Kleomenes (also known as Cleomenes) was once a king of Sparta, back in the ancient Greek/Hellenic world.
His father had two wives, which was unusual at the time. Kleomenes was the first-born of one mother, and his brother, Dorieus, was the first-born of the other mother. Both claimed they had right to the throne.
Kleomenes, the favoured son, was given the throne. He was married and had a daughter named Gorgo. Kleomenes, Herodotus tells us, was a little bit cray-cray.
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In 499 BC/E Aristagoras came to him for help, trying to convince him to lend him aid in an uprising against Darius, king of Persia. Kleomenes turned him down. Aristagoras tried a second time, coming to the king with an olive branch as a sign of peace. However, with the help of his daughter, Gorgo, he was able to realize that Aristagoras was trying to corrupt Kleomenes and the kingdom of Sparta through the promise of gold and honour and glory.
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At this time there were two kings of Sparta. The co-ruler with Kleomenes was a man named Demaratos. Kleomenes did not like this man, but preferred a man named Leotychides to be his partner in ruling. Kleomenes and Leotychides began to spread rumours about Demaratos.
You see, there was doubt as to whether or not Demaratos was actually the son of the king.
Eventually, through use of these rumours, Kleomenes was able to get that which he desired. Demaratos was deposed and Leotychides became king.
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One day Kleomebes decided to destroy a sacred place.
This drove him to madness. He was only, Herodotus tells us, "slightly deranged" before this. But now? Now he was full-blown touched-by-the-gods mentally unwell. His people were forced to lock up his feet in stocks and set a guard to watch over him.
"Please, please," begged Kleomenes of one of the guards, "let me have your dagger!" The guard tried and tried and tried to refuse. It was no use. The king was insistent and brought terror to the poor guard's heart. The guard handed over the dagger. Kleomenes then began to flay himself alive, starting at the ankles and working his way up until he died - probably from blood loss.
Some people say that he killed himself in this way because he desecrated a place that was holy to the gods and the guilt drove him to madness and death. It is a lesson to us all not to mess with that which should remain intact.
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Questions:
- Kleomenes was king of what city?
- Who saved Kleomenes from listening to Aristagoras?
- Why, according to Herodotus' account, did Kleomenes kill himself?
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Gorgo
Gorgo was a female Spartan. She was born to Kleomenes (also known as Cleomenes) around the year 507/508 BC/E.
When she was about 8 or 9 years old in the year 499 BC/E a man named Aristagoras came to Sparta and tried to convince her father to join his army and fight against Darius, king of Persia. Kleomenes very nearly accepted - until he learned that once they got across the sea it was then a full three months journey until they reached the Persian capital of Susa. There was no way Spartans were going to travel three whole months away from the sea across a giant stretch of land. Kleomenes demanded that Aristagoras leave.
He did. But not forever.
Aristagoras tried one more time to convince the king. He came, bearing an olive branch as a sign of peace. He came before the king...
... And then stopped. For there, in the company of the king, was a very young girl.
"Who is this?" Aristagoras sneered.
"This is my daughter, Gorgo," Kleomenes replied. "Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of her."
Aristagoras ignored the girl and began to try and convince Kleomenes to help him, telling him of all the gold, and glory, and honour that he could win for himself and his country.
Gorgo shouted out: "Do not listen to him, father! For he is trying to corrupt you."
Now, something to know about Kleomenes, is that he did NOT often listen to other people's advice. It was a common problem in the 400's BC/E. BUT this time he did. He slapped his hands over his ears and told Aristagoras to leave his country.
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Eight years later in 491 BC/E Gorgo's father died. He was quite crazy-pants at the time and killed himself in a rather violent and brutal way. Gorgo would have known about this. She would have only been about sixteen at the time.
By this time she would have been married. Although the exact date is not certain, sometimes between 499-491 BC/E Gorgo's father gave her to her uncle, Leonidas, in marriage.
We do not know how she felt about any of this: her father's death, her marriage to her uncle... But we do have one more story about her.
