WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -If Herodotus is to be trusted, the ephors and the Gerusia, the Council of Elders, could give orders to the Spartan kings, note. and oversaw warfare. [Herodotus, Histories 9.76.] The ephors also received foreign ambassadors.

Detailed explanation-2: -The residents of Sparta were often called Lacedaemonians.

Detailed explanation-3: -Sparta was a diarchy, meaning it had two kings instead of the usual one within a monarchy. This is in great contrast to other ancient Greek city-states that usually only had one king until the Archaic period when most became republics or democracies. The kings were of two royal houses, the Agiadai and the Eurypontidai.

Detailed explanation-4: -One of the first oligarchies in history is that of Sparta, which developed the concept alongside its rival Athens, and essentially provided a counterpoint to Athenian democracy.