What is "agesilaus"

n. 1 (given name male from=Ancient Greek) of certain historical persons. 2 Name of two kings of Sparta.

Agesilaus (; ) was a Greek historian who wrote a work on the early history of Italy, fragments of which are preserved in Plutarch's "Parallel Lives", and in Stobaeus' Florilegium.

Agesilaus can refer to:

• Agesilaus I (died 886 BC), 6th Agiad king of Sparta
• Agesilaus II (444 BC–360 BC), 18th Eurypontid king of Sparta, brother of Agis II
• Agesilaus (general), brother to Agis III, 20th Eurypontid king of Sparta
• Agesilaus (statesman), uncle and advisor to Agis IV, king of Sparta
• Agesilaus (historian), an ancient Greek historian
• Agesander (Hades), an epithet of the Greek god Hades, sometimes rendered as "Agesilaus"
• Agesilaus (Xenophon), biographical work about Agesilaus II written by Greek historian Xenophon

Agesilaus (; ; fl. 3rd-century BC) was a Spartan statesman, the uncle of Agis IV, and the father of Hippomedon. When Agis IV began his constitutional reforms in Sparta, Hippomedon entered warmly into the schemes of Agis, and was instrumental in gaining over Agesilaus to their support. Agesilaus was a man of large property, but who, being deeply involved in debt, hoped to profit by the reforms of Agis. Under the cloak of patriotism, and during the absence of Agis on his expedition to Corinth to support Aratus, Agesilaus gave so much dissatisfaction by his administration at Sparta, that Leonidas II was recalled by the opposite party, and Agesilaus was compelled to flee the city, aided by his son.

Agesilaus is a minor work by Xenophon.

The text summarizes the life of King Agesilaus II (c. 440 BC – c. 360 BC) of Sparta, whom Xenophon respected greatly, considering him as an unsurpassed example of all the civil and military virtues. The king's life is narrated in chronological order, making Agesilaus one of the first examples of biographical writings.

Certain parts of the work are borrowed from Hellenica, with only minor changes of the language.