54.14. Some time after his death, when a dispute arose regarding a certain alliance, Agesilaus came to Lysander’s house to examine the documents in regard to this, for Lysander had kept these at his own house. Agesilaus found also a book written by Lysander in regard to the government, to this effect: that the citizens should take away the kingship from the Eurypontids and the Agiads and put it up for election, and make their choice from the best men, so that this high honour should belong not to those who were descended from Heracles, but to men like Heracles, who should be selected for their excellence; for it was because of such excellence that Heracles was exalted to divine honours. This document Agesilaus was bent upon publishing to the citizens, and demonstrating what kind of a citizen Lysander had been in secret, and with the purpose also of discrediting the friends of Lysander. But they say that Cratidas, who at that time was at the head of the Ephors, anxious lest, if the speech should be read, it might convert the people to this way of thinking, restrained Agesilaus and said that he ought not to disinter Lysander, but to inter the speech along with him, since it was composed with a vicious purpose and in a plausible vein.
54.14. ταῦτα γὰρ παρʼ αὑτῷ κατέσχεν ὁ Λύσανδρος. εὗρε δὲ καὶ βιβλίον γεγραμμένον τῷ Λυσάνδρῳ περὶ τῆς πολιτείας, ὡς χρὴ τῶν Εὐρυπωντιδῶν καὶ Ἀγιαδῶν τὴν βασιλείαν ἀφελομένους εἰς μέσον θεῖναι καὶ ποιεῖσθαι τὴν αἵρεσιν ἐκ τῶν ἀρίστων, ἵνα μὴ τῶν ἀφʼ Ἡρακλέους, ἀλλʼ οἷος Ἡρακλῆς τῇ ἀρετῇ κρινομένων, τὸ γέρας ᾖ, ᾗ κἀκεῖνος εἰς θεῶν τιμὰς ἀνήχθη. καὶ τοῦτον τὸν λόγον ὥρμησε μὲν εἰς τοὺς πολίτας ἐξενεγκεῖν καὶ παραδεικνύναι τὸν Λύσανδρον οἷος ὢν πολίτης διαλανθάνοι, καὶ ἐπὶ διαβολῇ τῶν Λυσάνδρου φίλων. Κρατίδην δέ φασι τότε προεστῶτα τῶν ἐφόρων, εὐλαβηθέντα μὴ πείσῃ ἀναγνωσθεὶς ὁ λόγος, ἐπιλαβέσθαι τοῦ Ἀγησιλάου καὶ εἰπεῖν ὡς οὐ δεῖ ἀνορύττειν τὸν Λύσανδρον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν λόγον αὐτῷ συγκατορύττειν, πανούργως καὶ πιθανῶς συντεταγμένον.
54.15. The suitors of his daughters, when after his death he was found to be a poor man, renounced their obligations; but the Ephors punished them because when they thought he was rich they courted his favour, but when they found from his poverty that he was just and honest they disdained him.
54.15. τοὺς δὲ μνηστεύσαντας αὐτοῦ τὰς θυγατέρας, εἶτα μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν πένητος εὑρεθέντος ἀπειπαμένους, ἐζημίωσαν οἱ ἔφοροι, ὅτι πλούσιον μὲν νομίζοντες ἐθεράπευον, δίκαιον δὲ καὶ χρηστὸν ἐκ τῆς πενίας ἐπιγνόντες ὑπερεῖδον.
55.1. Namertes was sent as an ambassador, and when one of the people in that country congratulated him because he had many friends, he asked if this man had any sure means of testing the man of many friends; and when the other desired to learn, Namertes said, “By means of misfortune.”
55.1. Ναμέρτης πρεσβευτὴς ἀποσταλείς, μακαρίζοντός τινος αὐτὸν τῶν ἐκεῖθι διότι πολύφιλος εἴη, ἠρώτησεν εἰ δοκίμιον ἔχει τίνι τρόπῳ πειράζεται ὁ πολύφιλος· ἐπιζητοῦντος δὲ θατέρου μαθεῖν, ἀτυχίᾳ εἶπεν.
56.1. Nicander, when someone said that the Argives were speaking ill of him, said, “Well then, they are paying the penalty for speaking ill of the good!”
56.1. Νίκανδρος, εἰπόντος τινὸς ὅτι κακῶς αὐτὸν λέγουσιν Ἀργεῖοι, οὐκοῦν ἔφη δίκην τίνουσι τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς κακῶς λέγοντες.
56.2. When someone inquired why the Spartans wore their hair long and cultivated beards, he said, “Because for a man his own adornment is the very best and cheapest.”
56.2. πυθομένου δέ τινος διὰ τί κομῶσι καὶ πωγωνοτροφοῦσιν, ὅτι ἔφη πάντων κάλλιστος καὶ ἀδαπανώτατος ἀνδρὶ ὁ ἴδιος κόσμος.
56.3. When one of the Athenians said, “Nicander, you Spartans insist too much on your principle of doing no work,” he said, “Quite true; we do not make work of this thing or that thing in your haphazard fashion.”
56.3. τῶν Ἀθηναίων δὲ εἰπόντος τινὸς λίαν ἀντέχεσθε, ὦ Νίκανδρε, τοῦ σχολάζειν, ἀληθίζῃ ἔφη ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὥσπερ ὑμεῖς ὅπως τύχοι σπουδάζομεν.
57.1. Panthoedas went on embassy to Asia and when they pointed out to him a very strong wall he said, “By Heaven, strangers, fine quarters for women!”
57.1. Πανθοίδας πρεσβεύων εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν, ἐπιδεικνύντων αὐτῷ τεῖχος ἐχυρόν, εἶπε νὴ τοὺς θεούς, ὦ ξένοι, καλὴ γυναικωνῖτις.
57.2. When the philosophers in the Academy were conversing long and seriously, and afterwards some people asked Panthoidas how their conversation impressed him, he said, “What else than serious? But there is no good in it unless you put it to use.”
57.2. ἐν Ἀκαδημείᾳ δὲ τῶν φιλοσόφων διαλεγομένων πολλὰ καὶ σπουδαῖα, ἐπερωτώντων δὲ τὸν Πανθοίδαν μετὰ ταῦτα τί δοκοῦσιν αὐτῷ οἱ λόγοι οὗτοι εἶναι, τί δʼ ἄλλο ἔφη ἢ σπουδαῖοι; ὄφελος δʼ οὐδέν, μὴ χρωμένων ὑμῶν αὐτοῖς.
58.1. Pausanias, son of Cleombrotus, at the time when the people of Delos were asserting their rightful claims to the island against the Athenians, and said that according to the law which prevailed among them there were no births and no burials in the island, said, “How can this be your native land in which no one of you has ever been born nor shall ever be hereafter?”
58.1. Παυσανίας ὁ Κλεομβρότου, Δηλίων δικαιολογουμένων περὶ τῆς νήσου πρὸς Ἀθηναίους καὶ λεγόντων, ὅτι κατὰ τὸν νόμον τὸν παρʼ αὐτοῖς οὔθʼ αἱ γυναῖκες ἐν τῇ νήσῳ τίκτουσιν οὔθʼ οἱ τελευτήσαντες θάπτονται, πῶς ἂν οὖν ἔφη αὕτη πατρὶς ὑμῶν εἴη, ἐν ᾗ οὔτε γέγονέ τις ὑμῶν οὔτʼ ἔσται;
58.2. When the exiles were inciting him to lead his army against the Athenians, and saying that, when his name was proclaimed at Olympia, they were the only people who hissed him, he said, “What do you think that those who hissed when they were being well treated will do if they are treated ill?”
58.2. τῶν δὲ φυγάδων αὐτὸν προτρεπομένων ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἄγειν τὴν στρατιὰν λεγόντων τε ὅτι τοῖς Ὀλυμπίοις ἀνακηρυττομένου αὐτοῦ, ἐσύριττον αὐτὸν μόνοι, τί οὖν οἴεσθε ἔφη τοὺς ὅτε εὖ ἔπασχον συρίττοντας παθόντας κακῶς ποιήσειν;
58.3. When someone inquired why the Spartans had made Tyrtaeus the poet a citizen, he said, “So that a stranger shall never appear as our leader.”
58.3. πυνθανομένου δέ τινος διὰ τί Τυρταῖον τὸν ποιητὴν ἐποιήσαντο πολίτην, ὅπως ἔφη μηδέποτε ξένος φαίνηται ἡμῶν ἡγεμών.
58.4. In answer to the man who was weak in body, but was urging that they risk a battle against the enemy by both land and sea, he said, “Are you willing to strip yourself and show what kind of a man you are — you who advise us to fight?”
58.4. πρὸς δὲ τὸν ἀσθενῆ μὲν τῷ σώματι, συμβουλεύοντα δὲ πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν διακινδυνεύειν, θέλεις οὖν ἔφη δεῖξαι σεαυτὸν ἐκδύς, οἷος ὢν ἡμῖν μάχεσθαι συμβουλεύεις;
58.5. When some people were amazed at the costliness of the raiment found among the spoils of the barbarians, he said that it would have been better for them to be themselves men of worth than to possess things of worth.
58.5. θαυμαζόντων δέ τινων ἐν τοῖς λαφύροις τῶν βαρβάρων τὴν πολυτέλειαν τῆς ἐσθῆτος, κρεῖσσον ἔφη αὐτοὺς εἶναι πολλοῦ ἀξίους ἢ κεκτῆσθαι πολλοῦ ἄξια.
