her true self again. When he became king, he was seen in the
usual dress of a Greek, uncrowned, as the first Leonidas and Agesilaus
had been; while the other king, ill named Leonidas, moved about in a
diadem and purple robes and jewels, like a Persian Shah.

[Picture: Greek figure] Agis was resolved to bring back all the old rule.
There were but 700 old Dorian Spartans left, and only about 100 of these
still had their family estates, while the others were starving; and most
of the property was in the hands of women. Therefore the young king was
resolved to have all given up and divided again, and he prevailed on his
mother and grandmother to throw all their wealth into the common stock,
as also his mother's brother Agesilaus, who was willing, because he was
so much in debt that he could hardly lose by any change. The other
ladies made a great outcry, and Leonidas was very angry, but he did not
dare to hinder all this, because all the high-born men, who had been so
poor, were on the young king's side.

So there was a public assembly, and one of the Ephors proposed the
reform, showing how ease and pleasure had brought their city low, and how
hardihood and courage might yet bring back her true greatness. Leonidas
spoke against the changes, but Agis argued with such fire and force that
he won over all that were high-minded enough to understand him, and in
especial Cleombrotus, the son-in-law of Leonidas. Agis laid down before
the assembly all his father's vast hoards, and his example was followed
by many; but the other king put such difficulties in the way that the
reformers found that they could do nothing unless they removed him, so
they brought forward an old law, which forbade that any son of Hercules
should reign who had married a foreign woman, or sojourned in a strange
land.

On hearing of this, Leonidas took refuge in the temple of Athene, and as
he did not appear when he was summoned before the Ephors, they deposed
him, and named Cleombrotus in his stead; but when Agis found there was a
plan for killing the old king, he took care to send him away in safety to
Tegea, with his daughter Chilonis, who clave to him in trouble.

Agis thought his uncle Agesilaus was heartily with the change, and so had
him chosen one of the Ephors; but, in truth, all Agesilaus wanted was to
be free from his debts, and he persuaded the young king that the lands
could not be freshly divided till all debts had been cancelled. So all