In ancient Greece, when the successor to the throne could not be determined, the Greeks used this method

The rulers of Greek city-states were either within the family, passed down through blood relationships, or were elected through democratic elections. However, when these methods failed to determine a successor, the city-state often sent representatives to Delphi to consult the god Apollo. 1. The Establishment of the Dual King System of Sparta 1. The existence of the "Dual King System" can be said to be the biggest difference in the political system between Sparta and other city-states in ancient Greece. According to legend, the two kings of Sparta came from the Agis family and the European The two families claimed to be descendants of Heracles. The reason why they jointly held the power of Sparta was because the Greeks generally equalized their property. It is assigned to each heir to inherit. This is completely a Greek-style family traceability. Greeks, especially ancient Greek nobles, are often accustomed to tracing their ancestors back to legendary heroes and even the gods they believe in. In this way, by tracing their ancestry, they themselves became descendants of heroes or gods. Obviously, the same was true of the kings of Sparta, who claimed to have the blood of Hercules flowing in them, which was better maintained in this way. The process of establishing the dual kingship of Sparta described by Herodotus in his "History" is not the same. Herodotus believes that according to Spartan tradition, the throne of Sparta. It should be inherited by the eldest son, but this tradition changed after the death of Aristodemus. 2. Regarding the death of Aristodemus, the accounts of Pausanias are different. According to records, Aristodemus died at Delphi before the Dorians returned to the Peloponnese. It is said that he was shot by the god Apollo before he could reach the oracle because he was coming. On the way he met Heracles, and learned from him how the Dorians could return to the Peloponnese. However, this legend is only an embellishment of the death of Aristodemus, who was actually killed by Pyrrha. The sons of Des and Electra, in an account of Apollodorus, were killed by lightning on the battlefield. The twin sons born were supposed to be posthumous, and in Herodotus's account, Aristodemus died of illness and lived to see his children. No matter which writer's account, Ari. After the death of Stodemus, the successor to the throne was undecided. Therefore, what Herodotus described: In order to make both of her sons kings, Algea claimed that she was not king. Knowing that the child was older, the Spartans were unable to determine which child was the eldest son, so they had no choice but to send people to Delphi for instructions on how to deal with the matter. Both were kings, but with more respect for the older one. The Spartans no longer worried about which of the twins should be their king, but they still had to figure out which one was the eldest, because The god Apollo told them to "have more respect for the older one." Herodotus wrote that they began to carefully observe the daily life of the mother and child, and finally determined the age of the child through the order in which the mother fed the child. . The Spartan dual monarchy was thus established. 3. In fact, the emergence of the Spartan dual monarchy was more adapted to the needs of Sparta’s social and political life at that time. The Spartan state was established in the process of conquest. . When the Spartans settled in the Laconia plain, they reduced the surrounding indigenous residents to frontiersmen with certain equal rights, also known as Pileasians. Most of the border residents were engaged in industry and commerce on weekdays. They had to pay taxes to the Spartans and serve in the army during wartime, but they had no political rights. The Spartans' excessive oppression aroused the dissatisfaction of the Pilians living in the southern Helo area. However, their resistance was quickly suppressed by the Spartans, and the power of these Pilians was completely The deprivation, including their freedom, became agricultural slaves who specialized in cultivating farmland for the Spartans - "Helots". This may be the origin of Helot slavery. The Spartans later conquered the entire Laconia In the process of conquering Asia, most of the conquered residents were reduced to Helots, and only a few residents were expelled to remote areas and became Pilians. This made the Spartans in the Spartan city-state. The proportion is getting smaller and smaller, and almost all Spartan males have to become soldiers and participate in battles. In this case, Sparta not only needs a general who can lead them in the battle to expand their territory. At the same time, they also needed a king who could give them a stable rear during war. Therefore, one ruler could no longer meet the needs of the expanding Sparta, and a dual king system came into being. They all had the position of Zeus priests during war; They can decide the country's foreign wars and peace. No Spartan can hinder them, otherwise they will be cursed. Because of this, Aristotle believes that the two kings of Sparta are called "" lifelong servants. Hereditary military commander" is more appropriate. 4. The Oracle of Delphi played a role that cannot be ignored in the establishment of the dual monarchy of Sparta. The Spartans were very devout in their belief in the Oracle of Delphi, which has Each of their kings had two Petioids, who were specially sent to Delphi to ask for instructions from the oracle. This can be seen from the fact that the Petioids had a high status in Sparta, and they were responsible for bringing the Delphi gods. The mission preserved by the decree can be used to dine with the kings, and the expenses will be borne by the city-state.