58.6. After the victory at Plataea over the Persians he ordered that the dinner which had been prepared for the Persians should be served to himself and his officers. As this had a wondrous sumptuousness, he said, “By Heaven, the Persian was a greedy fellow who, when he had all this, came after our barley-cake.”
58.6. μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐν Πλαταιαῖς κατὰ Μήδων γενομένην νίκην τοῖς ἀμφʼ αὑτὸν ἐκέλευσε τὸ προητοιμασμένον Περσικὸν δεῖπνον παραθεῖναι· τούτου δὲ θαυμαστὴν πολυτέλειαν ἔχοντος, νὴ τοὺς θεούς ἔφη λίχνος ἦν ὁ Πέρσης, ὅτι τοσαῦτα ἔχων ἐπὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἦλθε μᾶζαν.
59.1. Pausanias, the son of Pleistoanax, in answer to the question why it was not permitted to change any of the ancient laws in their country, said, “Because the laws ought to have authority over the men, and not the men over the laws.”
59.1. Παυσανίας ὁ Πλειστώνακτος πρὸς τὸν ἐρωτήσαντα, διὰ τί τῶν ἀρχαίων νόμων οὐδένα κινεῖν ἔξεστι παρʼ αὐτοῖς, ὅτι τοὺς νόμους ἔφη τῶν ἀνδρῶν, οὐ τοὺς ἄνδρας τῶν νόμων κυρίους εἶναι δεῖ.
59.2. When, in Tegea, after he had been exiled, he commended the Spartans, someone said, “Why did you not stay in Sparta instead of going into exile?” And he said, “Because physicians, too, are wont to spend their time, not among the healthy, but where the sick are.”
59.2. ἐπαινοῦντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐν Τεγέᾳ μετὰ τὴν φυγὴν τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους, εἶπέ τις διὰ τί οὖν οὐκ ἔμενες ἐν Σπάρτῃ ἀλλʼ ἔφυγες; ὅτι οὐδʼ οἱ ἰατροί ἔφη παρὰ τοῖς ὑγιαίνουσιν, ὅπου δὲ οἱ νοσοῦντες, διατρίβειν εἰώθασιν.
59.3. When someone inquired of him how they could become able to conquer the Thracians, he said, “If we should make the best man our general.”
59.3. πυνθανομένου δέ τινος αὐτοῦ, πῶς ἂν δυνηθεῖεν τοὺς Θρᾷκας νικῆσαι, εἰ τὸν ἄριστον εἶπε στρατηγὸν καταστήσαιμεν.
59.4. When a physician paid him a visit and said, “You have nothing wrong with you,” he said, “No, for I do not employ you as my physician.”
59.4. ἰατροῦ δʼ ἐπισκεπτομένου αὐτὸν καὶ εἰπόντος οὐδὲν κακὸν ἔχεις, οὐ γάρ σοὶ ἔφη ἰατρῷ χρῶμαι.
59.5. When one of his friends blamed him because he spoke ill of a certain physician, although he had never had anything to do with him, and had not suffered any harm at his hands, he said, “Because if I had ever had anything to do with him I should not now be alive.”
59.5. μεμφομένου δέ τινος αὐτὸν τῶν φίλων, διότι ἰατρόν τινα κακῶς λέγει, πεῖραν οὐκ ἔχων αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ ἀδικηθείς τι, ὅτι εἶπεν εἰ ἔλαβον αὐτοῦ πεῖραν οὐκ ἂν ἔζων.
59.6. When the physician said to him, “You have lived to be an old man,” he said, “That is because I never employed you as my physician.”
59.6. τοῦ δὲ ἰατροῦ εἰπόντος αὐτῷ γέρων γέγονας, διότι εἶπεν οὐκ ἐχρησάμην σοὶ ἰατρῷ.
59.7. He said that the best physician was the man who did not allow his patients to rot, but buried them quickly.
59.7. κράτιστον δέ, ἔλεγε, τοῦτον ἰατρὸν εἶναι, τὸν μὴ κατασήποντα τοὺς ἀρρωστοῦντας ἀλλὰ τάχιστα θάπτοντα.
60.1. Paedaretus, when someone said that the enemy were many in number, remarked, “Then we shall be the more famous, for we shall kill more men.”
60.1. Παιδάρητος, λέγοντός τινος ὅτι πολλοὶ εἴησαν οἱ πολέμιοι, οὐκοῦν ἔφη ἡμεῖς εὐκλεέστεροι ἐσόμεθα· πλείους γὰρ ἀποκτενοῦμεν.
60.2. Seeing a certain man who was effeminate by nature, but was commended by the citizens for his moderation, he said, “People should not praise men who are like to women nor women who are like to men, unless some necessity overtake the woman.”
60.2. ἰδὼν δέ τινα τῇ μὲν φύσει μαλακὸν διʼ ἐπιείκειαν δὲ ἐπαινούμενον ὑπὸ τῶν πολιτῶν, ἔφη οὔτε ἄνδρας γυναιξὶν ὁμοίους ὄντας ἐπαινεῖν δεῖ οὔτε γυναῖκας ἀνδράσιν, ἐὰν μὴ τὴν γυναῖκα χρεία τις καταλάβῃ.
60.3. When he was not chosen as one of the three hundred, which was rated as the highest honour in the State, he went away cheerful and smiling; but when the Ephors called him back, and asked why he was laughing, he said, “Because I congratulate the State for having three hundred citizens better than myself.”
60.3. οὐκ ἐγκριθεὶς δʼ εἰς τοὺς τριακοσίους, ἥτις ἐν τῇ πόλει πρωτεύουσα τιμὴ τῇ τάξει ἦν, ἱλαρὸς καὶ μειδιῶν ἀπῄει· ἀνακαλεσαμένων δʼ αὐτὸν τῶν ἐφόρων καὶ πυνθανομένων διότι γελᾷ, εἶπε διότι συγχαίρω τῇ πόλει τριακοσίους κρείττονάς μου πολίτας ἐχούσῃ.
61.1. Pleistarchus the son of Leonidas, in answer to one who asked him for what reason they did not take their titles from the names of the first kings, said, “Because the first kings needed to be absolute monarchs, but those who followed them had no such need.”
61.1. Πλείσταρχος ὁ Λεωνίδου πρὸς τὸν ἐπερωτήσαντα, διὰ τίνα αἰτίαν οὐκ ἀπὸ τῶν πρώτων βασιλέων προσαγορεύονται, ὅτι ἔφη ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἄγειν ἢ βασιλεύειν ἔχρῃζον, οἱ δʼ ἐκείνων ὕστεροι οὐδαμῶς.
61.2. When a certain advocate kept making jests, he said, “You had better be on your guard, my friend, against jesting all the time, lest you become a jest yourself, just as those who wrestle all the time become wrestlers.”
61.2. συνηγόρου δέ τινος γελοῖα λέγοντος, οὐ φυλάξῃ ὦ ξένε ἔφη συνεχῶς γελοιάζων, ὅπως μὴ γελοῖος γένῃ, ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ συνεχῶς παλαίοντες παλαισταί;
61.3. In retort to the man who imitated a nightingale, he said, “My friend, I have had more pleasure in hearing the nightingale itself.”
61.3. πρὸς δὲ τὸν ἀηδόνα μιμούμενον ἥδιον ἔφη ὦ ξένε αὐτῆς ἄκουσα τῆς ἀηδόνος.
61.4. When someone said that a certain evil-speaker was commending him, he said, “I wonder whether possibly someone may not have told him that I was dead; for the man can never say a good word of anybody who is alive.”
61.4. λέγοντος δέ τινος, ὅτι κακολόγος τις αὐτὸν ἐπῄνει θαυμάζω ἔφη εἰ μή τις αὐτῷ εἶπεν ὅτι ἀπέθανον· ζῶντα γὰρ ἐκεῖνος οὐδένα καλῶς λέξαι δύναται.
62.1. Pleistoanax, the son of Pausanias, when an Attic orator called the Spartans unlearned, said, “You are quite right, for we alone of the Greeks have learned no evil from you.”
62.1. Πλειστῶναξ ὁ Παυσανίου, Ἀττικοῦ τινος ῥήτορος τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἀμαθεῖς ἀποκαλοῦντος, ὀρθῶς ἔφη λέγεις μόνοι γὰρ Ἑλλήνων ἡμεῖς οὐδὲν κακὸν μεμαθήκαμεν παρʼ ὑμῶν.
63.1. Polydorus, the son of Alcamenes, when a certain man was continually making threats against his enemies, said, “Don’t you see that you are using up the best part of your vengeance?”
63.1. Πολύδωρος ὁ Ἀλκαμένους, ἀπειλοῦντός τινος τοῖς ἐχθροῖς συχνά, οὐ συνίης ἔφη τῆς τιμωρίας τὸ πλεῖστον καταναλίσκων μέρος;
63.2. As he was leading out his army to Messene, someone asked him if he was going to fight against his brothers. He said that he was not, but was merely proceeding to the unassigned portion of the land.
63.2. ἐξάγοντος δʼ αὐτοῦ τὸ στράτευμα ἐπὶ Μεσσήνην, ἤρετό τις εἰ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μάχεσθαι μέλλει, οὐκ ἔφη ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκλήρωτον τῆς χώρας βαδίζει.
