Eupolia

Queen of Sparta (c. 5th century BC)

Eupolia

Born| 5th century BC
Children| Agesilaus II, Cynisca, Teleutias
Parent(s)|

* Melesippidas[1]

Titles| queen consort

Eupolia (in ancient Greek: Εὐπωλία), was an aristocrat and queen of Sparta. Likely originating from the ranks of the Spartan aristocracy, she married Archidamus II. Eupolia is also the mother of Agesilaus II, a major king of Sparta, Cynisca, the first woman to have won the ancient Olympic Games, and their younger brother Teleutias.

After the death of Archidamus II, she remarried a certain Theodorus. Several elements suggest that this marriage was desired, as Theodorus was less wealthy than she was; Agesilaus II intervened to finance the couple.

## Biography

[edit]

The character, like other female figures of ancient Greece, is difficult to access through sources, which exclusively link her to men.[2][3] Probably originating from an important aristocratic family of the city,[4][5][6] she was the daughter of Melesippidas[1] and the second wife of Archidamus II, with whom she had a certain son, Agesilaus II, and a probable daughter, Cynisca.[2][3][7][8]

She was said to have been of small stature, as Archidamus reportedly faced criticism from the ephors when he decided to marry her, on the grounds that marrying a small woman would produce "kinglets."[2][5][7] The marriage is dated between 445 and 443 BC.[7]

After the death of her husband, she remarried a certain Theodorus and had a son named Teleutias.[2] It is likely that this marriage after her widowhood, when Eupolia was over thirty years old, was a marriage of her choice.[4] Several elements suggest that this Theodorus was less wealthy, and marrying him was thus a degradation of her socioeconomic status.[4] Facing the difficulties of the new couple, Agesilaus II decided to give her lands and funds as soon as he obtained the throne.[4]

She was mentioned in several places in Greek literature, starting with the works of Aristophanes.[2][9]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Plutarch, Parallel Lives, "Life of Agesilaus" 1.1 (ed. Clough 1859; ed. Loeb).
2. ^ a b c d e Annalisa Paradiso (2015-11-27). "Garder et transmettre la mémoire des femmes. Cléora, Eupolia, Proauga et les archives lacédémoniennes". Pallas. Revue d'études antiques (in French) (99): 47–59\. doi:10.4000/pallas.2996. ISSN 0031-0387. Archived from the original on 2024-04-11. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
3. ^ a b Lukas Thommen (1999). "Spartanische Frauen". Museum Helveticum. 56 (3): 129–149\. ISSN 0027-4054. JSTOR 24820760.
4. ^ a b c d Stephen Hodkinson (2004). "Female property ownership and empowerment in classical and hellenistic Sparta". In Thomas J. Figuiera (ed.). Spartan Society. Swansea: Classical Press of Wales. p. 103\. doi:10.2307/j.ctv1n357xm.8. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
5. ^ a b Jeannine Boëldieu-Trevet (2018-08-16). "Des nouveau-nés malformés et un roi boiteux : histoires Spartiates". Pallas. Revue d'études antiques (in French) (106): 213–228\. doi:10.4000/pallas.5737. ISSN 0031-0387. Archived from the original on 2024-07-18. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
6. ^ Donald G. Kyle (2003). ""The Only Woman in All Greece": Kyniska, Agesilaus, Alcibiades and Olympia". Journal of Sport History. 30 (2): 183–203\. ISSN 0094-1700. JSTOR 43610326. Archived from the original on 2024-04-14. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
7. ^ a b c Luigi Piccirilli (1994). "Teofrasto e il secondo matrimonio di Archidamo II". Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik. 101: 187–192\. ISSN 0084-5388. JSTOR 20189100.
8. ^ Magdalena Myszkowska-Kaszuba (2014). "The only women that are mothers of men: Plutarch's creation of the Spartan mother". Graeco-Latina Brunensia. 19 (1): [77]–92.[permanent dead link]
9. ^ Paradiso, Annalisa (2022-12-01). "Lampito in Aristophanes' Lysistrata and the Reasons of a Choice". Klio. 104 (2): 471–486\. doi:10.1515/klio-2021-0043. ISSN 2192-7669.