It was precisely because of the support and approval shown by the god Apollo for the Spartan dual kings that this system was easily accepted by the Spartans. 2. The Succession of Agesilaus After the Peloponnesian War, Leotigides, the heir to the throne of Sparta, was questioned because of his bloodline. In the battle for the throne, he was defeated by the younger brother of his father Agis. He eventually lost the throne at the hands of his uncle Agesilaus. During the reign of Agis, there were rumors that Leotykydes was not his son, but the illegitimate son of the exiled Athenian politician Alcibiades and his wife Timia. After this scandal was exposed, Agis never recognized Leotykides as his legitimate son. It was not until his death, after constant crying and begging, and the Achaeans who came from Heraya testified for him, that Agis admitted that Leotykides was his son, but this There was no guarantee that Leotigides could successfully inherit the throne. After Agis's death, Agesilaus and Leotychides began to compete for the throne. People began to enthusiastically discuss who was more suitable, he or Agesilaus. At this time, the oracle requested from Delphi prompted people to pay more attention to this matter. Attention! Proud Spartans, heed the warning I am giving you. Never let the sound of lame feet ring in the kingdom. You will suffer for a long time; the fighting will begin, and the waves of war will overwhelm the people. Eventually, Agesilaus ascended to the throne with the help of Lysander. Because Lysander made people believe that ""lameness"" does not refer to physical disability, but to impure blood. Therefore, Leotigides should give way. The reason why Lysander helped Agesilaus was also to achieve his own goals. Purpose. Lysander has always wanted to abolish the dual monarchy of Sparta, replace it with an electoral system, and then ascend to the throne through election to complete his plan to implement personal dictatorship. However, the Spartans have always followed Lycurgus's plan very firmly. Legislation, devoutly followed the instructions of the Oracle of Delphi, and when Agis was alive, the two kings did not give him any opportunity to achieve his own goals by bribing the priests of the Oracle of Delphi. However, the people of Delphi who had experienced the bribery incident of Cleomenes began to be wary of similar things. Lysander's bribery did not succeed, and this time he wanted to take advantage of the replacement of the king of Sparta by supporting a new king. However, Agesilaus did not do what Lysander wanted, but became a strong and independent king. He firmly abided by the laws established by Lycurgus. Lysander's conspiracy failed again. 3. The tyrant rule of Sigon was around the end of the 7th century BC. The Sigon envoys who went to Delphi to deliver sacrifices received such an oracle from the Pythian priestess: They would be whipped. The reign lasted for a hundred years. When they further asked the gods who waved the whip to them, the priestess replied: After they returned to land, the first person to hear the birth of a son in the family was finally traveling with the mission. This is confirmed by Andreas, the cook. It is said that Osagoras, the son of Andreas, was the first tyrant of Greece and it was from him that his family began its history in Greece. The reign of Ang lasted for more than a hundred years. This family's rule can be said to be the longest among the tyrants in Greece. Aristotle said that the rule of Osagoras and his descendants lasted for more than a hundred years. Their family ruled as a tyrant from 676 BC until 556 BC, which lasted for 120 years. After Osagoras, Andreas' eldest son Milon became a tyrant, but in the seventh century. In the first year, he was killed by his brother Aesodemus and took the throne, and Aesodemus was replaced by their brother Cleisthenes who returned from Libya. Cleisthenes became a tyrant and ruled for 31 years. .

References: Xu Yuanyuan "Study on the Oracle of Delphi" Cheng Xi, Li Yingqing "The Religion of the Athenians and the Formation of Athenian Democratic Politics" Jiang Pu, Wei Qingzheng "A Brief Introduction to the Oracle of Delphi" Wei Na "The Irreversible "Oracle""