How did Leonidas I become King of Sparta?

Leonidas may be the most famous of the Spartan kings, but do you know how he actually ended up on the throne? read more

Leonidas was the son of the Spartan king Anaxandrides (died c. 520 B.C.). He became king when his older half-brother Cleomenes I (also a son of Anaxandrides) died under violent, and slightly mysterious, circumstances in 490 B.C. without having produced a male heir. read more

Leonidas was thus one of the few Spartan kings to have ever undergone the notoriously harsh training of Spartan youth. King Anaxandridas II died in 520 BC, and Cleomenes succeeded to the throne sometime between then and 516 BC. read more

Little is known about the life of Leonidas before the Battle of Thermopylae. Historians believe that he was born around 540 BC and the he was son of King Anaxandrias II of Sparta, a descendant of Hercules, according to the myth. Leonidas was married to Gorgo and had a son. read more