Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
the dissimulation of an enemy, was soon after brought to pass by
the treachery of friends.
Amphares, Damochares, and Arcesilaus often visited Agis, and he
was so confident of their fidelity that after a while he was
prevailed with to accompany them to the baths, which were not
far distant, they constantly returning to see him safe again in
the temple. They were all three his familiars; and Amphares had
borrowed a great deal of plate and rich household stuff from
Agesistrata, and hoped if he could destroy her and the whole
family, he might peaceably enjoy those goods. And he, it is
said, was the readiest of all to serve the purposes of Leonidas,
and being one of the ephors, did all he could to incense the
rest of his colleagues against Agis. These men, therefore,
finding that Agis would not quit his sanctuary, but on occasion
would venture from it to go to the bath, resolved to seize him
on the opportunity thus given them. And one day as he was
returning, they met and saluted him as formerly, conversing
pleasantly by the way, and jesting, as youthful friends might,
till coming to the turning of a street which led to the prison,
Amphares, by virtue of his office, laid his hand on Agis, and
told him, "You must go with me, Agis, before the other ephors,
to answer for your misdemeanors." At the same time, Damochares,
who was a tall, strong man, drew his cloak tight round his neck,
and dragged him after by it, whilst the others went behind to
thrust him on. So that none of Agis's friends being near to
assist him, nor anyone by, they easily got him into the prison,
where Leonidas was already arrived, with a company of soldiers,
who strongly guarded all the avenues; the ephors also came in,
with as many of the Elders as they knew to be true to their
party, being desirous to proceed with some resemblance of
justice. And thus they bade him give an account of his actions.
To which Agis, smiling at their dissimulation, answered not a
word. Amphares told him, it was more seasonable to weep, for
now the time was come in which he should be punished for his
presumption. Another of the ephors, as though he would be more
favorable, and offering as it were an excuse, asked him whether
he was not forced to what he did by Agesilaus and Lysander. But
Agis answered, he had not been constrained by any man, nor had
any other intent in what he did, but only to follow the example
of Lycurgus, and to govern conformably to his laws. The same
ephor asked him, whether now at least he did not repent his
rashness. To which the young man answered, that though he were
to suffer the extremest penalty for it, yet he could never
repent of so just and so glorious a design. Upon this they
passed sentence of death on him, and bade the officers carry him
to the Dechas, as it is called, a place in the prison where they
strangle malefactors. And when the officers would not venture
to lay hands on him, and the very mercenary soldiers declined
it, believing it an illegal and a wicked act to lay violent
hands on a king, Damochares, threatening and reviling them for
it, himself thrust him into the room.
For by this time the news of his being seized had reached many
parts of the city, and there was a concourse of people with
lights and torches about the prison gates, and in the midst of
them the mother and the grandmother of Agis, crying out with a
loud voice, that their king ought to appear, and to be heard and
judged by the people. But this clamor, instead of preventing,
hastened his death; his enemies fearing, if the tumult should
increase, he might be rescued during the night out of their
hands.
Agis, being now at the point to die, perceived one of the
officers bitterly bewailing his misfortune; "Weep not, friend,"
said he, "for me, who die innocent, by the lawless act of wicked
men. My condition is much better than theirs." As soon as he
had spoken these words, not showing the least sign of fear, he
offered his neck to the noose.
Immediately after he was dead, Amphares went out of the prison
gate, where he found Agesistrata, who, believing him still the
same friend as before, threw herself at his feet. He gently
raised her up, and assured her, she need not fear any further
violence or danger of death for her son, and that if she
pleased, she might go in and see him. She begged her mother
might also have the favor to be admitted, and he replied, nobody
should hinder it. When they were entered, he commanded the
gate should again be locked, and Archidamia, the grandmother, to
be first introduced; she was now grown very old, and had lived
all her days in the highest repute among her fellows. As soon
as Amphares thought she was dispatched, he told Agesistrata she
might now go in if she pleased. She entered, and beholding her
son's body stretched on the ground, and her mother hanging by
the neck, the first thing she did was, with her own hands, to
assist the officers in taking down the body; then covering it
decently, she laid it out by her son's, whom then embracing, and
kissing his cheeks, "O my son," said she, "it was thy too great
mercy and goodness which brought thee and us to ruin."
Amphares, who stood watching behind the door, on hearing this,
broke in, and said angrily to her, " Since you approve so well
of your son's actions, it is fit you should partake in his
reward." She, rising up to offer herself to the noose, said
only, "I pray that it may redound to the good of Sparta."
