The Histories

​to his own country. But those who from the beginning had been the causes of the movement, being utterly unable to acquiesce in the present situation, again set about committing the most impious deed of all, having corrupted some of the young men.

​For during a certain ancestral sacrifice, it was required that those of military age should march in procession with their arms to the temple of Athena of the Bronze House, while the ephors performed the rites concerning the sacrifice, remaining there about the precinct.

​At this moment, some of the young men marching in arms, suddenly falling upon the ephors as they were sacrificing, slaughtered them. And yet the temple used to afford safety to all who fled to it, even if someone had been condemned to death;

​but then, owing to the cruelty of those who dared this, it came to such a point of contempt that all the ephors were slaughtered around the altar and the table of the goddess.

​Next, acting in accordance with their design, they put to death those of the elders who were around Gyridas, banished those who spoke against the Aetolians, chose ephors from among themselves, and concluded the alliance with the Aetolians.

​They did these things, and endured both the hostility toward the Achaeans, the ingratitude toward the Macedonians, and in general the unreasonableness toward all—not least because of Cleomenes and their goodwill toward him—always hoping for and expecting his return and at the same time his safety.

​Thus those among men who are able to associate skillfully with their companions leave behind, not only when present but even when far away, some very strong sparks of goodwill toward themselves.

​For, to say nothing of other things, even then, having conducted the government according to ancestral custom for almost three years after the expulsion of Cleomenes, they had never even thought of establishing kings of Sparta;

​but as soon as the report arrived concerning the death of Cleomenes, both the multitude and the college of ephors immediately rushed to establish kings.

​And the ephors who shared in the election with the factionalists, who also concluded the alliance with the Aetolians, of whom I just made mention, established on the one hand, lawfully and fittingly, Agesipolis, who was a child in age, the son of Agesipolis, the son of Cleombrotus;

​who happened to have reigned at the time when Leonidas was expelled from office, because he was by descent nearest to this house.

​And as guardian of the child they chose Cleomenes, the son of Cleombrotus, and brother of Agesipolis.

​But from the other house, although there were two children of Archidamus, the son of Eudamidas, by the daughter of Hippomedon, and Hippomedon himself, the son of Agesilaus, the son of Eudamidas, was still alive, and there were several others of the house, more remote indeed than those mentioned, but related by birth, ​they overlooked all these, and established Lycurgus as king, none of whose ancestors had attained this title; who, by giving a talent to each of the ephors, became a descendant of Heracles and king of Sparta.

​Thus everywhere honorable things have become cheap. Therefore, not their children’s children, but they themselves who established him were the first to pay the wages of their folly.