---
In the year 480 BC/E there was the well-known Battle of Thermopylae. Well, before that, in about 485 BC/E, when Gorgo would have been 22/23 years old, she was married to Leonidas and living peacefully in Sparta.
One day a mysterious gift was sent to Sparta. It was a wax tablet without any markings on it. Many men looked at it, passing it back and forth, wondering what it all could mean. It was Gorgo, son of a king, who was able to figure it out. She told the men to melt the wax off of the wooden tablet to see what was underneath. They did so and found a message from an exiled-king, Demaratos, telling them that the king of Persia, Xerxes, was going to attack their land. If it were not for Gorgo, they probably would never have figure out the message.
---
Questions:
-Where did Gorgo live?
- Who was Gorgo the daughter of?
- Who did she marry and how was he related to her?
- What actions show us that Gorgo was an intelligent and brave woman?
When she was about 8 or 9 years old in the year 499 BC/E a man named Aristagoras came to Sparta and tried to convince her father to join his army and fight against Darius, king of Persia. Kleomenes very nearly accepted - until he learned that once they got across the sea it was then a full three months journey until they reached the Persian capital of Susa. There was no way Spartans were going to travel three whole months away from the sea across a giant stretch of land. Kleomenes demanded that Aristagoras leave.
He did. But not forever.
Aristagoras tried one more time to convince the king. He came, bearing an olive branch as a sign of peace. He came before the king...
... And then stopped. For there, in the company of the king, was a very young girl.
"Who is this?" Aristagoras sneered.
"This is my daughter, Gorgo," Kleomenes replied. "Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of her."
Aristagoras ignored the girl and began to try and convince Kleomenes to help him, telling him of all the gold, and glory, and honour that he could win for himself and his country.
Gorgo shouted out: "Do not listen to him, father! For he is trying to corrupt you."
Now, something to know about Kleomenes, is that he did NOT often listen to other people's advice. It was a common problem in the 400's BC/E. BUT this time he did. He slapped his hands over his ears and told Aristagoras to leave his country.
---
Eight years later in 491 BC/E Gorgo's father died. He was quite crazy-pants at the time and killed himself in a rather violent and brutal way. Gorgo would have known about this. She would have only been about sixteen at the time.
By this time she would have been married. Although the exact date is not certain, sometimes between 499-491 BC/E Gorgo's father gave her to her uncle, Leonidas, in marriage.
We do not know how she felt about any of this: her father's death, her marriage to her uncle... But we do have one more story about her.
---
In the year 480 BC/E there was the well-known Battle of Thermopylae. Well, before that, in about 485 BC/E, when Gorgo would have been 22/23 years old, she was married to Leonidas and living peacefully in Sparta.
One day a mysterious gift was sent to Sparta. It was a wax tablet without any markings on it. Many men looked at it, passing it back and forth, wondering what it all could mean. It was Gorgo, son of a king, who was able to figure it out. She told the men to melt the wax off of the wooden tablet to see what was underneath. They did so and found a message from an exiled-king, Demaratos, telling them that the king of Persia, Xerxes, was going to attack their land. If it were not for Gorgo, they probably would never have figure out the message.
---
Questions:
-Where did Gorgo live?
- Who was Gorgo the daughter of?
- Who did she marry and how was he related to her?
- What actions show us that Gorgo was an intelligent and brave woman?
Herodotus!
Listed Below are Links to the Stories I have re-written, or will be writing in the future, all culled from Herodotus' Histories. (I am leaning heavily on the Landmark Herodotus as translated by Purvis.)
Sparta
- Kleomenes
- Gorgo
- Doreios
- Demaratos
- Leotychides
- Leonidas
Mede/Persia
- Cyrus
- Darius
- Xerxes
MORE TO COME
Sparta
- Kleomenes
- Gorgo
- Doreios
- Demaratos
- Leotychides
- Leonidas
Mede/Persia
- Cyrus
- Darius
- Xerxes
MORE TO COME
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