Agesilaus II of Sparta (Ἀγησίλαος ὁ Β’ ὁ Λακεδαιμόνιος)

Life Agesilaus II (c. 444–360 BCE) was a Eurypontid king of Sparta, reigning from c. 400 to 360 BCE [1]. His reign was defined by military campaigns to preserve Spartan hegemony. He commanded forces against Persia in Asia Minor before being recalled to fight in the Corinthian War, winning a victory at Coronea in 394 BCE [1][2]. His later career focused on confronting the rising power of Thebes, culminating in the Spartan defeat at Leuctra in 371 BCE and his defense of Sparta during the Theban invasion of Laconia [1][2]. He died returning from a mercenary expedition to Egypt aimed at restoring Spartan finances [1][2].

Works Agesilaus II is not attested as an author of any surviving written work. The primary historical sources for his life are the contemporary accounts of Xenophon, notably the Hellenica and the encomium Agesilaus [1][3].

Significance Agesilaus was a pivotal figure during Sparta’s transition from supremacy after the Peloponnesian War to precipitous decline in the face of Theban resurgence [1]. His long reign critically illustrates the limits of Spartan power, the challenges of maintaining hegemony, and the strategic policies of early 4th-century BCE Sparta [1][2].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Agesilaus-II 2. World History Encyclopedia: https://www.worldhistory.org/Agesilaus_II/ 3. Perseus Digital Library, Xenophon's Hellenica: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0206