Date of Award
5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
History
First Advisor
Dr. Walter Stevenson
Abstract
This Thesis seeks to examine the lives of elite Spartan women in the third century, particularly during the two tumultuous periods of reform under kings Agis IV (244-241 BCE) and Cleomenes III (235-222 BCE). I focus on three women: Archidamia, Agis’ grandmother, Agesistrata, Agis’ mother, and Agiatis, Agis’ wife, who would eventually become the wife of Cleomenes. Modern historiography has failed to account for the unique circumstances of the third century—upended societal norms and revolutionary reforms—as historians have attempted to understand the lives of Spartan women. Further, as ancient sources tend to present only the male experience, direct accounts of Spartan women are few and far between. Aiming to address these discrepancies and add to our understanding of Spartan women in the third century, my work presents a more complete picture of what the lives of Archidamia, Agesistrata, and Agiatis might have looked by relying on postulations and theories bolstered by historical accounts such as Plutarch’s biographies of Agis and Cleomenes. I will argue that through their involvement in the reforms of the third century, each of these women was able to attain unique forms of independence and autonomy. In presenting this nuanced understanding of female figures, my work not only adds to a broader understanding of Spartan women, but also provides valuable insights into questions of female agency and gender-roles within the city-state.
Recommended Citation
Hisle, Will, "Spartan Matriarchs and Female Autonomy Through the Reforms of Agis IV" (2025). Honors Theses. 1820.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/1820