63.3. The Argives, after the battle of the three hundred, were again overcome, with all their forces, in a set battle, and the allies urged Polydorus not to let slip the opportunity, but to make a descent upon the enemy’s wall and capture their city; for this, they said, would be very easy, since the men had been destroyed and the women only were left. He said in answer to them, “To my mind it is honourable, when fighting on even terms, to conquer our opponents, but, after having fought to settle the boundaries of the country, to desire to capture the city I do not regard as just; for I came to recapture territory and not to capture a city.”
63.3. Ἀργείων δὲ πάλιν μετὰ τὴν τῶν τριακοσίων μάχην ἐκ παρατάξεως πανδημεὶ κρατηθέντων, τὸν Πολύδωρον οἱ σύμμαχοι παρεκελεύοντο μὴ παρεῖναι τὸν καιρόν, ἀλλʼ ἐπελθόντα τῷ τείχει τῶν πολεμίων τὴν πόλιν ἑλεῖν· ῥᾷστον γὰρ ἔσεσθαι, τῶν μὲν ἀνδρῶν ἀπολωλότων, τῶν γυναικῶν δὲ ἀπολελειμμένων ἔφη οὖν πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὸ μὲν ἐκ τοῦ ἴσου μαχόμενον νικᾶν τοὺς ἐναντιουμένους ἐστί μοι καλόν, τὸ δʼ ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅρων τῶν τῆς χώρας μεμαχημένον τὴν πόλιν ἐπιθυμεῖν λαβεῖν οὐ δίκαιον τίθεμαι εἶναι· ἦλθον γὰρ χώραν ἀπολαβεῖν οὐ καταλαβέσθαι πόλιν.
63.4. Being asked why the Spartans risked their lives so bravely in war, he said, “Because they have learned to respect their commanders and not to fear them.”
63.4. ἐρωτηθεὶς δὲ διὰ τί Σπαρτιᾶται κατὰ πόλεμον κινδυνεύουσιν ἀνδρείως, ὅτι ἔφη αἰδεῖσθαι τοὺς ἡγεμόνας ἔμαθον οὐ φοβεῖσθαι.
64.1. Polycratidas was sent, along with others, as ambassador to the king’s generals, and when these asked whether they were there as private citizens or had been sent as public representatives, he said, “If we succeed, public; if not, private.”
64.1. Πολυκρατίδας πρεσβεύων πρὸς τοὺς βασιλέως στρατηγοὺς μεθʼ ἑτέρων, ἐρομένων αὐτῶν πότερον ἰδίᾳ πάρεισιν ἢ δημοσίᾳ ἐπέμφθησαν, αἴκα τύχωμεν, δημοσίᾳ εἶπεν εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἰδίᾳ.
65.1. Phoebidas, before the hazardous engagement at Leuctra, when some remarked that this day would show the brave man, said that the day was worth much if it had the power to show the brave man.
65.1. Φοιβίδας, πρὸ τοῦ κινδύνου τοῦ Λευκτρικοῦ λεγόντων τινῶν δείξειν τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην τὸν ἀγαθόν, πολλοῦ τὴν ἡμέραν ἔφησεν ἀξίαν εἶναι, δυναμένην τὸν ἀγαθὸν δεῖξαι.
66.1. The story is told that Soils, being besieged by the Cleitorians in a rugged and waterless stronghold, agreed to give up to them the land which he had captured by the spear if all the men with him should drink from the neighbouring spring. This spring the enemy were guarding. When the oaths had been exchanged, he got together his men and offered the kingdom to the man who would not drink; however no one had the strength to resist, but they all drank; whereupon he came down after all the rest, and sprinkled himself, the enemy still being present, and went back and took possession of the land on the ground that he had not drunk.
66.1. σόον λέγεται ἐν χωρίῳ χαλεπῷ καὶ ἀνύδρῳ πολιορκούμενον ὑπὸ Κλειτορίων ὁμολογῆσαι τὴν δορίκτητον αὐτοῖς ἂν ἀφεῖναι γῆν, εἰ πίοιεν οἱ μετʼ αὐτοῦ πάντες ἀπὸ τῆς πλησίον πηγῆς· ἐφρούρουν δʼ αὐτὴν οἱ πολέμιοι. γενομένων δὲ τῶν ὅρκων, συναγαγόντα τοὺς μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ διδόναι τῷ μὴ πιόντι τὴν βασιλείαν· οὐδενὸς δὲ καρτερήσαντος ἀλλὰ πάντων πιόντων, αὐτὸν ἐπὶ πᾶσι καταβάντα καὶ περιρρανάμενον, ἔτι τῶν πολεμίων παρόντων, ἀπελθεῖν καὶ τὴν χώραν κατασχεῖν ὡς μὴ πιόντα.
67.1. Teleclus, in answer to the man who said that Teleclus’s father was speaking ill of him, said, “If he had had no cause to speak, he would not have spoken.”
67.1. Τήλεκλος πρὸς τὸν εἰπόντα, ὅτι ὁ πατὴρ λέγει κακῶς αὐτόν, εἰ μὴ αὐτῷ ἔφη λεκτέον ἦν, οὐκ ἂν ἔλεγεν.
67.2. When his brother said to him that the citizens did not comport themselves toward himself as they did toward the king (although he was of the same family), but with much less consideration, he said, “The reason is, you do not know how to submit to injustice, and I do.”
67.2. εἰπόντος δὲ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ, ὅτι οὐχ ὁμοίως αὐτῷ προσφέρονται οἱ πολῖται ὡς ἐκείνῳ ὄντι ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν, ἀγνωμονέστερον δέ, εἶπε σὺ γὰρ οὐκ οἶδας ἀδικεῖσθαι, ἐγὼ δέ.
67.3. Being asked why it was the custom among them for the younger men to rise up and give place to the elder, he said, “So that, having this attitude regarding honour toward those who are not related to them, they may pay greater honour to their parents.”
67.3. ἐρωτηθεὶς δὲ διὰ τί ἔθος παρʼ αὐτοῖς ἐστι τοὺς νεωτέρους τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις ἐξανίστασθαι, ὅπως ἔφη περὶ τοὺς μὴ προσήκοντας οὕτως ἔχοντες τιμῆς μᾶλλον τιμῶσι τοὺς γονέας.
67.4. When someone inquired how much property he possessed, he said, “Not more than enough.”
67.4. πυθομένου δέ τινος πόσην κέκτηται οὐσίαν, ἔφη οὐ πλείω τῆς ἱκανῆς.
68.1. Charillus, being asked why Lycurgus made so few laws, said, “Because those who use few words have need of but few laws.” When someone inquired why they took their girls into public places unveiled, but their married women veiled, he said, “Because the girls have to find husbands, and the married women have to keep to those who have them!”
68.1. Χάριλλος ἐρωτηθεὶς διὰ τί τοὺς νόμους ὁ Λυκοῦργος οὕτως ὀλίγους ἔθηκεν, ὅτι ἔφη τοῖς ὀλίγα λέγουσιν ὀλίγων καὶ νόμων ἐστὶ χρεία, πυνθανομένου δέ τινος διὰ τί τὰς μὲν κόρας ἀκαλύπτους, τὰς δὲ γυναῖκας ἐγκεκαλυμμένας εἰς τοὐμφανὲς ἄγουσιν, ὅτι ἔφη τὰς μὲν κόρας ἄνδρας εὑρεῖν δεῖ, τὰς δὲ γυναῖκας σῴζειν τοὺς ἔχοντας.
68.3. When one of the Helots conducted himself rather boldly toward him, he said, “If I were not angry, I would kill you.”
68.3. τῶν δὲ εἱλώτων τινὸς θρασύτερον αὐτῷ προσφερομένου, εἰ μὴ ὠργιζόμην εἶπε κατέκτανον ἄν σε.
68.4. When someone asked him what he thought to be the best form of government, he said, “That in which the greatest number of citizens are willing, without civil strife, to vie with one another in virtue.”
68.4. ἐρωτήσαντος δέ τινος αὐτὸν τίνα νομίζει πολιτείαν ἀρίστην, ἔφη ἐν ᾗ ἂν περὶ ἀρετῆς πλεῖστοι πολιτευόμενοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἄνευ στάσεως ἀγωνίζεσθαι θέλωσι.
68.5. When someone inquired why all the statues of the gods erected among them were equipped with weapons, he said, “So that we may not put upon the gods the reproaches which are spoken against men because of their cowardice, and so that the young men may not pray to the gods unarmed.”
68.5. πυνθανομένου δέ τινος διὰ τί πάντα τὰ τῶν θεῶν ξόανα μεθʼ ὅπλων ἵδρυται παρʼ αὐτοῖς, ὅπως ἔφη μήτε τὰ κατὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὀνείδη λεγόμενα διὰ τὴν δειλίαν ἐπὶ τοὺς θεοὺς ἀναφέρωμεν, μήτε οἱ νέοι ἄοπλοι τοῖς θεοῖς εὔχωνται.
68.6. In answer to the man who inquired why they wore their hair long, he said, “Because this is the natural and inexpensive form of ornament.”
68.6. πρὸς δὲ τὸν πυθόμενον διὰ τί κομῶσιν εἶπεν ὅτι τῶν κόσμων ὁ φυσικὸς καὶ ἀδάπανος οὗτός ἐστι.
