Kleomenes I of Sparta: A Proto-Biography

Claims that Herodotus reveals himself as a proto-biographer are not yet widely accepted. To advance this claim, I review his recount of Kleomenes of Sparta (c. 540–c. 490), who finds his kingdom caught in the periphery of the Greco-Persian conflict, and whose activities over a thirty-year reign are recorded in the Histories. It is to Heraclitus to whom we attribute the maxim—character is human destiny. It is the truth of this maxim—which implies effective human agency—that makes Herodotus’ creation of historical narrative possible. He is often read for his off-topic vignettes, which color-in the character of the individuals depicted without necessarily advancing his narrative. But by leapfrogging through five of the nine books of the Histories, we can assemble a largely continuous narrative for this remarkable Spartan ruler. This narrative permits us to attribute both credit and moral responsibility for his actions. Arguably, this implied causation demonstrates that Herodotus’ writings include much that amounts to proto-biography.