Sentence:  Moreover, as he[Cleomenes] was laying his plans, he was given a sign that he had divine sanction—an <WSD>ephor</WSD> told him that he had had a dream in which the <WSD>ephors</WSD>' chairs had been removed and a divine voice told him that this was best for Sparta. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  One of the five annually-elected senior magistrates in various Dorian states, especially in ancient Sparta, where they oversaw the actions of Spartan kings.