And now the three bodies being exposed to view, and the fact
divulged, no fear was strong enough to hinder the people from
expressing their abhorrence of what was done, and their
detestation of Leonidas and Amphares, the contrivers of it. So
wicked and barbarous an act had never been committed in Sparta,
since first the Dorians inhabited Peloponnesus; the very enemies
in war, they said, were always cautious of spilling the blood of
a Lacedaemonian king, insomuch that in any combat they would
decline, and endeavor to avoid them, from feelings of respect
and reverence for their station. And certainly we see that in
the many battles fought betwixt the Lacedaemonians and the other
Greeks, up to the time of Philip of Macedon, not one of their
kings was ever killed, except Cleombrotus, by a javelin-wound,
at the battle of Leuctra. I am not ignorant that the Messenians
affirm, Theopompus was also slain by their Aristomenes; but the
Lacedaemonians deny it, and say he was only wounded.
Be it as it will, it is certain at least that Agis was the first
king put to death in Lacedaemon by the ephors, for having
undertaken a design noble in itself and worthy of his country,
at a time of life when men's errors usually meet with an easy
pardon. And if errors he did commit, his enemies certainly had
less reason to blame him, than had his friends for that gentle
and compassionate temper which made him save the life of
Leonidas, and believe in other men's professions.
CLEOMENES
Thus fell Agis. His brother Archidamus was too quick for
Leonidas, and saved himself by a timely retreat. But his
wife, then mother of a young child, he forced from her own
house, and compelled Agiatis, for that was her name, to marry
his son Cleomenes, though at that time too young for a wife,
because he was unwilling that anyone else should have her,
being heiress to her father Glylippus's great estate; in
person the most youthful and beautiful woman in all Greece,
and well-conducted in her habits of life. And therefore,
they say, she did all she could that she might not be
compelled to this new marriage. But being thus united to
Cleomenes, she indeed hated Leonidas, but to the youth showed
herself a kind and obliging wife. He, as soon as they came
together, began to love her very much, and the constant
kindness that she still retained for the memory of Agis,
wrought somewhat of the like feeling in the young man for
him, so that he would often inquire of her concerning what
had passed, and attentively listen to the story of Agis's
purpose and design. Now Cleomenes had a generous and great
soul; he was as temperate and moderate in his pleasures as
Agis, but not so scrupulous, circumspect, and gentle. There
was something of heat and passion always goading him on, and
an impetuosity and violence in his eagerness to pursue
anything which he thought good and just. To have men obey
him of their own freewill, he conceived to be the best
discipline; but, likewise, to subdue resistance, and force
them to the better course, was, in his opinion, commendable
and brave.
This disposition made him dislike the management of the city.
The citizens lay dissolved in supine idleness and pleasures;
the king let everything take its own way, thankful if nobody
gave him any disturbance, nor called him away from the
enjoyment of his wealth and luxury. The public interest was
neglected, and each man intent upon his private gain. It was
dangerous, now Agis was killed, so much as to name such a
thing as the exercising and training of their youth; and to
speak of the ancient temperance, endurance, and equality, was
a sort of treason against the state. It is said also that
Cleomenes, whilst a boy, studied philosophy under Sphaerus,
the Borysthenite, who crossed over to Sparta, and spent some
time and trouble in instructing the youth. Sphaerus was one
of the first of Zeno the Citiean's scholars, and it is likely
enough that he admired the manly temper of Cleomenes and
inflamed his generous ambition. The ancient Leonidas, as
story tells, being asked what manner of poet he thought
Tyrtaeus, replied, "Good to whet young men's courage;" for
being filled with a divine fury by his poems, they rushed
into any danger. And so the stoic philosophy is a dangerous
incentive to strong and fiery dispositions, but where it
combines with a grave and gentle temper, is most successful
in leading it to its proper good.
Upon the death of his father Leonidas, he succeeded, and
observing the citizens of all sorts to be debauched, the rich
neglecting the public good, and intent on their private gain
and pleasure, and the poor distressed in their own homes, and
therefore without either spirit for war or ambition to be
trained up as Spartans, that he had only the name of king,
and the ephors all the power, he was resolved to change the
present posture of affairs. He had a friend whose name was
Xenares, his lover, (such an affection the Spartans express
by the term, being inspired, or imbreathed with); him he
sounded, and of him he would commonly inquire what manner of
king Agis was, by what means and by what assistance he began
and pursued his designs. Xenares, at first, willingly
compiled with his request, and told him the whole story, with
all the particular circumstances of the actions. But when he
observed Cleomenes to be extremely affected at the relation,
and more than ordinarily taken with Agis's new model of the
government, and begging a repetition of the story, he at
first severely chid him, told him he was frantic, and at last
left off all sort of familiarity and intercourse with him,
yet he never told any man the cause of their disagreement,
but would only say, Cleomenes knew very well. Cleomenes,
finding Xenares averse to his designs, and thinking all
others to be of the same disposition, consulted with none,
but contrived the whole business by himself. And considering
that it would be easier to bring about an alteration when the
city was at war, than when in peace, he engaged the
commonwealth in a quarrel with the Achaeans, who had given
them fair occasions to complain. For Aratus, a man of the
greatest power amongst all the Achaeans, designed from the
very beginning to bring all the Peloponnesians into one