Origins & Early Life

Gorgo (; Greek: Γοργώ [ɡorɡɔ͜ɔ́]; fl. 480 BC) was a Spartan woman and wife to King Leonidas I (r. 489–480 BC). She was the daughter and the only known child of Cleomenes I, Leonidas' half-brother and King of Sparta (r.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

520–490 BC). Gorgo was also the mother of King Pleistarchus, her only son with King Leonidas I. She is notably one of the few female historical figures actually named by Herodotus, and is depicted in sources as intelligent and wise. Her birth date is uncertain, but based on Herodotus' dating, it is most likely to have been between 518 and 508 BC. According to Herodotus, Gorgo was the only child of King Cleomenes I of Sparta.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The earliest anecdote of her life that he provides in The Histories comes when Aristagoras, seeking allies after the Ionian revolt, came to Sparta to try to convince Cleomenes to invade the Persian Empire. He cited the "disgrace" suffered by the Ionians in Anatolia and wove further tales of the wealth and resources to be reaped from an empire as vast as Persia. When he learned that the journey to Asia would take three months by sea, however, Cleomenes turned down Aristagoras' proposal and told him to leave Sparta, telling...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Ajatashatru — Contemporary (Born in -500) (-500): Powerful King of Magadha, founder of a dominant empire in ancient India.
• Amyrtaeus — Contemporary (Born in -500) (-500): Pharaoh of the Twenty-eighth Dynasty, ending the first Persian occupation of Egypt.
• Anaxagoras — Contemporary (Born in -500) (-500): Pre-Socratic philosopher known for the concept of Nous (Cosmic Mind)
• Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus — Contemporary figure (Born in -519) (-519): Patrician statesman and military leader embodying Roman civic virtue.
• Xerxes I — Contemporary figure (Born in -519) (-519): Fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, famous for the invasion of Greece.
• Pāṇini — Contemporary figure (Born in -520) (-520): Foundational Sanskrit grammarian whose Aṣṭādhyāyī codified Classical Sanskrit.
• Parmenides — Contemporary figure (Born in -515) (-515): Eleatic philosopher known for his doctrine of Being and the rejection of change.
• Cambyses II — Contemporary figure (Died in -522) (-522): Second King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, known for conquering Egypt.
• -518 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from -518
• -500 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from -500