Gorgo queen of sparta biography of william james

Even at the young age of 8 or 9, she demonstrated remarkable intelligence and foresight. During her young age, the future queen of Sparta Gorgo observed the negotiation between her father and Aristagoras of Miletus. Aristagoras sought an alliance with Sparta. He presented a map to illustrate the geostrategic challenges facing the Ionian cities.

That was the first known instance of a geographical map the Greeks used in the Aegean region. He proposed that Cleomenes send Spartan forces deep into Persian territory, aiming to advance as far as the Persian capital, Susa. Cleomenes asked for time to consider the proposal and inquired about the distance from the Ionian coast to Susa three days later.

Upon learning that the journey would take at least three months, Cleomenes weighed the facts and rejected the offer. Aristagoras, desperate, attempted to bribe Cleomenes.

The Spartan Queen, Gorgo, who married her father's half-brother, Leonidas, is an enigmatic and intriguing woman who we catch a tantalising glimpse of in the.

Following these events, Cleomenes faced accusations from Spartan officials and they put him in prison. While some sources claim he committed suicide, the exact circumstances of his death remain unclear. For Spartan women, the age for marriage was at the end of puberty. Leonidas, as his eldest surviving half-brother, succeeded him on the throne of the Agiads.

Cleomenes had been imprisoned by the Ephors and his half-brothers, including Leonidas. They found him dead in prison a few days after his incarceration. She addressed it to Leonidas before he left for the battle of Thermopylae.