king of Sparta, conquered the Argives and freed Athens from the tyranny of the Pisistratidae. By bribing the oracle he pronounced Demaratus, his colleague on the throne, illegitimate, because he refused to punish the people of Aegina, who had deserted the Greeks. He killed himself in a fit of madness.

CLEOMENES II., succeeded his brother Agelipolis II. He reigned 34 years in the greatest tranquillity, and was father to Acrotatus and Cleonymus. He was succeeded by Areus I., son of Acrotatus.

CLEOMENES III., succeeded his father Leonidas. He was of an enterprising spirit, and resolved to restore the ancient discipline of Lycurgus in its full force. CLEON force. He killed the Ephori, and removed by poison his royal colleague Eurydamides, and made his own brother Euclidas king, against the laws of the state, which forbade more than one of the same family to sit on the throne. He made war against the Achaeans, and attempted to destroy the Achaean league. Aratus, the general of the Achaeans, who supposed himself inferior to his enemy, called Antigonus to his assistance; and Cleomenes, when he had fought the unfortunate battle of Sellasia, retired into Egypt to the court of Ptolemy Evergetes, where his wife and children had gone before him. Ptolemy received him with great cordiality; but his successor, weak and suspicious, soon expressed his jealousy of this noble stranger, and imprisoned him. Cleomenes killed himself, and his body was flayed and exposed on a cross, 140 Olymp.