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+
+ + SAYINGS OF KINGS AND COMMANDERS (REGUM ET + IMPERATORUM APOPHTHTHEGMATA) +
+ INTRODUCTION +

Anyone who reads some of the many articles which have been + written about the Sayings of Kings and Commanders found in Plutarch's + works would almost certainly gain the impression that the whole book is + a tasteless forgery; yet a closer study would probably convince him that + the Sayings are, in the main, just as truly the work of Plutarch as the + poems of Sappho or Alcaeus which we now possess are the works of those + authors. The only question, then, is how it happens that the Sayings + stand in their present form, and this will doubtless serve as a topic + for debate in the future, as it has in the past, since it can never be + definitely settled.

+

The assumption that the whole book is a forgery can only be regarded as + nonsense. Many of the stories included here are found also in other + writers, such, for example, as Aelian, Polyaenus, or Valerius Maximus, + and the relation between the versions found in the different writers is + quite the same as the relation between other stories found in the + indisputably genuine works of Plutarch and the versions found in other + writers.

+

A second assumption that some of the stories were put together by a + later writer who copied them largely from Plutarch's Lives (when there + were Lives from which they could be copied) is more plausible in the case of many of the Sayings, especially + since the versions often coincide (in whole or part) in language. At the + same time a comparison of the versions found here with the versions + found in the Lives, for example, of Phocion, or Fabius Maximus, or the + elder Cato, will probably serve to convince an unprejudiced reader that + these were not copied verbatim from the Lives, but that they have been + put down independently from the same or the original source. A special + stress is laid by those who uphold this theory upon the words ταῦτα μὲν ὕστερον (196 e), but that again + is only a natural observation which anyone writing a memorandum might + properly make regarding that incident, and anyone enthusiastic in + supporting the genuineness of the Sayings might equally well suggest + that this was an observation of some copyist, put down as a marginal + note, which has crept into the text.

+

There remains, then, the possibility that the Sayings are in the main + the work of Plutarch, written by him in practically their present form, + and that some of these were copied into the Lives rather than from the + Lives. Plutarch himself tells us, in Moralia 464 f and 457 D,In 457 d if. + Plutarch gives some examples of the kind of anecdotes which he is + wont to collect, and some of these 
are identical with those + found in the Sayings of Kings and + 
Commanders.
 + that he was in the habit of making collections of notes of this + sort, and certainly nothing could be more natural than that the author + of the Lives, to say nothing of the Moralia, should get together some of + his material in more accessible form, especially in view of the + difficulty, in ancient times, of consulting books, which were written + and kept in the form of a roll. The arrangement of the Sayings of Kings + and Commanders is roughly chronological, with + some retrogressions. The Greeks (and Persians) and the Romans are + grouped separately. If these sayings were extracted from the Lives by a + writer as dullwitted as many would have us believe he was, it might + reasonably be expected that he would have jumbled the Greeks and the + Romans together as they are alternated, in the Lives, but such is not + the case. It will be noted that the names of the Spartans whose sayings + are recorded in a similar collection are arranged in alphabetical order + for convenience in consultation.

+

In Lampriass catalogue of Plutarch's works the Sayings of Kings and + Commanders is listed as No. 108, and Stobaeus, in his Florilegium, + quotes from it freely. Of the large number of quotations from this work + which are to be found in Stobaeus an overwhelming majority agree in + language either verbatim or almost verbatim, and are not in agreement + verbatim with variant versions found elsewhere in the Lives or the + Moralia or in Aelian or Polyaenus. In one case Stobaeus (Florilegium, + liv. 43 = Moralia 788 d and not 187c) seems to have preferred aversion + found elsewhere in the Moralia, and in one other case (vii. 48 = Life of + Lycurgus, chap. xx. 4, rather than Moralia, 190 d, or 215 d) a version + found in the Lives. It is clear, then, that the book was in existence as + an independent volume in the time of Stobaeus, and probably earlier.

+

Whether Plutarch ever meant that this collection should be published, or + whether he himself provided the introduction addressed to the Emperor + Trajan, are questions of minor importance. In ancient times, no doubt, + as in later days royalty could not afford to + spend too much time with books, and welcomed predigested + information.

+

Plutarch very seldom tells the same story in the same words. Over and + over again in his works we find a story repeated with minor variations + in language, or in expansion or condensation, which often serve to adapt + it better to its context, or, again, seem to serve no purpose except to + avoid sameness ; and so with the stories in this collection : when they + are repeated in other parts of Plutarch's works they almost always show + the same minor variations which are so characteristic of Plutarch.Of the hundred or + two hundred or more examples which 
might be cited (and which + may be found by consulting the
 footnotes in the following + pages) three or four must here 
suffice. One may compare the + four accounts of Ada's
 cooks (180 a), or the three versions + of Antigonus's modesty 
(183 c), or the remark of Lysimachus + to Philippides (183 e),
 copied practically verbatim by + Stobaeus, Florilegium xlix. 19, + 
which looks like an original memorandum, while the + other
 versions (Moralia 508 c and 517 β) appear to be adapted to
 their context; or + the retort of Phocion to Antipater (188 f), 
six times + repeated, in which the language of the retort is
 always + essentially the same, but the setting is regularly 
adapted to + the context. +

+

It is an interesting academic study, for those to whom such studies + appeal, to compare the different versions of the same story, and to try + to draw conclusions as to which version is derived from the other, or + the others (as has been done by Carl Schmidt, De + apophthegmatum quae sub Plutarchi nomine feruntur + collectionibus, Greifswalde, 1879), One may compare also Wilhelm + Gemoll, Das Apophthegma (Leipzig, 1924), which is a discursive essay + on the 
apophthegm, anecdote, novel, and romance, with + relatively

 little reference to Plutarch. but such + studies are bound to be unconvincing at best.

+ +

Of many of the stories there is no variant version. Some were doubtless + used in lives or essays by Plutarch which are now lost, and some were + doubtless meant to be included in lives or essays which were never + written.

+

The collection in whole or in part is probably as well known as anything + that Plutarch has written, for parts of it have become proverbial, and + so it is not surprising that some of the sayings have been attributed to + other well-known men, both ancient and modern, or that other men both + ancient and modern have given utterance to them as their own.

+
+
+
+ + SAYINGS OF KINGS AND COMMANDERS PLUTARCH TO TRAJAN, SUPREME MONARCH? + SUCCESS AND PROSPERITY +
+

Artaxerxes, the king of the Persians, O Trajan, Emperor + Most High and Monarch Supreme, used to think that, as compared with + giving large gifts, it was no less the mark of a king and a lover of his + fellow-men to accept small gifts graciously and with a ready goodwill; + and so, on a time when he was riding by, and a simple labourer, + possessed of nothing else, took up water from the river in his two hands + and offered it to the king, he accepted it pleasantly and with a + cheerful smile, measuring the favour by the ready goodwill of the giver + and not by the service rendered by the gift. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Artaxerxes, chap. v. (1013 B C), + and Aelian, Varia + Historia, i. 32. +

+

Lycurgus made the sacrifices in Sparta very inexpensive, Plutarch repeats + this statement in Moralia, 228 D, Life of + Lycurgus, chap. xix. (p. 52 A), and Commentary on Hesiod, 26 (Works + and Days, 336). Cf. + also Plato, Alcibiades II. p. 149 A-C. + so that people might be able always to honour the gods readily + and easily from what they had at hand. And so, with some such thought in + mind, I likewise offer to you trifling gifts and tokens of friendship, + the common offerings of the first-fruits that come from philosophy, + + Cf. Plato, Protagoras, p. 343 B. and I beg that you will + be good enough to accept, in conjunction + with the author's ready goodwill, the utility which may be found in + these brief notes, if so be that they contain something meet for the + true understanding of the characters and predilections of men in high + places, which are better reflected in their words than in their actions. + True it is that a work of mine comprises the lives also of the most + noted rulers, lawgivers, and monarchs among the Romans and the Greeks; + but their actions, for the most part, have an admixture of chance, + whereas their pronouncements and unpremeditated utterance in connexion + with what they did or experienced or chanced upon afford an opportunity + to observe, as in so many mirrors, the workings of the mind of each man. + In keeping herewith is the remark of Seiramnes the Persian who, in + answer to those who expressed surprise because, while his words showed + sense, his actions were never crowned with success, said that he himself + was master of his words, but chance, together with the King, was master + of his actions. Diodorus Siculus, xv. 41, represents this remark as made by + Pharnabazus, the Persian satrap, to Iphicrates, the Athenian + general. +

+

In the Lives the pronouncements of the men have the story of the men's + actions adjoined in the same pages, and so must wait for the time when + one has the desire to read in a leisurely way; but here the remarks, + made into a separate collection quite by themselves, serving, so to + speak, as samples and primal elements of the men's lives, will not, I + think, be any serious tax on your time, and you will get in brief + compass an opportunity to pass in review many men who have proved + themselves worthy of being remembered.

+
+
+ +
+ CYRUS The elder + Cyrus (529 B.C.), founder of the Persian empire. + +
+

The Persians are enamoured of hook-nosed persons, because + of the fact that Cyrus, the best loved of their kings, had a nose of + that shape. + Cf. + Moralia, 821 E. +

+
+
+

Cyrus said that those who are unwilling to procure good + things for themselves must of necessity procure them for others. He also + said that no man has any right to rule who is not better than the people + over whom he rules. + Cf. Xenophon, Cyropaedia, i. 6. 8, and vii. 5. 83. The sentiment is + not novel, and may be found in other writers. +

+
+
+

When the Persians wished to acquire a level and tractable + land in place of their own, which was mountainous and rugged, Cyrus + would not allow them to do so, saying that both the seeds of plants and + the lives of men are bound to be like the land of their origin.Plutarch probably + took this from Herodotus, ix. 122, who in turn may have drawn upon + Hippocrates; cf. Airs, Waters, and + Places, chap. xxiv. (Hippocrates in L.C.L.; pp. + 132-136). Cf. also Plato, Laws, p. 695 A; Livy, xxiv. 25. The idea + is not novel, and may be found in other writers. It was again + repeated in 1926 by Calvin Coolidge in regard to the rugged hills of + Vermont. +

+
+
+
+ DARIUS Darius I., + king of Persia 521-485 B.C. + +
+

Darius, the father of Xerxes, said in praise of himself + that in battles and in the face of formidable dangers he became more + cool and collected. + Cf. Moralia, 792 C. +

+
+
+

After fixing the amount of the taxes which his subjects were + to pay, he sent for the leading men of the provinces, and asked them if + the taxes were not perhaps heavy; and when the men said that the taxes + were moderate, he ordered that each should pay only half as much. The same story + with variations may be found in Polyaenus, Strategemata, vii. 11. 3. Nothing to this effect is to + be found in Herodotus's account of Darius's taxation, iii. + 86-95. + +

+
+
+

As Darius was opening a big pomegranate, someone inquired + what there was of which he would like to have as many in number as the + multitude of seeds in the pomegranate, and he replied, Men like Zopyrus. + The same story + is found in Herodotus, iv. 143, but with the name of Megabazus + instead of Zopyrus. Zopyrus was a brave man and a friend of + his.

+
+
+

Zopyrus, by disfiguring himself with his own hands and + cutting off his nose and ears, tricked the Babylonians, and by winning + their confidence succeeded in handing over the city to Darius. Many a + time Darius said that he would not take an hundred Babylons as the price + of not having Zopyrus unscathed. Herodotus, iii. 154-160; + cf. Polyaenus, Strategemata, vii. 13. +

+
+
+
+ SEMIRAMIS +
+

Semiramis Herodotus, i. 187, says that Nitocris built the tomb + above the gates of Babylon. Stobaeus, x. 53, copies Plutarch word + for word. caused a great tomb to be prepared for herself, and + on it this inscription : Whatsoever king finds + himself in need of money may break into this monument and take as + much as he wishes. Darius accordingly broke into it, but found + no money; he did, however, come upon another inscription reading as + follows : If you were not a wicked man with an + insatiate greed for money, you would not be disturbing the places + where the dead are laid. +

+
+
+
+ XERXES King of + Persia, 485-465 B.C. + +
+

Ariamenes, the brother of Xerxes son of Darius, was on his + way down from the Bactrian country to contest Xerxes' right to the + kingdom. Xerxes accordingly sent him gifts, bidding those who offered + them to say, With these gifts Xerxes your brother + now honours you; and if he be proclaimed king, you shall be the highest at his court. When + Xerxes was designated as the king, Ariamenes at once paid homage to him, + and placed the crown upon his brother's head, and Xerxes gave him a rank + second only to himself. Plutarch tells the story with more details in Moralia, 488 D-F. The + tradition which Plutarch follows is quite different from that of + Herodotus, vii. 1-4. +

+
+
+

Angered at the Babylonians, who had revolted, The usual + tradition is that Babylong revolted from Darius; Herodotus, iii. + 150. he overpowered them, and then ordained that henceforth + they should not bear arms, but should play the i lyre and flute, keep + public prostitutes, engage in I petty trade, and wear long flowing + garments.Cyrus is said to have employed this device against the Lydians; + Herodotus, i. 156; Polyaenus, Strategemata, vii. 6. 4; Justin, Hist. Philip, i. 7. For two other instances cf. the scholia on Sophocles, Oedipus Col. 329, and Dionysius Hal. + Antiq. Rom. vii. 9. +

+
+
+

He said he would not eat figs from Attica which had been + imported for sale, but would eat them when he had obtained possession of + the land that bore them. + Cf.Athenaeus, p. 652 B. +

+
+
+

When he caught Greek spies in his camp, he did them no + injury, but, after bidding them observe his army freely, let them go. + The story + is told in Herodotus, vii. 146-147. +

+
+
+
+ ARTAXERXES King + of Persia, 465-425 B.C. + +
+

Artaxerxes, the son of Xerxes, called ' Longhand,' because + of his having one hand longer than the other + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Artaxerxes, chap. i. (1011 + E). used to say that it is more kingly to give to one who has + than to take away.

+
+
+

He was the first to issue an order that any of his + companions in the hunt who could and would might throw their spears + without waiting for him to throw first.Xenophon (Cyropaedia, i. 4. 14) attributes this innovation to the + elder Cyrus; but Cf. Ctesias, + Persica, frag. 40. +

+
+
+

He was the first to ordain this form of punishment for those + of the ruling class who offended : Instead of + having their bodies scourged and the hair plucked from their heads, they + took off their outer garments and these were scourged, and put off their + head-dress and this was plucked. + Cf. Moralia, 35 E and 565 A, and Wyttenbach's + note on the latter passage. +

+
+
+

Satibarzanes, his chamberlain, made a dishonourable request + of him, and it came to his knowledge that the man was doing this for + thirty thousand pounds; whereupon he directed his treasurer to bring him + thirty thousand pounds, and, as he gave the money to his chamberlain, he + said, Take this, Satibarzanes; for if I make you + this gift I shall not be poorer, but if I do that deed I shall be + more dishonourable ! +

+
+
+
+ CYRUS THE YOUNGER 401 B.C. + +
+

Cyrus the younger, in urging the Spartans to ally + themselves with him, said that he had a stouter heart than his brother, + and that he could drink more strong wine than his brother could and + carry it better; moreover, that at hunts his brother could hardly stay + on his horse, and at a time of terror not even on his throne. Cyrus + urged the Spartans to send him men, promising to give horses to the + foot-soldiers, chariots to those who had horses, villages to those who + owned farms, and to make those who had villages the masters of cities; + and as for gold and silver there should be no counting, but weighing + instead. The + content of the passage agrees, in the main, with that of Plutarch's + Life of Artaxerxes, chap. vi. (1013 + F); but there he says, οὐκ ἀριθμὸν ἀλλὰ + μέτρον, not counting but + measuring out. + +

+
+
+ +
+ ARTAXERXES MNEMON King of Persia, 404-359 B.C. + +
+

Artaxerxes, Cyrus's brother, called Mnemon, Because of his + good memory. not only granted audience freely to those who + wished to speak with him, but also bade his wife draw aside the curtains + from her carriage so that those who desired might speak with her on the + road. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Artaxerxes, chap. v. (1013 D-E). + +

+
+
+

A poor man brought to him an apple of extraordinary size + which he accepted with pleasure, and at the same time he remarked, By Mithras I swear it seems to me that this man + would make a big city out of a small one if it were entrusted to his + charge. + + Ibid. chap. iv. (1013 B). +

+
+
+

Once in a precipitate retreat his baggage was plundered, and + as he ate dry figs and barley-bread he exclaimed, What a pleasure is this which has never been mine before! + + Ibid. chap. xii. (1017 B_ is a + similar story regarding stale water. +

+
+
+
+ PARYSATIS +
+

Parysatis, the mother of Cyrus and Artaxerxes, advised that + he who was intending to talk frankly with the king should use words of + softest texture.

+
+
+
+ ORONTES +
+

Orontes, the son-in-law of King Artaxerxes, became involved + in disgrace because of an accusation, Against Tiribazus according to + Diodorus, xv. 10-11, where the story is told at length. and, + when the decision was given against him, he said that, as + mathematicians' fingers are able to represent tens of thousands at one + time, and at another time only units, + Cf. Pauly-Wissowa, Real-Encyclopadie, ii. p. 1068. so + it was the same with the friends of kings : at one time they are + omnipotent and at another time almost impotent. A similar remark is attribute to + Solon by Dogenes Laertius, i. 59. +

+
+
+
+ MEMNON +
+

Memnon, who was waging war against Alexander on the side of + King Darius, + Circa 333 B.C. when one of + his mercenary soldiers said many libellous and indecent things of + Alexander, struck the man with his spear, saying, I pay you to fight Alexander, not to malign him. +

+
+
+
+ A CUSTOM OF THE KINGS OF EGYPT +
+

The kings of the Egyptians, in accordance with a rule of + their own, used to require their judges to swear that, even if the king + should direct them to decide any case unfairly, they would not do so. + + Cf. Diodorus, i. 71. +

+
+
+
+ POLTYS +
+

Poltys, king of the Thracians at the time of the Trojan + war, when once both the Trojans and the Greeks sent deputations to him + at the same time, bade Alexander restore Helen and accept a couple of + beautiful women from him,

+
+
+
+ TERES King of the + Odrysae in Thrace in the earlier part of the fifth century B.C. + +
+

Teres, the father of Sitalces, used to say that whenever + he had nothing to do and was not in the field with his army he felt that + there was no difference between himself and his grooms. In Moralia, 729 C, this remark + is attributed to Ateas, king of the Scythians. +

+
+
+ +
+ COTYS King of + Thrace, 382-358 B.C. + +
+

Cotys was once presented with a leopard, and he presented + the donor with a lion in return. He was by nature very irascible and + prone to punish severely any lapses in service. On a time when a friend + from abroad brought him some vessels of earthenwrare, very fragile and + delicate, wrought with figures in relief in a realistic and highly + artistic manner, he gave presents to the friend, but broke all the + vessels in pieces, so that I, as he said, may not in anger punish too severely those that + break them. +

+
+
+
+ IDANTHYRSUS +
+

Idanthyrsus, the king of the Scythians, against whom Darius + crossed the Danube, tried to persuade the despots of the lonians to + break up the bridge that spanned the river, and then withdraw. But when + they were not willing to do so because of their plighted word to Darius, + he called them good slaves who would never run away. + Cf. Herodotus, iv. 142. +

+
+
+
+ ATEAS +
+

Ateas wrote to Philip : You are the + ruler of the Macedonians who have learned to fight against men; but + I am ruler of the Scythians who are able to fight against both + hunger and thirst. +

+

While he was engaged in currying his horse he asked the ambassadors who + had come from Philip whether Philip did this.

+

Having captured in battle Ismenias, the very best of flute-players, he + bade him play a tune. Everybody else was filled with admiration, but + Ateas swore that it gave him more pleasure to + hear his horse neigh.The story is repeated in nearly the same words in + Moralia, 334 B and + 1095 F. The fame of Ismenias is several times referred to by ancient + writers. It may suffice to mention Plutarch, Moralia, 632 C. +

+
+
+
+ SCILURUS King of + the Scythians, second or first century B.C. + +
+

Scilurus, who left eighty sons surviving him, when he was + at the point of death handed a bundle of javelins to each son in turn + and bade him break it. After they had all given up, he took out the + javelins one by one and easily broke them all, thereby teaching the + young men that, if they stood together, they would continue strong, but + that they would be weak if they fell out and quarrelled. + Cf. Moralia, 511 C. +

+
+
+
+ GELON Ruler of + Gela, 491-483, and of Syracuse, 485-478 B.C. + +
+

Gelon, the despot, after vanquishing the Carthaginians off + Himera, forced them, when he made peace with them, to include in the + treaty an agreement to stop sacrificing their children to Cronus, + Cf. Moralia, 171 (and the note), and 552 A. + According to Diodorus, xx. 14, the practice was revived in 310 B.C., + even if it had not persisted during the intervening years. Cf. G.F. Moore in the Journal of Biblical Literature, xvi. + (1897), p. 161. Cronus is the Semitic El, Moloch, or Baal. +

+
+
+

He often led out the Syracusans to plant their fields, as if + it had been for a campaign, so that the land should be improved by being + worked, and the men should not deteriorate by being idle.

