Читать книгу The Herodotus Encyclopedia - Группа авторов - Страница 663

SARAH BOLMARCICH

Arizona State University

Ariston was a king of SPARTA c. 560–510 BCE. He was a member of the Eurypontid branch, the son of HEGESICLES and the putative father of DEMARATUS. His colleague in the kingship was ANAXANDRIDES II, and together they presided over Sparta’s final conquest of TEGEA in the Second Arcadian War around 550 (1.67).

Ariston is best known for his role in a succession crisis engineered by CLEOMENES with the aim of removing Ariston’s son Demaratus from the throne; ultimately, this event led to Demaratus’ desertion to the Persian side during the PERSIAN WARS. Ariston had been childless by his first two wives, and, desperate for an heir, settled on the wife of a friend of his, reputedly the most beautiful woman in Sparta, as his third wife. After tricking his friend (AGETUS) into swearing an OATH to give up whatever possession of his Ariston desired, Ariston married her. Their son Demaratus was born less than nine months later, leading Ariston to say in public that the child was not his (6.61–63). It was this statement that Cleomenes later seized on to remove Demaratus from the throne. Cleomenes’ motive was to install a more pliant Eurypontid, LEOTYCHIDES II, as his colleague. After Demaratus was exiled, he joined the Persian court (6.64–70).

Demaratus’ mother claimed that Ariston was in fact infertile, and that the shade of the hero ASTRABACUS was his actual father. She also told her son that Ariston had repented disowning his son and accepted him as his own (6.69).

SEE ALSO: Deception; Women in the Histories