Pleistarchus

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Pleistarchus
Father Leonidas I[1]
Mother Queen Gorgo
Born Sparta
Died 458 BC

Pleistarchus or Plistarch (Ancient Greek: Πλείσταρχος Pleistarkhos; died 458 BC) was the Agiad King of Sparta from 480 to 458 BC.[2]

Family

Pleistarchus was born as a prince, likely the only son of King Leonidas I and Queen Gorgo.

His grandparents were Kings Anaxandridas II and Cleomenes I.[3] He was born from an avunculate marriage – his parents were uncle and niece.[4]

His uncle Cleombrotus was his tutor.[5]

It is unknown whether Pleistarchus was married.

Biography

It is possible that Pleistarchus was exempt from the agōgē, the rigorous education and training regimen mandated for all male Spartan citizens, except for the crown prince.

Pleistarchus' father King Leonidas perished in 480 BC at the Battle of Thermopylae. For the early part of Pleistarchus' reign, first his uncle Cleombrotus and then, after Cleombrotus' death (in 479 BC), his cousin Pausanias acted as regent because Pleistarchus was not of age.[6]

The successor of Pleistarchus was Pleistoanax, son of Pausanias.

In popular culture

Pleistarchus as king of the Spartans is a major character in Sacred Games, by Gary Corby.

A young Pleistarchus was portrayed by Giovani Cimmino in the 2007 feature film 300.

A young Pleistarchus (titled Leo Jr.) was portrayed by Hunter Clary in the 2008 parody feature film Meet the Spartans.

Family tree

Family tree of King Pleistarchus
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
16. Leon of Sparta (=12.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8. King Anaxandridas II
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
17. Wife of Leones (=13.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. King Cleomenes I of Sparta
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18. Prinetades
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9. Daughter of Prinetades
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
19. Wife of Prinetades
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. Gorgo, Queen of Sparta
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Wife of Cleomenes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pleistarchus,
King of Sparta
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
24. Eurycratides of Sparta
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12. Leon of Sparta
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
25. Wife of Eurycratides
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6. King Anaxandridas II of Sparta
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13. Wife of Leon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Leonidas I, King of Sparta
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7. Niece of Anaxandridas
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Notes

  1. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Pleistarchus 1.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Herodotus; Histories, A. D. Godley (translator), Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1920; ISBN 0-674-99133-8. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Herodotus, The Greek-Persian War (Osiris, Budapest, 2000) ISBN 963-379-309-2
  6. The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides
Preceded by Agiad King of Sparta
480 – 458 BC
Succeeded by
Pleistoanax