69.1. When the ambassadors of the Samians spoke at great length, the Spartans said to them, “We hae forgot the first part, and the later part we did na ken because we hae forgot the first.”
69.1. Σαμίων πρεσβευταῖς μακρολογοῦσιν ἔφασαν οἱ Σπαρτιᾶται τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἐπιλελάθαμες, τὰ δὲ ὕστερα οὐ συνείκαμες διὰ τὸ τὰ πρῶτα ἐπιλελᾶσθαι.
69.2. When a speaker extended his remarks to a great length, and then asked for answers to report to his citizens, they said, “Report that you found it hard to stop speaking and we to listen.”
69.2. ῥήτορος μακρὸν κατατείναντος λόγον καὶ τὰς ἀποκρίσεις αἰτοῦντος, ἵνα τοῖς πολίταις ἀπαγγείλῃ, ἀπάγγελλε τοίνυν ἔφασαν ὅτι μόλις μὲν σὺ ἐπαύσω λέγων, μόλις δὲ ἡμεῖς ἀκούοντες.
69.3. In answer to the Thebans who were disputing with them over some matters, they said, “You should have less pride or more power.”
69.3. πρὸς Θηβαίους περί τινων ἀντιλέγοντας ἢ φρονεῖν εἶπον δεῖ ἔλασσον ἢ δύνασθαι μεῖζον.
69.4. A Spartan, being asked why he wore his beard so very long, said, “So that I may see my grey hairs and do nothing unworthy of them.”
69.4. Λάκων ἐρωτηθεὶς διʼ ἣν αἰτίαν τὰς τοῦ πώγωνος τρίχας ἐπὶ πολὺ κομᾷς; εἶπεν ἵνα βλέπων τὰς πολιὰς μηδὲν ἀνάξιον αὐτῶν πράττω.
69.5. Another, in answer to the inquiry, “Why do you use short swords?” said, “So that we may get close to the enemy.”
69.5. ἄλλος πυθομένου τινὸς διὰ τί ἐγχειριδίοις βραχέσι χρῆσθε; ἵνα πλησίον εἶπε τοῖς πολεμίοις εἰς χεῖρας ἵκωμες.
69.6. When someone was praising the Argive warriors, a Spartan said, “Yes, at Troy!”
69.6. ἐπαινοῦντός τινος τοὺς ἀρίστους μαχητάς, Λάκων εἶπεν ἐν Τροίᾳ.
69.7. Another, being told that some people after dining are forced to drink, said, “What, and are they forced to eat also?”
69.7. ἕτερος ἀκούσας δειπνήσαντάς τινας βιάζεσθαι πίνειν μὴ καὶ ἐσθίειν εἶπε βιάζονται;
69.8. When Pindar wrote, “Athens the mainstay of Greece,” a Spartan said that Greece was like to fall if it rested on any such mainstay as that!
69.8. Πινδάρου γράψαντος Ἑλλάδος ἔρεισμα Ἀθῆναι, Λάκων ἔφη καταπεσεῖν ἂν τὴν Ἑλλάδα ὀχουμένην ἐρείσματι τοιούτῳ.
69.9. Someone on seeing a painting in which Spartans were depicted being slain by Athenians, kept repeating, “Brave, brave Athenians.” A Spartan cut in with, “Yes, in the picture!”
69.9. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἰδών τις ἐν πίνακι γραπτῷ Λάκωνας ὑπὸ Ἀθηναίων σφαττομένους ἔλεγεν ἀνδρεῖοί γʼ Ἀθηναῖοι, Λάκων ὑποτυχών ἐν τῷ πίνακι εἶπε.
69.10. To a man who was listening avidly to some spitefully slanderous remarks a Spartan said, “Stop being so generous with your ears against me!”
69.10. πρὸς δέ τινα προσιέμενον τὰς ἐκ διαβολῆς βλασφημίας Λάκων εἶπε παῦσαι κατʼ ἐμοῦ τὰ ὦτα χορηγῶν.
69.11. To a man who was being punished, and kept saying, “I did wrong unwillingly,” someone retorted, “Then take your punishment unwillingly.”
69.11. πρὸς δὲ τὸν κολαζόμενον καὶ λέγοντα ἄκων ἥμαρτον εἶπέ τις ἄκων τοίνυν καὶ κολάζου.
69.12. Someone, seeing men seated on stools in a privy, said, “God forbid that I should ever sit where it is not possible to rise and yield my place to an older man.”
69.12. ἰδών τις ἐν ἀποχωρήσει θακέοντας ἐπὶ δίφρων ἀνθρώπους μὴ γένοιτο εἶπεν ἐνταῦθα καθίσαι, ὅθεν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐξαναστῆναι πρεσβυτέρῳ.
69.13. When some Chians, on a visit to Sparta, vomited after dinner in the hall of the Ephors, and befouled with ordure the very chairs in which the Ephors were wont to sit, the Spartans, first of all, instituted a vigorous investigation, lest possibly these might be citizens; but when they learned that they were, in fact, Chians, they caused public proclamation to be made that “The Spartans grant permission to the Chians to be filthy.”
69.13. Χίων ποτὲ κατʼ ἐπιδημίαν ἀπὸ δείπνου ἐμεσάντων ἐν τῷ ἐφορείῳ καὶ χεσάντων ἐπὶ τῶν δίφρων, ἔνθα οἱ ἔφοροι ἐκάθηντο, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἰσχυρῶς ἀνεζήτουν τοὺς ποιήσαντας μὴ πολῖται τυγχάνωσιν· ὡς δὲ ᾔσθοντο ὅτι Χῖοι ἦσαν, ἐκήρυξαν τοῖς Χίοις ἐφιᾶσιν ἀσελγαίνειν.
69.14. When someone saw almonds of the hard sort selling at double the price of others, he said, “Are stones so scarce?”
69.14. ἐπεὶ δέ τις τὰς ἀμυγδαλᾶς τῶν σκληρῶν ἑώρα διπλασίου πωλουμένας, μὴ σπάνιοι ἔφη οἱ λίθοι;
69.15. A man plucked a nightingale and finding almost no meat, said, “It’s all voice ye are, and nought else.”
69.15. τίλας τις ἀηδόνα καὶ βραχεῖαν πάνυ σάρκα εὑρὼν εἶπε φωνὰ τὺ τίς ἐσσι καὶ οὐδὲν ἄλλο.
69.16. One of the Spartans saw Diogenes the Cynic holding his arms around a bronze statue in very cold weather, and asked Diogenes if he were cold; and when Diogenes said “No,” the other said, “What great thing are you doing then?”
69.16. ἰδών τις τῶν Λακώνων Διογένη τὸν κύνα περιλαμβάνοντα ἀνδριάντα χάλκεον, ψύχους ὄντος σφοδροῦ, ἐπύθετο εἰ ῥιγοῖ ἀρνησαμένου δέ, τί οὖν ἔφη μέγα ποιεῖς;
69.17. One of the people of Metapontum, being reproached for cowardice by a Spartan, said, “But as a matter of fact we have not a little of the country of other states”; whereupon the Spartan replied, “Then you are not only cowardly, but also unjust.”
69.17. ὀνειδισθείς τις τῶν Μεταποντίων εἰς δειλίαν ὑπὸ Λάκωνος, ἀλλὰ μήν ἔφη οὐκ ὀλίγα τῆς ἀλλοτρίας ἔχομεν· ὁ δὲ οὐ μόνον ἄρα ἔφη δειλοὶ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄδικοί ἐστε.
69.18. A man who was visiting Sparta stood for a long time upon one foot, and said to a Spartan, “I do not think that you, sir, could stand upon one foot as long as that”; and the other interrupting said, “No, but there is not a single goose that could not do it.”
69.18. κατʼ ἐπιδημίαν τις ἐν Σπάρτῃ κρηπιδούμενος ὀρθὸς ἐπὶ θατέρου σκέλους εἶπε πρὸς Λάκωνα οὐκ ἂν οἶμαί σε, ὦ Λάκων, τοσοῦτον χρόνον ἐπὶ τοῦ ποδὸς ὅσον ἐγὼ στῆναι καὶ ὃς ὑπολαβὼν οὐ γάρ ἔφη· τῶν μέντοι χηνῶν οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις οὔ.
69.19. When a man boasted greatly of his art in speaking, a Spartan said, “By Heaven, there is no art nor can there be an art without a firm hold on truth.” When an Argive said once upon a time, “There are many tombs of Spartans in our country,” a Spartan said, “But there is not a single tomb of an Argive in our country,” indicating by this that the Spartans had often set foot in Argos, but the Argives had never set foot in Sparta.
69.19. μεγαλυνομένου τινὸς ἐπὶ τῇ ῥητορικῇ τέχνῃ, εἶπέ τις Λάκων ἀλλὰ νὴ τὼ σιὼ τέχνη ἄνευ τοῦ ἀληθείας ἧφθαι οὔτε ἐστὶν οὔτε μήποτε γένηται Ἀργείου ποτὲ εἰπόντος πολλοὶ τάφοι παρʼ ἡμῖν εἰσὶ Σπαρτιατῶν Λάκων εἶπεν ἀλλὰ μὴν παρʼ ἡμῖν Ἀργείων οὐδὲ εἷς, ὡς αὐτῶν μὲν πολλάκις Ἄργους ἐπιβεβηκότων Ἀργείων δὲ τῆς Σπάρτης οὐδέποτε.
