Pausanias (king of Sparta) facts for kids

Sparta in Ancient Greece

Pausanias (Greek: Παυσανίας) was a powerful King of Sparta. He belonged to the Agiad royal family. Pausanias was the son of King Pleistoanax. He ruled Sparta twice. His first time as king was from 445 BC to 427 BC. He ruled again from 409 BC to 395 BC.

Pausanias was a leader who did not agree with the aggressive plans of another Spartan general, Lysander. Lysander wanted Sparta to control many other cities. Pausanias, however, preferred a more peaceful approach. He worked to bring back democracy in Athens. This was after Lysander had set up a harsh government there. Pausanias faced serious accusations because of his actions. He even had to leave Sparta later in his life.

Becoming King: Pausanias' Early Years

Pausanias became king for the first time in 445 BC. This happened because his father, Pleistoanax, was forced to leave Sparta. His father had made a peace deal with Athens that some Spartans thought was shameful. Pausanias was too young to rule by himself then. So, his uncle Cleomenes acted as a regent. A regent is someone who rules for a king or queen who is too young or unable to rule.

His father, Pleistoanax, returned to Sparta in 427 BC and became king again. Pausanias then became king on his own in 409 BC, after his father died. Pausanias continued his father's friendly approach towards Athens. This caused problems with Lysander. Lysander was a famous Spartan general. He had won the Peloponnesian War against Athens in 404 BC. Lysander wanted Sparta to build a large empire.

Pausanias and the Athenian Democracy

One of Pausanias's most important actions was helping Athens. After Sparta won the Peloponnesian War, Lysander put a group of 30 rulers in charge of Athens. These rulers were known as the Thirty Tyrants. They were very harsh. Many Athenians did not like them.

In 403 BC, Pausanias helped to bring back democracy in Athens. Democracy means that people get to vote and choose their own leaders. He led the Spartan army to Athens. His goal was to stop Lysander and his harsh rulers. Pausanias fought a small battle against the Athenians who wanted democracy. But soon after, he started talking with them. He told them to send their leaders to Sparta to make a peace deal.

The Spartan leaders and the ephors (powerful Spartan officials) agreed with Pausanias. They sent a group to Athens to help him. Pausanias made a deal that gave Athens its freedom back. He removed the Spartan soldiers from Athens. He also said that Athenians who had fought against the Thirty Tyrants would not be punished. This completely changed Lysander's plans for Athens.

Some people thought Pausanias was jealous of Lysander's power. But it is more likely that Pausanias was worried. Sparta's allies were getting angry about Lysander's aggressive plans. Pausanias wanted Sparta to go back to its old ways. This meant staying out of other cities' business and focusing on Sparta itself.

Facing Challenges: Pausanias' Trials

Pausanias faced two major trials in Sparta. These trials show how difficult it was to be a king in Sparta.

First Trial: After Athens

When Pausanias returned to Sparta from Athens, he was put on trial. He was accused of betrayal. The trial was held by a special court. This court included the Gerousia (28 older Spartan leaders and the two kings) and the five ephors. Even the other king, Agis II, voted against Pausanias.

The 28 older leaders were split evenly in their votes. But the ephors all voted to support Pausanias. This saved him from being found guilty. They likely agreed that his actions helped Sparta control Athens without too much trouble. After this trial, Pausanias stayed out of the public eye for a few years. He probably did not agree with Sparta's new aggressive plans.

Second Trial: The Corinthian War

In 395 BC, Lysander helped start a new war. This was called the Corinthian War. Sparta was fighting against Athens, Thebes, Corinth, and Argos. Sparta planned to send two armies to attack the city of Haliartus. One army was led by Lysander, and the other by Pausanias.

Lysander arrived at Haliartus first. He did not wait for Pausanias's army. Lysander attacked the city walls and was killed in the battle. Pausanias's army arrived later. They did not fight much and left the area. Pausanias then made a deal to stop the fighting. This allowed the Spartans to collect their dead soldiers for burial. After that, the Spartan army returned home.

Because of his actions at Haliartus, Pausanias was found guilty. He was sentenced to death by the Spartans. His young son, Agesipolis I, became the new king. However, Pausanias managed to escape. He fled from Sparta and lived in exile in Tegea.

Life in Exile

While in exile, Pausanias did something very unusual for a Spartan king. He wrote a book or pamphlet. It was about Lycurgus and the Spartan constitution. Lycurgus was a legendary lawgiver who was said to have created Sparta's laws.

Pausanias's book is now lost. But we know he wanted to change Sparta's government. He thought the ephors, who were very powerful, should be removed. He believed that the ephors were not part of Lycurgus's original plan for Sparta. Pausanias's ideas likely influenced later Spartan kings. These kings also tried to reform Sparta based on Lycurgus's teachings.

Pausanias lived for many years in exile. He even outlived his son, Agesipolis I. We know this because of a monument Pausanias set up for his son in Delphi. Pausanias died sometime after 380 BC. He was also the father of another king, Cleombrotus I.

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