Twenty-eight elders, excluding Sparta’s two kings, served on the Gerousia.
The Gerousia was Sparta’s council of elders and one of the central institutions of its constitution. It consisted of 28 men aged at least 60, together with the two hereditary kings, making 30 members in total. The elders were elected by the Spartan citizen assembly and held office for life.
The council prepared proposals for the assembly and had an important role in judicial matters. It could also act as a powerful conservative check on other institutions. The kings participated in the council because Sparta maintained a dual monarchy, but they were not included in the number 28 normally given for the elected elders.
The age requirement is a frequent source of confusion. Spartan men entered the agoge as children, served in the citizen system as adults, and could become eligible for the Gerousia only after reaching 60. The council therefore represented senior citizen authority rather than a broad elected legislature.