Person

Lycurgus of Sparta

Lycurgus was the legendary lawgiver of Sparta, credited by the Spartans with their constitution of two kings, council of elders and assembly, and with the strict system of public education, communal messes and military discipline. Ancient writers placed him between the eleventh and eighth centuries BCE, and modern historians doubt whether he existed. Plutarch's Life of Lycurgus spread his reputation to later political thinkers.

Mentioned in 1 state history

Sparta

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Lycurgus of Sparta. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/lycurgus-of-sparta
MLA
“Lycurgus of Sparta.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/lycurgus-of-sparta. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Lycurgus of Sparta.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/lycurgus-of-sparta.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Lycurgus of Sparta’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/lycurgus-of-sparta (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