About Acrotatus
Lived 400 BC – 262 BC. Acrotatus was a ruler.
Acrotatus II (; died 262 BC) was an Agiad King of Sparta from 265 to 262 BC. He was the son of Areus I, and grandson of Acrotatus I.
He had unlawful intercourse with Chilonis, the young wife of Cleonymus, uncle of his father Areus. It was this, together with the disappointment of not obtaining the throne, which led Cleonymus to invite Pyrrhus to Sparta in 272. Areus was then absent in Crete, and the safety of Sparta was mainly owing to the valor of Acrotatus who successfully held off the Siege of Sparta. He succeeded his father in 265, but was killed shortly thereafter (possibly in the same year) in battle against Aristodemus the Good, the tyrant of Megalopolis. Pausanias, in speaking of his death, calls him the son of Cleonymus, but he has mistaken him for his grandfather, mentioned above. Areus and Acrotatus are accused by Phylarchus of having corrupted the simplicity of Spartan manners. He was succeeded by his son Areus II.
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Important facts
People in Acrotatus's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Acrotatus's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Acrotatus?
Agiad King of Sparta from 265 to 262 BC
When was Acrotatus born?
Acrotatus was born in 400 BC.
When did Acrotatus die?
Acrotatus died in 262 BC in Megalopolis.
What was Acrotatus's occupation?
Acrotatus was a ruler.
What nationality was Acrotatus?
Acrotatus's recorded nationality: Sparta.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Acrotatus (king of Sparta)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Acrotatus. https://biography.guide/acrotatus-ruler/
MLA: "Acrotatus." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/acrotatus-ruler/.
Chicago: "Acrotatus." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/acrotatus-ruler/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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