+
+
+

He asked for money from the citizens, and, when they began + to murmur, he said that he was asking for it with the intent to repay, + and he did repay it when the war was over.

+
+
+

At a party a lyre was passed around, and the others, one after the other, tuned it and sang, + but the king ordered his horse to be led in, and nimbly and easily leapt + upon its back. + Cf. Themistocles' boast, to which + he resorted in self-defence under similarly embarrassing + circumstances, in Plutarch's Life of + Themistocles, chap. ii. (112 C). +

+
+
+
+ HIERO Ruler of + Gela and Syracuse, 478-467 B.C. + +
+

Hiero, who succeeded Gelo as despot, used to say that not + one of the persons who spoke frankly to him chose the wrong time.

+
+
+

He felt that those who divulged a secret committed a serious + offence also against those to whom they divulged it; for we hate, not + only those who divulge such things, but also those who hear what we do + not wish them to hear.

+
+
+

On being reviled by someone for his offensive breath, he + blamed his wife for never having told him about this; but she said, I supposed that all men smelled so. + + Cf. Moralia 90 B, and Lucian, Hermotimus, 34. Aristotle tells the same + story of Gelon according to Stobaeus, Florilegium, v. 83. +

+
+
+

In answer to Xenophanes of Colophon, who had said that he + could hardly maintain two servants, Hiero said, But Homer, whom you disparage, maintains more than ten thousand, + although he is dead. +

+
+
+

He caused Epieharmus the comic poet to be punished because + he made an indecent remark in the presence of his wife.

+
+
+
+ DIONYSIUS THE ELDER Ruler of Syracuse, 405-367 B.C. + +
+

Dionysius the Elder, when the speakers who were to address + the people were drawing by lot the letters of the alphabet to determine + their order of speaking, drew the letter M; and in answer to the man who + said, Muddle-head you + are, Dionysius, he replied, No ! Monarch + I am to be, and after he had addressed the people he was at once + chosen general by the Syracusans. + Cf. Diodorus, xiii. 91-92. +

+
+
+

When, at the beginning of his rule, he was being besieged as + the result of a conspiracy against him among the citizens, his friends + advised him to abdicate unless he wished to be overpowered and put to + death. But, on seeing that an ox slaughtered by a cook fell instantly, + he said, Is it not then distasteful that we, for + fear of death which is so momentary, should forsake such a mighty + sovereignty ? + + Cf. Moralia, 783 C-D; Diodorus, xiv. 8; + Aelian, Varia Historia, + iv. 8; Polyaenus, v. 7. +

+
+
+

Learning that his son, to whom he was intending to bequeath + his empire, had debauched the wife of a free citizen, he asked the young + man, with some heat, what act of his father's he knew of like that! And + when the youth answered, None, for you did not + have a despot for a father. + Nor will you have a son, was the reply, unless you stop doing this sort of thing. +

+
+
+

At another time he went into his son's house, and, observing + a vast number of gold and silver drinking-cups, he exclaimed, There is no despot in you, for with all the + drinking-cups which you are always getting from me you have not made + for yourself a single friend. +

+
+
+

He levied money on the Syracusans, and later, when he saw + them lamenting and begging and protesting that they had none, he ordered + a second levy, and this he did twice or thrice. + Cf. Aristotle, Politics, v. ii., and the Aristotelian + Oeconomica, ii. 20, and Polyaenus, + Strategemata, v. 19. But + when, after calling for still more, he heard that they laughed and + jeered as they went about in the market-place, he ordered a halt in the proceeding; For now they + really have nothing, said he, since they + hold us in contempt. +

+
+
+

When his mother, who was well on in years, wanted to get + married, he said that he had the power to violate the laws of the State, + but not the laws of Nature. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Solon, chap. xx. (89 D). +

+
+
+

While he punished relentlessly all other malefactors, he was + very lenient with the footpads, so that the Syracusans should stop their + dining and drinking together.

+
+
+

A stranger professed that he would tell him privately and + instruct him how to know beforehand those who were plotting against him, + and Dionysus bade him speak; whereupon the stranger came close to him + and said, Hand me a talent that you may give the + impression that you have heard about the plotters' secret signs; + and Dionysius gave it, pretending that he had heard, and marvelling at + the man's clever tactics. + Cf. Polyaenus, v. 2. 3, and + Stobaeus, Florilegium, iii. 65. +

+
+
+

To the man who inquired if he were at leisure he said, I hope that may never happen to me ! + + Cf. Moralia, 792 C. +

+
+
+

Hearing that two young men at a drinking party had said much + that was slanderous about him and his rule, he invited them both to + dinner. And when he saw that the one drank much and talked freely, and + the other indulged in drink sparingly and with great circumspection, he + let the former go free, holding him to be by nature a hard drinker and a + slanderous talker when in his cups, but the latter he caused to be put + to death, holding that this man was disaffected and hostile as the + result of deliberate choice.

+
+
+

When some blamed him for honouring and + advancing a bad man who was loathed by the + citizens, he said, But it is my wish that there + shall be somebody more hated than myself. +

+
+
+

When ambassadors from Corinth + Cf. Diodorus, xv. 70. + declined hi,s proffered gifts because of the law, which did not allow + members of an embassy to receive gifts from a potentate, he said that + they were playing a scurvy trick in taking away the only advantage + possessed by despotism, and teaching that even a favour from a despot is + a thing to be feared.

+
+
+

Hearing that one of the citizens had some gold buried at his + house he ordered the man to bring it to him. But when the man succeeded + in keeping back a part of it, and later removed to another city and + bought a farm, Dionysius sent for him, and bade him take the whole + amount belonging to him, since he had now begun to use his wealth, and + was no longer making a useful thing useless.

+
+
+
+ DIONYSIUS THE YOUNGER Ruler of Syracuse, 367-343 B.C. + +
+

The Younger Dionysius used to say that he gave bed and board + to many learned men, not because he felt any admiration for them, but + because he wished through them to gain admiration for himself.

+
+
+

When Polyxenus, + Cf. Plato's Letters, ii. p. 314 C. who was skilled in + argumentation, asserted that he had confuted the king, the latter said, + Yes, very likely by your words, but by your + deeds I confute you; for you forsake your own affairs, and pay court + to me and mine. +

+
+
+

He was compelled to abdicate, and when a man said to him, What help have Plato and philosophy given to you ? his answer was : The power to submit to so great a change of + fortune without repining. + Cf. Plutarch, Life of Timoleon, chap. xv. (243 + A). + +

+
+
+

On being asked how his father, who was a poor man and a + private citizen, had gained control over the Syracusans, and how he, who + held control, and was the son of a despot, had come to lose it, he said, + My father embarked upon his venture at a time + when democracy was hated, but I at a time when despotism was + odious. +

+
+
+

Being asked this same question by another man, By Philip of + Macedon, according to Aelian, Varia Historia, xii. 60. he said, My father bequeathed to me his kingdom, but not + his luck. +

+
+
+
+ AGATHOCLES Ruler + of Syrachuse and Sicily, 318-289 B.C. + +
+

Agathocles was the son of a potter. After he had made + himself master of Sicily, and had been proclaimed king, he used to have + drinking-cups of pottery placed beside those of gold, and as he pointed + these out to the young men he would say, That is + the sort of thing which I used to do formerly, but this is what I do + now because of my diligence and fortitude. + Cf. Moralia, 544 B, where the story is + repeated in slightly different words. + +

+
+
+

When he was besieging a city, some of the people on the wall + reviled him, saying, Potter, how are you going to + pay your soldiers' wages ? But he, unruffled and smiling, said, + If I take this town. And after he had + taken it by storm he sold the captives as slaves, and said, If you revile me again, what I have to say will + be said to your masters. + + Cf. Moralia, 458 F, where, however, the last + remark is attributed to Antigonus the One-eyed. + + +

+
+
+

When the people of Ithaca complained of his sailors because + they had put in at the island and had forcibly carried off some of the + animals, he said, But your king carne to us, and + not only took our flocks, but also blinded their shepherd, The Cyclops, + Homer, Od. ix. 375. and went + his way. + + Cf. Moralia, 557 B, where the story is + repeated in fewer words. +

+
+
+
+ DION +
+

When Dion, who expelled Dionysius from his kingdom, heard + that a plot against him was being set on foot by Callippus, in whom he + placed the greatest trust above all other friends, both those at home + and those from abroad, he could not bring himself to investigate, but + said, It is better to die than to live in a state + of continual watchfulness not only against one's enemies but also + against one's friends. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Dion, chap. lvi. (982 D)). The + story of the plot and the death of Dion is in chaps. liv.-lvii. + Cf. also Valerius Maximus, + iii. 8. Ext. 5. +

+
+
+
+ ARCHELAUS King of + Macedonia, 413-399 B.C. + +
+

When Archelaus, at a convivial gathering, was asked for a + golden cup by one of his acquaintances of a type not commendable for + character, he bade the servant give it to Euripides; and in answer to + the man's look of astonishment, he said, It is + true that you have a right to ask for it, but Euripides has a right + to receive it even though he did not ask for it. +

+
+
+

When a garrulous barber asked him, How shall I cut your hair ? he said, In + silence. + + Cf. Moralia, 509 A. +

+
+
+

When Euripides threw his arms around the fair Agathon in + the midst of an evening party and kissed him, + for all that Agathon was already bearded, Archelaus said to his friends, + Do not be astonished; for even the autumn of + the fair is fair. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Alcibiades, chap. i. (192 A); + Moralia, 770 C; + and Aelian, Varia + Historia, xiii. 4. In all three places the remark is + attributed to Euripides. + +

+
+
+

When Timotheus the harp-player had hopes of receiving a + goodly sum, but received less, he plainly showed that he felt resentful + towards Archelaus; and, once, as he was singing this brief line : Over the earth-born silver you rave. + + Cf. Bergk, Poet. Lyr. Graec. iii. p. 624, Timotheus, + No. 14, or Edmonds, Lyra + Graeca (in L.C.L.), iii. p. 330, No. 28. Plutarch + repeats the story in Moralia, 334 B. he directed it towards + Archelaus; whereupon Archelaus retorted upon him with this, That, however, is what you crave. +

+
+
+

When somebody had thrown water upon him, and he was incited + by his friends against the man, he said, But it + was not upon me that he threw it, but upon the man he thought me to + be. +

+
+
+
+ PHILIP THE FATHER OF ALEXANDER Born 382 B.C.; king of Macedonia, 359-336 B.C. + +
+

Theophrastus has recorded that Philip, the father of + Alexander, was not only great among kings, but, owing to his fortune and + his conduct, proved himself still greater and more moderate + Cf. Cicero, De Officiis, i. 26 (90). +

+
+
+

He said that he must congratulate the Athenians on their + happy fortune if they could find ten men every year to elect as + generals; for he himself in many years had found only one general, + Parmenio.

+
+
+

When several happy events were reported to him within a + single day, he said, O Fortune, do me some little ill to offset so many good + things like these ! Repeated in Moralia, 105 A and 666 A. + +

+
+
+

After his victory over the Greeks, when some were advising + him to hold the Greek cities in subjection by means of garrisons, he + said that he preferred to be called a good man for a long time rather + than a master for a short time.

+
+
+

When his friends advised him to banish from his court a man + who maligned him, he said he would not, so that the man should not go + about speaking ill of him among more people. A similar story is told of + Pyrrhus in Plutarch's Life of Pyrrhus, + chap. viii. (387 E). +

+
+
+

When Smicythus remarked maliciously of Nicanor that he was + always speaking ill of Philip, and Philip's companions thought that he + ought to send for Nicanor and punish him, Philip said, But really Nicanor is not the worst of the + Macedonians. We must investigate therefore whether something is not + happening for which we are responsible. When he learned + therefore that Nicanor was hard pressed by poverty, and had been + neglected by him he directed that a present be given to the man. So when + again Smicythus said that Nicanor was continually sounding the praises + of Philip to everybody in a surprising way, Philip said, You all see that we ourselves are responsible for + the good and the ill that is said of us. + + Cf. Themistius, Oration, vii. 95 B, and Frontinus, Strategemata, iv. 7. 37. +

+
+
+

He said that he felt very grateful to the popular leaders + of the Athenians, because by maligning him they made him better both in + speech and in character, For I try both by my + words and by my deeds to prove that they are liars. +

+
+
+

When all the Athenians who had been taken captive at Chaeroneia were set free by him + without ransom, + Cf. Polybius, v. 10, and Diodorus, + xvi. 87. but asked for the return of their clothing and + bedding besides, and complained against the Macedonians, Philip laughed + and said to his men, Does it not seem to you that + the Athenians think they have been beaten by us in a game of + knucklebones ? +

+
+
+

When the keybone of his shoulder had been broken in battle, + + Cf. Demosthenes, Oration xviii. (De Corona), 67 (p. 247), and Aulus + Gellius, ii. 27. and the attending physician insistently + demanded a fee every day, he said, Take as much as + you wish; for you have the key in your charge ! + The pun depends + on the fact that κλείς means both + key and collar-bone. + +

+
+
+

Of two brothers, Both and Each, he observed that Each was + sensible and practical, and Both was silly and foolish, and he remarked + that Each was both and Both was neither!

+
+
+

Those who counselled him to treat the Athen ians harshly he + said were silly in urging a man who did everything and underwent + everything for the sake of repute to throw away his chance to exhibit + it.

+
+
+

Being called upon to decide a suit between two knaves, he + ordered the one to flee from Macedonia, and the other to pursue him. +

+
+
+

When he was about to pitch his camp in an excellent place, + he learned that there was no grass for the pack-animals. What a life is ours, he said, if we must live to suit the convenience of the + asses ! + + Cf. Moralia, 790 B; also Eunapius, Frag. 56 in + Dindorf, Historici Graeci + Minores, i. p. 249. +

+
+
+

When he was desirous of capturing a certain stronghold, his + scouts reported that it was altogether difficult and quite impregnable, + whereupon he asked if it were so difficult that + not even an ass laden with money could approach it. + Cf. Cicero, Letters to Atticus, i. 16. 12; Diodorus, xvi. + 54. +

+
+
+

When the men associated with Lasthenes, the Olynthian, + complained with indignation because some of Philip's associates called + them traitors, + Cf. Moralia, 97 D. he said that the + Macedonians are by nature a rough and rustic people who call a spade a + spade. A + reference to a line from an unknown comic poet quoted by Lucian, + Iupiter Tragoedus, + 32. Cf. also Lucian, Historia quomodo conscribenda + sit, 41, and Kock, Com. Att. Frag. iii. p. 451, Adespota no. 227. +

+
+
+

He recommended to his son that he associate with the + Macedonians so as to win their favour, and thus acquire for himself + influence with the masses while another was reigning and while it was + possible for him to be humane. + Cf. Moralia, 806 B, Cicero, De Officiis, ii. 14 (48). + +

+
+
+

He also advised him that, among the men of influence in the + cities, he should make friends of both the good and the bad, and that + later he should use the former and abuse the latter.

+
+
+

Philon Probably the man mentioned by Demosthenes, Oration xix. 140 (p. 384). the + Theban had been his benefactor and host during the time he spent as a + hostage in Thebes, but later would not accept any gift from him; + whereupon Philip said to him, Do not deprive me of + my invincibility by letting me be outdone in benefactions and + favours. +

+
+
+

On a time when many prisoners had been taken, Philip was + overseeing their sale, sitting with his tunic pulled up in an unseemly + way. So one of the men who were being sold cried out, Spare me, Philip, for I am a friend of your + father's. And when Philip askeds Where, + sirrah, and how carne you to be such ? the man said, I wish to tell you privately, if I may come near + you. And when he was brought forward, he + said, Put your cloak a little lower, for you are + exposing too much of yourself as you are sitting now. And Philip + said, Let him go free, for it had escaped me that + he is a truly loyal friend. +

+
+
+

Once when he was on the march, and was invited to dinner by + a man of the land, he took a good many persons with him; and when he saw + that his host was much perturbed, since the preparations that had been + made were inadequate, he sent word in advance to each of his friends , + and told them to leave room for cake. They + took his advice and, expecting more to follow, did not eat much, and + thus there was enough for all. The story is repeated in Moralia, 123 D and 707 B. +

+
+
+

When Hipparchus of Euboea died, Hipparchus, with two others, was + set up by Philip as tyrant in Eretria about 343 B.C. See + Demosthenes, Oration, ix. 58 (p. 125), + and Oration xviii. 295 (p. 324). + it was plain that Philip took it much to heart; and when somebody + remarked, But, as a matter of fact, his death has + come in fullness of time, Philip said, Yes, in fullness of time for him, it is true, but swiftly for me, + for he came to his end too soon to receive from me, as he ought, + favours worthy of our friendship. +

+
+
+

Learning that Alexander complained against him because he + was having children by other women besides his wife, he said, Well then, if you have many competitors for the + kingdom, prove yourself honourable and good, so that you may obtain + the kingdom not because of me, but because of yourself. He bade + Alexander give heed to Aristotle, and study philosophy, so that, as he said, you may not do a great many things of the sort that I am sorry to + have done. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Alexander, chap. ix. (669 + A). +

+
+
+

He appointed one of Antipater's friends to the position of + judge, but later, on learning that the man dyed his beard and hair, he + removed him, at the same + time remarking that he did not believe that a + man who was untrustworthy in the matter of hair was fit to be trusted in + actions.The + sentiment is attributed to Archidamus regarding a man from Chios, in + Aelian, Varia Historia, + vii. 20; cf. Stobaeus, Florilegium, xii. 20. +

+
+
+

While he was hearing the case of Machaetas, he was near + falling asleep, and did not give full attention to the rights of the + case, but decided against Machaetas. And when Machaetas exclaimed that + he appealed from the decision, Philip, thoroughly enraged, said, To whom ? And Machaetas replied, To you yourself, Your Majesty, if you will listen + awake and attentive. At the time Philip merely ended the + sitting, but when he had gained more control of himself and realized + that Machaetas was treated unfairly, he did not reverse his decision, + but satisfied the judgement with his own money. Of an old woman in Stobaeus, + Florilegium, xiii. 29 (quoted from + Serenus) and Valerius Maximus, vi. 2, ext. 1; in the latter place is + the more familiar appeal from Philip drunk to + Philip sober. + +

+
+
+

When Harpalus, acting in behalf of his kinsman and intimate + friend Crates, who was under condemnation for wrongdoing, proposed as a + fair solution that Crates should pay the fine, but be absolved from the + adverse judgement so that he should not be subject to reproach, Philip + said, It is better that the man himself, rather + than that we because of him, should be ill spoken of. +

+
+
+

When his friends were indignant because the people of the + Peloponnesus hissed him at the Olympic games, although they had been + treated well, he said, Well, what if they should + be treated ill! + + Cf. Moralia, 143 F and 457 F. A similar remark + of Pausanias is quoted in Moralia, 230 D. +

+
+
+

Once on a campaign he slept for an unusually long time, and + later, when he arose, he said, I slept safely, for + Antipater was awake. + + Cf. Athenaeus, p. 435 D. +

+
+
+

On another occasion when he was asleep in the daytime, and the Greeks who had gathered at his + doors were indignant and complaining, Parmenio said,Do not be astonished that Philip is asleep now; + for while you were asleep he was awake. + Something + remotely like this is told of ALexander in Plutarch's Life of Alexander, chap. xxxi. (683 + E). +

+
+
+

When he desired to correct a harp-player at dinner, and to + discuss the playing of this instrument, the harp-player said, God forbid, Your Majesty, that you should ever + fall so low as to have a better knowledge of these matters than + I. + The story is + found also in Moralia, + 67 F, 334 D, and 634 D. +

+
+
+

At a time when he was at odds with Olympias, his wife, and + with his son, Demaratus of Corinth arrived, and Philip inquired of him + how the Greeks were feeling towards one another. And Demaratus said, Much right have you to talk about the harmony of + the Greeks when the dearest of your own household feel so towards + you ! Philip, taking the thought to heart, ceased from his + anger, and became reconciled with them. + Cf. Moralia, 70 B (which omits the conclusion) + and Plutarch's Life of Alexander, chap. + ix. (669 C). +

+
+
+

When a poor old woman insisted that her case should be + heard before him, and often caused him annoyance, he said he had no time + to spare, whereupon she burst out, Then give up + being king. Philip, amazed at her words, proceeded at once to + hear not only her case but those of the others. The story is told also in + Plutarch's Life of Demetrius, chap. + xlii. (909 C). Stobaeus, Florilegium, + xiii. 28, quotes Serenus, who states that a peasant made this remark + to Antipater. +

+
+
+
+ ALEXANDER Alexander the Great, born 356, king of Macedon 356-323 B.C. + +
+

While Alexander was still a boy and Philip was winning many + successes, he was not glad, but said to d The story is told also in + Plutarch's Life of Demetrius, chap. xiii. (909 c). Stobaeus, + Florilegium, xiii. 28, quotes Serenus, who states that a peasant + made this remark to Anitpater. e Alexander the Great, born 356, king + of Macedon 336323 B.C. + his playmates, My father + will leave nothing for me to do. + But, said the boys, he + is acquiring all this for you. + But what good is it, said Alexander, if I possess much and accomplish nothing ? + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Alexander, chap. v. (666 F). Many + of the stories about Alexander are repeated in Zonaras, Epitome of History, iv. 8-15. +

+
+
+

Being nimble and swift of foot, he was urged by his father + to run in the foot-race at the Olympic games. Yes, + I would run, said he, if I were to have + kings as competitors. + + Cf. Moralia, 331 B, and Plutarch's Life of Alexander, chap. iv. (666 + D). +

+
+
+

A girl was brought to him late in the evening with the + intent that she should spend the night with him, and he asked her, Why at this time ? She replied, I had to wait to get my husband to go to bed + ; whereupon Alexander bitterly rebuked his servants, since, owing to + them, he had so narrowly escaped becoming an adulterer.

