«Allo scopo di abbattere la dignità regale». Filippo II di Macedonia e la diarchia spartana

The wish to overthrow the royal dignity, that is the Spartan diarchy, is explicitly mentioned by Isyllus of Epidaurus as the reason for the expedition against Sparta led by Philip, certainly to be identified with the Macedon Philip II. It has generally been argued that this statement of Isyllus should not be taken literally. Nonetheless, in the light of ancient sources, in which the Spartan apophthegmata also play an important role, the present paper aims at reassessing Isyllus’ statement, especially since there is reason to believe that in 337, roughly simultaneously with the expedition of Philip II, a Spartan king was actually dethroned.