69.21. A Spartan having been taken prisoner in war and put up for sale, when the crier said, “I offer a Spartan for sale,” stopped his mouth, saying, “Cry a prisoner of war.”
69.21. Λάκων αἰχμαλωτισθεὶς καὶ πιπρασκόμενος, τοῦ κήρυκος λέγοντος Λάκωνα πωλῶ, ἐπεστόμισεν εἰπών αἰχμάλωτον κήρυσσε.
69.22. One of the men serving in the army of Lysimachus, being asked by him whether he were not one of the Helots, said, “Do you suppose that any Spartan would come to get the sixpence which you pay?”
69.22. τῶν παρὰ Λυσιμάχῳ στρατευομένων ἐρωτηθεὶς τις ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ, μή τις τῶν εἱλώτων ἐστί, σὺ δʼ οἴει ἔφη ἐπὶ τὸ παρὰ σοῦ τετρώβολον Λάκωνα ἥξειν;
69.23. At the time when Thebans had conquered the Spartans at Leuctra and advanced to the river Eurotas itself, one of them, boasting, said, “Where are the Spartans now?” A Spartan who had been captured by them said, “They are not here; otherwise you would not have come thus far.”
69.23. ὅτε Θηβαῖοι νικήσαντες τοὺς Λάκωνας ἐν Λεύκτροις πρὸς αὐτὸν παρῆσαν τὸν Εὐρώταν, καί τις μεγαλαυχῶν εἶπε ποῦ νῦν εἰσὶν οἱ Λάκωνες; Σπαρτιάτης ληφθεὶς ὑπʼ αὐτῶν οὐ πάρεισιν ἔφη· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ὑμεῖς δεῦρο ἤλθετε.
69.24. At the time when the Athenians had surrendered their city, they declared it was only right that Samos should be left to them, but the Spartans said, “Do you, at a time when you do not even own yourselves, seek to possess others?” From this incident arose the proverb: “Who does not own himself would Samos own.”
69.24. Ἀθηναίων ἀξιούντων, ὅτε παρέδωκαν τὸ ἄστυ, Σάμον αὐτοῖς μόνον ἐᾶσαι, εἶπον ὅταν αὑτῶν οὐκ ἦτε, τότε καὶ ἄλλους ἔχειν ζητεῖτε; ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ ἡ παροιμία ὃς αὐτὸς αὑτὸν οὐκ ἔχει Σάμον θέλει.
69.25. When the Spartans had taken by storm a certain city, the Ephors said, “Gone is the wrestlingschool of our young men; they no longer will have competitors.”
69.25. πόλιν τινὰ κατὰ κράτος ἑλόντων Λακεδαιμονίων, οἱ ἔφοροι εἶπον οἴχεται τὸ πάλαισμα τῶν νέων οὐκέτι ἕξουσιν ἀνταγωνιστὰς οἱ νέοι.
69.26. When their king promised to wipe out completely another city which, as it happened, had given much trouble to the Spartans, they would not allow it, saying, “You must not abolish nor remove the whetstone of our youth.”
69.26. ἄλλην πόλιν ὑπισχνουμένου τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτῶν τέλεον ἀφανιεῖν ᾗ συμβεβήκει πράγματα πολλάκις παρεσχῆσθαι τοῖς Λάκωσιν, οὐκ ἐπέτρεψαν, φάμενοι μηδαμῶς ἀφανίσῃς μηδʼ ἀνέλῃς τὴν ἀκόνην τῶν νέων.
69.27. They appointed no trainers to instruct in wrestling so that the rivalry might be not in skill, but in courage. This is the reason why Lysanoridas, when he was asked how Charon had conquered him, said, “By his great resourcefulness.”
69.27. τοῖς παλαίουσι παιδοτρίβας οὐκ ἐφίστανον, ἵνα μὴ τέχνης ἀλλʼ ἀρετῆς ἡ φιλοτιμία γένηται. διὸ καὶ Λύσανδρος ἐρωτώμενος, ὅπως ὁ Χάρων ἐνίκησεν αὐτόν, τᾷ πολυμηχανίᾳ εἶπε.
69.28. Philip wrote at the time when he entered their country, asking whether they wished that he should come as a friend or as a foe; and they made answer, “Neither.”
69.28. Φιλίππου γράφοντος, ὅτε εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν παρεγένετο, πότερον βούλεται φίλιον ἐλθεῖν ἢ πολέμιον αὐτόν, ἀντεφώνησαν οὐδέτερον.
69.29. They sent an ambassador to Antigonus, son of Demetrius, and, upon learning that the ambassador had addressed Antigonus as King, they fined him, although he had brought for each one of them a bushel and a half of wheat at a time when there was great scarcity of food.
69.29. πρεσβευτήν τινα διαπεμψάμενοι πρὸς Ἀντίγονον τὸν Δημητρίου, πυθόμενοι ὅτι ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν βασιλέα, ἐζημίωσαν, καίτοι μέδιμνον πυρῶν ἑκάστῳ παρʼ αὐτοῦ σιτοδείας οὔσης κομίζοντα.
69.30. When Demetrius complained that they had sent only one ambassador to him, they replied, “Is it not enough — one to one?”
69.30. Δημητρίου ἐγκαλοῦντος ὅτι ἕνα πρεσβευτὴν ἔπεμψαν πρὸς αὐτόν, οὐχ ἱκανὸς οὖν εἶπον εἰ πρὸς ἕνα εἷς;
69.31. When a bad man brought in a very good idea, they accepted it; but they took it away from him and bestowed the right of proposing it upon another man who had lived a virtuous life.
69.31. ἐνέγκαντός τινος ἀρίστην γνώμην μοχθηροῦ, ταύτην μὲν ἀπεδέξαντο, περιελόμενοι δὲ τούτου περιέθηκαν ἑτέρῳ καλῶς βεβιωκότι.
69.32. When two brothers quarrelled with each other, the Spartans fined the father because he permitted his sons to quarrel.
69.32. ἀδελφῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαφερομένων τὸν πατέρα ἐζημίωσαν, ὅτι τοὺς υἱεῖς στασιάζοντας περιορᾷ.
69.33. They fined a visiting harp-player because he played the harp with his fingers.
69.33. ψάλτην ἐπιδημήσαντα ἐζημίωσαν, ὅτι δακτύλοις κιθαρίζει.
69.34. Two boys were fighting, and one of them wounded the other mortally with the stroke of a sickle. The friends of the wounded boy, as they were about to separate, promised to avenge him and make away with the one who had struck him, but the boy said, “In Heaven’s name do not, for it is not right; the fact is, I should have done that myself if I had been quick enough and brave enough.”
69.34. δύο παῖδες ἐμάχοντο, ἅτερος δὲ αὐτῶν τὸν ἕτερον ἔτρωσε δρεπάνῳ πληγῇ θανασίμῳ· τῶν δὲ συνήθων παίδων, ἐπεὶ διαλύεσθαι ἔμελλον, ἐπαγγελλομένων ἀμυνεῖσθαι καὶ ἀναιρήσειν τὸν πλήξαντα, μηδαμῶς εἶπε πρὸς θεῶν, οὐ γὰρ δίκαιον· καὶ γὰρ ἂν ἐγὼ ἐποίησα τοῦτο, εἰ ἔφθασα καὶ ἀγαθὸς ἐγενόμην.
69.35. In the case of another boy, when the time had arrived during which it was the custom for the free boys to steal whatever they could, and it was a disgrace not to escape being found out, when the boys with him had stolen a young fox alive, and given it to him to keep, and those who had lost the fox came in search for it, the boy happened to have slipped the fox under his garment. The beast, however, became savage and ate through his side to the vitals; but the boy did not move or cry out, so as to avoid being exposed, and later, when they had departed, the boys saw what had happened, and blamed him, saying that it would have been better to let the fox be seen than to hide it even unto death; but the boy said, “Not so, but better to die without yielding to the pain than through being detected because of weakness of spirit to gain a life to be lived in disgrace.”
69.35. ἕτερον παιδάριον, ἐπεὶ παρῆν ὁ καιρός, ἐν ᾧ κλέπτειν νενόμιστο τοὺς ἐλευθέρους παῖδας ὅ τι τις δύναιτο καὶ μὴ λαθεῖν αἰσχρὸν ἦν, ὡς οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ παῖδες ζῶν ἔκλεψαν ἀλωπέκιον καὶ ἔδοσαν αὐτῷ φυλάττειν, παραγενομένων τῶν ἀπολωλεκότων ἐπὶ ζήτησιν, ἔτυχε μὲν ὑποβαλὼν τὸ ἀλωπέκιον ὑπὸ τὸ αὑτοῦ ἱμάτιον, ἀγριαίνοντος δὲ τοῦ θηρίου καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ πλευρὰν κατεσθίοντος μέχρι τῶν σπλάγχνων, ἠρέμει, ἵνα μὴ γένηται καταφανής. ὡς δὲ ὕστερον ἐκείνων ἀπελθόντων ἐθεάσαντο τὸ γεγονὸς οἱ παῖδες καὶ ἐμέμφοντο, λέγοντες ἄμεινον εἶναι φανερὸν ποιῆσαι τὸ ἀλωπέκιον ἢ μέχρι θανάτου κρύπτειν, οὐ μὲν οὖν εἶπεν ἀλλὰ κρεῖττον ταῖς ἀλγηδόσι μὴ ἐνδόντα τελευτᾶν ἢ περίφωρον γενόμενον διὰ μαλακίαν τὸ ζῆν αἰσχρῶς περιποιήσασθαι.