+
+
+

On a time when he was offering incense to the gods with + lavish hand, and often taking up handfuls of the frankincense, Leonidas, + who had been his attendant in boyhood, happening to be present, said, My boy, you may offer incense thus lavishly when + you have made yourself master of the land that bears it. And so, + when Alexander had become master of it, he sent a letter to Leonidas : + I have sent to you a half-ton of frankincense + and cassia, so that you may never again count any petty cost in + dealing with the gods, since you know that we are now masters of the + land that bears these fragrant things. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Alexander, chap. xxv. (679 C); + Pliny, Natural History, xii. 32 (62). + +

+
+
+

Just before he fought the battle at Granicus he urged the + Macedonians to eat without stint, and to bring out all they had, since + on the morrow they should dine from the enemy's stores. +

+
+
+

When Perillus, one of his friends, asked him for dowry for + his girls, Alexander bade him accept ten thousand pounds. He said that + two thousand would be enough; but Alexander said, Enough for you to accept, but not enough for me to give. + Stories of this + type about kings have long been popular and often repeated. +

+
+
+

He bade his manager give to Anaxarchus, the philosopher, as + much as he asked for; and when the manager said that he asked for twenty + thousand pounds, Alexander said, He does well, for + he knows that he has a friend who is both able and willing to make + such presents. + Xencrates seems + to have been the lucky recipient, while Anaxarchus received high + esteem, according to Moralia, 331 E, and Plutarch's Life of Alexander, chap. viii. (668 E). +

+
+
+

When he saw in Miletus many statues of athletes who had won + victories in the Olympic and the Pythian games, he said, Where were the men with bodies like these when + the barbarians were besieging your city? + + Cf. in Aristophanes, Plutus, 1003, and Athenaeus, 523 F, the + proverb, Once were the Milesians stout and + strong. + +

+
+
+

Ada, queen of the Carians, made it a point of honour to be + always sending to him fancy dishes and sweetmeats prepared in unusual + ways by the hands of artists and chefs, but he said he had better fancy + cooks--his night marches for his breakfast, and for his dinner his + frugal breakfast. The story with slight variations is found also in + Moralia, 127 B, 1099 + C, and the Life of Alexander, chap. + xxii. (677 B). +

+
+
+

Once, when all preparations had been made for battle, his + generals asked him whether there was anything else in addition to what + they had done. Nothing, said he, except to shave the Macedonians' beards. And + as Parmenio expressed his surprise, Alexander said, Don't you know that in battles there is nothing + handier to grasp than a beard? + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Theseus, chap. iii. (3 A); + Athenaeus, 565 A. + +

+
+
+

When Darius offered him two million pounds, and also + offered to share Asia equally with him, Parmenio said, I would take it if I were Alexander. + And so indeed would I, said Alexander, if I were Parmenio. But he made answer to + Darius that the earth could not tolerate two suns, nor Asia two kings. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Alexander, chap. xxix. (681 F): + Arrian, Anabasis, ii. 25; Diodorus, + xvii. 54: Longinus, De + sublimitate, ix. 4; Valerius Maximus, vi. 4, ext. + 3. +

+
+
+

When he was about to risk everything at Arbela against a + million men arrayed against him, his friends came to him and accused the + soldiers of talking together and making agreements in their tents that + they would hand over none of the spoil to the royal treasury, but would + keep everything for themselves. And he smiling said, You bring good news; for I hear in this the talk + of men prepared to conquer and not to flee. And many of the + soldiers came to him and said, Be of good cheer, + Sire, and do not fear the great numbers of the enemy; for they will + not be able to stand the very smell of goat that clings to us. +

+
+
+

As the army was being drawn up for battle, he saw one of + the soldiers fitting the thong to his javelin, and he shoved him out of + the line as a useless man who was making ready at this time when he + ought to be using his weapons.

+
+
+

As he was reading a letter from his mother, which contained + secret slanders against Antipater, Hephaestion, as usual, was reading it + with him. Alexander did not prevent Hephaestion from reading it, but, + when he had finished the reading, he took off his ring, and placed the + seal on Hephaestion's lips. + Cf. Moralia, 332 F and 240 A, and Plutarch's + Life of Alexander, chap. xxix. (688 + A). + +

+
+
+

In the shrine of Ammon he was hailed by the prophetic + priest as the son of Zeus. That is nothing + surprising, said he; for Zeus is by nature + the father of all, and he makes the noblest his own. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Alexander, chap. xxvii. (680 + F). +

+
+
+

When he was hit in the leg by an arrow, and many of those + who were oftentimes wont to hail him as a god hurried up to him, he, + relaxing his countenance, said, This is blood, as + you see, and not Ichor, like that which + flows from the wounds of the blessed Immortals. + + The story is + often repeated: cf. for example, + Moralia, 341 B; + Plutarch's Life of Alexander, champ. + xxviii. (681 B); Diogenes Laertius, ix. 60; Dio Chrysostom, Oration xliv. (p. 498); Seneca, Epistulae Moral. vi. 7. + 12. +

+
+
+

When some commended the frugality of Antipater, who, they + said, lived a plain and simple life, he remarked, Outwardly Antipater is plain white, but within he is all + purple. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Phocion, chap. xxix. (754 + E). +

+
+
+

When one of his friends was entertaining him in the cold of + winter, and brought in a small brazier with a little Are in it, + Alexander bade him bring in either firewood or incense.

+
+
+

When Antipatrides brought to dinner a beautiful + harp-player, Alexander, stirred to love at the sight of her, asked + Antipatrides whether he happened to be at all in love with the girl; and + when he admitted that he was, Alexander said, You + abominable wretch ! Please take her away from here at once. +

+
+
+

On another occasion Casander forced Python, beloved by + Evius the flute-player, + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Eumenes, chap. ii. (583 D). + to kiss him, and Alexander, seeing that Evius was vexed, leapt up in + anger against Casander, exclaiming It isn't + allowable even to fall in love with anybody, because of you and + people like you. + +

+
+
+

When he was sending away to the sea those of the + Macedonians who were sick or incapacitated, a man was reported to have + put down his name in the list of the sick although there was nothing the + matter with him. When therefore the man was brought before Alexander and + examined, he admitted that he had employed this ruse because of love for + Telesippa, who was departing for the sea; and Alexander asked, With whom must one talk concerning Telesippa + ? And when he learned that she was not a slave, he said, Then let us, Antigenes, try to persuade Telesippa + to stay with us; for to coerce her, a free woman, is not within our + right. + + Cf. Moralia, 339 C, and Plutarch's Lfe of Alexander, chap. xl. (689 + B). +

+
+
+

When Greek mercenaries serving on the enemy's side carne + into his hands, he would order the Athenians among them to be kept in + chains, because, while they could live at the expense of the State, they + were serving as mercenaries, and so also the Thessalians, because, + although they owned the very best land, they did not till it. But the + Thebans he let go free, saying that these alone, because of us, have + neither city nor land left to them.

+
+
+

When he had taken captive the man who had the greatest + repute for marksmanship among the Indians, of whom it was said that he + could send an arrow through a finger-ring, Alexander bade him show his + skill, and when he would not, the king in anger decreed his execution. + The man, as he was being led away, said to those who were taking him + that he had not practised for many days, and was afraid of failing; and + when this came to the ears of Alexander, he marvelled and let the man go + with many gifts because he preferred to suffer + himself to be put to death rather than to show himself unworthy of his + reputation.

+
+
+

When Taxiles, king of the Indians, met Alexander, he + charged him not to fight or make war, but, if he were inferior, to + accept favours, and, if he were superior, to bestow them. To this + Alexander replied that this was the very issue between them, to + determine which could outdo the other in bestowing favours. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Alexander, chap. lix. (698 + B). +

+
+
+

When he was told concerning the ' Birdless Rock,' + Cf. Cunningham, Ancient Geography of India, i. pp. 58 + ff. as it is called, in India, that the place was extreme!v + difficult to capture, but that the man who held it was a coward, he + said, In that case it is easy to capture. + + Cf. Plutarch's, Life of Alexander, chap. lviii. (697 E); + Arrian, Anabasis, iv. 28; Diodorus, + xvii. 85; Quintus Curtius, Hist. + Alexandri, viii. 11. +

+
+
+

When another man who held a seemingly impregnable rock + surrendered himself together with his stronghold to Alexander, Alexander + bade him to continue to rule, and gave him additional country to govern, + saying that this person seems to me to show sense + in trusting himself to a good man rather than to a strong place. +

+
+
+

After the capture of the rock his friends were saying that + he had surpassed Heracles in his deeds, but he remarked, No, I do not feel that my deeds, with my position + as commander, are to be weighed against one word of Heracles. + Arrian, Anabasis, v. 26. 5, represents Alexander + as boasting over the capture of the rock, which Heracles had failed + to capture. + +

+
+
+

Learning that in gambling with dice some of his friends did + not enter into the game as a sport, he punished them.Alexander + himself, when he was ill, spent the whole day in throwing dice with + Medius, according to Plutarch, Life of + Alexander, chap. lxxvi (706 D). +

+
+
+

Of his foremost and most influential friends he seems to + have honoured Crateras most and to have loved Hephaestion best. For, said he, Crateras + is fond of the king, but Hephaestion is fond of Alexander. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Alexander, chap. xlvii. (691 F), + and Diodorus, xvii. 114. +

+
+
+

He sent ten thousand pounds to Xenocrates the philosopher, + but when Xenocrates would not accept them, and said he had no need of + them, Alexander asked whether Xenocrates had not a single friend. For, in my case, said he, the wealth of Darius was hardly enough for my + friends. + + Cf. Moralia, 331 E and 333 B, and Plutarch's + Life of Alexander, chap. viii (668 + E). +

+
+
+

Porus, after the battle, was asked by Alexander, How shall I treat you ? + Like a king, said he. Asked again if there + were nothing else, he said, Everything is included + in those words. Marvelling at his sagacity and manliness, + Alexander added to his kingdom more land than he had possessed before. + + Cf. Moralia, 332 E and 458 B; Plutarch's + Life of Alexander, chap. lx. + (699C); Arrian, Anabasis, v. 19. + 2. +

+
+
+

Learning that he was being maligned by a certain man, he + said, It is kingly to be ill spoken of for doing + good. + An oft- + repeated aphorism; cf. for + example, Plutarch's Life of Alexander, + chap. xli. (688 E); Pro + Nobilitate, 19 (Bernardakis ed. vii. p. 268); Diogenes + Laertius, vi. 3; Epictetus, Discourses, + iv. 6; Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, vii. 36; Dio Chrysostom, Oration xlvii., last sentence. +

+
+
+

As he was dying, he said, looking towards his companions, + I see that my funeral rites will be + imposing. + + Cf. Arrian, Anabasis, vii. 26. 3; Diodorus, xvii. 117. 4; Quintus + Curtius, Hist. + Alexandri, x. 5. 5; Justinus, Historiae Phillippicae, xii. 15. + +

+
+
+

When he had come to his end, Demades the orator said that + the army of the Macedonians, because of its lack of leadership, looked + like the Cyclops after his eye had been put out. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Galba, chap. i. (1053 C), which + also gives Demades as the author; but in Moralia, 336 F, the saying is attributed + to Leosthenes. Cf. also Demetrius + Phalereus, De + elocutione, 284. +

+
+
+
+ PTOLEMY, SON OF LAGUS Ptolemy Soter, king of Egypt, 323-285 (or 283) + B.C. + +
+

Ptolemy, son of Lagus, used, as a rule, to dine and sleep + at his friends' houses; and if ever he gave a dinner, he would send for + their dishes and linen and tables, and use them for the occasion. He + himself owned no more than were required for everyday use; and he used + to say that it was more kingly to enrich than to be rich. + Cf. Aelian, Varia Historia, xiii. 13. +

+
+
+
+ ANTIGONUS The One-eyed; one of Alexander's generals; ruler + in Asia Minor, 323-301 B.C. + +
+

Antigonus was persistent in his demands for money, and when + somebody said, But Alexander was not like + this, he replied, Very naturally; for he + reaped Asia, and I am picking up the straws. +

+
+
+

Seeing some of his soldiers playing ball in their + breastplates and helmets, he was much pleased and sent for their + officers, wishing to commend them. But when he heard that they were + engaged in drinking, he gave their positions to their soldiers.

+
+
+

When all were astonished because, after he had grown old, + he handled matters with mildness and gentleness, he said, Time was when I craved power, but now I crave + repute and goodwill among men. +

+
+
+

To his son Philip, who inquired in the presence of numerous persons, When + are we going to break camp ? he said, What + are you afraid of? That you alone may not hear the bugle ? + + Cf. Moralia, 506 C; Plutarch's Life of Demetrius, chap. xxviii. (902 C), + when the remark is addressed to Demetrius. That same remark is + attributed to Crassus by Frontinus, Strategemata, i. 1. 13. +

+
+
+

When the young man was determined to take up his quarters + at the house of a widow who had three handsome daughters, he called the + quartermaster and said, Will you not get my son + out of his crowded quarters ? + Repeated by + Plutarch in his Life of Demetrius, + chap. xxiii. (899 C), and more fully by Frontinus, Strategemata, iv. 1. 10.

+
+
+

He suffered a long illness, and when he had recovered his + strength he said, 'Twas nothing so very bad; for + the illness has reminded us not to feel too proud, since we are but + mortal + Attributed to + Alexander by Stobaeus, Florilegium, + xxi. 15. +

+
+
+

When Hermodotus in his poems wrote of him as The Offspring of the Sun, he said, The slave who attends to my chamber-pot is not + conscious of that! + + Cf. Moralia, 360 C. +

+
+
+

When somebody remarked that all things are honourable and + righteous for kings, he said, Yes indeed, for + kings of the barbarians; but for me only the honourable things are + honourable and the righteous righteous. +

+
+
+

When Marsyas his brother had a lawsuit, and claimed the + right to have the trial held at his house, Antigonus said, It shall be in the Forum and with everybody + listening to see whether we do any injustice. +

+
+
+

Once upon a time in the winter when he had forced a halt in + regions lacking provisions, and some of the soldiers were cursing him, + not knowing that he was near, he poked open his tent with his stick, and said, You'll be sorry + if you don't go farther off to curse me. + Repeated in + Moralia, 457 E, and + Seneca, De Ira, iii. 22. + 2. +

+
+
+

When Aristodemus, Possibly the son of Eutropion, Moralia, 11 A. one of his friends, + who, it was whispered, was the son of a cook, advised him to curtail his + expenditures and his giving of presents, he said, Aristodemus, your words have the stink of a kitchen apron. +

+
+
+

When the Athenians admitted to citizenship a slave of his, + held in much esteem, and enrolled him as a free man, he said, I could wish that one Athenian had not been + flogged by me ! +

+
+
+

A young man, one of the pupils of Anaximenes the orator, + pronounced before him a very carefully prepared oration, and he, wishing + to gain some further information, asked a question. But when the young + man relapsed into silence, he remarked, What is + your answer ? Or Is this the content of the + written page ? + + Euripides, + Iphigeneia among the Taurians, + 787. +

+
+
+

Hearing another orator say that the season had been snowy + This could + hardly refer (as some think) to the unseasonably cold weather in the + spring (of 307 B.C.?) recorded in Plutarch's Life of Demetrius, chap. xii. (894 C). and so + had caused a lack of herbage in the land, he said, Please stop treating me as you treat a common crowd. +

+
+
+

When Thrasyllus the Cynic asked him for a shilling, he said + That is not a fit gift for a king to give. + And when Thrasyllus said, Then give me two hundred + pounds, he retorted, But that is not a + fit gift for a Cynic to receive. + The story ist + old more fully in Moralia, 551 E, and by Seneca, De beneficiis, ii. 17. 1. +

+
+
+

When he sent Demetrius his son, with many ships and forces, to make the Greeks a free + people, he said that his repute, kindled in Greece as on a lofty height, + would spread like beacon-fires through out the inhabited world. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Demetrius, chap. viii. (892 B), + where the phraseology is slightly different. +

+
+
+

While Antagoras the poet was cooking a congereel, and was + shaking the skillet with his own hand, Antigonus stepped up behind him + and said, Antagoras, do you imagine that Homer + cooked a conger while he was writing of the exploits of Agamemnon + ? To which Antagoras retorted. And do you, + Your Majesty, believe that Agamemnon, while he was performing those + exploits, was overmuch concerned if anybody in the army cooked a + conger ? + + Cf. Moralia, 668 C, and Athenaeus, 240 F, who + quotes as his authority Hegesander. +

+
+
+

In a dream he saw Mithradates reaping a golden harvest, and + thereupon planned to kill him. He told Demetrius his son, and bound him + by an oath to silence. But Demetrius took Mithridates to walk with him + beside the sea, and with the butt of his spear wrote in the sand, Flee, Mithridates. And Mithridates, + understanding the purport, fled to Pontus and reigned there until his + end. Plutarch + tells the story at length in his Life of + Demetrius, chap. iv. (890 C); cf. also Appian, Roman History, + Mithridatic Wars, 9. Mithridates became the founder of + the line of Pontic kings, which lasted until 63 B.C. when + Mithridates VI. was conquered by Pompey. +

+
+
+
+ DEMETRIUS Son of + Antigous, known as Demetrius Poliorcetes (the Besieger). + +
+

When Demetrius was besieging the Rhodians In 305-304 + B.C. he seized in one of the suburbs a painting of the artist Protogenes in which he portrayed Ialysus. + The Rhodians sent a herald to him and besought him to spare the + painting. He replied that he would sooner destroy the statues and + portraits of his father than that painting. The painting was seen by Cicero + (Orator, 2 (5)) at Rhodes; later it + was carried to Rome and placed in the temple of Peace (Pliny, Nat. Hist. xxxv. 36 (102)). And + coming to terms with the Rhodians, he left his great siege-engine, the + Citytaker, This + engine is described by Diodorus, xx. 48, and Plutarch, Life of Demetrius, chap. xxi. (898 + B). with them to serve as a token of his prowess and of their + courage. The + story is told by Plutarch in his Life of + Demetrius, chap. xxii. (898 E); Pliny, Nat. Hist. xxxv. 36 (105); and Aulus + Gellius, xv. 31. +

+
+
+

The Athenians revolted, and when he had taken their city, + which was already in serious straits from lack of food, an assembly of + the people was immediof grain. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Demetrius, chap. xxxiv. (905 + B).In speaking about this before them he lapsed into a + barbarism. One of those sitting there repeated the phrase as it should + have been spoken, and he said, For this + correction, then, I give you eight thousand bushels more. +

+
+
+
+ ANTIGONUS THE SECOND Antigonus Goatas, king of Macedonia, 283-239 B.C. + +
+

When Demetrius, the father of Antigonus the Second, had + been taken captive, he sent one of his friends and urged Antigonus to + pay no attention if he should write anything under compulsion of + Seleucus, and not to withdraw from the cities; but Antigonus of his own + accord wrote to Seleucus resigning to him his whole kingdom and offering + to surrender himself as a hostage on condition that his father Demetrius + be released. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Demetrius, chap. li. (914 + D). + +

+
+
+

When Antigonus was about to engage in a naval battle + against Ptolemy's generals, the pilot said that the ships of the enemy + far outnumbered their own. But, said + Antigonus, how many ships do you think my own + presence here is equivalent to ? + + Cf. Moralia, 545 B, and Plutarch's Life of Pelopidas, chap. ii. (278 D), both + showing variation in wording and details; also Athenaeus, 209 E, and + Gulick's note in the L.C.L., vol. ii. p. 447. +

+
+
+

Once when he was withdrawing before the advance of the + enemy, he said that he was not fleeing, but was following up his + advantage, which lay in the rear.

