(), and PROCLES (Προκλῆς), the twin sons of Aristodemus, were born, according to the common
account before, but, according to the genuine Spartan story, after their father's return to
Peloponnesus and occupation of his allotment of Laconia. He died immediately after the birth
of his children and had not even time to decide which of the two should succeed him. The
mother professed to be unable to name the elder, and the Lacedaemonians in embarrassment
applied to Delphi, and were instructed to make them both kings, but give the greater honour to
the elder. The difficulty thus remaining was at last removed at the suggestion of Panites, a
Messenian by watching which of the children was first washed and fed by the mother; and the
first rank was accordingly given to Eurysthenes and retained by his descendants. (Hdt. 6.51, 52.) The mother's name was Argeia,
and her brother Theras was, during their minority, their joint-guardian and regent. (Hdt. 4.147.) They were married to two sisters, twins like themselves,
the daughters of Thersander, the Heracleid king of Cleonae, by name Lathria and Anaxandra,
whose tombs were to be seen at Sparta in the time of Pausanias (3.16.5). The two brothers are said to have united with the son of Temenus to restore
Aepytus, the son of Cresphontes, to Messenia. Otherwise, they were, according to both
Pausanias and Herodotus, in continual strife, which perhaps may give a meaning to the strange
story related in Polyaenus (1.10), that Procles and Temenus
attacked the Eurystheidae then in occupation of Sparta, and were successful through the good
order preserved by the flute, the benefit of which on this occasion was the origin of the
well-known Spartan practice. Ephorus in Strabo (viii.
p.366) states, that they maintained themselves by taking foreigners into their service,
and these Clinton understands by the name Eurystheidae; but Müller considers it to be one
of the transfers made by Ephorus in ancient times of the customs of his own. Cicero (de Div. 2.43) tells us, that Procles died one year before his brother, and
was much the more famous for his achievements. (Compare Clinton, F. H.
vol. i. p. 333; Müller, Dor. 1.5. §§ 13, 14.)