戈尔戈是斯巴达国王克莱奥门尼斯一世（520-490）的唯一女儿。她也是他的继承人。斯巴达有一对世袭国王。两个统治家族中的一个是阿吉德家族。这就是戈戈所属的家庭。

克莱奥门尼斯可能自杀身亡，被认为是不稳定的，但他帮助斯巴达在伯罗奔尼撒之外取得了卓越的地位。

斯巴达可能给予了希腊家族中罕见的女性权利，但作为继承人并不意味着戈尔戈可以成为克莱奥门尼斯的继承人。

希罗多德在5.48节中指定戈尔戈为克莱奥门尼斯的继承人：

" In this manner Dorieos ended his life: but if he had endured to be a subject of Cleomenes and had remained in Sparta, he would have been king of Lacedemon; for Cleomenes reigned no very long time, and died leaving no son to succeed him but a daughter only, whose name was Gorgo."

克莱奥门尼斯国王在位时，他的继任者是他的同父异母兄弟列奥尼达斯。戈戈在49世纪末与他结婚，当时她才十几岁。

戈戈是另一位阿吉德国王普莱斯塔库斯的母亲。

戈戈的重要性

作为继承人或帕特鲁恰斯会使戈尔戈引人注目，但希罗多德表明她也是一个聪明的年轻女子。

戈尔戈的智慧

戈尔戈警告她的父亲不要让一位名叫阿里斯塔戈拉斯的外国外交官，他是米勒图斯人，试图说服克莱奥门尼斯支持爱奥尼亚人反抗波斯人。言不由衷，他提出了一大笔贿赂。戈戈警告她的父亲把阿里斯塔戈拉赶走，以免他腐蚀他。

Cleomenes accordingly having so said went away to his house: but Aristagoras took the suppliant's branch and went to the house of Cleomenes; and having entered in as a suppliant, he bade Cleomenes send away the child and listen to him; for the daughter of Cleomenes was standing by him, whose name was Gorgo, and this as it chanced was his only child, being of the age now of eight or nine years. Cleomenes however bade him say that which he desired to say, and not to stop on account of the child. Then Aristagoras proceeded to promise him money, beginning with ten talents, if he would accomplish for him that for which he was asking; and when Cleomenes refused, Aristagoras went on increasing the sums of money offered, until at last he had promised fifty talents, and at that moment the child cried out: "Father, the stranger will do thee hurt,[38] if thou do not leave him and go." Cleomenes, then, pleased by the counsel of the child, departed into another room, and Aristagoras went away from Sparta altogether, and had no opportunity of explaining any further about the way up from the sea to the residence of the king. Herodotus 5.51

戈尔戈最令人印象深刻的功绩是了解到有一条秘密信息，并将其定位在一块空白的蜡质平板下面。这条消息警告斯巴达人波斯人的威胁迫在眉睫。

I will return now to that point of my narrative where it remained unfinished. The Lacedemonians had been informed before all others that the king was preparing an expedition against Hellas; and thus it happened that they sent to the Oracle at Delphi, where that reply was given them which I reported shortly before this. And they got this information in a strange manner; for Demaratos the son of Ariston after he had fled for refuge to the Medes was not friendly to the Lacedemonians, as I am of opinion and as likelihood suggests supporting my opinion; but it is open to any man to make conjecture whether he did this thing which follows in a friendly spirit or in malicious triumph over them. When Xerxes had resolved to make a campaign against Hellas, Demaratos, being in Susa and having been informed of this, had a desire to report it to the Lacedemonians. Now in no other way was he able to signify it, for there was danger that he should be discovered, but he contrived thus, that is to say, he took a folding tablet and scraped off the wax which was upon it, and then he wrote the design of the king upon the wood of the tablet, and having done so he melted the wax and poured it over the writing, so that the tablet (being carried without writing upon it) might not cause any trouble to be given by the keepers of the road. Then when it had arrived at Lacedemon, the Lacedemonians were not able to make conjecture of the matter; until at last, as I am informed, Gorgo, the daughter of Cleomenes and wife of Leonidas, suggested a plan of which she had herself thought, bidding them scrape the wax and they would find writing upon the wood; and doing as she said they found the writing and read it, and after that they sent notice to the other Hellenes. These things are said to have come to pass in this manner. Herodotus 7.239ff

神话中的戈尔戈

有一个早期的戈尔戈，希腊神话中的戈尔戈，在《伊利亚特》和《奥德赛》、赫西奥德、品达、欧里庇得斯、维吉尔和奥维德以及其他古代资料中都提到过。这只蛇发女怪，独自一人，或与她的兄弟姐妹，在地下世界或利比亚，或其他地方，与蛇发女怪中唯一的凡人——蛇发、强大、可怕的美杜莎有关。

来源

• 卡尔利奇，保罗，斯巴达人。纽约：2003年。古董书。