+
+
+

When a young man, son of a brave father, but not himself + having any reputation for being a good soldier, suggested the propriety + of his receiving his father's emoluments, Antigonus said, My boy, I give pay and presents for the + excellence of a man, not for the excellence of his father. +

+
+
+

When Zeno of Citium died, whom he admired most among the + philosophers, he said that the audience to hear of his exploits had been + taken away. + Cf. Diogenes Laertius, vii. + 15. +

+
+
+
+ LYSIMACHUS One of + Alexander's generals; later king of Thrace. + +
+

Lysimachus was overpowered by Dromichaetas in Thrace, and + because of thirst surrendered himself and his army In 292 B.C.; and when he + drank after he had been made a prisoner, he said, My God, for what a little pleasure have I made myself a slave from + being a king ! + The story is + repeated with slight variations in Moralia, 126 E and 555 D; the capture of + Lysimachus is recorded in Plutarch's Life of + Demetrius, chap. xxxix. (908 B); Polyaenus, Strategemata, vii. 25; Diodorus, xxi. + 12. +

+
+
+

To Philippides the comic poet who was his friend and + intimate he said, What of mine shall I share with you ? And the other replied, What you will, except your secrets. + Repeated with + slight variations in Moralia, 508 C and 517 B. +

+
+
+
+ ANTIPATER Trusted + general of Philip and Alexander. + +
+

Antipater, hearing of the death of Parmenio at the hands of + Alexander, said, If Parmenio plotted against + Alexander, who is to be trusted ? And if he did not, what is to be + done ? +

+
+
+

Of Demades the orator, who had already become an old man, + he said that he was like an animal which had been eaten at a sacrificial + feast; there was left only the belly and the tongue. + Cf. Moralia, 525 C and Plutarch's Life of Phocion, chap. i. (741 E). Pytheas + (quoted in Athenaeus, 44 F) speaks of Demades' protruding belly and + ranting tongue. +

+
+
+
+ ANTIOCHUS THE THIRD Antiochus the Great presumably, king of Syria, 223-187 + B.C. + +
+

Antiochus the Third wrote to the cities that, if he should + write ordering anything to be done contrary to the laws, they should pay + no attention, assuming that he had acted in ignorance.

+
+
+

Seeing the priestess of Artemis surpassingly beautiful in + her appearance, he straightway marched forth from Ephesus, In 196 B.C., + presumably, when he wintered in Ephesus (Livy, xxxiii. 38). + for fear that even against his determination he might be constrained to + commit some unholy act.

+
+
+
+ ANTIOCHUS THE HAWK +
+

Antiochus who was nicknamed the Hawk was warring against + his brother Seleucus for the kingdom. In 246 B.C. But when + Seleucus, vanquished by the Galatians, could nowhere be found, but, to + all appearances, had been cut down in battle, + Antiochus laid aside his purple and assumed a dark robe. But after a + little time, learning that his brother was safe and sound, he offered + sacrifices to the gods to celebrate the good tidings, and made the + people in the cities under him to wear garlands. + Cf. Moralia, 489 A. +

+
+
+
+ EUMENES Eumenes + II., king of Pergamum, 197-159 B.C. + +
+

Eumenes, plotted against by Perseus, was reputed to be + dead. When the story was brought to Pergamum, Attalus his brother put on + the crown, married his wife, and assumed the rule. But upon learning + that his brother was approaching alive, he went to meet him, attended, + as was his wont, by his bodyguards, and holding a short spear. Eumenes + greeted him kindly and whispered in his ear, + —ldquo;Haste not to marry ere you see him dead,—rdquo; Apparently a + parody of a line of Sophocles adapted to fit the situation + (μήπω μέγ᾽εἴπης, κλτ.). + See Nauck, Trag. Graec. + Frag., Sophocles, No. 601. + and neither said nor did anything else during his whole + lifetime to arouse suspicion, but when he died he left to Attalus his + wife and his kingdom. As a requital, Attalus reared no child of his own, + although many were born, but while still living he transferred the + kingdom to Eumenes' son when the boy became of age. The story is told also in Moralia, 489 E. Cf. also W.S. Ferguson, The Premature Deification of Eumenes II., + in Classical Philology, i. p. + 231. +

+
+
+
+ PYRRHUS OF EPEIRUS King of Epeirus circa + 307-272 B.C. + +
+

The sons of Pyrrhus, when they were children asked their father to whom he intended to leave + the kingdom; and he said, To that one of you who + keeps his sword sharper. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pyrrhus, chap. ix. (388 A). +

+
+
+

Being asked whether Python or Caphisias were the better + flute-player he said, Polysperchon is the better + general. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pyrrhus, chap. viii. (387 + D). +

+
+
+

When he was twice victorious in conflict with the Romans, + but lost many of his friends and commanders, he said, If we are victorious over the Romans in one more + battle, we are lost! + The details may + be found ibid. chap. xxii. (397 + B). The Pyrrhic victory is like the Cadmean victory, + Moralia, 10 A. +

+
+
+

As he was sailing away from Sicily after his failure there, + In 276 + B.C. he turned to look back, and said to his friends, What a field of conflict are we leaving behind + us for the Romans and Carthaginians to wrestle in! + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pyrrhus, chap. xxiii. (398 + F). +

+
+
+

When the soldiers addressed him as ' Eagle,' he said, Why not an eagle, when I am borne aloft on the + swift wings of your weapons ? + + Ibid. chap. x. (388 B). +

+
+
+

Hearing that some young men had made many defamatory + remarks about him while in their cups, he ordered that they should all + be brought before him the next day. When they were brought, he asked the + first whether they had said these things about him. And the young man + replied, Yes, Your Majesty; and we should have + said more than that if we had had more wine. + Told with more + details by Plutarch in his Life of + Pyrrhus, chap. viii. (387 F), and Valerius Maximus, v. + 1. ext. 3. Cf. also Quintilian, + vi. 3. 10. + +

+
+
+
+ ANTIOCHUS Antiochus VII., king of Syria, 137-128 B.C. + +
+

Antiochus, who made his next The first campaign was against + Jerusalem in 133 B.C. campaign against the Parthians, in a + hunt and chase wandered away from his friends and servants, and + unrecognized entered the hut of some poor people. At dinner he brought + in the subject of the king, and heard that, in general, he was a decent + man, but that he entrusted most matters to friends who were scurvy + fellows, and overlooked and often disregarded matters that were + imperative through being too fond of hunting. At the time he said + nothing; but at daybreak some of his bodyguards arrived at the hut, and + his identity was disclosed when the purple and the crown were brought to + him. Howbeit, said he, since the day when I donned you, yesterday was the first time that + I heard true words about myself. +

+
+
+

The Jews, when he was besieging Jerusalem, asked for an + armistice of seven days for their most important festival, and he not + only granted this, but he also made ready bulls with gilded horns, and a + great quantity of incense and spices, and brought all these in solemn + procession as far as the gates. Then, having transferred the offering to + the hands of their priests, he returned to his camp. The Jews were + amazed, and immediately after the festival placed themselves in his + hands.The + same facts are narrated by Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, xiii. 8. 2. +

+
+
+
+ THEMISTOCLES Leader of the Athenians against the Persians in 480 B.C. + +
+

Themistocles while yet in his youth abandoned himself to + wine and women. + Cf. Moralia, 552 B; Athenaeus, pp. 533 D and + 576 C. But after Miltiades, + commanding the Athenian army, had overcome the barbarians at Marathon, + never again was it possible to encounter Themistocles misconducting + himself. To those who expressed their amazement at the change in him, he + said that the trophy of Miltiades does not allow + me to sleep or to be indolent. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Themistocles, chap. iii. (113 B); + Moralia, 84 B, 92 C, + 800 B; Cicero, Tusculan Disputations, + iv. 19 (44): and Valerius Maximus, viii. 14, ext. 1. +

+
+
+

Being asked whether he would rather have been Achilles or + Homer, he said, How about you yourself ? Would you + rather be the victor at the Olympic games or the announcer of the + victor ? + The remark is + attributed to Alexander by Dio Chrysostom, Oration, ii. (22 M., 79 R.). +

+
+
+

When Xerxes was descending upon Greece with his mighty + armament, Themistocles was afraid of Epicydes the popular leader, + unscrupulous and cowardly, lest possibly he might, by being elected + general, bring about the ruin of the State; and so he bribed Epicydes to + withdraw from his attempt to gain the command. The story is told more fully in + Plutarch's Life of Themistocles, chap. + vi. (114 D). +

+
+
+

When Adeimantus lacked the courage to risk a naval battle, + and said to Themistocles, who was exhorting and urging on the Greeks, Themistocles, in the games they always scourge + the runners who start before the signal is given, Themistocles + replied, Yes, Adeimantus, but they do not crown + those who are left behind in the race. + Adeimantus is + the speaker here, as in Herodotus, viii. 59; but in Plutarch's + Life of Themistocles, chap. xi. + (117 D), the remark is attributed not to the Corinthian Adeimantus, + but to Eurybiades the Spartan, who was in command of the + fleet. +

+
+
+

When Eurybiades lifted his cane as though to strike him, he + said, Strike but listen. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Themistocles, chap. xi. (117 E); + Aelian, Varia Historia, + xiii. 40; Diogenes Laertius, vi. 21. + +

+
+
+

Unable to persuade Eurybiades to engage the enemy's ships + in the narrows, he sent a secret message to the barbarian telling him + not to be afraid of the Greeks, who were running away. And when the + barbarian, by taking this advice, was vanquished in the battle because + he fought where the Greeks had the advantage, Themistocles again sent a + message to him, bidding him flee to the Hellespont by the speediest + route, since the Greeks were minded to destroy the bridge. In this his + purpose was, while saving the Greeks, to give the king the impression + that he was saving him. The details may be found in Plutarch's Life of Themistocles, chaps. xiii.-xvi. + (118 B-120 C). The story comes from Herodotus, viii. 75 and 110. + Cf. also Polyaenus, Strategemata, i. 30. 3 and 4. +

+
+
+

When the man from Seriphus said to him that it was not + because of himself but because of his country that he was famous, + Themistocles remarked, What you say is true + enough; but if I were from Seriphus, I should not have become + famous, nor would you if you were from Athens. + In almost the + same words in Plutarch's Life of + Themistocles, chap. xviii. (121 B), but the story goes + back to Herodotus, viii. 125, where Timodemus is the speaker, and + Themistocles names the island of Belbina. The man from Seriphus is + found first in Plato, Republic, 329 E + and persists thereafter, as in Plutarch and in Cicero, De senectute, 3 (8), and in + Origen, Against Celsus, i. 29 (347 + E). +

+
+
+

Antiphates, the handsome youth of whom Themistocles was + enamoured, avoided him in the earlier days, and looked down upon him, + but, after Themistocles had acquired great repute and power, kept coming + to him and trying to flatter him. My boy, said + Themistocles, it has taken time, but now we have + both come to have sense. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Themistocles, chap. xviii. (121 + A). +

+
+
+

To Simonides, who petitioned for a legal decision which was + not just, he said that Simonides would not be a good poet if he sang out + of tune, nor should he himself be a useful official if he gave a + decision out of tune with the law. + Cf. Moralia, 534 E and 807 B. + +

+
+
+

Of his son, who was pert towards his mother, he said that + the boy wielded more power than anybody else in Greece; for the + Athenians ruled the Greeks, he himself ruled the Athenians, the boy's + mother ruled himself, and the boy ruled the mother. + Cf. Moralia, 1 C; Plutarch's Life of Themistocles, chap. xviii. (121 + B); and Life of Cato Major, chap. viii. + (340 B). +

+
+
+

Of the suitors for his daughter's hand he esteemed the man + of promise higher than the man of wealth, saying that he was looking for + a man that was in need of money rather than for money that was in need + of a man. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Themistocles, chap. xviii. (121 + c); Cicero, De officiis, + ii. 20 (71); Valerius Maximus, vii. 2, ext. 9. A somewhat similar + remark is attributed to Pericles by Stobaeus, Florilegium, lxx. 17, and to a Spartan (on the + authority of Serenus), lxxii. 15. +

+
+
+

When he offered a plot of land for sale, he ordered the + announcement to be made that it also had a good neighbour. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Themistocles, chap. xviii. (121 + C). +

+
+
+

When the Athenians treated him with contumely, he said, Why do you grow tired of being well served many + times by the same men ? He also likened himself to the + plane-trees, beneath which men hasten when overtaken by a storm, but, + when fair weather comes, they pluck the leaves as they pass by and break + off the branches. + Life of Themistocles, chap. xviii. (121 + A), and chap. xxii. (123 A); Cf. + also Aelian, Varia + Historia, ix. 18. +

+
+
+

The Eretrians, he said humorously, were like cuttle-fish in + having a sword The bone of the cuttle-fish; Cf. Aristotle, Historia Animalium, iv. 1. 12. but + no heart. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Themistocles, chap. xi. (118 + A). +

+
+
+

After his banishment from Athens first, and later from + Greece, he went to the Persian king, and, when he was bidden to speak, + he said that speech is like rugs woven with patterns and figures; for + speech, like the rugs, when it is extended, displays its figures, but, + when it is rolled into a small compass, it + conceals and spoils them.

+
+
+

He asked for time so that, when he should have learned the + Persian tongue, he might conduct his interview through his own self and + not through another. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Themistocles, chap. xxix. (126 C); + Thucydides, i. 137. +

+
+
+

Being held deserving of many gifts, and speedily becoming + rich, + Cf. ibid. i. 138. he said + to his sons, Boys, we should be ruined now if we + had not been ruined before! + + Cf. Moralia, 328 F and 602 A; Plutarch's + Life of Themistocles, chap. xxix. + (p. 126 F); Polybius, xxxix. 11 (-xl. 5). +

+
+
+
+ MYRONIDES Noted + Athenian general in the fifth century B.C. + +
+

Myronides, conducting a campaign against the Boeotians, + gave orders to the Athenians for an invasion of the enemy's territory. + When the hour was near, and the captains said that not all were present + as yet, he said, All are present that intend to + fight. And, leading them into battle before their ardour had + cooled, he won a victory over the enemy. At Oenophyta in Boeotia, 457 (?) + B.C. (Thucydides, i. 108). Cf. + also Moralia, 345 D; + Diodorus, xi. 31. A simliar remark is attributed to Leonidas by + Plutarch, Moralia, 225 + D, and to Timotheus by Polyaenus, Strategemata, iii. 10. 3. +

+
+
+
+ ARISTEIDES Athenian statesman, sixth and fifth centuries B.C. + +
+

Aristeides the Just was always an independent in politics, + and avoided political parties, on the ground that influence derived from + friends encourages wrongdoing. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Aristeides, chap. ii. (319 + F). +

+
+
+

At one time when the Athenians had impetuously determined + to vote on ostracism, an ignorant country fellow, holding his potsherd, + approached him and bade him write on it the name of Aristeides. Why, said he, do you + know Aristeides ? And when the man said + that he did not know him, but was irritated at his being called ' the + Just,' Aristeides said never a word more, but wrote the name on the + potsherd, and gave it back to him. + Cf. Plutarch's, Life of Aristeides, chap. vii (323 A); + Cornelius Nepos, Aristeides, i. + 3. +

+
+
+

He was hostile to Themistocles, Herodotus, viii. 79; Plutarch's + Life of Aristeides, chap. viii. + (323 C). and once, when he was sent as ambassador in his + company, he said, Are you willing, Themistocles, + that we should leave our hostility behind us at the boundaries ? And + then, if it be agreeable, we will take it up again on our + return. + + Cf. Moralia 809 B; Polyaenus, Strategemata, i. 31; and the following + (from a newspaper in 1929): Paying a tribute + to Senator Robinson, the Democratic member of the conference + delegation, Senator Reed said: 'I can say for him that when his + ship sails from New York he quits being a Democrat, just as I + quit becoming a Republican, leaving politics behind us at the + American shore.' + +

+
+
+

When he had fixed the contributions that the Greeks were to + pay, he returned poorer by exactly as much as he spent on his + journey.In + 478-477 B.C. Aristeides, because of his reputation for fairness, was + chosen to determine the initial contribution which each member of + the confederacy of Delos should make to the common cause. Cf. Plutarch's Life of Aristeides, chap. xxiv. (333 C); Aelian, Varia Historia, xi. + 9. +

+
+
+

Aeschylus Aeschylus, Seven against + Thebes, 592; Plutarch quotes the lines also in whole or + in part in Moralia, 32 + D, and 88 B, and Life of Aristeides, + chap. iii. (320 B). wrote referring to Amphiaraus, His wish is not to seem, but be, the best,On account of + the reading δίκαιος in the + Life of Aristeides it has been + thought that the actor who spoke the words may have substituted + the Just for the best when he saw Aristeides in the audience. + Reaping the deep-sown furrow of his mind In which all goodly + counsels have their root. And as these words were spoken all + looked towards Aristeides.

+
+
+
+ PERICLES Athenian + general and statesman, fifth century B.C. + +
+

Whenever Pericles was about to take command of the army, as + he was donning his general's cloak, he used to say to himself, Take care, Pericles; you + are about to command free-born men who are both Greeks and + Athenians. + + Cf. Moralia, 620 C and 813 D. +

+
+
+

He bade the Athenians remove Aegina, that sore on the eye of the Piraeus. + + Ibid. 803 A; Plutarch's Life of Pericles, chap. viii. (156 D) and + Life of Demosthenes, chap. i. (846 + C): Aristotle, Rhetoric, iii. 10. + Athenaeus (99 D) attributes the expression to Demades, an Athenian + orator. The people of Aegina, who were Dorian, had been hostile + towards the Athenians even before the Persian wars, and in the early + years of the Peloponnesian war (431 B.C.) they were forcibly removed + from the island by the Athenians. +

+
+
+

To a friend who wanted him to bear false witness, which + included also an oath, he answered that he was a friend as far as the + altar. + Cf. Moralia, 531 C and 808 A, and Aulus + Gellius, i. 3. +

+
+
+

On his death-bed he accounted himself happy in that no + Athenian, because of him, had ever put on a black garment.Given with more + details in Moralia, 543 + C, and Plutarch's Life of Pericles, + chap. xxxviii. (173 c), and Julian, Oration iii. 128 D. +

+
+
+
+ ALCIBIADES Rich + and erratic ward of Pericles. + +
+

Alcibiades, while still a boy, was caught in a fast hold in + a wrestling-school, and, not being able to get away, he bit the arm of + the boy who had him down. The other boy said, You + bite like a woman. + No indeed, said Alcibiades, but like a lion. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Alcibiades chap. i. (192 C). The + same story is told of a Spartan in Moralia, 234 E. +

+
+
+

He owned a very beautiful dog, for which he had paid two + hundred and seventy-five pounds, and he cut off its tail, so that, as he said, the Athenians may tell this about me, and may not concern + themselves too much with anything else. + In quite + different words in Plutarch's Life of + Alcibiades, chap. ix. (195 D). +

+
+
+

Coming upon a schoolroom, he asked for a book of the Iliad, + and when the teacher said that he had nothing + of Homer's, Alcibiades hit him a blow with his fist and passed on. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Alcibiades, chap. vii. (194 D), + and Aelian, Varia + Historia, xiii. 38. +

+
+
+

He came to Pericles' door, and upon learning that Pericles + was not at liberty, but was considering how to render his accounting to + the Athenians, he said, Were it not better that he + should consider how not to render it ? + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Alcibiades, chap. vii. (194 E); + Diodorus, xii. 38; Valerius Maximus, iii. 1, ext. 1. +

+
+
+

Summoned from Sicily by the Athenians to be tried for his + life, he went into hiding, saying that it is silly for a man under + indictment to seek a way to get off when he can get away. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Alcibiades, chap. xxi. (202 C); + Aelian, Varia Historia, + xiii. 38. +

+
+
+

When somebody said, Don't you trust + your fatherland to decide about you ?he replied, Not I; nor would I trust even my mother, lest in + a moment of thoughtlessness she unwittingly cast a black ballot + instead of a white one. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Alcibiades, chap. xxii. (202 D) + and Aelian, xiii. 38. +

+
+
+

Hearing that sentence of death had been passed upon him and + his companions, he said, Let us show them, then, + that we are alive, and turning to the Spartan side he started + the Decelean war against the Athenians. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Alcibiades, chap. xxii. (202 D) + and Aelian, xiii. 38; cf. also + Polyaenus, Strategemata, i. 40. + 6. +

+
+
+
+ LAMACHUS Brave + Athenian general, fifth century B.C. + +
+

Lamachus reprimanded one of his captains who had made a + mistake, and when the man vowed he would never do it again, Lamachus + said, In war there is no room for two + mistakes. + +

+
+
+
+ IPHICRATES Famous + Athenian general, early part fourth century B.C. A Collection of his + deeds and sayings may be found in Polyaenus, Strategemata, iii. 9. + +
+

Iphicrates, who was reputed to be the son of a shoemaker, + was looked down upon. The first occasion on which he won repute was + when, wounded himself, he picked up one of the enemy alive, armour and + all, and bore him to his own trireme.

