(eispnelos)'' of Panteus.^[1]

As king

Cleomenes made a determined attempt to reform the social condition of Sparta along the lines laid down by Agis IV,^[2] but he was less squeamish than his predecessors. Consequently, in 227 BC, he removed the opposition in Sparta in a coup - four of the five ephors were killed and eighty opponents were exiled. He deposed (murdered, according to Polybius) his colleague Archidamus V and installed his brother Eucleidas as co-ruler. He abolished the Ephorate and made the monarchy supreme.
On the military front, the Achaean general Aratus was checked in a series of rapid and bold campaigns. The captured land was redistributed into 4,000 lots and perioikoi and hypomeinones were allowed to receive land. The army was reorganized on the Macedonian model and a small subsidy from Ptolemy III Euergetes was paid.
This social revolution provided Cleomenes with both the means to restore Spartan greatness, a general support in the rest of the Peloponnese and the reason for its eventual failure. A united Peloponnese under a reformed and revitalised Sparta could have been a power in the Hellenistic world and a challenge to Macedonia.

Leading the Spartan army

In 226 BC, the reformed Spartan army continued to have success. Most of Arcadia, Corinth, Argos and the Argolid succumbed to him or joined him.
Finally, the Achaeans were routed at the Battle of Dyme. The Achaeans under Aratus who had once cleared the Peloponnese of the Macedonians now appealed to Antigonus III Doson, king of Macedon, offering Corinth to secure Macedonian aid. Ptolemy III Euergetes now stood aside and Sparta stood alone against Macedonia.
In 224 BC, Cleomenes fortified the isthmus but his position was turned with the defection of Argos. Much of Arcadia was lost in 223 but Megalopolis was destroyed by Cleomenes. Short of money and men, Cleomenes sold 6,000 helots their freedom and hired more mercenaries.
For his last campaign in 222 BC, he faced 28,000 Macedonians with 10,000 Spartans at the Battle of Sellasia on the road to Tegea, but despite a well chosen position and skillful handling, the Spartans were overwhelmed. Plutarch says that of the 6,000 Lacedaemonians present only 200 survived.

In exile

He took refuge at Alexandria with Ptolemy Euergetes, but was arrested by his successor, Ptolemy Philopator, on a charge of conspiracy. Escaping from prison he tried to raise a revolt, but the attempt failed and to avoid capture he put an end to his life. Both as general and as politician Cleomenes was one of Sparta's greatest men, and with him perished her last hope of recovering her ancient supremacy in Greece. ^[2]

References

★ Rassias, Vlassis G.; ''Epitomos Historia ton Spartiaton'', Athens, 2003, ISBN 960-7748-29-8

External links

★ Eternal Sparta / Aionia Sparti

Notes

1. John Addington Symonds, ''A Problem in Greek Ethics,'' X p.14
2. Encyclopedia Brittanica, 1911
3. Encyclopedia Brittanica, 1911