By the third century BCE, Sparta had shrunk from a dominant military power into a shadow of its former self, trapped in debt and political stagnation. This episode explores the radical reform efforts of King Agis IV, who sought to restore the ancient Lycurgan constitution by canceling debts and redistributing land among citizens. We examine the tensions between the traditional aristocracy and the impoverished hoplites, the brief period of upheaval in 244 BCE, and the violent backlash that ended with Agis’s execution. Through the eyes of Plutarch and Polybius, we uncover how one man’s attempt to turn back the clock triggered a civil war that ultimately led to Sparta’s absorption by the Achaean League.
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