[August 10] Leonidas I, king of Sparta

True Name: Λεωνίδας
Parents: Anaxandridas II, king of Sparta
Date of Birth: circa 540 BCE

House: Agiad

Spouse(s): Gorgo, daughter of Cleomenes I, king of Sparta

Predecessor: Cleomenes I
Reign: 489 – 480 BCE

Summary: Born unexpectedly as the third son of Anaxandriads, the second born to the king's primary wife, Leonidas grew up under harsh conditions. Since he was not the heir, he had to attend the agoge schools which were famous for their cruelty and harsh teaching methods. Meanwhile, Leonidas' father died in 520 BCE and his full brother, Cleomenes, rather than his eldest half-brother, Dorieus, succeeded to the Spartan throne. Dorieus fled Sparta and settled in Africa where he attempted to build a Spartan colony. That having failed, he tried again in Sicily where he soon died. Leonidas had a touchy relationship with Cleomenes, but before 490 BCE, he married his brother's daughter, Gorgo. Leonidas had completed his schooling by the time of the Battle of Sepeia in 494 BCE and when Persia attempted to force the submission in Sparta in 492 BCE, Leonidas was by his brother's side. By 490 BCE, the year Athens fought the Persians at Marathon, Cleomenes was deposed due to insanity and Leonidas was the chief candidate to succeed him.

When Leonidas succeeded his brother, he did so under the knowledge that he was physically stronger and better than his rivals, an argument few previous Spartan kings had made. His upbringing had made him a cruel and efficient fighter, so it was no surprise when he personally led the combined attack on the Persian army in 481 BCE. Leonidas consulted the Oracle at Delphi asking if he should lead the combined Greek armies against Xerxes I, king of Persia. The Oracle convinced Leonidas and he went with his men to the Battle of Thermopylae in the summer of 480 BCE. His 300 men were joined by 14,000 soldiers from other Greek city-states. The Persian army had between 50,000 and 200,000 soldiers. When the battle for the pass at Thermopylae finally broke out, 20,000 Persian soldiers died versus Greece's 2,500 soldiers. Two days later, a Greek traitor led the Persians to a secret path around the pass, and Leonidas sent away most of his army except for 2,000 soldiers who refused to leave. Leonidas and these 2,000 men stood their ground against attacks from both sides, but they were eventually defeated and killed. Leonidas died on the battlefield, though his body was saved from desecration. Leonidas has been the subject of much historical research throughout the centuries and today is the inspiration for such films as 300. A hero cult survived in Greece for 500 years following the death of Leonidas.

Date of Death: 10 August 480 BCE
Successor: Pleistarchus

Other Monarchs Who Died Today:

• Ippolito, patriarch of Florence (1535)
• Ferdinand VI, king of Spain (1759)