ARISTODEMUS (one of the Heracleidae)

These sons, under the guardianship of their maternal uncle Theras, later traveled to Sparta with a man named Hecas to assist in establishing a new colony, where they would eventually found two royal houses in Lacedaemon.^7,8,9,10 During the division of lands, the lots belonging to Aristodemus's sons were drawn second in the sequence, though the clay tokens they used were merely sun-dried rather than fire-baked, causing them to dissolve in water during the critical moment.^11,12 In a dramatic turn, Aristodemus’s sons cast stones into a pitcher of water to determine their fates, while the twin sons married the twin daughters of Thersander, cementing their dynastic ties.^11,2

As king of Messene, Aristodemus faced the immense pressure of defending his people against Lacedaemonian schemes, sending envoys to consult the god after learning of their plots.^4,5,13 He prepared to offer sacrifices to Zeus of Ithome when a portent occurred, and he arranged for pre-made wooden tripods around the altar, while also ensuring his troops had Mount Ithome behind them for strategic advantage.^14,15,16 Struggling to interpret a specific divine saying along with the seers, he encouraged the frightened Messenians and attempted to save them through human calculation, selecting suitable weapons for Arcadians and Messenians who lacked powerful arms.^17,15,18,16 However, his reputation was tarnished by a grave transgression; he had betrothed his daughter to himself, and his act of murder meant the girl could not be offered to the gods, yet he proceeded to offer her for sacrifice to save Messene.^19,20,1 A Messenian man disputed his rights over the daughter, claiming she was pregnant by him, and though the seer blamed Aristodemus for the bloodshed, this did not achieve the desired result until Euphaes convinced the people that the deed satisfied the oracle.^19,21

Despite his flaws, Aristodemus was considered inferior to his rivals in warfare, and seers Epebolus and Ophioneus advised against choosing him due to his pollution, leading him to compete with Cleonnis and Damis for the kingship of Euphaes.²² He sent gifts to the leaders of Arcadia and the city of Argos, and placed Cleonnis in command of specific troops, while his sons assisted in restoring Aepytus to his position.^23,16,24 In his later years, Aristodemus served as guardian for the young sons of Pausanias and was an ancestor of Leutychides, the general and admiral, linking his lineage to future military prominence.^25,26

The narrative of Aristodemus reached a critical juncture when Leonidas dismissed him from the camp after he failed to agree with Eurytus on how to proceed.²⁷ While his fellow messenger reached the battle and was killed, Aristodemus survived, but upon returning to Lacedaemon, the Spartans refused to give him fire or speak with him as a sign of disgrace.^28,29 Yet, he redeemed his reputation during the battle at Plataea, where Spartans present judged that he had achieved great deeds, finally restoring his honor after years of shame.^29,30 He dedicated a temple of Artemis Huntress on a hill, a final act of piety that mirrored his earlier struggles with divine will, leaving behind a legacy of both royal foundation and personal redemption.³¹