Eurysthenes

Eurysthenes (Greek Εὐρυσθένης ), the son of Aristodemus and the Argeia, daughter of Autesion, was a mythological king of Sparta. He was together with his twin brother Procles as the founder of the Spartan state and first King of the Agiaden.

When the Heraclidae preparing for the conquest of the Peloponnese, Aristodemus was struck by lightning. Since Eurysthenes and Procles were too young, Thera, her mother Argeia the brother was determined to be her guardian. After the conquest of the land was divided by lot. Thus fell the twin brothers Laconia. Temenos was Argos and Messenia Cresphontes.

Now the elder was to be crowned by both the king. Because they were very similar, even Argeia could not solve the problem. That's why you asked in Delphi for advice. The Pythia advised both to appoint as king, but the elderly should be the more powerful.

Finally, to decide who was the elder, hit the Messenians before Panites, you should secretly monitor the mother if they prefer one of the children in the washing and feeding. It was thus determined that Eurysthenes is the older. Power was divided between the two, but were Eurysthenes and his descendants, called Agiaden, as the more powerful. Thereafter, the two brothers were enemies forever.

When they were old enough, she took control of her guardian. Thera went to Santorini and founded with the help of Eurysthenes and Procles his own kingdom. After Eurysthenes ' death, his son Agis king of Sparta was.

With Jerome he was Eurystheus and reigned 42 years.

Swell

• Libraries of Apollodorus, 2, 173; 2, 177
• Herodotus, Histories, 4, 147; 5, 39; 6, 51-52; 7, 204
• Pausanias, traveling in Greece, 3, 2, 1; 3, 6, 7; 3, 7, 1
• Strabo, Geographica, 366; 389