69.36. Some people, encountering Spartans on the road, said, “You are in luck, for robbers have just left this place,” but they said, “Egad, no, but it is they who are in luck for not encountering us.”
69.36. περιτυχόντες τινὲς Λάκωσι καθʼ ὁδὸν εἶπον εὐτυχήκατε, ἀρτίως ἐντεῦθεν λῃστῶν ἀπιόντων οἱ δὲ οὐ μὰ τὸν Ἐνυάλιον, ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνοι μὴ περιτυχόντες ἡμῖν.
69.37. A Spartan being asked what he knew, said, “How to be free.”
69.37. Λάκων ἐρωτηθεὶς τί ἐπίσταται, εἶπεν ἐλεύθερος εἶναι.
69.38. A Spartan boy, being taken captive by Antigonus the king and sold, was obedient in all else to the one who had bought him, that is, in everything which he thought fitting for a free person to do, but when his owner bade him bring a chamber-pot, he would not brook such treatment, saying, “I will not be a slave”; and when the other was insistent, he went up upon the roof, and saying, “You will gain much by your bargain,” he threw himself down and ended his life.
69.38. παῖς Σπαρτιάτης αἰχμαλωτισθεὶς ὑπʼ Ἀντιγόνου τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ πραθεὶς τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα ὑπήκοος ἦν τῷ πριαμένῳ, ὅσα ᾤετο προσήκειν ἐλευθέρῳ ποιεῖν ὡς δὲ προσέταξεν ἀμίδα κομίζειν, οὐκ ἠνέσχετο εἰπὼν οὐ δουλεύσω. ἐνισταμένου δὲ ἐκείνου, ἀναβὰς ἐπὶ τὸν κέραμον καὶ εἰπών εἴσῃ τῆς ὠνῆς, ἔβαλεν ἑαυτὸν κάτω καὶ ἐτελεύτα.
69.39. Another one being sold, when someone said, “If I buy you, will you be good and helpful?” said, “Yes, and if you do not buy me.”
69.39. ἕτερος πωλούμενος, εἰπόντος τινὸς ἐὰν ἀγοράσω σε, χρήσιμος ἔσῃ; κἂν μὴ ἀγοράσῃς εἶπεν.
69.40. Another captive being put up for sale, when the crier announced that he was offering a slave for sale, said, “You damnable wretch, won’t you say a captive?”
69.40. ἄλλος αἰχμάλωτος πιπρασκόμενος, τοῦ κήρυκος ἐπιλέγοντος ἀνδράποδον πωλεῖν, κατάρατε εἶπεν οὐκ ἐρεῖς αἰχμάλωτον.
69.41. A Spartan had as an emblem on his shield a fly, and that, too, no bigger than life-size. When some mockingly said that he had done this to escape being noticed, he said, “Rather that I may be noticeable; for I come so close to the enemy that my emblem is seen by them in its true size.”
69.41. Λάκων ἐπὶ τῆς ἀσπίδος μυῖαν ἔχων ἐπίσημον, καὶ ταύτην οὐ μείζω τῆς ἀληθινῆς, ὡς καταγελῶντές τινες ἔλεγον ὑπὲρ τοῦ λανθάνειν τοῦτο πεποιήκει, ἵνα μὲν οὖν εἶπε φανερὸς ὦ· οὕτω γὰρ τοῖς πολεμίοις πλησίον προσέρχομαι, ὥστε τὸ ἐπίσημον ἡλίκον ἐστὶν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ὁρᾶσθαι.
69.42. Another, when a lyre was brought in at an evening party, said, “It is not Spartan to indulge in nonsense.”
69.42. ἕτερος, ἐν συμποσίῳ προσενεχθείσης λύρας, οὐ Λακωνικόν εἶπε τὸ φλυαρεῖν.
69.43. A Spartan, being asked if the road into Sparta were safe, said, “That depends on what kind of a mon ye are; for the lions gang about where they wull, but the hares we hunt over that land.”
69.43. Σπαρτιάτης ἐρωτηθεὶς εἰ ἀσφαλὴς ἡ εἰς Σπάρτην ὁδὸς εἶπεν ὁποῖος †καθίσῃς· οἱ μὲν γὰρ λέοντες βαδίζοντι ὅπα κα λέωντι, τὼς δὲ λαγὼς ἐπὶ τᾷ σκηνᾷ θηρεύομες.
69.44. In a clinch one wrestler, who had the other by the neck, overpowered him with little effort, and pulled him to the ground. Since the one who was down was at a disadvantage in using his body, he bit the arm that held him. His opponent said, “Spartan, you bite like a woman.” “No, indeed,” said he, “but like a lion.”
69.44. ἐν χειραψίᾳ περικρούοντος τοῦ προστραχηλίζοντος κενοσπούδως καὶ κατασπῶντος ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἐπειδὴ τῷ σώματι ἐλείπετο ὁ προσπεσών, ἔδακε τὸν βραχίονα· καὶ ὁ ἕτερος εἶπε δάκνεις, ὦ Λάκων, ὥσπερ αἱ γυναῖκες· οὐ μὲν οὖν εἶπεν ἅτερος ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ οἱ λέοντες.
69.45. A lame man was going forth to war, and some persons followed after him laughing. He turned around and said, “You vile noddles! A man does not need to run away when he fights the enemy, but to stay where he is and hold his ground.”
69.45. χωλὸς ἐπὶ πόλεμον ἐξιών, ἐπακολουθούντων αὐτῷ τινων καὶ γελώντων, ἐπιστραφεὶς εἶπε κακαὶ κεφαλαί, οὐ φεύγοντα δεῖ τοῖς πολεμίοις μάχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ μένοντα καὶ τὴν τάξιν φυλάττοντα.
69.46. Another, mortally wounded by an arrow, said, as his life was ebbing away, “I am not troubled because I must die, but because my death comes at the hands of a womanish archer, and before I have accomplished anything.”
69.46. ἕτερος τοξευθεὶς καὶ ἐκλείπων τὸν βίον οὐχὶ τοῦτο ἔφησεν αὐτῷ μέλειν, ὅτι ἀποθανεῖται, ἀλλʼ ὅτι ὑπὸ γύννιδος τοξότου καὶ μηδὲν πράξας.
69.47. A man stopped at an inn and gave the innkeeper a piece of meat to prepare; and when the innkeeper asked for cheese and oil besides, the other said, “If I had cheese, what need should I have of meat too?”
69.47. εἰς πανδοκεῖόν τις καταλύσας καὶ δοὺς ὄψον τῷ πανδοκεῖ σκευάσαι, ὡς ἅτερος τυρὸν ᾔτει καὶ ἔλαιον, εἶτʼ ἔφη εἰ τυρὸν εἶχον, ἔτι ἂν ἐδεόμην ὄψου;
69.48. In answer to the man who called Lampis of Aegina happy, because he seemed very rich in having many cargoes on the sea in ships, a Spartan said, “I do not pay much attention to happiness that hangs by ropes!”
69.48. πρὸς δὲ τὸν μακαρίζοντα Λάμπιν τὸν Αἰγινήτην, διότι ἐδόκει πλουσιώτατος εἶναι ναυκλήρια πολλὰ ἔχων, Λάκων εἶπεν οὐ προσέχω εὐδαιμονίᾳ ἐκ σχοινίων ἀπηρτημένῃ.
69.49. When somebody told a Spartan that he was lying, the Spartan replied, “Yea, we are free men; but ithers, if they dinna teli the truth, will rue it.”
69.49. εἰπόντος δέ τινος Λάκωνι ὅτι ψεύδεται, ἀπεκρίνατο ἐλεύθεροι γὰρ εἰμες· οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι, αἴκα μὴ τἀληθῆ λέγωντι, οἰμώξονται.
69.50. When someone set himself to make a corpse stand upright, and, for all his efforts, was unable to do this, he said, “Egad, there is need of something inside.”
69.50. προθέμενός τις νεκρὸν στῆσαι ὀρθόν, ὡς πάντα ποιῶν οὐκ ἐδύνατο, νὴ τὼ σιώ εἶπεν ἔνδον τι εἶναι δεῖ.
69.51. Tynnichus, when his son Thrasybulus was slain, bore it sturdily; and this epigram was written on him: “Lifeless to Pitane came, on his shield upborne, Thrasybulus; Seven the wounds he received, pierced by the Argive spears; All in the front did he show them; and him with his blood-stained body Tynnichus placed on the pyre, saying these words in his eld: “Let the poor cowards be mourned, but with never a tear shall I bury You, my son, who are mine, yea, and are Sparta’s as well.” ” When the keeper of a bath was pouring in a great quantity of water for Alcibiades, a Spartan said, “Why all this for him as if he were not clean?
