Histories

Then the Ephors and Elders took counsel, and placed this proposal before Anaxandrides: “Since, as we see, you cling to the wife that you have, carry out our command, and do not hold out against it, bearing in mind that the Spartans will certainly find some other way of dealing with you.

As for the wife that you have, we do not ask that you send her away. Keep providing her with all that you give her now and marry another woman in addition who can give you children.” So they spoke, and Anaxandrides consented. Presently he had two wives and kept two households, a thing which is not at all customary at Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta.

After no long time the second wife gave birth to Cleomenes. She, then, gave the Spartans an heir to the royal power, and as luck would have it, the first wife, who had been barren before, conceived at that very time.

When the friends of the new wife learned that the other woman was pregnant, they began to make trouble for her. They said that she was making an empty boast, so that she might substitute a child. The Ephors were angry, and when her time drew near, they sat around to watch her in childbirth because of their skepticism.

She gave birth first to Dorieus, then straightway to Leonidas, and right after him to Cleombrotus. Some, however, say that Cleombrotus and Leonidas were twins. As for the later wife, the mother of Cleomenes and the daughter of Prinetadas son of Demarmenus, she bore no more children.

Now Cleomenes, as the story goes, was not in his right mind and really quite mad, while Dorieus was first among all of his peers and fully believed that he would be made king for his manly worth.

Since he was of this opinion, Dorieus was very angry when at Anaxandrides' death the Lacedaemonians followed their custom and made Cleomenes king by right of age. Since he would not tolerate being made subject to Cleomenes, he asked the Spartans for a group of people whom he took away as colonists. He neither inquired of the oracle at Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi in what land he should establish his settlement, nor did anything else that was customary but set sail in great anger for Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, with men of +Thera [25.433,36.4] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Thera to guide him.

When he arrived there, he settled by the Cinyps river in the fairest part of Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, but in the third year he was driven out by the Macae, the Libyans and the Carchedonians and returned to the +Peloponnese [22,37.5] (region), Greece, Europe Peloponnesus.

There Antichares, a man of Eleon,[*](In Boeotia (department), Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Boeotia, near +Tanagra [23.6,38.3083] (Perseus) Tanagra.) advised him, on the basis of the oracles of Laius, to plant a colony at +Eraclea [16.666,40.216] (deserted settlement), Matera, Basilicata, Italy, Europe Heraclea in Sicily [14,37.5] (region), Italy, Europe Sicily, for Heracles [*](The reference appears to be to a cult of the Phoenician Melkart (identified with Heracles) on Mt. Eryx.) himself, said Antichares, had won all the region of +Eryx [12.5833,38.0333] (Perseus) Eryx, which accordingly belonged to his descendants. When Dorieus heard that, he went away to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi to enquire of the oracle if he should seize the place to which he was preparing to go. The priestess responded that it should be so, and he took with him the company that he had led to Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya and went to Italy [12.833,42.833] (nation), Europe Italy.