+
+
+

Encamping in a friendly and allied country, he threw up a + palisade and dug a ditch with all care, and to the man who said, What have we to fear ? he replied that the + worst words a general could utter were the familiar I never should have thought it. + + Cf. Polyaenus, Strategemata, iii. 9. 17. The saying is + attributed to Scipio Africanus by Valerius Maximus, vii. 2, and to + Fabius by Seneca, De + ira, ii. 31. 4. Cicero, De officiis, i. 23 (81) states it as a general + maxim. +

+
+
+

As he was disposing his army for battle against the + barbarians he said he feared that they did not know the name of + Iphicrates with which he was wont to strike terror to the hearts of his + other foes. + Cf. Polyaenus, Strategemata, iii. 9. 25. +

+
+
+

When he was put on trial for his life Together with Timotheus, for + thinking it best not to fight at the Hellespont in 256 B.C. + (Diodorus, xvi. 21). he said to the informer, What are you trying to do, fellow ? At a time + when war is all around us, you are persuading the State to + deliberate about me instead of with me. +

+
+
+

In reply to Harmodius, descendant of the Harmodius of early + days, who twitted him about his lowly birth, he said, My family history begins with me, but yours ends + with you. + + Cf. De + nobilitate, 21, in Moralia, vol. vii. p. 272 of Bernardakis's + edition. +

+
+
+

A certain speaker interrogated him in the Assembly: Who are you that you are so proud? Are you + cavalryman or man-at-arms or archer or + targeteer ? + None of these, he replied, but the one who understands how to direct all of + them. + The story is + found also in Moralia, + 99 E and 440 B. +

+
+
+
+ TIMOTHEUS Athenian general, colleague of Iphicrates; numerous stories about him + are recorded in Polyaenus, Strat. iii. + 10. + +
+

Timotheus was popularly thought to be a lucky general, and + some who were jealous of him painted pictures of cities entering into a + trap of their own accord while he was asleep. Of the many repetitions of this + story it may suffice to refer to Plutarch's Life of Sulla, chap. vi. (454 B); Moralia, 856 B; Aelian, Varia Historia, xiii. + 43. Whereupon Timotheus said, If I + capture such cities as those while I am asleep, what do you think I + shall do when I am awake ? +

+
+
+

When one Chares, according to Plutarch in his Life of Pelopidas, chap. ii. (278 + D). of the foolhardy generals was exhibiting to the Athenians + a wound he had received, Timotheus said, But I was + ashamed when, at the time I was commanding, you in Samos, In 366 + B.C. a missile from a catapult fell near me. +

+
+
+

When the prominent speakers brought forward Chares, and + insisted that the general of the Athenians ought to be a man like him, + Timotheus said, Not the general, but the man who + carries the general's bedding! + + Cf. Moralia, 788 D. +

+
+
+
+ CHABRIAS Celebrated Athenian general, early part of fourth cent. B.C. + +
+

Chabrias used to say that those men commanded an army best + who best knew what the enemy were about.

+
+
+

When he was under indictment for treason along with + Iphicrates, With Callistratus, rather than Iphicrates, in the year 366 B.C. + Cf. Demosthenes, Against Meidias, 65. Iphicrates + rebuked him because, while he was in jeopardy, he went to the gymnasium, + and spent the usual time at his luncheon. + His answer was, You may go unwashed and unfed, and + I may have had my luncheon and a bath and rub-down, but you may rest + assured that, if the Athenians reach any adverse decision regarding + us, they will put us both to death. +

+
+
+

He was wont to say that an army of deer commanded by a lion + is more to be feared than an army of lions commanded by a deer. Ascribed to + Philip by Stobaeus, Florilegium, liv. + 61. +

+
+
+
+ HEGESIPPUS Patriotic Athenian orator, fourth century B.C., bitterly opposed to + Philip of Macedon. + +
+

Hegesippus, nicknamed ' Topknot,' Because of his affectation in + wearing his hair in a knot on the top of his head, in the very + old-fashioned manner. Aeschines the orator regularly uses this name + in speaking of him. For the crobylus see + F. Studniczka, in the Appendix to Classen's edition of Thucydides, + i. 6. 3. in a public address was inciting the Athenians + against Philip, when someone in the Assembly commented audibly, You are bringing on war. + Yes, by Heaven, I am, said he, and black clothes and public funerals and + orations over the graves of the dead, if we intend to live as free + men, and not to do what is enjoined upon us by the Macedonians. +

+
+
+
+ PYTHEAS Unprincipled Athenian orator, opponent of Demosthenes. + +
+

Pytheas, while still young, came forward in the Assembly + to oppose the resolutions proposed in honour of Alexander. When someone + said, Have you the audacity, young as you are, to + speak about such important matters ? he replied, As a matter of fact, Alexander, whom your + resolutions declare to be a god, is younger than I am. + + Cf. Moralia, 804 B. Similar derisive remarks + about the deification of Alexander are attributed to other + sharp-tongued Greeks. Cf. Diogenes + Laertius, vi. 8 and vi. 63; Aelian, Varia Historia, ii. 19 and v. 12; Valerius + Maximus, vii. 2, ext. 13. + +

+
+
+
+ PHOCION THE ATHENIAN Upright Athenian general and statesman, fourth century + B.C. + +
+

Phocion the Athenian was never seen by anyone to laugh or + cry. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Phocion, chap. iv. (743 D). +

+
+
+

At a meeting of the Assembly someone said to him, You seem to be thinking, Phocion. + You guessed right, said he, for I am thinking whether I can leave out any + part of what I am going to say to the Athenians. + + Ibid. chap. v. (744 A). +

+
+
+

An oracle was given to the Athenians declaring that there + was one man in the city opposed to the opinions of all, whereupon they + ordered that search be made to find him, and were very vociferous. But + Phocion said that the man was himself, for he was the only one who did + not like a single thing of all that the multitude did and said. + Ibid. chap. viii. (745 C). +

+
+
+

Once, when he expressed an opinion before the people, he + won acclaim, and saw that all alike accepted the view he had expressed, + whereupon he turned to his friends and said- Does + it not look as if I had unwittingly said something bad ? + + Ibid. Cf similar remarks of + Antisthenes, in Diogenes Laertius, vi. 5 and 8; and of Hippomachus, + in Aelian, Varia + Historia, ii. 6. +

+
+
+

When the Athenians were asking for contributions towards a + public sacrifice and feast, and all the rest were contributing, he, + being importuned to give, said, I should be + ashamed to make a contribution to you and not make restitution to + this man, and, as he said this, he pointed to a man who had lent + him money. Repeated in Moralia, + 533 A and 822 E, and in Plutarch's Life of + Phocion, chap. ix. (745 C). +

+
+
+

Demosthenes, the orator, said to him, The Athenians will put you to death if they go mad. + Yes, he replied, me if + they go mad, but you if they keep their senses, + + Ibid. chap. ix. (745 F). In Moralia, 811 A, Demades is + substituted for Demosthenes. + +

+
+
+

Aristogeiton, the informer, was about to be put to death in + prison, sentence having been passed upon him, and he wanted Phocion to + come to him; but Phocion's friends were averse to his going to see such + a wicked man. And where, said he, could anyone converse with Aristogeiton with + greater pleasure ? + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Phocion, chap. x. (746 E). +

+
+
+

The Athenians were enraged at the people of Byzantium + because they had not received Chares in their city when he had been sent + with a force to help them against Philip. But when Phocion said that + they must not be enraged at those of their allies who distrusted, but at + those of their own generals who were distrusted, he was himself chosen + general; and he, being trusted by the people of Byzantium, made Philip + withdraw without accomplishing his purpose. + Ibid. chap. xiv. (748 A); the date + was 339 B.C. +

+
+
+

When Alexander the king sent him twenty thousand pounds as + a present, he asked those who brought the money why it was that, when + there were so many Athenians, Alexander offered this to him only. They + replied that their king considered him only to be upright and + honourable. Then, said he, let him suffer me both to seem and to be + such. + + Ibid. chap. xviii. (749 E); + cf. also Aelian, Varia Historia, xi. + 9. +

+
+
+

When Alexander made a demand for triremes, and the people + called for Phocion by name to come forward and advise them, he arose and + said, Well then, I advise you either to be + conquerors yourselves by force of arms, or else to be the friends of + the conquerors. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Phocion, chap. xxi. (751 + A). +

+
+
+

When word suddenly came, quite unauthenticated, of the + death of Alexander, and the orators immediately + leaped to the platform, already urgent that there be no delay, but war + at once, Phocion insisted that they wait a while, and learn the facts. + For, said he, if + Alexander is dead to-day, he will be dead to-morrow also, and the + day after. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Phocion, chap. xxii. (751 E), also + Moralia, 451 + F. +

+
+
+

When Leosthenes plunged the State into war, elated as it + was by brilliant hopes to aspire to the distinction of freedom and + leadership, Phocion likened his words to the cypress - trees. For, said he, they are + beautiful and tall, but they bear no fruit. However, the first + attempts were successful, and, when the State was offering sacrifices to + celebrate the good tidings, Phocion was asked whether he wished that + these deeds had been done by himself. Yes, + said he, these deeds done, but that advice + given. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Phocion, chap. xxiii. (752 A B); + Valerius Maximus, iii. 8, ext. 2. +

+
+
+

When the Macedonians invaded Attica, In the Lamian war, 322 + B.C. and were devastating the land near the sea, he led out + the men of military age. Soon many were thronging about him and strongly + urging him to take possession of that hill over + there, to draw up his forces here. + Great Heavens, he said, how many generals do I see and how few soldiers ! Nevertheless, + he engaged the enemy, and overcame them, and slew Micion the Macedonian + commander. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Phocion, chap. xxv. (752 + E). +

+
+
+

After a little time the Athenians were overcome in the war, + and compelled by Antipater to submit to receiving a garrison. Menyllus, + the commander of the garrison, offered money to Phocion, who said with + indignation that Menyllus was no whit better + than Alexander, and the ground for his receiving money was not so good + as before, since he had not accepted it then. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Phocion, chap. xxviii. (754 A), + and chap. xxx. (755 A). +

+
+
+

Antipater said that he had two good friends at Athens; and + of the two he had never persuaded Phocion to accept a gift, nor ever + sated Demades by giving. + Ibid. chap. xxx. (p. 755 + B). +

+
+
+

When Antipater required as his right that Phocion do a + certain act of unrighteousness, he said, Antipater, you cannot use Phocion as a friend and flatterer + both. Repeated by Plutarch in Moralia, 64 C, 142 B, 533 A; Life of Phocion, chap. xxx. (755 B); Life of Agis, chap. ii. (795 E).

+
+
+

The death of Antipater was followed by a democratic + government at Athens, and sentence of death was passed in Assembly on + Phocion and his friends. The others were led away weeping, but Phocion + was proceeding in silence when one of his enemies met him and spat in + his face. He looked toward the officers and said, Will not somebody make this man stop his bad manners ? + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Phocion, chap. xxxvi. (758 + D). +

+
+
+

When one of the men who were to die with him wept and + cursed, he said, Are you not content, Thudippus, + that you are to die with Phocion ? + + Ibid. ; cf. 541 C, and Aelian, + Varia Historia, + xiii. 41. +

+
+
+

When the cup of hemlock was already being handed to him, he + was asked if he had any message for his son. I + charge and exhort him, said he, not to + cherish any ill feeling against the Athenians. + + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Phocion, chap. xxxvi. (758 D); + Aelian, Varia + Historia, xii. 49. + + +

+
+
+
+ PEISISTRATUS Ruler of Athens, at times between 560 and 528 B.C. + +
+

Peisistratus, the despot of the Athenians, on a time when + some of his friends had revolted and taken possession of Phyle, came to + them carrying a bundle of bedding. When they asked what he meant by + this, he said, To persuade you and get you away + from here, or, if I cannot persuade you, to stay with you; that is + why I have come prepared. +

+
+
+

It was whispered to him regarding his mother that she was + in love with a certain young man, and had secret meetings with him, but + that the young man was afraid and generally asked to be excused. + Whereupon Peisistratus invited him to dinner, and after he had dined + asked him, How was it ? And when the young + man said, Very pleasant, Peisistratus said, You shall have this pleasure every day if you are + agreeable to my mother. +

+
+
+

When Thrasybulus, who was in love with the daughter of + Peisistratus, kissed her one day on meeting her, Peisistratus, when + incited by his wife against the man, said, If we + hate them that love us, what shall we do to them that hate us ? + And thereupon he gave the maiden as wife to Thrasybulus. + Cf. Valerius Maximus, v. 1, ext. + 2. Plutarch also refers to the incident in Moralia, 457 F. +

+
+
+

Some revellers fell in with his wife, and did and said a + good many ribald things. The next day when they besought Peisistratus + with many tears, he said, As for you, do you try + to conduct yourselves in a seemly manner hereafter, but as for my + wife, she did not go out at all yesterday. + Musonius in + Stobaeus, Florilegium, xix. 16, records + a similar action on the part of Phocion. +

+
+
+

When he was bent on marrying a second wife, his children + inquired whether he had any fault to find with them. By no means, he said, but only praise—and the desire to have + other children like you. + + Cf. Moralia, 480 D. Plutarch in his Life of Cato Major, chap. xxiv. (351 B), + says that Cato as well as Peisistratus made his remark. +

+
+
+
+ DEMETRIUS OF PHALERUM Governor of Athens under the Macedonians, 317-307 + B.C. + +
+

Demetrius of Phalerum recommended to Ptolemy the king to + buy and read the books dealing with the office of king and ruler. For, as he said, those + things which the kings' friends are not bold enough to recommend to + them are written in the books. +

+
+
+
+ LYCURGUS Early + lawgiver of the Spartans. + +
+

Lycurgus, the Spartan, introduced the custom among his + citizens of wearing their hair long, saying that it made the beautiful + more comely and the ugly more frightful. + Cf. Moralia, 228 F, infra, Plutarch's Life of + Lycurgus, chap. xxii. (53 D) and Life of Lysander, chap. i. (434 A). The Spartan custom + of wearing the hair long is often referred to; for example Moralia, 189 F and 230 B, + infra, Xenophon, Constitution of Sparta, xi. 3. +

+
+
+

To the man who urged him to create a democracy in the State + his answer was, Do you first create a democracy in + your own house. + Repeated in + Moralia, 155 D, 22 + D, and Plutarch's Life of Lycurgus, + chap. xix. (52 A). +

+
+
+

He ordered that the people build their houses with saw and + axe only; for he knew that men are ashamed to bring into simple houses + costly vessels, rugs, and tables. + Cf. Moralia, 227 B, infra, and Life of + Lycurgus, chap. xiii. (47 B). +

+
+
+

He prohibited boxing and prize-fighting so that the people + might not even in sport get the habit of crying off. See Moralia, 228 D, infra, and cf. Life of Lycurgus, chap. xix. (52 + A), and Seneca, De + Beneficiis, v. 3. + +

+
+
+

He prohibited making war upon the same people many times, + so that they should not make their opponents too belligerent. And it is + a fact that years later, when Agesilaus was wounded, Antalcidas said of + him that he was getting a beautiful return from the Thebans for the + lessons he had taught them in habituating and teaching them to make war + against their will. + Cf. Moralia, 213 F, 217 E, 227 C, infra; Plutarch's Life of Lycurgus, chap. xiii. (47 D); Life of Pelopidas, chap. xv. (285 D); + Life of Agesilaus, chap. xxvi. (610 + D); Polyaenus, Strategemata, i. 16. + 2. +

+
+
+
+ CHARILLUS An + early king of Sparta. + +
+

Charillus the king, being asked why Lycurgus enacted so few + laws, replied that people who used few words had no need of many laws. + + Cf. Moralia, 232 B, infra, and Plutarch's Life of + Lycurgus, chap. xx. (52 D). +

+
+
+

When one of the helots conducted himself rather boldly + towards him, he said, By Heaven, I would kill you + if I were not angry. + + Cf. Moralia, 232 D, infra. + +

+
+
+

In answer to the man who inquired why he and the rest wore + their hair long, he said that of all ornaments this was the least + expensive. Attributed to Nicander, Moralia, 230 B, and to Agesilaus by Stobaeus, Florilegium, lxv. 10. +

+
+
+
+ TELECLUS King of + Sparta, eighth century B.C. + +
+

Teleclus the king answered his brother, who complained + against the citizens because they conducted themselves with less + consideration towards him than towards the king, by saying, The reason is that you do not know how to submit + to injustice. + Repeated in + Moralia, 232 B, + infra; cf. also the similar + remark of Chilon reported in Diogenes Laertius, i. 68, and the + general statement in Menander's Farmer, + Kock, Com. Att. Frag. + iii. p. 29, Menander no. 95; or Allinson's Menander in L.C.L., p. + 338. + +

+
+
+
+ THEOPOMPUS King + of Sparta, eighth century B.C. + +
+

When Theopompus was in a certain city, a man pointed out + the wall to him and inquired if it seemed to him to be beautiful and + high, and he replied, It isn't a dwelling-place + for women, is it ? + + Cf. Moralia, 221 F. The remark in varied form + is attributed to Agesilaus in Moralia, 212 E; to Agis in Moralia, 215 D; and to Panthoidas in + Moralia, 230 C; and + to an unnamed Spartan by Valerius Maximus, iii. 7, ext. 8. +

+
+
+
+ ARCHIDAMUS Archidamus II., king of Sparta, 469-427 B.C. + +
+

When the allies said in the Peloponnesian war it was only + right that Archidamus set a limit to their contributions, he said, War does not feed on fixed rations. + Repeated in + Moralia, 219 A, and + in Plutarch's Life of Crassus, chap. + ii. (544 B); and Life of Cleomenes, + chap. xxvii. (817 E). In his Life of + Demosthenes, chap. xvii. (853 E), the saying is put in + the mouth of Crobylus (i.e. Hegisippus the Athenian orator). + See the note on Moralia, + 187 E, supra. + +

+
+
+
+ BRASIDAS Spartan + general in the Peloponnesian war. + +
+

Brasidas caught a mouse among some dry figs, and, getting + bitten, let it go. Then, turning to those who were present, he said, There is nothing so small that it cannot save its + life, if it has the courage to defend itself against those who would + lay hand on it. + Repeated in + Moralia, 79 E and + 219 C, and with some variation, 208 F. +

+
+
+

In a battle he was wounded by a spear which pierced his + shield, and, pulling the weapon out of the wound, with this very spear + he slew his foe. Asked how he got his wound, he said, 'Twas when my shield turned traitor. + + Cf. Moralia, 219 C, infra, and 548 B. +

+
+
+

When it came to pass that he fell while trying to win independence for the Greeks who were + living within the borders of Thrace, and the envoys sent to Sparta + approached his mother,Argileonis (Moralia, 219 D, 270 C, infra). + her first question was whether Brasidas had died honourably. And + when the Thracians spoke of him in the highest terms, and said that + there would never be another like him, she said, Ye ken naught aboot it, being from abraid; for Brasidas was e'en a + guid mon, but Sparta has mony a better mon than him.' + Repeated in + Moralia, 219 D and + 240 C, and in Plutarch's Life of + Lycurgus, chap. xxv. (55 D). +