69.51. Τύννιχος, Θρασυβούλου τοῦ παιδὸς ἀποθανόντος, εὐρώστως ἤνεγκε· καὶ ἐπίγραμμα εἰς τοῦτον ἐγένετοτὰν Πιτάναν Θρασύβουλος ἐπʼ ἀσπίδος ἤλυθεν ἄπνουςἑπτὰ πρὸς Ἀργείων τραύματα δεξάμενος,δεικνὺς ἀντία πάντα· τὸν αἱματόεντα δʼ ὁ πρέσβυςθεὶς ἐπὶ πυρκαϊὴν Τύννιχος εἶπε τάδε,δειλοὶ κλαιέσθωσαν ἐγὼ δέ σε τέκνον ἄδακρυςθάψω, τὸν καὶ ἐμὸν καὶ Λακεδαιμόνιον.
69.52. The fellow is pouring in extra water as if for a very dirty man.” When Philip of Macedon sent some orders to the Spartans by letter, they wrote in reply, “What you wrote about, ‘No.’” When he invaded the Spartans’ country, and all thought that they should be destroyed, he said to one of the Spartans, “What shall you do now, men of Sparta?” And the other said, “What else than die like men? For we alone of all the Greeks have learned to be free, and not to be subject to others.”
69.52. Ἀλκιβιάδῃ τῷ Ἀθηναίῳ βαλανέως ἐπὶ πλεῖστον παραχέοντος ὕδωρ, Λάκων εἶπε τί τοῦτο ὡς καθαρῷ; σφόδρα δὲ ῥυπαρῷ πλεῖον παράχει. Φιλίππου τοῦ Μακεδόνος προστάσσοντός τινα διʼ ἐπιστολῆς, ἀντέγραψαν οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι περὶ ὧν ἄμμιν ἔγραψας οὔ. ὅτε δὲ ἐνέβαλεν εἰς τὴν Λακωνικὴν καὶ ἐδόκουν ἅπαντες ἀπολεῖσθαι, εἶπε δὲ πρός τινα τῶν Σπαρτιατῶν τί νῦν ποιήσετε, ὦ Λάκωνες; τί γάρ ἔφη ἄλλο ἢ ἀνδρείως ἀποθανούμεθα; μόνοι γὰρ ἡμεῖς Ἑλλήνων ἐλεύθεροι εἶναι καὶ μὴ ὑπακούειν ἄλλοις ἐμάθομεν.
69.54. After the defeat of Agis, Antipater demanded fifty boys as hostages, but Eteocles, who was Ephor, said they would not give boys, lest the boys should turn out to be uneducated through missing the traditional discipline; and they would not be fitted for citizenship either. But the Spartans would give, if he so desired, either old men or women to double the number. And when Antipater made dire threats if he should not get the boys, the Spartans made answer with one consent, “If the orders you lay upon us are harsher than death, we shall find it easier to die.”
69.54. μετὰ δὲ τὴν Ἄγιδος ἧτταν, ὁμήρους αἰτοῦντος Ἀντιπάτρου πεντήκοντα παῖδας, Ἐτεοκλῆς ἐφορεύων εἶπε παῖδας μὲν οὐ δώσειν, ἵνα μὴ ἀπαίδευτοι γένωνται, τῆς πατρίου ἀγωγῆς ἀτευκτήσαντες· οὐδὲ πολῖται γὰρ ἂν εἴησαν· πρεσβύτας δʼ ἢ γυναῖκας, εἰ βούλοιτο, διπλασίους δώσειν. ἀπειλοῦντος δʼ αὐτοῦ δεινά, εἰ μὴ λάβοι, ἀπεκρίναντο κοινῇ ἐὰν χαλεπώτερα θανάτου ἐπιτάττῃς, εὐκολώτερον ἀποθανούμεθα.
69.55. While the games were being held at Olympia, an old man was desirous of seeing them, but could find no seat. As he went to place after place, he met with insults and jeers, and nobody made room for him. But when he came opposite the Spartans, all the boys and many of the men arose and yielded their places. Whereupon the assembled multitude of Greeks expressed their approbation of the custom by applause, and commended the action beyond measure; but the old man, shaking “His head grey-haired and grey-bearded,” and with tears in his eyes, said, “Alas for the evil days! Because all the Greeks know what is right and fair, but the Spartans alone practise it.” Some say that the same thing happened at Athens also. It was at the time of the Panathenaic festival, and the people of Attica were teasing an old man in an unseemly manner, calling him to them as if they were intending to make room for him, and not making room if he came to them. When he had passed through almost all the spectators and came opposite the delegates of the Spartans, they all arose from where they were sitting and gave him place. The crowd, delighted, applauded the action with great approval, and one of the Spartans said, “Egad, the Athenians know what is right and fair, but do not do it.”
69.55. πρεσβύτης ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ συντελουμένου τοῦ ἀγῶνος προθυμούμενος θεάσασθαι, καθέδρας ἠπόρει πολλοὺς δʼ ἐπιπορευόμενος τόπους ὑβρίζετο καὶ ἐσκώπτετο, μηδενὸς αὐτὸν παραδεχομένου· ὡς δὲ κατὰ τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἧκεν, ἀνέστησαν πάντες οἱ παῖδες καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνδρῶν τοῦ τόπου ἐκχωροῦντες· τῶν δὲ Πανελλήνων ἐπισημηναμένων κρότῳ τὸ ἔθος καὶ ὑπερεπαινούντων, ὁ πρεσβύτης κινήσας πολιόν τε κάρη πολιόν τε γένειον καὶ δακρύσας οἴμοι τῶν κακῶν φησὶν ὡς ἅπαντες μὲν οἱ Ἕλληνες ἐπίστανται τὰ καλά, χρῶνται δʼ αὐτοῖς μόνοι Λακεδαιμόνιοι φασὶ δέ τινες, ὅτι καὶ Ἀθήνησι τὸ αὐτὸ ἐγένετο· Παναθηναίων γὰρ ὄντων οἱ Ἀττικοὶ γέροντα προεπηλάκιζον, προσκαλούμενοι μὲν ὡς παραδεξόμενοι, εἰ δὲ παραγένοιτο, οὐ προσδεχόμενοι· ὡς δὲ διεξιὼν σχεδὸν ἅπαντας ἐγένετο κατὰ τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίων θεωρούς, ἅπαντες τῶν βάθρων ἀναστάντες τοῦ τόπου παρεχώρουν ἀγασθεὶς δὲ ὁ ὄχλος ἐπὶ τῷ γεγονότι ἐκρότησε μετὰ πολλῆς ἐπισημασίας, καί τις εἶπε τῶν Σπαρτιατῶν νὴ τὼ σιώ, ἴσασι μὲν οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι τὰ καλά, οὐ πράσσουσι δέ.
69.56. A beggar asked alms of a Spartan, who said, “If I should give to you, you will be the more a beggar; and for this unseemly conduct of yours he who first gave to you is responsible, for he thus made you lazy.”
69.56. ἐπαίτης ᾔτησε Λάκωνα· ἀλλὰ εἰ δοίην σοι ἔφη μᾶλλον πτωχεύσεις, τῆς δὲ ἀσχημοσύνης σου ταύτης ὁ πρῶτος μεταδοὺς αἴτιος, ἀργόν σε ποιήσας.
69.57. A Spartan, seeing a man taking up a collection for the gods, said that he did not think much of gods who were poorer than himself.
69.57. Λάκων ἰδὼν ἀγείροντά τινα θεοῖς οὐδέν εἶπε φροντίζειν θεῶν πτωχοτέρων ἑαυτοῦ.
69.58. A man who caught another in adultery with an ugly woman said, “Puir soul! what was yer muckle need?”
69.58. λαβών τις μοιχὸν ἐπʼ αἰσχρᾷ γυναικὶ ἄθλιε εἶπε τίς τοι ἀνάγκα;
69.59. Another, listening to an orator rolling off long sentences, said, “Egad, but the man has courage; he twists his tongue well about no subject at all.”
69.59. ἄλλος ἀκούων ῥήτορος μεγάλας στρέφοντος περιόδους, ἀλλὰ νὴ τὼ σιώ εἶπεν ἀνδρεῖός γε ὁ ἄνθρωπος, πρὸς οὐδὲν ὑποκείμενον εὖ στροβιλοῖ τὴν γλῶσσαν.
69.60. One man who came to Sparta, and observed the honour which the young render to the old, said, “Only in Sparta does it pay to grow old.”
69.60. εἰς Λακεδαίμονα παραγενόμενός τις καὶ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβύτας τῶν νέων τιμὴν θεασάμενος, ἐν Σπάρτῃ μόνῃ εἶπε λυσιτελεῖ γηράσκειν.
69.61. A Spartan, being asked what kind of a man Tyrtaeus the poet was, said, “A good man to sharpen the spirit of youth.”
69.61. ἐρωτηθεὶς Λάκων ὁποῖός ἐστι Τυρταῖος ὁ ποιητής, ἀγαθός εἶπε κακκονῆν νέων ψυχάς.
69.62. Another who had sore trouble with his eyes was going forth to war; and when some said to him, “Where are you going in that state, or what do you purpose to do?” he said, “Even if I accomplish nothing else, I may at least blunt an enemy’s sword.”
69.62. ἕτερος ἀλγῶν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐξῄει ἐπὶ πόλεμον· λεγόντων δὲ αὐτῷ τινων ποῖ ἄπει οὕτως ἔχων ἢ τί ποιήσων; κἂν μηδὲν ἕτερον πράξω ἔφη πολεμίου γε μάχαιραν ἀμβλυνῶ.
