Editing Cynisca (section)

==Early life==
[[File:Cynisca by Sophie de Renneville.jpg|329x329px|thumb|Illustration for [[Sophie de Renneville]], ''Biographie des femmes illustres de Rome, de la Grèce, et du Bas-Empire'' (Paris, 1825)]]
Cynisca was born in the [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] city-state of [[Sparta]] probably born around 440 BC.{{Sfn|Cartledge|2013}} A member of the [[List of kings of Sparta|Eurypontid dynasty]], she was the daughter of King [[Archidamus II]] and his wife [[Eupolia]]. She was probably half-sister to [[Agis II]] ({{Reign|427|400}} BC) and full sister to [[Agesilaus II]] ({{Reign|400|360}} BC), both of whom succeeded their father as a kings of Sparta.{{Sfn|Kyle|2003|p=184}} She had a sister named Proauga.{{Sfn|Pomeroy|2002|p=21}} In her childhood, Cynisca may have earned some experience in sporting from Sparta's female physical education curriculum (equivalent to boys' ''[[agoge]]''), which she presumably attended.<ref>{{Harvnb|Kyle|2003|p=184}}; {{Harvnb|Cartledge|2013}}</ref> Coming from a wealthy family, she could own racehorses. According to [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], Cynisca was the first woman to breed horses and was exceedingly ambitious to succeed at the Olympic Games.{{Sfn|Pomeroy|2002|p=23}}<ref name="Pausanias3">[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], ''Description of Greece'', [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+3.8 3.8.1–3].</ref>

Several sources from [[Xenophon]] and [[Plutarch]] mention how Agesilaus encouraged her to breed horses and compete in the games during her youth. However, his motivations for doing so have recently been debated. According to these ancient sources, Agesilaus supposedly viewed success in chariot racing as a victory without merit. Unlike other events, where a man's bravery and virtue were the decisive factors, he believed that chariot racing merely demonstrated wealth, as it required no direct involvement from the horses' owner. Both of these ancient authors suggested that Agesilaus hoped to expose how the sport was unmanly and aristocratic by having a woman win. Though in reality, Cynisca's victories did not stop wealthy Spartans from engaging in the sport.<ref>[[Xenophon]], ''Minor Works'', Agesilaus 9.1 §6.</ref><ref>[[Plutarch]], ''[[Parallel Lives]]'', Agesilaus 20.1</ref> Several modern scholars, on the other hand, have theorized that Agesilaus' motivations were more practical. They suspect that he was using her victories and wealth to promote his own political career and gain public support through association, rather than providing a moral lesson.<ref name=":23">Millender, Ellen G., "Spartan Women" p. 500-525. In ''A Companion to Sparta,'' edited by Anton Powell, Vol. 1 of ''A Companion to Sparta.'' Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell, 2018.</ref> The evidence provided to support this theory is that Cynisca's two Olympic victories would have also brought fame to Agesilaus and to the wider [[Eurypontid]] house. Additionally, the establishment of Cynisca's [[Greek hero cult|hero-cult]] after her death could suggest that Agesilaus was still making use of his sister's fame even after her death. '''<ref name=":23"/>'''