+
+
+
+ AGIS Son of + Archidamus. There were two kings of Sparta of this name: Agis II., + 427-401 B.C., and Agis III., 338-331 B.C., and there is some confusion + as to which said which! Cf. Moralia, 215 C ff., infra. + + +
+

Agis the king said that the Spartans do not ask how many + are the enemy, but where are they. + Cf. Moralia, 215 D, infra. + +

+
+
+

At Mantineia, when efforts were made to dissuade him from + risking a battle with the enemy who outnumbered his own men, he said, He who would rule over many must fight with + many. + + Ibid. + +

+
+
+

When the Eleans were commended for conducting the Olympic + games honourably, he said, What wonderful feat is + it if they practise justice on one day in four years ? And when + these same persons were persistent in their commendation, he said, What wonder if they practise honourably an + honourable thing, that is, justice ? + + Ibid. 215 F, and Plutarch's Life of Lycurgus, chap. xx. (52 C). +

+
+
+

To a base man, who asked him many times who was the best of + the Spartans, he replied, The one most unlike + you. + + Life of Lycurgus and Moralia, 216 C. +

+
+
+

When another man inquired about the number of the Spartans, he said, Enough to keep away all bad men. + + Cf. Moralia, 215 D; (5) infra; Plutarch's Life of Lycurgus, chap. xx. (52 D). +

+
+
+

When another asked the same question, he said, You will think they are many, if you see them + fight. +

+
+
+
+ LYSANDER Spartan + general at the time of the Peloponnesian war. + +
+

When Dionysius, the despot, sent garments of a very costly + kind for Lysander's daughters, Lysander would not accept them, saying + that he was afraid that the girls would appear more ugly because of + them. + Cf. Moralia, 141 D, 229 A, and Plutarch's + Life of Lysander, chap. ii. (434 + C). The same story is told of Archidamus in Moralia, 218 E.,

+
+
+

To those who found fault with him for accomplishing most + things through deception (a procedure which they asserted was unworthy + of Heracles) he used to say in reply that where the lion's skin does not + reach it must be pieced out with the skin of the fox. + Cf. Moralia, 229 B; Plutarch's Life of Lysander, chap. vii. (437 A), + Leutsch and Schneidewin, Paroemiographi Graeci, i. p. 30. +

+
+
+

When the Argives seemed to make out a better case than the + Spartans about the territory in dispute, he drew his sword, and said to + them, He who is master of this talks best about + boundaries of land. + + Cf. Moralia, 229 C; Life + of Lysander, chap. xxii. (445 D). +

+
+
+

Seeing that the Spartans were reluctant to carry on the + battle against the walls of the Corinthians, he said, as he saw a hare + leap out of the moat, Are you afraid of such + enemies as these, in whose walls hares go to sleep because of the + men's inaction ? + Cf. Moralia, 229 D; Life of Lysander, chap. xxii. (445 D). + +

+
+
+

When a man from Megara used frank speech towards him in the general council, he said, Your words need a country to back them. + + Cf. Moralia, 71 E and 229 C; Life of Lysander, chap. xxii. (445 D). A + similar remark is attributed to Agesilaus in Moralia, 212 E. +

+
+
+
+ AGESILAUS King of + Sparta, 390-360 B.C. + +
+

Agesilaus used to say that the inhabitants of Asia Minor + were poor freemen, but good slaves. + Cf. Moralia, 213 C infra. The remark is attributed to Callicratidas, + Moralia, 222 E, + infra. Cf. also the similar + sentiment recorded in Herodotus, iv. 142. +

+
+
+

Regarding their custom of calling the king of the Persians + the Great King, he said, In what respect is he + greater than I, unless he is more upright and self-restrained ? + + Cf. Moralia, 78 D, 213 C, 545 A; Plutarch's + Life of Agesilaus, chap. xxiii. + (608 F); also Xenophon, Agesilaus, 8. + 4. A similar remark of Socrates is found in Plato, Gorgias, 470 E. +

+
+
+

When he was questioned about bravery and uprightness and + asked which was the better, he said, We have no + need of bravery if we are all upright. + + Cf. Moralia, 213 C, infra, and Plutarch's Life of + Agesilaus, chap. xiii. (608 F). +

+
+
+

When he was about to break camp in haste by night to leave + the enemy's country, and saw his favourite youth, owing to illness, + being left behind all in tears, he said, It is + hard to be merciful and sensible at the same time. + + Cf. Moralia, 209 F, infra, and Plutarch's Life of + Agesilaus, chap. xiii. (603 B). +

+
+
+

Menecrates the physician, who was addressed by the title of + ' Zeus,' wrote in a letter to him : Menecrates + Zeus to King Agesilaus, health and happiness. Agesilaus wrote in + reply : King Agesilaus to Menecrates, health and + sanity! + The story is + repeated in Moralia, 213 + A, and in Plutarch's Life of Agesilaus, + chap. xxi. (607 E). Aelian, Varia Historia, xii. 51, and Athenaeus, 289 B, say that + it was Philip of Macedon who thus replied to Menecrates. + +

+
+
+

The Spartans won a victory over the Athenians and their + allies at Corinth, In 394 B.C. and when he learned the number of + the enemy 's dead he exclaimed, Alas for Greece + which by her ain hands has destroyed so mony men, in number eneuch + to conquer all the barbarians ! + + Cf. Moralia, 211 E, infra; Plutarch's Life of + Agesilaus, chap. xvi. (604 F); Cornelius Nepos, Agesilaus, 5. 2. The source is probably + Xenophon, Agesilaus, 7. 4. +

+
+
+

He received an oracle from Zeus at Olympia such as he + wished, and thereupon the Ephors commanded him to ask the Pythian god + Apollo, the + son of Zeus. about the same matter. So, when he arrived at + Delphi, he asked the god if his opinion was the same as his father's. + + Cf. Moralia, 208 F, when the oracle at Dodona + is mentioned instead of Olympia. It is probable that this story, + which was related of Agesipolis by Xenophon, Hellenica, iv. 7. 2, and by Aristotle, Rhetoric, ii. 23 (MSS. Hegisippus), has + been transferred to Agesilaus. +

+
+
+

In interceding with Hidrieus of Caria for one of his + friends he wrote : If Nicias has done no wrong, + let him go free; if he has done wrong, let him go as a favour to me; + but let him go anyway. + + Cf. Moralia, 209 E and 807 F; and Plutarch's + Life of Agesilaus, chap. xiii. (603 + B). +

+
+
+

Being urged to hear a man who gave an imitation of the + nightingale's voice, he said, I hae heard the bird + itsel' mony a time. + + Cf. Moralia, 212 F and 213 C, infra Plutarch's Life of Agesilaus, chap. xxi. (607 E); and Life of Lycurgus, chap. xx. (52 E). +

+
+
+

After the battle of Leuctra, since the law decrees that all + who run away in battle shall lose their citizenship, and the Ephors saw + that the State was destitute of men, they, wishing to abrogate this + penalty, invested Agesilaus with authority to revise the laws. He came + forward into their midst, and ordered that beginning with the morrow all + laws should be in full force. + Cf. Moralia, 214 B, infra; Plutarch's Life of + Agesilaus, chap. xxx. (612 ); Comparison of Agesilaus and Pompey, chap. ii. (662 E); + and Polyaenus, Strategemata, ii. 1. + 13. + +

+
+
+

He was sent as an ally to the king of the Egyptians, and + was shut up in camp, together with the king, besieged by hostile forces + which many times outnumbered their own. As the enemy were digging a + ditch around the encampment, the king urged a sally and a decisive + battle, but Agesilaus refused to hinder the enemy in their desire to put + themselves on an equal footing with the defending force. When the ends + of the ditch almost met, he drew up his men at this gap, and contending + with equal numbers against equal numbers won a victory. + Cf. Moralia, 214 F, infra; Plutarch's Life of + Agesilaus, chap. xxxix. (618 A); Polyaenus, Strategemata, ii. 1. 22; Diodorus, xv. + 93. +

+
+
+

When he was dying he gave orders that his friends have no + plaster or paint ' used, for this was the way he spoke of statues and + portraits. For, said he, if I have done any noble deed, that is my + memorial; but if none, then not all the statues in the world + avail. + + Cf. Moralia, 215 A, infra; Plutarch's Life of + Agesilaus, chap. ii. (59 F); Xenophon, Agesilaus, ii. 7; Dio Chrysostom, Oration, xxxv. (466 M., 127 R.); Cicero, + Letters, v. 12. 7. +

+
+
+
+ ARCHIDAMUS, SON OF AGESILAUS Archidamus III., king of Sparta, 261-228 B.C. + +
+

Archidamus, the son of Agesilaus, on seeing the missile + shot by a catapult, which had been brought then for the first time from + Sicily, cried out, Great Heavens ! Man's valour is + no more ! + + Cf. Moralia, 219 A, infra. + +

+
+
+
+ AGIS THE YOUNGER Agis III., king of Sparta, 338-331 B.C. + +
+

The Younger Agis, referring to the assertion of Demades + that jugglers use the Spartan swords for + swallowing because of their small size, said, But + it is a fact that the Spartans, above all men, reach their enemies + with their swords. + + Cf. Moralia, 216 C, infra, and Plutarch's Life of + Lycurgus, chap. xix. (51 E). +

+
+
+

When the Ephors ordered him to turn over soldiers to a + traitor to lead, he said that he did not entrust another's men to the + man that betrayed his own. Attributed to Agis II. in Moralia, 215 C. +

+
+
+
+ CLEOMENES Cleomenes II., king of Sparta, 370-309 B.C. + +
+

Somebody promised to give to Cleomenes cocks that would + die fighting, but he retorted, No, don't, but give + me those that kill fighting. + + Cf. Moralia, 224 B, infra, and Plutarch's Life of + Lycurgus, chap. xx. (52 E). +

+
+
+
+ PAEDARETUS Spartan general at the time of the Peloponnesian war; also spelled + Paedaritus (and Pedaritus?). + +
+

When Paedaretus was not chosen to be one of the three + hundred, + Cf. Herodotus, vii. 205, and viii. + 124; Thucydides, v. 72; Xenophon, Constitution + of Sparta, 4.3. an honour which ranked highest in + the State, he departed, cheerful and smiling, with the remark that he + was glad if the State possessed three hundred citizens better than + himself. + Cf. Moralia, 231 B, and Plutarch's Life of Lycurgus, chap. xxv. (55 + C). +

+
+
+
+ DAMONIDAS +
+

When Damonidas was assigned to the last place in the + chorus by the director, he said, Good ! You have + discovered a way by which even this place may come to be held in + honour. + + Cf. Moralia, 149 A and 219 E. A similar remark + is attributed to Agesilaus in Moralia, 208 D, and the idea is also accredited to + Aristippus by Diogenes Laertius, ii. 73. + +

+
+
+
+ NICOSTRATUS +
+

Nicostratus, the general of the Argives, At the time of + ARchidamus III., 261-338 B.C. was urged by Archidamus to + betray a certain stronghold, his reward to be a large sum of money and + marriage with any Spartan woman he wished, save only the royal family; + but his reply was that Archidamus was not descended from Heracles, for + Heracles, as he went about, punished the bad men, but Archidamus made + the good men bad.

+
+
+
+ EUDAMIDAS Brother + of Agis III., whom he succeeded in 331-330 B.C. + +
+

Eudamidas, seeing Xenocrates, already well on in years, + discussing philosophy with his pupils in the Academy, and being informed + that he was seeking after virtue, said, And when + will he make use of it? + + Cf. Moralia, 220 D. +

+
+
+

At another time, after he had listened to a philosopher who + argued that the wise man is the only good general, he said,The speech is admirable, but the speaker has + never been amid the blare of trumpets. + + Ibid., 220 D infra. + +

+
+
+
+ ANTIOCHUS +
+

Antiochus, when he was an ephor, heard that Philip had + given to the Messenians their land, whereupon he asked whether Philip + had also given them the power to prevail in fighting to keep it. Repeated Ibid., 217 F. +

+
+
+
+ ANTALCIDAS Spartan admiral and politician who negotiated the Peace of Antalcidas between Persia and Greece, 387 B.C. + +
+

Antalcidas, retorting to the Athenian who called the + Spartans unlearned, said, At any rate, we alone have learned no evil from you + Athenians. + + Cf. Moralia, 217 D. The saying is attributed + to Pleistoanax in Moralia, 231 D, and in Plutarch's Life of Lycurgus, chap. xx. (52 D). +

+
+
+

When another Athenian said to him, You cannot deny that we have many a time put you to rout from the + Cephisus, he said, But we have never put + you to rout from the Eurotas ! + + Cf. Moralia, 217 D and 810 F, Plutarch's + Life of Agesilaus, chap. xxxi. (613 + D). The Cephisus was a river near Athens, and the Eurotas a river + near Sparta. +

+
+
+

When a lecturer was about to read a laudatory essay on + Heracles, he said, Why, who says anything against + him ? + + Cf. Moralia, 217 D. +

+
+
+
+ EPAMEINONDAS Famous Theban general and statesman, 420-362 B.C. These says were + doubtless incorporated in Plutarch's Life of + Epameinondas, now lost. A collection of stories about + Epameinondas will be found in Polyaenus, Strategemata, ii. 3. + +
+

While Epameinondas the Theban was general, panic never fell + upon his troops.

+
+
+

He used to say that the most beautiful death was death in + war.

+
+
+

He used to declare that the heavy-armed soldier ought to + have his body trained not only by athletic exercises but by military + drill as well. + Cf. Cornelius Nepos, Epaminondas, xv. 2. 4 and 5. For + this reason he always showed a repugnance towards fat men, and one such + man he expelled from the army, saying that three or four shields would + scarce serve to protect his belly, because of which he could not see a + thing below it. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of M. Cato, chap. ix. (341 C). +

+
+
+

He was so frugal in his manner of living that once, when he + was invited to dinner by a neighbour, and found there an elaborate + display of cake and pastry and other dishes, + and perfumes as well, he left at once, saying, I + thought this was to be a meal and not a display of arrogance. + + Cf. Moralia, 1099 C, and perhaps Diogenes + Laertius, vi. 28. +

+
+
+

When the cook rendered his accounts to Epameinondas and his + fellow-officers of the expenses for several days, Epameinondas showed + indignation only at the great amount of olive oil. As his fellowofficers + expressed their surprise, he said it was not the matter of expense that + worried him, but that he had taken into his body so much oil.

+
+
+

While the city was keeping holiday, and all were busy with + drinking and social enjoyment, Epameinondas, as he was walking along + unwashed and absorbed in thought, met one of his intimate friends, who + inquired in surprise why it was that he alone was going about in that + state. So that all of you, said he, may get drunk and have a holiday. + + Cf. Themistius, Oration, vii. 88 C. +

+
+
+

A worthless fellow, who was guilty of one of the minor + offences, he would not let off at the request of Pelopidas, but, when + the man's mistress pleaded for him, he let him off, saying that such + favours may properly be received by strumpets, but not by generals. + + Cf. Moralia, 808 E. +

+
+
+

When the Spartans threatened an invasion, and oracles were + reported to the Thebans, of which some told of defeat and others of + victory, he ordered that these be placed at the right of the speakers' + platform, and those at the left. When they had all been so placed, he + arose and said, If you are willing to obey your + officers, and come to close quarters with the enemy, these are the + oracles for you, and he pointed to those of good omen; but if you are going to play the cowards in the + face of danger, then those, and he glanced at those of ill omen. + + +

+
+
+

On another occasion, when he was leading his troops against + the enemy, there came a thunderstroke, and, when those about him + inquired what he thought the god meant to signify by this, he replied, + That the enemy have been thunder-struck out of + all sense because, when such places as those are near at hand, they + pitch their camp in places such as these. + + Cf. Polyaenus, Strategemata, ii. 3. 3. +

+
+
+

He used to say that of all the fair and goodly fortune that + had fallen to his lot the thing that gave him the greatest gratification + was that his victory over the Spartans at Leuctra came while his father + and mother were still living. + Cf. Moralia, 786 D and 1098 B, and Plutarch's + Life of Coriolanus, chap. iv. (215 + C). +

+
+
+

It was his habit to appear at all times with a well-groomed + body and a cheerful countenance, but on the day after that battle he + went forth unwashed and with a look of dejection. When his friends asked + if anything distressing had befallen him, he said, Nothing; but yesterday I found myself feeling a pride greater than + is well. Therefore to-day I am chastising my immoderate indulgence + in rejoicing. +

+
+
+

Knowing that the Spartans were wont to conceal such + calamities as this, and wishing to bring out clearly the magnitude of + their disaster, he did not grant them leave to remove their dead all + together, but separately by cities, so that it was seen that the Spartan + dead numbered over a thousand. The story is told with slightly more details by + Pausanias, ix. 13. 11 and 12. +

+
+
+

When Jason, monarch of Thessaly, arrived at Thebes as an + ally, he sent two thousand pieces of gold to Epameinondas, who was then + sadly in want. Epameinondas did not take the money, but with a steadfast look at Jason said, You are beginning wrong. Then he borrowed a + couple of pounds from one of his fellow-citizens to meet his personal + expenses in the campaign, and invaded the Peloponnesus. + Cf. Moralia, 583 F, and Aelian, Varia Historia, xi. + 9. +

+
+
+

On a later occasion, when the king of the Persians sent + twenty-five thousand pounds to him, he assailed Diomedon bitterly + because he had made such a long voyage to corrupt Epameinondas; and he + bade him say to the king that if the king should hold views conducive to + the good of the Thebans, he should have Epameinondas as his friend for + nothing; but if the reverse, then as his enemy. + Cf. Cornelius Nepos, Epaminondas, xv. 4, where the same story + is told in more words, and Aelian, Varia Historia, v. 5, where the fact is + recorded in very few words. +

+
+
+

When the Argives entered the Theban alliance, In 370 + B.C. ambassadors of the Athenians arrived at Arcadia and + accused both nations; and when Callistratus, the chief speaker, held up + Orestes and Oedipus as a reproach to their respective cities, + Epameinondas, rising to reply, said, We admit that + we have had a parricide among us, and the Argives a matricide; but + we expelled from our land those who did these deeds, and the + Athenians received them ί + + + Cf. Moralia, 810 F, and Cornelius Nepos, + Epaminondas, xv. 6. 1-3. +

+
+
+

When the Spartans accused the Thebans of a long list of + serious offences, he retorted, These Thebans, + however, have put a stop to your brevity of speech ! + + Cf. Moralia, 545 A. +

+
+
+

When the Athenians took as a friend Alexander, the despot + of Pherae, who was an enemy of the Thebans, and he promised to supply + the Athenians with meat to be sold at a penny a pound, Epameinondas + said, But we will supply them with wood to cook their meat for nothing; for we + will cut down everything in their land, if they make any + trouble. +

+
+
+

The Boeotians, relaxed by leisure, he was always desirous + of keeping continually under arms, and whenever he was chosen Governor + of Boeotia he used to urge his advice upon the people, saying, Bethink yourselves once more, men, for, if I am + general, you will have to serve in my army. And he used to call + their country, which was flat and exposed, ' the dancing-floor of War,' + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Marcellus, chap. xxi. (310 B), + where two other picturesque expressions of similar meaning are + quoted. intimating that they could not hold their power over + it if they did not keep a grip on the handles of their shields.

+
+
+

Chabrias, in the vicinity of Corinth, having struck down + some few Thebans whose eagerness led them to carry the fighting to the + foot of the walls, set up a trophy. + Cf. Diodorus, xv. 69. + Epameinondas, ridiculing it, said, In that place + should stand, not a trophy, but a Hecate; for it was in keeping + to set up an image of Hecate, as they used to do, at the meeting of + three ways in front of the gates.

