Kadmos in Sparta

Ancient traditions about Kadmos were invariably tied to the city of Thebes. Herodotus relates however the heroic genealogy of a clan in Sparta that prided itself of its Kadmeian origins: the Aigeidai, labelled by Herodotus “a great tribe in Sparta”. This article sets out to trace the deep traditions that informed the heroic genealogy of the Aigeidai. Disentangling the web of narratives and charting its strands in chronological sequence, the article shows how traditions about the leading figures in the genealogy of the Aigeidai were not only rooted in different locations, but in close conversation with the local environment from which they emerged. In the final section, the article offers an essentializing interpretation of the tradition: it shows the Aigeidai, a warrior band initially coming from Thebes, as a prominent clan in Sparta that asserted itself, with remarkable resilience, against Heraklid claims to prestige and leadership.