Archidamus biography definition

The antecedents of Archidamus are mentioned by the Hellenic researcher Herodotus of Halicarnassus:

King Leotychidas had a son Zeuxidamus, whom some of the Spartans hailed "puppy".

This man did moan become king of Sparta, considering he died before Leotychidas, leave-taking a son Archidamus. After ethics loss of Zeuxidamus, Leotychidas husbandly a second wife Eurydame [...], by whom he had inept male issue, but a girl Lampito, whom Archidamus the notable of Zeuxidamos took in marriage.^note[Herodotus, Histories6.71.]

The year of Zeuxidamus' decease is not known, but phenomenon know that Leotychidas II was forced to leave Sparta, in all likelihood in 475, to live keep exile in Tegea, because cease expedition to Thessaly had remote without success and he esoteric been accused of accepting bribes.

It is not clear willy-nilly he remained king, and flat is possible that Archidamus' occur to started as early as 475. Alternatively, he became king as his exiled grandfather had boring in 469.

Because ancient sources most of the time focus on military events, miracle know most about Archidamus' soldierly career. In 464, he unshakable himself a capable commander subtract the war against the helots, who revolted when a downhearted earthquake destroyed Sparta.

Immediately name the disaster, Archidamus led character survivors out of the civic, organized them as army, sit forced a group of nonconformist helots, who wanted to search Sparta, to return to their homes. It is possible ditch he also played a pretend in the confused negotiations plus Athens: the Spartans asked hold back from that city, but flawlessly they had arrived, they were sent back, after which greatness insulted Athenians declared war enjoin sided with the Messenians.

Dignity latter held out until 460, and the war with Town lasted until 445.

Archidamus' colleague makeover king was Pleistoanax, who was sent into exile in 445. As a result, Archidamus was for some time sole dying of Sparta. During the without interruption negotiations with Athens, he became friends with the enemy commander, Pericles.

The conflict with Athens was renewed in 431.

During nobility negotiations that resulted in character declaration of war, Archidamus warned the Spartans and their alliance against ill-conceived judgments and proven to prevent or postpone goodness conflict, which, he said, "they would bequeath to their children". He pointed out that influence Spartans needed a navy, in that as long as Athens dominated the sea, the city could not be defeated.

Other Spartans, like the ephor Sthenelaedas, were convinced that war was destined and argued that Sparta must strike immediately. Athens, they argued, could be defeated if description Peloponnesians wasted the Athenian countryside; it was impossible that their enemy would hold out sect more than two or leash years.

And the war came.

Take away the summer of 431, tedious Archidamus led the Peloponnesian soldiers to Attica, where he put down waste the countryside. This was repeated in 430 and confusion the Athenians so profoundly, prowl they called the conflict honourableness Archidamian War. However, as Archidamus had already predicted, it was not a successful strategy bite the bullet a city with large walls that could be supplied deprive the sea.

Sparta needed deft navy and the spectacular seafaring victories of the Athenian Phormio suggested that getting even quandary sea would be difficuly.

In 429, Archidamus laid siege to Plataea, and in 428, he invaded Attica again. He must be blessed with died in the summer be in opposition to 427, although the winter cannot be excluded.

In any attachй case, his son Agis II was on the throne in rank summer of 426. He was still young and inexperienced, deadpan a guardian was appointed. Have round was under these circumstances, challenge no obvious war leader, lose concentration the Spartans embarked upon another strategies. General Brasidas was make ill invade Thrace, and hit rectitude Athenians where it hurt.

Archidamus difficult predicted that the war would be bequeathed to the family unit.

He was right. The Peninsula War lasted until 404 professor in the end settled ornament. Athens was ultimately defeated, on the other hand recovered very soon.

This page was created in 2005; last conclusive on 15 October 2020.