The Spartan royal family tree is not a single, simple lineage but a tangle of mythical dynasties—the Agiads and the Eurypontids—descended from the hero twins Eurysthenes and Procles, who were themselves great-grandsons of the demigod Heracles. These two houses ruled Sparta jointly for centuries, and their legendary origins are rooted in the Heracleidae, the descendants of Heracles who claimed the right to return to the Peloponnese.
The Legendary Founder: Lacedaemon and the City’s Name
Before the two royal houses, Spartan myth begins with Lacedaemon, a mortal king who gave his name to the region (Laconia) and its main city (Sparta, also called Lacedaemon). In the standard account, Lacedaemon was the son of Zeus and the nymph Taygete, and he married Sparta, the daughter of the river god Eurotas. Their son was Amyclas, who founded Amyclae, and their line continued through Argalus and Cynortas to Tyndareus—the famous father of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. This earlier dynasty is sometimes called the Lelegid line, after Lelex, the first king of Laconia, though the details vary among ancient sources.
The Heracleidae and the Return of the Descendants
The classical Spartan royal houses claimed descent not from Lacedaemon but from Heracles, through his son Hyllus. After Heracles’ death, his children were driven from the Peloponnese by Eurystheus, and for generations they wandered. Eventually, the Heracleidae—led by Aristomachus’ sons, Temenus, Cresphontes, and Aristodemus—conquered the Peloponnese in what is known as the “Return of the Heracleidae.” According to the myth, they divided the land by lot: Temenus took Argos, Cresphontes took Messenia, and Aristodemus (or his twin sons) received Sparta. Aristodemus died before the conquest, so his twin sons, Eurysthenes and Procles, became the founders of the two royal lines.
The Agiad Dynasty: From Eurysthenes to Leonidas
The Agiad house traced its descent from Eurysthenes, the elder twin. Its most famous member is Leonidas I, who died at Thermopylae in 480 BCE. The dynasty included kings such as Cleomenes I, who expanded Spartan influence, and Pausanias, the regent who led the Greek coalition at Plataea in 479 BCE. The Agiads held the senior position in the dual kingship, and their line continued until the abolition of the kingship in the early third century BCE. According to Herodotus, the Agiads claimed descent from Heracles through Eurysthenes, and they were buried in a separate royal enclosure from the Eurypontids.
The Eurypontid Dynasty: From Procles to Agis and Beyond
The Eurypontid house descended from Procles, the younger twin. Its notable kings include Leotychidas II, who fought in the Persian Wars, and Agis II, who led Sparta during the Peloponnesian War. The most famous Eurypontid was Agis IV, a reformer king in the third century BCE who attempted to redistribute land and restore the old Spartan constitution; he was executed for his efforts. The Eurypontid line also produced Cleomenes III, who briefly abolished the dual kingship and ruled alone until his defeat by the Macedonians. In myth, the Eurypontids were sometimes said to have a slightly different ancestry, but the standard genealogy places them as brothers of the Agiads.
How the Dual Kingship Worked
Sparta was unique in having two kings simultaneously, one from each house. This dual kingship likely originated as a compromise between two powerful clans, but the Spartans themselves explained it as a result of the twin sons of Aristodemus. The two kings had equal authority, and they served as high priests of Zeus, commanded armies in the field, and sat on the council of elders (the gerousia). They could veto each other, which often prevented one from gaining too much power. The dual kingship was a key part of Sparta’s mixed constitution, which also included the ephors (elected officials) and the assembly of citizens.
Common Misconceptions: Are the Royal Lines “Historical”?
Modern historians do not treat the early royal genealogies as literal history. The lists of kings from Eurysthenes to the historical period contain names and reign lengths that are likely fabricated or heavily embellished. For example, the ancient chronographers gave the Agiad and Eurypontid lines long lists of kings, but the earliest figures are clearly mythical. The dual kingship itself may have been instituted later than the traditional date of the Return (around 1100 BCE), and the genealogies were probably constructed to legitimize the ruling families. What is historically certain is that by the historical period (from about 700 BCE onward), the two houses existed and their members are attested in contemporary sources like Herodotus and Thucydides.
Comparison: Agiads vs. Eurypontids
The two dynasties had distinct identities. The Agiads were generally considered the senior line, and they often took the lead in military campaigns. The Eurypontids produced more reformist kings, such as Agis IV and Cleomenes III, who tried to change the social system. In terms of longevity, the Agiad line lasted until the end of the kingship, while the Eurypontid line was temporarily deposed by Cleomenes III. The two houses also had different burial grounds, and they sometimes intermarried, though this was rare. In myth, the Agiads were associated with the Dorian invasion, while the Eurypontids were sometimes linked to the older Achaean population, but this is not a consistent theme in the sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the first king of Sparta?
In myth, the first king of the region was Lelex, an autochthonous (earth-born) figure, but the city of Sparta was founded by Lacedaemon, son of Zeus. The first kings of the two royal houses were Eurysthenes and Procles, the twin sons of Aristodemus, who are said to have ruled jointly after the Return of the Heracleidae.
Are the Spartan kings descended from Heracles?
Yes, according to the official genealogy, both royal houses claimed descent from Heracles through his son Hyllus. The Heracleidae were the descendants of Heracles who returned to the Peloponnese and conquered Sparta. This divine ancestry gave the kings a sacred status and was used to justify their rule.
Why did Sparta have two kings?
The Spartans themselves explained the dual kingship as a result of the twin sons of Aristodemus, Eurysthenes and Procles. Historians think it may have arisen from a compromise between two powerful clans or from a merger of two settlements. The dual kingship served to check the power of any single individual and was a key feature of Sparta’s balanced constitution.
Who was the most famous Spartan king?
The most famous is Leonidas I, the Agiad king who died at Thermopylae in 480 BCE. His stand against the Persians became legendary. Other well-known kings include Cleomenes III, who tried to reform Sparta, and Agesilaus II, a Eurypontid who was a dominant figure in the early fourth century BCE.
Did the Spartan royal families ever intermarry?
Yes, but rarely. Because the two houses were separate, intermarriage was uncommon and sometimes led to disputes over succession. For example, when one house lacked a male heir, the other might provide a regent, but the two lines remained distinct. The kings were required to marry Spartan citizens, and the succession was strictly patrilineal.
What happened to the Spartan kingship?
The dual kingship was abolished in the early third century BCE. The last Agiad king was Agesipolis III, who was deposed around 215 BCE, and the last Eurypontid was Lycurgus, who ruled in the late third century. After that, Sparta became a republic, and later a member of the Achaean League, before being absorbed into the Roman Empire.
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