+
+
+

When somebody reported that the Athenians had sent an army, + decked out with novel equipment, into the Peloponnesus, he said, Why should Antigenidas cry if Tellen has a new + flute or two ? (Tellen was the worst of flute-players, and + Antigenidas the best. There are many references to the skill of + Antigenidas; it must suffice here to refer only to Moralia, 335 A.) +

+
+
+

Learning that his shield-bearer had received a great deal + of money from a man who had been taken captive + in the war, he said to him, Give me back my + shield, and buy yourself a tavern in which to spend the rest of your + days; for you will no longer be willing to face danger as before, + now that you have become one of the rich and prosperous. + + Cf. Aelian, Varia Historia, xi. 9; Themistius, Oration, vii., 88 C. +

+
+
+

Being asked whether he regarded himself or Chabrias or + Iphicrates as the better general, he said, It is + hard to decide while we are alive. +

+
+
+

Upon his return from Laconia he was put on trial for his + life, together with his fellow-generals, for having added, contrary to + the law, four months to his term of office as Governor of Boeotia. WHen the Thebans + invaded the Peloponnesus, 370-369 B.C. He bade his + fellow-officers to put the responsibility on him, as if their action had + been dictated by him, and said that he himself had not any words to + speak better than his deeds; but if he absolutely must make a statement + to the judges, he required from them as his just due, if they put him to + death, to inscribe their sentence upon his tombstone, so that the Greeks + might know that Epameinondas had compelled the Thebans against their + will to lay waste Laconia with fire and sword, which for five hundred + years Plutarch + in his Life of Agesilaus, chap. xxxi. + (613 B), says not less than six hundred; + one is probably as correct as the other. had been unravaged; + and that he had repopulated Messene after a space of two hundred and + thirty years, and had organized the Arcadians and united them in a + league, and had restored selfgovernment to the Greeks. As a matter of + fact, all these things had been accomplished in that campaign. Thereupon the judges left the court-room with + hearty laughter, and did not even take up their ballots to cast against + him. There are + many references to this story, and it was even used as a + corpus vile for argumentation in the schools, to + judge from Cicero, De + inventione, i. 33 (55-56) and 38 (69). The story is + repeated in Moralia, 540 + D and 799 E; Aelian, Varia + Historia, xiii. 42; Pausanias, ix. 14. 5-7; Cornelius + Nepos, Epaminondas, xv. 7. 3-8, 5. + Appian, Roman History, Syrian Wars, + 40-41, compares the action of Epameinondas with the similar action + of Scipio Africanus Major (Moralia, 196 F); and this suggests the probability that + Appian had before him Plutarch's Parallel Lives of Epameinondas and Scipio, now lost. +

+
+
+

When in his last battle At Mantineia, in 362 B.C. + he had been wounded and carried into a tent, he called for Daiphantus, + and next after him for Iolai'das, and, learning that the men were dead, + he bade the Thebans to make terms with the enemy, since no general was + left to them. And the facts bore out his words, for he best knew his + fellow-citizens. + Cf. Aelian, Varia Historia, xii. 3. Other authors lay + stress on the fortitude with which he met his end. Cf. Diodorus, xv. 87; Cornelius Nepos, + Epaminondas, xv. 9; Valerius + Maximus, iii. 2, ext. 5; Justin, Historiae Philippicae, vi. 8. +

+
+
+
+ PELOPIDAS +
+

Pelopidas, the associate of Epameinondas in command, in + reply to his friends who told him that he was neglecting a very + necessary business, the amassing of money, said, Yes, on my word, money is necessary—for Nicodemus here ! + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pelopidas, chap. iii. (279 C) + Aelian, Varia Historia, + xi. 9. as he pointed to a lame and crippled man.

+
+
+

As he was leaving home for the field of battle, his wife + begged him to have a care for his life. This + advice, said he, should be kept for + others, but for a commander and general the advice should be to have + a care for the lives of the citizens. + + Cf. the Life + of Pelopidas, chap. xix. (288 C). + +

+
+
+

When one of his soldiers said, We + have fallen among the enemy, he said, Why + any more than they among us ? + Repeated in the + Life of Pelopidas, chap. xvii. (286 + D). A similar remark is attributed to Leonidas, Moralia, 225 B, infra, and to an unnamed Spartan, 234 B, infra. + +

+
+
+

When he fell a victim to the treachery of Alexander, despot + of Pherae, and was put in bonds, he upbraided Alexander; and when the + despot said, Are you so eager to die, he + replied, Yes, I certainly am, so that the Thebans + may become the more exasperated, and you may get your deserts the + sooner. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pelopidas, chap. xxviii. (293 + A). +

+
+
+

Thebe, the despot's wife, carne to Pelopidas and said that + she was amazed because he was so cheerful in his bonds. Pelopidas + replied that he was even more amazed at her because she without being in + bonds could abide Alexander. + Ibid. (293 B). +

+
+
+

After Epameinondas had obtained his general's release, + Pelopidas said that he felt grateful to Alexander; for by actual test he + had now found himself more than ever to be of good courage not only in + facing war but also in facing death. SAYINGS OF + ROMANS

+
+
+
+ MANIUS CURIUS M. + Curius Dentatus, consul 290 B.C., and twice later. He conquered the + Samnites and defeated Pyrrhus. + +
+

When some complained against Manius Curius because he + apportioned to each man but a small part of the land taken from the + enemy, and made the most of it public land, he prayed that there might + never be a Roman who would regard as small the land that gave him enough + to live on. + Cf. Pliny, Natural History, xviii. 4 (18); Columella, i. 3. 10: + Valerius Maximus, iv. 3. 5; Frontinus, Strategemata, iv. 3. 12. +

+
+
+

When the Samnites came to him after their defeat and + offered him money, he happened to be cooking turnips in pots. He made + answer to the Samnites that he had no need of money when he could make + his dinner from this sort of food; and for him it was better than having + money to hold sway over those who had it. There are many referecnes to + this incident as typical of the simple life; cf. for example Plutarch's Life + of Cato Major, chap. ii. (337 A); Athenaeus, 419 A; + Cicero, De Republica, + iii. 28 (40); Pliny, Natural History, + xix. 26 (87); Valerius Maximus, iv. 3. 5. Frontinus, Strategemata, iv. 3. 2, and Aulus Gellius, + i. 14, strangely enough, attribute the remark to Fabricius. +

+
+
+
+ GAIUS FABRICIUS A + Roman of the old school, simple and honest: consul 282 and 278 B.C. In + the later consulship he was in command against Pyrrhus. + +
+

Gaius Fabricius, upon learning of the defeat of the Romans by Pyrrhus, said, Pyrrhus has defeated Laevinus, but the Epirotes + have not defeated the Romans. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pyrrhus, chap. xviii. (394 C). The + defeat of Laevinus was in 280 B.C. +

+
+
+

When he carne to see Pyrrhus about ransoming the prisoners + of war, Pyrrhus offered him much money, but he would not accept it. On + the following day Pyrrhus made ready his biggest elephant,all unknown to + Fabricius, to appear and trumpet suddenly behind his back; and when this + plan had been carried out, Fabricius turned and said with a smile, Neither your money yesterday nor your beast + to-day has astounded me. + + Ibid. chap. xx. (395 E). +

+
+
+

Pyrrhus urged Fabricius to stay with him and be the second + in command, but Fabricius said, But there is no + advantage in this for you; for, if the Epirotes come to know us + both, they will prefer to be ruled by me rather than by you. + + Ibid. chap. xx. (396 A). +

+
+
+

When Fabricius was consul, In 278 B.C. Pyrrhus's + physician sent a letter to him, offering, if he should give thi word, to + kill Pyrrhus by poison. Fabricius sent the letter to Pyrrhus, bidding + him note the reason why he was the worst possible judge both of friends + and of foes. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pyrrhus, chap. xxi. (296 B); + Cicero, De officiis, i. + 13 (40), and iii. 22 (86); Valerius Maximus, vi. 5. 1; Aulus + Gellius, iii. 8; Frontinus, Strategemata, iv. 4. 2. +

+
+
+

Pyrrhus, having thus discovered the plot, caused his + physician to be hanged, and gave back the prisoners of war to Fabricius + without ransom. Fabricius, however, would not accept them as a gift, but + gave an equal number in return, lest he should give the impression that + he was getting a reward. For, as he said, it was not to win favour with Pyrrhus that he had disclosed the plot, but + that the Romans might not have the repute of killing through + treachery, as if they could not win an open victory . + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pyrrhus, chap. xxi. (396 + D). +

+
+
+
+ FABIUS MAXIMUS Five times consul; dictator 217 B.C. to conduct the war against + Hannibal. From his cautious tactics in this war he was called Cunctator. + + +
+

Fabius Maximus wished to avoid a battle with Hannibal, but, + in time, to wear out his force, which was in need of both money and + food; and so he followed close after him, taking a parallel route, + through rough and mountainous places. When most people laughed at him, + and called him a slave in attendance on Hannibal, he paid little + attention, and continued to follow his own counsels. To his friends he + said that he thought the man who feared gibes and jeers was more of a + coward than the one who ran away from the enemy. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Fabius Maximus, chap. v. (177 A); + Diodorus, xxvi. 3. 1. +

+
+
+

When his colleague in command, Minucius, laid low some of + the enemy, and there was much talk of him as a man worthy of Rome, + Fabius said that he felt more afraid over Minucius's good luck than over + any bad luck he might have. And not long after, Minucius fell into an + ambush and was in great danger of being destroyed together with his + forces, when Fabius carne to his aid, slew many of the enemy, and + rescued him. Whereupon Hannibal said to his friends, Did I not often prophesy to you regarding that + cloud upon the mountains, that some day it would let loose a storm + upon us ? + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Fabius Maximus, chaps. viii., xi., + and xii. (179 A, 180 D, and 181 C); Livy, xxii. 25. +

+
+
+

After the misfortune which befell the State at Cannae + In 216 + B.C. he was chosen consul with Claudius Mar cellus, a man possessed of daring and spoiling + for a figbt with Hannibal. Fabius hoped, if nobody fought with Hannibal, + that Hannibal's forces, being under continual strain, would soon give + out. Wherefore Hannibal said that he had more to fear from Fabius who + would not fight than from Marcellus who would. Plutarch's Life of Fabius Maximus, chap. xix. (185 A-C). +

+
+
+

A certain Lucanian soldier was accused of wandering often + from the camp at night for love of a young woman. Fabius, on hearing the + accusation, ascertained that in other respects the man was an admirable + man-at-arms, and he ordered that they secretly seize the man's mistress + and bring her to him. When she was brought, he sent for the man, and + said to him, Your being away at night, contrary to + the regulations, has not passed unnoticed, nor, on the other hand, + your good service in the past. Therefore let your oifences be atoned + for by your brave and manly deeds, and in future you will be with + us, for I have a surety. And leading forward the girl he + presented her to him. + Ibid. chap. xx. (186 A-C). + Cf. also Valerius Maximus, + vii. 3. 7. +

+
+
+

Hannibal kept the Tarentines in subjection by a + garrison-all the city except the acropolis. Fabius drew him away a very + long distance by a trick, and captured and sacked the city. When his + secretary asked him what decision he had reached in regard to the sacred + images, he said, Let us leave behind for the + Tarentines their angered gods. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Fabius Maximus, chap. xxii. (187 + A-C); Livy, xxvii. 16. +

+
+
+

Marcus Livius, who had all the time held the acropolis with + his garrison, said that it was because of him that the city had been + taken. The others laughed at him, but Fabius said, You are quite right; for, if you had not + lost the city, I should not have recaptured it. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Fabius Maximus, chap. xxiii. (187 + E); Cicero, De oratore, + ii. 67 (273), and De + senectute, 4 (11). +

+
+
+

When he was already an elderly man, his son was consul, and + was attending to the duties of his office in public in the presence of a + large number of people. Fabius, mounted, was advancing on horseback. + When the young man sent a lictor, and ordered his father to dismount, + the others were thrown into consternation, but Fabius, leaping from his + horse, ran up more nimbly than his years warranted, and, embracing his + son, said, Well done, my boy; you show sense in + that you realize whose official you are, and what a high office you + have taken upon you. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Fabius Maximus, chap. xxiv. (188 + A); Livy, xxiv. 44; Valerius Maximus, ii. 2. 4; Aulus Gellius, ii. + 2. +

+
+
+
+ THE ELDER SCIPIO Scipio Africanus Major, 235-183 B.C., conqueror of the Carthaginians at + Zama. + +
+

Scipio the Elder used to spend on literature all the + leisure he could win from his military and political duties, and he used + to say that he was busiest whenever he had nothing to do. + Cf. Cicero, De officiis, iii. 1 numquam se minus otiosum esse quam cum otiosus . . . esset. + +

+
+
+

When he captured Carthage New Carthage in Spain, 210 B.C.; + Polybius, x. 8-19; Livy, xxvii. 7 and xxvi. 42-51. by + assault, some of his soldiers, having taken captive a comely maiden, + came to him with her, and offered to give her to him. I would gladly take her, said he, if I were a private and not a commander. + + Cf. Polybius, x. 19; Polyaenus, + Strategemata, viii. 16. 6; Livy, + xxvi. 50; Valerius Maximus, iv. 3. 1; Frontinus, Strategemata, ii. 11. 5; Aulus + Gellius. + +

+
+
+

While he was besieging the city of Baria, Baria, attested + by inscriptions, is probably the right spelling (variants: Barea, + Bareia, Badia, Batheia), if the same town is meant. in which + was visible a temple of Venus overtopping all else, he ordered that in + giving sureties for appearance they should specify that place, since he + purposed two days hence to hear litigants in this temple of Venus. And + so he did, as he had foretold, after the city had been taken. + Cf. Valerius Maximus, iii. 7. 1; + and Aulus Gellius, vi. 1. +

+
+
+

When somebody inquired in Sicily on what he placed his + reliance in purposing to take his army across to Carthage, he pointed + out to the inquirer three hundred men As in Livy, xxix. 1; Valerius + Maximus, vii. 3. 3. in armour, who were drilling, and also a + lofty tower which overlooked the sea. There is not + one of these men, said he, who would not + go up to the top of that tower and throw himself down head first at + my command. +

+
+
+

When he had crossed over, and was master of the land, and + had burned the enemy's camps, the Carthaginians sent to him and made a + treaty of peace, agreeing to surrender their elephants and ships, and to + pay an indemnity. Polybius, xv. 18, and Livy, xxx. 16, indicate + similar terms. But when Hannibal had sailed back from Italy, + they were sorry because of their agreement, since they did not now feel + afraid. Scipio, learning this, said that, not even if they wished it, + would he keep the compact unless they paid a million pounds more, + because they had sent for Hannibal. Not noted in Livy, xxx. 35, nor + elsewhere, apparently. +

+
+
+

When the Carthaginians had been utterly overthrown, they + sent envoys to him to negotiate a treaty of peace, but he ordered those + who had come to go away at once, refusing to listen to them before they brought Lucius Terentius. This Terentius + was a Roman, a man of good talents, who had been taken prisoner by the + Carthaginians. And when they came bringing the man, Scipio seated him on + the tribune next to himself in the conference, and, this done, he took + up the negotiations with the Carthaginians, and terminated the war. + + Cf. Livy, xxx. 43. +

+
+
+

Terentius marched behind him in the triumphal procession, + wearing a felt cap just like an emancipated slave. + Cf. Livy, xxx. 45; Valerius + Maximus, v. 2. 5.And when Scipio died, Terentius provided + wine with honey for all who attended the funeral to drink their fill, + and did everything else connected with his burial on a grand scale. But + this, of course, was later. + Cf. Livy, xxxviii. 55. +

+
+
+

Antiochus the king, Antiochus the Great. + after the Romans had crossed over to attack him, In 190 B.C. sent to + Scipio to ask about terms of peace. This should + have been done before, said Scipio, but + not now, when you have taken the bit and the rider is in the + saddle. + + Cf. Polybius, xxi. 15; Livy, + xxxvii. 36; Appian, Roman History, the Syrian + Wars, vi. 29. +

+
+
+

The Senate voted that he should receive a sum of money from + the treasury, but the treasurers were not willing to open it on that + day; whereupon he said that he would open it himself, for the reason it + was kept closed, he declared, was because he had fdled it with so much + money. + Cf. Polybius, xxxiii. 14; and + Valerius Maximus, iii. 7. 1. +

+
+
+

When Petillius and Quintus brought before the people many + accusations against him, he remarked that on this very day he had + conquered the Carthaginians and Hannibal, and he said that he himself, + with a garland on, was on his way up to the Capitol to offer sacrifice, + and he bade anyone who so wished to give in his + vote about him. With these words he went his way, and the people + followed after, leaving behind his accusers still speaking.There are many + references to this incident. Cf. + Moralia, 540 F; + Plutarch's Life of Cato Major, chap. + xv. (344 D), Polybius, xxiii. 14; Livy, xxxviii. 50-51; Aulus + Gellius, iv. 18. See also the note on the similar action of + Epameinondas, Moralia, + 194 B, supra. + +

+
+
+
+ TITUS QUINTIUS T. + Quintius Flamininus, conqueror of Philip V. of Macedon at Cynoscephalae + in 197 B.C. + +
+

Titus Quintius, from the very first, was a man of such + conspicuous talent that he was chosen consul without having been + tribune, praetor, or aedile.That is, without passing through the regular cursus honorum. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Flamininus, chap. ii. (369 + C). He was sent in command of the army against Philip, and + was prevailed upon to meet him in conference. Philip insisted that he + ought to receive some Romans as a guarantee of his safety, since + Quintius was accompanied by many of his countrymen and he all alone + represented the Macedonians. The truth is, + said Quintius, that it is you who have made + yourself all alone by putting to death your friends and kindred. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Flamininus, chap. xvii. (378 D); + Polybius, xviii. 7. +

+
+
+

Having vanquished Philip in battle, At Cynoscephalae in 197 B.C.: + see Plutarch's Life of Flamininus, + chap. viii. (372 F); Polybius, xviii. 20-27; Livy, xxxiii. + 7-10. he proclaimed at the Isthmian games that henceforth he + left the Greeks free and independent. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Flamininus, chap. x. (374 D); + Livy, xxxiii. 32. Whereupon, all the Romans who had been + taken captive in the days of Hannibal and were the slaves of Greek + masters the Greeks purchased from their owners at twenty pounds for each + man, and gave them as a present to Quintius; and these followed him in + his triumphal procession wearing felt caps on their heads as is the + custom for slaves that have been emancipated. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Flamininus, chap. xiii. (376 F); + Livy, xxxiv. 52; Valerius Maximus, v. 2. 6. + +

+
+
+

When the Achaeans were minded to send an army against the + island of the Zacynthians, he bade them beware lest, if they extended + their head, tortoise-like, outside of the Peloponnesus they should find + themselves in danger. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Flamininus, chap. xvii. (378 D); + Livy xxxvi. 32. +

+
+
+

When Antiochus the king, with a great force, arrived in + Greece, and all were terror-stricken at the great numbers of the men and + their armament, Flamininus told a story for the benefit of the Achaeans + as follows : He said he was in Chalcis dining with a friend, and was + amazed at the great number of the meats served. But his friend said that + these were all pork, differing only in their seasoning and the way they + were cooked. So then, he said, do not you, either, be amazed at the king's + forces when you hear the names : 4 pikemen,' ' panoplied,' ' + foot-guards,' archers with two horses.' For all these are but + Syrians differing from one another only in their paraphernalia. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Flamininus, chap. xvii. (378 E); + Livy, xxxv. 49. +

+
+
+

He made a joke at the expense of Philopoemen, general of + the Achaeans, who had plenty of horsemen and men-at-arms, but was not + well off for money; Quintius said that Philopoemen had arms and legs but + no belly. As a matter of fact, Philopoemen, in physical appearance, was + something like this. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Philopoemen, chap. ii. (357 + A). +

+
+
+
+ GNAEUS DOMITIUS Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus, consul 192 B.C. + +
+

Gnaeus Domitius, whom Scipio the Great appointed in his + stead as a colleague for his brother Lucius in the war against + Antiochus, when he had inspected the battle-line of the enemy, and the + officers of his staff urged him to attack at + once, said that there was not time enough to hew down so many thousands, + plunder their baggage, return to camp, and enjoy their usual comforts; + but all this they would do on the morrow at the right time. And on the + next day he engaged the enemy, and slew fifty thousand of them. + Cf. Appian, Roman History, the Syrian Wars, vi. 30-36; Livy, + xxxviii. 39. +

+
+
+
+ PUBLIUS LICINIUS P. Licinius Crassus, praetor 176, consul 171 B.C. + +
+

Publius Licinius, consul in command of the army, was + defeated by Perseus, king of the Macedonians, in a cavalry battle, with + the loss of two thousand eight hundred men killed or captured. After the + battle, when Perseus sent envoys regarding a treaty of peace, the + vanquished bade the victor submit his case to the Romans. + Cf. Polybius, xxvii. 8; Livy, + xlii. 62. +

+
+
+
+ PAULUS AEMILIUS L. Aemilius Paulus (Macedonicus), a famous Roman general, conqueror of + Perseus at Pydna in 168 B.C.; consul 182 and 168 B.C. + +
+

Paulus Aemilius, when he was a candidate for a second term + as consul, failed of election. But when the war against Perseus and the + Macedonians dragged on because of the inexperience and effeminacy of the + generals, the people appointed him consul. But he said he owed no thanks + to them; for it was not because he wanted office, but because they + wanted an officer, that he was chosen general. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Aemilius Paulus, chap. vi. (258 + B), chap. ix. (259 C), chap. xi. (260 C). +

