Leotychidas [
Leotychides, Latychidas] (c.
545 BC–469 BC) was a ruler of
Sparta 491 BC-476 BC. He led Spartan forces during the
Persian Wars from
490 BC to
478 BC. He is not to be confused with the (allegedly illegitimate) son of
Agis II, of the same name.
Born in Sparta around 545 BC, Leotychidas was a descendant of the house of
Eurypontid and came to power with the help of
Cleomenes I by challenging
Demaratus for the throne of Sparta in 491 BC. Later that year, he joined Cleomenes' second expedition to
Aegina, where ten hostages were seized and given to
Athens. However after Cleomenes' death in 488 BC, Leotychidas was almost surrendered to Aegina. In the spring of 479 BC, Leotychidas commanded a Greek fleet consisting of 110 ships at Aegina and later at
Delos, supporting the Greek revolts at
Chios and
Samos against
Persia. Leotychidas defeated Persian military and naval forces at the
battle of Mycale on the coast of
Asia Minor in the summer of 479 BC (possibly around mid-August). In 476 BC, Leotychidas led an expedition to
Thessaly against the
Aleudae family for collaboration with the Persians but withdrew after being bribed by the family. Returning to Sparta he was tried for bribery, and fled to the temple of
Athena Alea in
Tegea. Sentenced to exile, his house was burned and his grandson
Archidamus II became the ruler of Sparta. Leotychidas died some years later, around 469 BC.
