Lycurgus - The egendary Man Credited With the Constitution of Sparta :

Athens had its Solon, the law-giver, and Sparta, its Lycurgus, at least that's what we like to believe. Like the origins of the reforms of Lycurgus, the man himself is wrapped in legend.

Lycurgus of Sparta is known as the lawgiver of ancient Sparta, an  ancient Greek city-state. Renowned as a wise and judicious ruler, he is said to have established the most important institutions of this martial society. Yet despite his traditional importance, modern historians aren't sure if he was a real person or a myth.

Interestingly, ancient Greek scholars also debated the details of Lycurgus's life. The first historian, Herodotus, wrote that Lycurgus belonged to one of Sparta's royal houses, the Agiad. Ancient Sparta had two kings, so this would make Lycurgus one of its kings. Herodotus wrote that Lycurgus was inspired by the government of Crete, and based his laws on that older state. However, later Greeks believed that Lycurgus belonged to the other royal house of Sparta, the Eurypontid house. Another famous Greek writer, Plutarch, wrote biographies of great leaders, and his Life of Lycurgus has the lawgiver bringing the poetry of Homer to Sparta.

According to Plutarch, Lycurgus eleventh-generation descendant of Hercules, since Greeks generally ascribed genealogy that went back to the gods when writing about important figures. In Sparta there were two kings who jointly shared the power. Lycurgus, according to Plutarch, was the younger son of one of these two kings. His older brother's wife was pregnant when both Lycurgus' brother and father died, and so, the unborn would have become king assuming it was a boy in time. Lycurgus became king and after ruling in accordance with justice for some time, he decided to abdicate, or step down from the throne. This highly unusual move shocked all of Greece, but Lycurgus was not power-hungry. His older brother had left an heir, Charilaus, and Lycurgus wanted to step aside so that the young boy could rule. Since Charilaus was still very young, Lycurgus ruled in his stead, hoping to retire when the prince came of age. But Charilaus's mother feared that Lycurgus was plotting to kill her son, so she forced him into exile.

Another version said, Lycurgus' sister-in-law proposed to Lycurgus, saying she would do away with the child if he would marry her. In that way both she and Lycurgus would maintain power in Sparta. Lycurgus pretended to agree with her, but instead of having the child killed after birth, as was a Greek custom, Lycurgus presented the child to the men of Sparta, naming the child and saying that he was their future king. Lycurgus himself was to act as guardian and advisor until the baby came of age.

When slander about the motives of Lycurgus got out of hand, Lycurgus left Sparta and went to Crete where he became familiar with the Cretan law code. Plutarch says Lycurgus met Homer and Thales on his travels. Eventually, the Spartans decided they needed Lycurgus back and persuaded him to return to Sparta. Lycurgus agreed to do so, but first he had to consult with the Delphic Oracle. The advice of the oracle was so well respected that it would add authority to whatever was done in its name. The oracle said that the laws (rhetra) of Lycurgus would become the most famous in the world.

With the oracle on his side, Lycurgus instituted changes in Spartan government and provided Sparta with a constitution. In addition to changes to the government, Lycurgus altered the economy of Sparta, banning ownership of gold or silver and useless occupations. All men were to eat together in common mess halls. Lycurgus reformed Sparta socially, too. Lycurgus started the state-run education system, including the training of women, the peculiar non-monogamous Spartan marriages, and the role of the state in deciding which newborn was fit to live.

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