Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.4, 1865).djvu/456

 448 AGIS. Agis was of the royal family of Enrypon, son of Euda- midas, and the sixth in descent from Agesilaus, who made the expedition into Asia, and was the greatest man of his time in Greece. Agesilaus left behind him a son called Archidamus, the same who was slain at Mandonium,* in Italy, by the Messapians, and who was then succeeded by his eldest son Agis. He being killed by Antipater near Megalopolis, and leaving no issue, was succeeded by his brother Eudamidas ; he, by a son called Archidamus ; and Archidamus, by another Eudamidas, the father of this Agis of whom we now treat. Leonidas, son of Cleonymus, was of the other royal house of the Agiadse, and the eighth in descent from Pau- sanias, who defeated Mardonius in the battle of Plataea. Pausanias was succeeded by a son called Plistoanax ; and he, by another Pausanias, who was banished, and lived as a private man at Tegea ; while his eldest son Agesipolis reigned in his place. He, dying without issue, was suc- ceeded by a younger brother, called Cleombrotus, who left two sons; the elder was Agesipolis, who reigned but a short time, and died without issue ; the younger, who then became king, was called Cleomenes, and had also two sons, Acrotatus and Cleonymus. The first died before his father, but left a son called Areus, who succeeded, and being slain at Corinth, left the kingdom to his son Acro- tatus. This Acrotatus was defeated, and slain near Mega- lopolis, in a battle against the tyrant Aristodemus; he left his wife big with child, and on her being delivered of a son, Leonidas, son of the above-named Cleonymus, was made his guardian, and as the young king died before becoming a man, he succeeded in the kingdom. Leonidas was a king not particularly suitable to his cording to the more correct writing, day as that of Chaeronea. was the name of the place where
 * Mandyrium, or Manduria, ac- this battle was fought, on the same