Editing Agesilaus II (section)

=== Spartan prince ===
Little is known of Agesilaus' adult life before his reign, principally because [[Xenophon]]—his friend and main biographer—only wrote about his reign.<ref>Hamilton, ''Agesilaus'', p. 10.</ref> Due to his special status, Agesilaus likely became a member of the [[Crypteia|Krypteia]], an elite corps of young Spartans going undercover in Spartan territory to kill some [[helots]] deemed dangerous.<ref>Cartledge, ''Agesilaos'', pp. 30–32.</ref> Once he turned 20 and became a full citizen, Agesilaus was elected to a [[Syssitia|common mess]], presumably that of his elder half-brother Agis II, who had become king in 427, of which Lysander was perhaps a member.<ref>Cartledge, ''Agesilaos'', pp. 32, 33.</ref>

Agesilaus probably served during the [[Peloponnesian War]] (431–404) against [[Athens]], likely at the [[Battle of Mantinea (418 BC)|Battle of Mantinea]] in 418.<ref>Hamilton, ''Agesilaus'', p. 21.</ref> Agesilaus married Kleora at some point between 408 and 400.<ref>Cartledge, ''Agesilaos'', p. 147.</ref> Despite the influence she apparently had on her husband, she is mostly unknown. Her father was Aristomenidas, an influential noble with connections in [[Thebes, Greece|Thebes]].<ref>Cartledge, ''Agesilaos'', pp. 146, 147.</ref>

Thanks to three treaties signed with [[Achaemenid Empire|Persia]] in 412–411, Sparta received funding from the Persians, which it used to build a fleet that ultimately defeated Athens.<ref>Cartledge, ''Agesilaos'', pp. 186–189.</ref> This fleet was essentially led by Lysander, whose success gave him an enormous influence in the Greek cities of Asia as well as in Sparta, where he even schemed to become king.<ref>Hamilton, ''Sparta's Bitter Victories'', pp. 27, 76, 88–98.</ref><ref>Cartledge, ''Agesilaos'', pp. 94–99.</ref> In 403 the two kings, Agis and [[Pausanias of Sparta|Pausanias]], acted together to relieve him from his command.<ref>Hamilton, ''Agesilaus'', p. 23–25.</ref>