69.63. Bulis and Sperchis of Sparta went as volunteers to Xerxes king of the Persians, to render satisfaction which Sparta owed according to an oracle, because the people had killed the heralds sent to them by the Persian. These men came before Xerxes and bade him make away with them in any manner he desired, as representing the Spartans. But when he, filled with admiration, let them go free, and was insistent that they remain with him, they said, “And how should we be able to live here, abandoning our country and laws and those men in whose behalf we made such a long journey to die?” And when Indarnes the general besought them at greater length, and said that they would receive equal honour with the friends of the king who stood highest in advancement, they said, “You seem to us not to know what is the meed of liberty, which no man of sense would exchange for the kingdom of the Persians.”
69.63. Βοῦλις καὶ Σπέρχις Λακεδαιμόνιοι πορευθέντες ἐθελονταὶ πρὸς Ξέρξην τὸν Περσῶν βασιλέα ἐπὶ τιμωρίᾳ ἣν ὦφλεν ἡ Λακεδαίμων κατὰ χρησμόν, διότι κήρυκας πεμφθέντας ὑπὸ τοῦ Πέρσου ὡς αὐτοὺς ἀπέκτειναν ἐλθόντες πρὸς τὸν Ξέρξην ἐκέλευον ᾧ βούλεται τρόπῳ διαχρήσασθαι αὐτοὺς ὑπὲρ Λακεδαιμονίων. ὡς δὲ ἐκεῖνος ἀγασθεὶς ἀπέλυσε τοὺς ἄνδρας καὶ ἠξίου μένειν παρʼ αὐτῷ, καὶ πῶς ἄν ἔφασαν δυναίμεθα ζῆν ἐνταῦθα, πατρίδα καταλιπόντες καὶ νόμους καὶ τούτους τοὺς ἄνδρας, ὑπὲρ ὧν τοσαύτην ἤλθομεν ὁδὸν ἀποθανούμενοι Ἰνδάρνου δὲ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ἐπὶ πλέον δεομένου καὶ λέγοντος τεύξεσθαι αὐτοὺς τῆς ἴσης τιμῆς τοῖς μάλιστα ἐν προαγωγῇ φίλοις τοῦ βασιλέως, ἔφησαν ἀγνοεῖν ἡμῖν δοκεῖς, ἡλίκον ἐστὶ τὸ τῆς ἐλευθερίας, ἧς οὐκ ἂν ἀλλάξαιτό τις νοῦν ἔχων τὴν Περσῶν βασιλείαν.
69.64. Because a friend with whom a Spartan was intending to stay dodged him on the first day, and on the next day, having borrowed bedding, received him sumptuously, the Spartan jumped on the bedding and trod it under foot, remarking that it was because of this that yesterday he had not had even straw to sleep on.
69.64. Λάκων, ἐπεὶ τῇ μὲν προτέρᾳ ἡμέρᾳ ὁ ξένος αὐτὸν ἐξέκλινε, τῇ δʼ ἑξῆς στρώματα χρησάμενος δαψιλῶς ὑπεδέχετο, ἐπιβὰς τοῖς στρώμασι κατεπάτει, ἐπιλέγων διὰ ταῦτα ἐχθὲς οὐδʼ ἐπὶ ψιάθου ὑπνωκέναι ἕτερος ἐλθὼν εἰς Ἀθήνας καὶ ὁρῶν τοὺς Ἀθηναίους τὸ τάριχος ἀποκηρύττοντας καὶ τὸ ὄψον καὶ τελωνοῦντας καὶ πορνοβοσκοῦντας, καὶ ἕτερα ἔργα ἀσχήμονα πράττοντας καὶ μηδὲν αἰσχρὸν ἡγουμένους·
69.65. Another, on going to Athens, saw that the Athenians were hawking salt fish and dainties, collecting taxes, keeping public brothels, and following other unseemly pursuits, and holding none of them to be shameful. When he returned to his own country, his fellow-citizens asked how things were in Athens, and he said, “Everything fair and lovely,” speaking sarcastically and conveying the idea that.among the Athenians everything is considered fair and lovely, and nothing shameful.
69.65. ὅτε ἐπανῆλθεν εἰς τὴν πατρίδα, τῶν πολιτῶν πυνθανομένων αὐτοῦ ποῖά τινά ἐστι τὰ ἐν Ἀθήναις, πάντα εἶπε καλά, εἰρωνευόμενος καὶ παριστὰς ὅτι πάντα παρὰ τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις καλὰ νομίζεται, αἰσχρὸν δὲ οὐδέν.
69.66. Another, being asked a question, answered “No.” And when the questioner said, “You lie,” the other said, “You see, then, that it is silly of you to ask questions to which you know the answer!”
69.66. ἄλλος ἐρωτώμενος περί τινος ἀπεκρίνατο οὔ· ὡς δὲ ὁ ἐρωτήσας ἀπεκρίνατο ὅτι ψεύδῃ, ὁρᾷς οὖν ἔφη ὅτι μάταιος εἶ περὶ ὧν ἐπίστασαι ἐρωτῶν.
69.67. Once upon a time, ambassadors from Sparta arrived at the court of Lygdamis the despot. But as he tried to put them off and repeatedly postponed the interview, and, to crown all, it was asserted that he was in a delicate condition, the Spartans said, “Tell him, in God’s name, that we have not come to wrestle with him, but to have a talk with him.”
69.67. ἧκόν ποτε κατὰ πρεσβείαν Λάκωνες πρὸς Λύγδαμιν τὸν τύραννον· ὡς δʼ ἐκεῖνος ὑπερτιθέμενος πολλάκις συντυχεῖν ἀνεβάλλετο, τὸ δʼ ἐπὶ πᾶσι μαλακῶς ἔχειν αὐτὸν ἔφη τις, οἱ πρέσβεις λέγε αὐτῷ εἶπον ὅτι μὰ τοὺς θεοὺς οὐ παλαισόμενοι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐληλύθαμεν, ἀλλὰ διαλεχθησόμενοι.
69.68. When someone, initiating a Spartan into the Mysteries, asked him what his conscience told him was the most unholy deed he had ever done, he said, “The gods know.” And when the other became even more insistent, and said, “It is absolutely necessary that you tell,” the Spartan asked in turn, “To whom must I tell it? To you or to the god?” And when the other said, “To the god,” the Spartan said, “You go away then.”
69.68. Λάκωνά τινά τις μυσταγωγῶν ἠρώτα τί πράξας ἑαυτῷ σύνοιδεν ἀσεβέστατον, ὁ δὲ γινώσκουσιν οἱ θεοί ἔφη· ἐπικειμένου δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ λέγοντος πάντως σε δεῖ εἰπεῖν, ὁ Λάκων ἀντηρώτησε τίνι με δεῖ εἰπεῖν, σοὶ ἢ τῷ θεῷ; τοῦ δὲ εἰπόντος τῷ θεῷ, σὺ τοίνυν ἔφη ἀποχώρησον.
69.69. Another, passing by a tomb at night, and imagining that he saw a ghost, ran at it with uplifted spear, and, as he thrust at it, he exclaimed, “Where are you fleeing from me, you soul that shall die twice?”
69.69. ἕτερος νυκτὸς μνῆμα παριὼν καὶ φαντασιωθεὶς δαιμόνιόν τι ἐπέδραμε τῇ λόγχῃ διαράμενος, καὶ ἐναπερείδων εἶπε πῆ με φεύγεις, δὶς ἀποθανουμένη ψυχή;
69.70. Another, having vowed to throw himself from the Leucadian cliff, went up and came down again after seeing the height. Being jeered at for this, he said, “I did na think my vow needed anither greater vow to dae it!”
69.70. ἄλλος εὐξάμενος ἀπὸ τοῦ Λευκάτα ῥίπτειν ἑαυτὸν ἀνέβη καὶ ὑπέστρεψεν ἰδὼν τὸ ὕψος· ὀνειδιζόμενος δὲ εἶπεν οὐκ ᾤμαν τὰν εὐχὰν ἄλλας μείζονος εὐχᾶς δεῖσθαι.
69.71. Another, in the thick of the fight, was about to bring down his sword on an enemy when the recall sounded, and he checked the blow. When someone inquired why, when he had his enemy in his power, he did not kill him, he said, “Because it is better to obey one’s commander than to slay an enemy.”
69.71. ἄλλος ἐπὶ παρατάξεως τῷ πολεμίῳ τὸ ξίφος καταφέρειν μέλλων, ἐπεὶ τὸ ἀνακλητικὸν ἐσήμηνεν, οὐκέτι κατήνεγκε· πυθομένου δέ τινος, διὰ τί τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἔχων ὑποχείριον οὐκ ἀπέκτεινεν; ὅτι ἔφη βέλτιόν ἐστι τοῦ φονεύειν πείθεσθαι τῷ ἄρχοντι.
69.72. Someone said to a Spartan who was defeated at Olympia, “Spartan, your opponent proved himself the better man.” “No,” said he, “not that, but more upsetting!”
69.72. τινι ἡττωμένῳ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ εἶπέ τις ὁ ἀνταγωνιστής, ὦ Λάκων, ἐγένετό σου κρείσσων· οὐ μὲν οὖν ἔφη ἀλλὰ καββαλικώτερος.