Sparta's senior royal house, the Agiads, claim descent from Herakles via the legendary Eurysthenes who lived some 800 years before our start-date (and yes, the family tree we've put together goes back that far). By 275 BC, Sparta has been seriously weakened following their loss of Messenia and the Thyreatis, but the Agiads seem poised for something great - basileus Areus has already come to dominate the Spartan political scene at the expense of his Eurypontid counterpart, and now he seemingly looks to establish himself as a king in the Macedonian fashion with no ephors or co-ruler to temper his authority.
But what's good for Areus may not be good for Sparta. The soft luxuries that he introduces to court threaten to corrupt the values that made Sparta such a formiddable foe in bygone times. The celebrated agoge has fallen by the wayside, and rising inequality and a declining citizen population will pose a significant challenge to future military capabilities.
Meanwhile, his uncle Cleonymus, the regent-turned-adventurer-turned-claimant sits in Troizen with the garrison he's established, waiting for an opportunity to place himself on the throne. He also seeks vengeance, after his wife Chilonis is discovered having an affair with Areus' son, the crown prince Acrotatus. His own force is insufficient for invading Sparta, but perhaps he can persuade a more powerful ruler to assist him...
Can Areus manage these crises, internal and external, or will someone else need to take up that mantle?
As for how we're going to portray the dual kingship of Sparta, it's still very much a work in progress but here's one little thing we've done so far:
