Anaxandridas II facts for kids

Anaxandridas II (Greek: Ἀναξανδρίδας) was a powerful king of Sparta in ancient Greece. He belonged to the Agiad royal family. He ruled from about 560 BC to 524 BC. Anaxandridas II was the father of the famous King Leonidas I, who fought bravely at the Battle of Thermopylae.

During his time, Sparta changed how it dealt with other cities. Instead of always fighting, they started using diplomacy. This means they talked and made agreements. Anaxandridas II played a key role in making Sparta a very strong power in ancient Greece.

King Anaxandridas II: A Spartan Ruler

Anaxandridas II was the son of King Leon. King Leon ruled Sparta before him, from about 590 BC to 560 BC. Anaxandridas II was part of the Agiad family. This was one of the two main royal families in Sparta. The other royal family was called the Eurypontids.

Sparta's Growing Power

Around 560 BC, King Anaxandridas II led the Spartan army to victory. They defeated the people of Tegea, a city in Arcadia. This win made Tegea accept Sparta's leadership.

Later, around 554 BC, the Lydian king Croesus wanted to make an alliance. He sent messengers to find "the mightiest of the Greeks." Sparta was chosen because of its growing strength. The war with Tegea, which had been difficult for Sparta before, was now won. This happened under Anaxandridas II and the other Spartan king, Ariston.

Anaxandridas II and Ariston also helped stop rulers called "tyrants" in other cities. This helped Sparta become the most powerful city-state in the region. This power was known as Spartan hegemony.

Changes in Spartan Policy

A very important leader in Sparta was the ephor Chilon. An ephor was like a high-ranking official who shared power with the kings. Chilon was in charge during the middle of the 6th century BC.

Under Chilon's guidance, Sparta stopped focusing only on violent conquests. For example, they had fought many wars in Messenia. Instead, Sparta started using diplomacy and alliances. This new approach was called a "pro-Achaea policy."

Chilon wanted Sparta to be seen as the true heir of the ancient Achaean kings. These kings had ruled the Peloponnese region before the Dorians arrived. The Dorians were the people who founded classical Sparta.

To support this new policy, Sparta started to honor ancient Achaean heroes. Around 550 BC, the legendary Achaean king Agamemnon began to be worshipped in Amyclae. This was one of the villages that made up Sparta.

Honoring Ancient Heroes

Spartans also brought the bones of Orestes and Tisamenus to Sparta. Orestes was Agamemnon's son, and Tisamenus was his grandson. They got advice from the Oracle of Delphi to do this. The bones were taken from Tegea and Helike.

By bringing these heroes to Sparta, the Spartans showed they were connected to the region's ancient past. This helped convince other cities in the Peloponnese to join Sparta's alliance. This alliance later became known as the Peloponnesian League. The main goal of this league was to control Argos. Argos was Sparta's main rival in the Peloponnese.

Family Life and Successors

It seems that King Anaxandridas II did not fully agree with Chilon's new policy. The ephors, including Chilon, made the king marry a second wife. This happened because his first wife had not given him a son. Chilon's influence was clear because the king's second wife was related to Chilon.

The second marriage quickly resulted in a son, who would become King Cleomenes I. But then, Anaxandridas went back to his first wife. She then had three more children: Dorieus, Leonidas, and Cleombrotus.

The name Dorieus means "the Dorian." This name might show that Anaxandridas was pushing back against Chilon's pro-Achaean policy. He was reminding everyone of his Dorian roots. Later, his son Cleomenes tried to claim an Achaean identity. However, Cleomenes was often opposed by his half-brothers.

Anaxandridas II died in 524 BC. His son Cleomenes I became the next king of Sparta.

See also

In Spanish: Anaxandridas II para niños