Lycurgus of sparta biography of abraham lincoln

King of Sparta

Not to be confused with Lycurgus (lawgiver).

Lycurgus (Ancient Greek: ΛυκοῦργοςLykurgos; fl.

219–217 BC) was a king of Sparta, who reigned from 219 BC until his death shortly before 211 BC. Of obscure background and possibly of non-royal descent, Lycurgus led Sparta in the Social War against Macedon with varying success, and underwent multiple exiles during his checkered reign.

He also effectively abolished the traditional Spartan diarchy by dethroning his fellow king Agesipolis III and ruling Sparta as its sole monarch.

Life

In 219 BC, after the death of the exiled king Cleomenes III in Egypt, the Spartans restored their traditional diarchy, installing Cleomenes's underaged grandnephew Agesipolis III as the king from the Agiad dynasty and an obscure Lycurgus as representative of the Eurypontid dynasty.

According to the historian Polybius, Lycurgus was not in fact of royal descent, and had made good his claim to the throne by br