Agesilaus
by Plutarch
Written ca. 75 A.D.
ARCHIDAMUS, the son of Zeuxidamus, having reigned gloriously over
the Lacedaemonians, left behind him two sons, Agis the elder,
begotten of Lampido, a noble lady, Agesilaus, much the younger,
born of Eupolia, the daughter of Melesippidas. Now the succession
belonging to Agis by law, Agesilaus, who in all probability was
to be but a private man, was educated according to the usual
discipline of the country, hard and severe, and meant to teach
young men to obey their superiors. Whence it was that, men say,
Simonides called Sparta "the tamer of men," because by early
strictness of education they, more than any nation, trained the
citizens to obedience to the laws, and made them tractable and
patient of subjection, as horses that are broken in while colts.
The law did not impose this harsh rule on the heirs apparent of
the kingdom. But Agesilaus, whose good fortune it was to be born
a younger brother, was consequently bred to all the arts of
obedience, and so the better fitted for the government, when it
fell to his share; hence it was that he proved the most
popular-tempered of the Spartan kings, his early life having
added to his natural kingly and commanding qualities the gentle
and humane feelings of a citizen.
While he was yet a boy, bred up in one of what are called the
flocks, or classes, he attracted the attachment of Lysander, who
was particularly struck with the orderly temper that he
manifested. For though he was one of the highest spirits, emulous
above any of his companions, ambitious of pre-eminence in
everything, and showed an impetuosity and fervour of mind which
irresistibly carried him through all opposition or difficulty he
could meet with; yet, on the other side, he was so easy and
gentle in his nature, and so apt to yield to authority, that
though he would do nothing on compulsion, upon ingenuous motives
he would obey any commands, and was more hurt by the least rebuke
or disgrace than he was distressed by any toil or hardship.
He had one leg shorter than the other, but this deformity was
little observed in the general beauty of his person in youth. And
the easy way in which he bore (he being the first always to pass
a jest upon himself) went far to make it disregarded. And indeed
his high spirit and eagerness to distinguish himself were all the
more conspicuous by it, since he never let his lameness withhold
him from any toil or any brave action. Neither his statue nor
picture are extant, he never allowing them in his life, and
utterly forbidding them to be made after his death. He is said to
have been a little man, of a contemptible presence; but the
goodness of his humour, and his constant cheerfulness and
playfulness of temper, always free from anything of moroseness or
haughtiness, made him more attractive, even to his old age, than
the most beautiful and youthful men of the nation. Theophrastus
writes that the Ephors laid a fine upon Archidamus for marrying a
little wife, "For," said they, "she will bring us a race of
kinglets, instead of kings."
Whilst Agis, the elder brother, reigned, Alcibiades, being then
an exile from Athens, came from Sicily to Sparta; nor had he
stayed long there before his familiarity with Timaea, the king's
wife, grew suspected, insomuch that Agis refused to own a child
of hers, which, he said, was Alcibiades's, not his. Nor, if we
may believe Duris, the historian, was Timaea much concerned at
it, being herself forward enough to whisper among her helot
maid-servants that the infant's true name was Alcibiades, not
Leotychides. Meanwhile it was believed that the amour he had with
her was not the effect of his love but of his ambition, that he
might have Spartan kings of his posterity. This affair being
grown public, it became needful for Alcibiades to withdraw from
Sparta. But the child Leotychides had not the honours due to a
legitimate son paid him, nor was he ever owned by Agis, till by
his prayers and tears he prevailed with him to declare him his
son before several witnesses upon his deathbed. But this did not
avail to fix him in the throne of Agis, after whose death
Lysander, who had lately achieved his conquest of Athens by sea,
and was of the greatest power in Sparta, promoted Agesilaus,
urging Leotychides's bastardy as a bar to his pretensions. Many
of the other citizens, also, were favourable to Agesilaus, and
zealously joined his party, induced by the opinion they had of
his merits, of which they themselves had been spectators, in the
time that he had been bred up among them. But there was a man,
named Diopithes, at Sparta, who had a great knowledge of ancient
oracles, and was thought particularly skilful and clever in all
points of religion and divination. He alleged, that it was
unlawful to make a lame man king of Lacedaemon, citing in the
debate the following oracle:
"Beware, great Sparta, lest there come of thee,
Though sound thyself, an halting sovereignty:
Troubles, both long and unexpected too,
And storms of deadly warfare shall ensue." But Lysander was not
wanting with an evasion, alleging that if the Spartans were
really apprehensive of the oracle, they must have a care of
Leotychides; for it was not the limping foot of a king that the
gods cared about, but the purity of the Herculean family, into
whose rights, if a spurious issue were admitted, it would make
the kingdom to halt indeed, Agesilaus likewise alleged that the
bastardy of Leotychides was witnessed to by Neptune, who threw
Agis out of bed by a violent earthquake, after which time he
ceased to visit his wife, yet Leotychides was born above ten
months after this.
Agesilaus was upon these allegations declared king, and soon
possessed himself of the private estate of Agis, as well as his
throne, Leotychides being wholly rejected as a bastard. He now
turned his attention to his kindred by the mother's side, persons
of worth and virtue, but miserably poor. To them he gave half his
brother's estate, and by this popular act gained general
good-will and reputation, in the place of the envy and
ill-feeling which the inheritance might otherwise have procured
him. What Xenophon tells us of him, that by complying with, and,
as it were, being ruled by his country, he grew into such great
power with them, that he could do what he pleased, is meant to
apply to the power he gained in the following manner with the
Ephors and Elders. These were at that time of the greatest
authority in the state; the former, officers annually chosen; the
Elders, holding their places during life; both instituted, as
already told in the life of Lycurgus, to restrain the power of
the kings. Hence it was that there was always from generation to
generation a feud and contention between them and the kings. But
Agesilaus took another course. Instead of contending with them,
he courted them in all proceedings he commenced by taking their
advice, was always ready to go, nay almost run, when they called
him; if he were upon his royal seat, hearing causes, and the
Ephors came in, he rose to them; whenever any man was elected
into the Council of Elders he presented him with a gown and an
ox. Thus, whilst he made a show of deference to them, and of a
desire to extend their authority, he secretly advanced his own,
and enlarged the prerogatives of the kings by several liberties
which their friendship to his person conceded.
To other citizens he so behaved himself as to be less blamable in
his enmities than in his friendships; for against his enemy he
forbore to take any unjust advantage, but his friends he would
assist, even in what was unjust. If an enemy had done anything
praiseworthy, he felt it shameful to detract from his due, but
his friends he knew not how to reprove when they did ill, nay, he
would eagerly join with them, and assist them in their misdeed,
and thought all offices of friendship commendable, let the matter
in which they were employed be what it would. Again, when any of
his adversaries was overtaken in a fault, he would be the first
to pity him; and he soon entreated to procure his pardon, by
which he won the hearts of all men. Insomuch that his popularity
grew at last suspected by the Ephors, who laid a fine on him,
professing that he was appropriating the citizens to himself who
ought to be the common property of the state. For as it is the
opinion of philosophers, that could you take away strife and
opposition out of the universe, all the heavenly bodies would
stand still, generation and motion would ...
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