+
+
+

Coming home from the Forum and finding Tertia, his little + daughter, in tears, he asked the reason. And she said, Our Perseus is dead. (It was a pet dog which had that name.) Good luck be with me, my girl, said he; I accept the omen. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Aemilius Paulus, chap. x. (260 B), + quoted from Cicero, De + divinatione, i. 46 (103); see too Valerius Maximus, i. + 5. 3. +

+
+
+

Finding at camp much boldness and talk on the part of + would-be generals and meddlers, he told them to keep quiet, and only + sharpen their swords, and he would attend to everything else. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Aemilius Paulus, chap. xiii. (261 + F), and chap. xi. (260 C); Livy, xliv. 22 and 34. +

+
+
+

He gave orders that the sentinels at night should stand + guard without spear or sword, so that, with no hope of defending + themselves against the enemy, they might better contend against sleep. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Aemilius Paulus, chap. xiii. (262 + A); Livy, xliv. 33, says without shield. + +

+
+
+

Having invaded Macedonia by way of the mountains, and + seeing the enemy standing in battle array, he said, in answer to + Nasica's urgings to attack at once, Oh yes, if I + were of your age; but much experience forbids me to fight, + immediately after a march, against an army standing in battle + array. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Aemilius Paulus, chap. xvii. (263 + F). +

+
+
+

Having vanquished Perseus, he said, as he was carrying out + the entertainments to celebrate the victory, that it was a part of the + same proficiency to provide an army most terrifying to an enemy and a + party most agreeable to friends. + Ibid. chap. xxviii. (270 D); + Moralia, 615 E. + Cf. Stobaeus, Florilegium, xviii. 22. +

+
+
+

Perseus, having been made a prisoner, indignantly spurned + the thought of being made a part of his victor's triumph. That rests with you, said Aemilius, thereby + giving him leave to make away with himself. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Aemilius Paulus, chap. xxxiv. (273 + C). + +

+
+
+

Of the unlimited treasure which was found he took nothing + himself, but to his son-in-law Tubero + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Aemilius Paulus, chap. v. (257 + C). he gave a silver goblet of five pounds weight in + recognition of his supreme valour. And this, they say, is the first + silver heirloom that ever found its way into the Aelian house. + Ibid. chap. xxviii. (270 E); + cf. also Pliny, Natural History, xxxiii. 50 (142); and + Valerius Maximus, iv. 4. 9. +

+
+
+

Of the four male children that were born to him, two he + happened to have given to others for adoption. To the houses of Scipio and of + Fabius. Of the two that were at home one died five days + before his triumph, at the age of fourteen, and the other five days + after the triumph, at the age of twelve. When he went forth, and the + people expressed their compassion and sympathy, he said that now he had + no fears or misgivings about his country, since Fortune had thrust upon + his house the retribution due for all their good fortune, and he had + received this in behalf of all. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Aemilius Paulus, chaps. xxxv. and + xxxvi. (274 A and F); Seneca, Ad + Marciam de consolatione, 13; Valerius Maximus, v. 10. 2; + Velleius Paterculus, i. 10. Cicero refers briefly to Aemilius's + fortitude (De amicit, 2 + (9); Tusc. Disput. iii. 28 (70); Letters, iv. 6). +

+
+
+
+ CATO THE ELDER M. + Porcius Cato, the Elder, commonly called the Censor, 234-149 B.C. + +
+

The Elder Cato, in assailing the profligacy and + extravagance rife among the people, said that it was hard to talk to a + belly which had no ears. + Cf. Moralia, 131 D and 996 D, and Plutarch's + Life of M. Cato, chap. viii. (340 + A). +

+
+
+

He said he wondered how a city could continue to exist + unscathed in which a fish sold for more than an ox ! + Ibid. and Moralia, 668 B. +

+
+
+

In bitter criticism of the prevalent domination of women, + he said, All mankind rules its women, and we rule all mankind, but our women rule + us. + See the note on + Moralia, 185 D (10), + supra. + +

+
+
+

He said that he preferred to receive no thanks when he had + done a favour rather than to suffer no punishment when he had done a + wrong, and that he always granted pardon to all who erred, with the + single exception of himself. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of M. Cato, chap. viii. (340 + F). +

+
+
+

In trying to stimulate the officials to administer sharp + rebuke to the erring, he used to say that, if those who have the power + to discourage crime do not discourage it, then they encourage it. + Cf. the somewhat similar sentiment + attributed to Pythagoras in Stobaeus, Florilegium, xlviii. 112. +

+
+
+

He said that it gave him more joy to see those of the youth + that blushed than those that blanched. + Cf. Moralia, 29 E and 528 F, and the Life of M. Cato, chap. ix. (341 C). +

+
+
+

He said that he hated a soldier who plied his hands in + marching and his feet in fighting, and whose snore was louder than his + battle-cry. + Life of M. Cato, ibid. + +

+
+
+

He said that the worst ruler is one who cannot rule + himself. + Cf. Moralia, 210 F (33), infra. + +

+
+
+

He thought it especially necessary for every man to respect + himself, since no man is ever separated from himself.

+
+
+

Seeing that statues were being set up in honour of many + men, he said, As for myself, I had rather that + men should ask why there is not a statue of Cato than why there + is. + + Cf. Moralia, 820 B, and the Life of M. Cato, chap. xix. (347 + C). +

+
+
+

He charged those in power to be sparing of their authority, + so that authority might continue always to be theirs.

+
+
+

He used to say that those who rob virtue of honour rob + youth of virtue. +

+
+
+

An official or a judge, he said, ought neither to require + importuning to grant what is right nor to yield to importuning to grant + what is wrong.

+
+
+

Wrongdoing, he used to say, even if it brings no risk to + its authors, brings risk to all.

+
+
+

He used to say that, since there are so many odious things + connected with old age, it is only right not to add the odium which + comes from vice. + Cf. Moralia, 784 A and 829 F; and Plutarch's + Life of M. Cato, chap. ix. (341 + D). +

+
+
+

He had an idea that the man who has lost his temper differs + from him who has lost his mind only in duration of time. + Cf. Horace, Epistles, i. 2. 62; Seneca, De ira, i. 1. 2. +

+
+
+

He said that those who use their good fortune reasonably + and moderately are least envied ; for people envy not us but our + surroundings.

+
+
+

He used to say that those who are serious in ridiculous + matters will be ridiculous in serious matters.

+
+
+

He used to say that it is necessary to make good deeds + secure by means of good deeds, so that they may not fall off in their + repute.

+
+
+

He used to rebuke the citizens for electing always the same + men to office. For, said he, you will give the impression that you hold office + to be of no great worth, or else that you hold not many men to be + worthy of office. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life oF M. Cato, chap. viii. (340 + D). +

+
+
+

He pretended to be amazed at the man who had sold his lands + bordering on the sea as being himself stronger than the sea. For, said he, what the + sea only laps, this man has easily drunk up. + + Ibid. + +

+
+
+

When he was a candidate for the censorship, and saw the + other candidates soliciting the populace and flattering them, he himself + cried out that the e C/. Plutarch's Life of M. Cato, chap. viii. (340 + d). d Ibid. + people had need of a stern physician and a + thorough cleansing; they must choose not the most agreeable but the most + inexorable man. As a result of his words he was the first choice of the + electors. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of M. Cato, chap. xvi. (345 + D). +

+
+
+

In instructing the young men to fight boldly, he said that + ofttimes talk is better than the sword and the voice better than the + hand to rout and bewilder the enemy. + Ibid. chap. i. (336 E); cf. also Plutarch's Life of Coriolanus, chap. viii. (216 F); + Life of M. Cato, chap. x. (241 + F). +

+
+
+

When he was waging war against the peoples living by the + river Baetis, In 195 B.C. in Spain. he was put in great peril by the vast + numbers of the enemy. The Celtiberians were ready and willing to come to + his aid for forty thousand pounds, but the other Romans were against + agreeing to pay barbarian men. Cato said they were all wrong; for if + they were victorious, the payment would come not from themselves, but + from the enemy; and if they were vanquished there would be no debtors + and no creditors. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of M. Cato, chap. x. (341 F). +

+
+
+

He captured cities more in number, as he says, than the + days he spent among the enemy, yet he himself took nothing from the + enemy's country beyond what he ate and drank. + Ibid. chap. x. (342 A). +

+
+
+

He distributed to each soldier a pound of silver, saying it + was better that many should return from the campaign with silver than a + few with gold. For the officials, he said, ought to accept no other + increase in the provinces except the increase of their repute.f

+
+
+

He had five persons to wait upon him in the campaign, one of whom bought three of the + captives. But when he discovered that Cato knew of it, he did not wait + to come before his master, but hanged himself. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of M. Cato, chap. x. (342 B). +

+
+
+

He was urged by Scipio Africanus to lend his influence to + help the banished Achaeans to return to their homes, but he made as + though he cared nothing about the matter; in the Senate, however, where + the subject aroused much discussion, he arose and said, We sit here as if we had nothing to do, debating + about some poor old Greeks whether they shall be carried to their + graves by bearers who live in our country or in Greece. + + Ibid. chap. ix. (341 A. - + Polybius, xxxv. 6). +

+
+
+

Postumius Albinus wrote a history in the Greek language, in + which he craved the indulgence of his readers. Cato said sarcastically + that he ought to be granted indulgence if he had written the book under + compulsion by a decree of the Ampictyonic Council! + Ibid. chap. xii. (343 B); + Polybius, xxxix. 12 (- xl. 6). +

+
+
+
+ SCIPIO THE YOUNGER Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus Africanus (Minor), + 185-129 B.C.; conqueror of Carthage in 147-146 B.C.; friend of Polybius + the historian. His life (now lost) was written by Plutarch (No. 28 in + the catalogue of Lamprias; see also the Life of + Tib. Gracchus, chap. xxi. 834 D, and Life of C. Gracchus, chap. x. 839 C); and without doubt + many of the sayings found here were incorporated in it. + +
+

The Younger Scipio, they say, in the fifty-four years of + his life bought nothing, sold nothing, built nothing, and left only + thirty-three pounds of silver and two of gold in a great estate. So + little he left, in spite of the fact that he was master of Carthage, and + was the one among the generals who had made his soldiers richest. + Cf. Aelian, Varia Historia, xi. 9; Polybius, xviii. + 35; Pliny, Natural History, xxxiii. 50 + (141). +

+
+
+

He observed the precept of Polybius, and tried never to leave the Forum before he had in some + way made an acquaintance and friend of somebody among those who spoke + with him. + Cf. Moralia, 659 E. Aelian, Varia Historia, xiv. 38, + speaks of the advice as given by Epameinondas to Pelopidas, possibly + confusing the two Scipios, and the two Lives (of Epameinondas and the elder Scipio)! +

+
+
+

While he was still a young man he had such repute for + bravery and sagacity that when Cato the Elder was asked about the men in + the army at Carthage, of whom Scipio was one, he said, He, and he only, has wisdom; the rest are but + fluttering shadows. + + Cf. Moralia, 805 A; Plutarch's Life of M. Cato, chap. xxvii. (352 F); + Livy, Epitome of Book xlix. It may be inferred from Suidas, s.v. + ἀίσσουσιν that the original source + was Polybius. The Homeric quotation is from the Odyssey, x. 495. +

+
+
+

When he came to Rome from a campaign, the people called him + to office, The + consulship in 147 B.C. Cf. + Velleius Paterculus, i. 12. 3. not by way of showing favour + to him, but hoping through him to capture Carthage speedily and easily. +

+
+
+

After he had passed the outer wall, the Carthaginians + stoutly defended themselves in the citadel. He perceived that the sea + lying between was not very deep, and Polybius advised him to scatter in + it iron balls with projecting points, or else to throw into it planks + full of spikes so that the enemy might not cross and attack the Roman + ramparts. + Cf. Zonaras, ix. 29. But + Scipio said that it was ridiculous, after they were in possession of the + walls and well within the city, to endeavour to avoid fighting the + enemy. An + account of the capture of Carthage is given by Diodorus, xxxii. + 23-25, and Appian, Roman History, the Punic + Wars, xix. 127-132. Cf. also Valerius Maximus, iii. 7. 2. +

+
+
+

He found the city full of Greek statues and votive + offerings, which had come from Sicily, and so + he caused proclamation to be made that the men from those cities who + were there might identify them and carry them away. + Cf. Diodorus, xxxii. 25; Cicero, + Against Verres, ii. 35 (86) and iv. + 33 (73); Livy, Epitome of Book li.; Valerius Maximus, v. 1. + 6. +

+
+
+

He would not allow either slave or freedman of his to take + anything or even buy anything from the spoil, when everybody was engaged + in looting and plundering. + Cf. Moralia, 97 C, and note e on + p. 187. +

+
+
+

He was active in the support of Gaius Laelius, the dearest + of his friends, when he was a candidate for the consulship, and he + inquired of Pompey Quintus Pompey, consul 141 B.C. whether he + also was a candidate. (It was reputed that Pompey was the son of a + flute-player.) Pompey said that he was not a candidate, and offered to + take Laelius about with him and help him in his canvass, and they, + believing his words and waiting for his co-operation, were completely + deceived. For it was reported that Pompey was himself going about and + soliciting the citizens. The others were indignant, but Scipio laughed + and said, It is because of our own stupidity; for, + just as if we were intending to call not upon men but upon gods, we + have been wasting any amount of time in waiting for a flute-player + ! + + Cf. Cicero, De amicitia, 21 (77). +

+
+
+

When Appius Claudius was his rival In 142 B.C. for the + censorship, and asserted that he greeted all the Romans by name, while + Scipio knew hardly one of them, Scipio said, You + are quite right; for I have not taken such pains to know many as to + be unknown to none. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Aemilius Paulus, chap. xxxviii. + (275 C). +

+
+
+

He bade the people, inasmuch as they happened to be waging + war against the Celtiberians, to send out both + himself and his rival either as legates or tribunes of the soldiers, and + take the word and judgement of the fighting men in regard to the valour + of each.

+
+
+

After he was made censor, he deprived a young knight of his + horse because, at the time when war was being waged against Carthage, + this young man had given an expensive dinner for which he had ordered an + honey-cake to be made in the form of the city, and, calling this + Carthage, he set it before the company for them to plunder. When the + young man asked the reason why he had been degraded, Scipio said, Because you plundered Carthage before I did! +

+
+
+

Seeing Gaius Licinius coming before him, he said, I know that this man is guilty of perjury, but, + since no one accuses him, I cannot myself be both accuser and + judge. + + Cf. Cicero, Oration for Cluentius, 48 (134); Valerius Maximus, iv. + 1. 10. +

+
+
+

He was sent out by the Senate a third time for the purpose, + as Cleitomachus Poseidonius (instead of Cleitomachus) is found in Moralia, 777 A, and is also + suggested by Athenaeus, 549 D. says, of Looking upon men's arrogant acts and their acts of + good order,Homer, Od. xvii. 487. Scipio's + journeyings, beginning in 141 B.C., took him over most of the + countries around the eastern end of the Mediterranean + Sea. + that is, as an inspector of cities, peoples, and kings; and + when he arrived at Alexandria and, after disembarking, was walking with + his toga covering his head, the Alexandrians quickly surrounded him, and + insisted that he uncover and show his face to their yearning eyes. And + so he uncovered amid shouting and applause. The king could hardly keep + up with them in walking because of his inactive + life and his pampering of his body, Ptolemy Vii., called 'Physcon' + by the Alexandrians because of his fat and unwieldy body. + and Scipio whispered softly to Panaetius, Already + the Alexandrians have received some benefit from our visit. For it + is owing to us that they have seen their king walk. + + Cf. Moralia, 777 A; Diodorus, xxxiii. 28a; + Athenaeus, 549 D; Cicero, Academics, + ii. 2 (5); Justin, Historiae + Philippicae, xxxviii. 8. 8. +

+
+
+

His one companion in his travels was a friend Panaetius, a + philosopher, and there were five servants. When one of these died in a + foreign land, he did not wish to buy another, and so sent for one from + Rome. + Cf. Athenaeus, 273 A (-Polybius, + Frag. 166, ed. Hultsch); Valerius + Maximus, iv. 3. 13. +

+
+
+

Inasmuch as the Numantians seemed invincible in battle and + had vanquishedany generals, the people made Scipio consul the second + time In 134 + B.C. for this war. When many were eager to enlist for the + campaign, the Senate intervened, on the ground that Italy would be + unprotected. Moreover, they would not allow him to take money from what + was already on hand, but set aside for his use the revenues from taxes + not yet due. Scipio said that he did not need monev, for his own and + that of his friends would be sufficient; but in regard to the soldiers + he did find fault. + Cf. Appian, Roman History, the Wars in Spain, xiv. 84. For + he said that the war was a hard war; if it was owing to the bravery of + the enemy that they had been vanquished so many times, then it was hard + because it was against such men; if it was owing to the want of bravery + in their own citizens, then it was hard because it must be conducted + with such men.

+
+
+

When he arrived at the camp, and found there much disorder, + licentiousness, superstition, and luxury, he straightway drove out the + soothsayers, diviners, and panders, and issued orders to send away all camp-utensils except a pot, a spit, + and an earthenware drinking-cup. But he conceded a goblet of silverware + of not more than two pounds weight to those who wished to keep such. He + forbade bathing, and of those who took a rub-down he required that each + man should rub himself, saying that the pack-animals, not being provided + with hands, needed somebody to rub them. He also issued orders that the + soldiers should eat their luncheon standing, and that it should be + something uncooked, but that they might recline at dinner, and this + should be bread or porridge simply, and meat roasted or boiled. He + himself went about with a black cloak pinned around him, saying that he + was in mourning for the disgrace of the army. Appian, Roman History, The Wars in Spain, xiv. 85; Polyaenus, + Strategemata, viii. 16. 2; Livy, + Epitome of Book lvii.; Valerius, Maximus, ii. 7. 1. +

+
+
+

He detected in the baggage carried by the pack-animals of + Memmius, a military tribune, wine coolers set with precious stones, the + work of Thericles, A famous Corinthian potter. and said to him, + By such conduct you have made yourself useless + to me and your country for thirty days, Presumably the period of his + disgrace and punishment. but useless to yourself for your + whole lifetime. + + Cf. Frontinus, Strategemata, iv. 1. 1. +

+
+
+

When another man showed him a shield beautifully + ornamented, he said, A fine shield, young sir; + but it is more fitting that a Roman rest his hopes in his right hand + rather than in his left. + So in Aelian, + Varia Historia, xi. 9. Slightly + variant versions are to be found in Polyaenus, Strategemata, viii. 16. 4; Frontinus, Strategemata, iv. 1. 5; Livy, Epitome of + Book lvii. +

+
+
+

Another carrying a timber for the palisade said that it was + awfully heavy. Very likely, said Scipio, for you put more trust in this wood than in your + sword. + + Cf. Polyaenus, Strategemata, viii. 16. 3; Livy, Epitome + of Book lvii. + +

+
+
+

Observing the recklessness of the enemy, he said that he + himself was buying security with time; for a good general, like a + physician, needed to operate with steel only as a last resort. + Cf. Aulus Gellius, xiii. 3. 6, + where Scipio quotes a similar aphorism of his father's. + Nevertheless he attacked at the proper time and routed the Numantians. + Appian + relates that Numantia was reduced by systematic siege (Wars in Spain, 89 ff.). +

+
+
+

When the older men asked the defeated soldiers why they + were such cowards as to flee from the men they had so often pursued, one + of the Numantians is said to have replied that the sheep were still the + same sheep, but another man was their shepherd.

+
+
+

After he had captured Numantia and celebrated his second + triumph, he had a falling out with Gaius Gracchus in regard to the + Senate and the allies; and the people, feeling much aggrieved, set out + to shout him down on the rostra. But he said, The + battle-cry of armed hosts has never discomfited me, and much less + can that of a rabble of whom I know full well that Italy is not + their real mother, but their stepmother. + + Cf. Polyaenus, Strategemata, viii. 16. 5; Velleius + Paterculus, ii. 4; Valerius Maximus, vi. 2. 3. +

+
+
+

When the men about Gracchus cried out, Kill the tyrant, he said, Very naturally those who feel hostile towards our + country wish to make away with me first; for it is not possible for + Rome to fall while Scipio stands, nor for Scipio to live when Rome + has fallen. +

+
+
+
+ CAECILIUS METELLUS Distinguished Roman general, consul 143 B.C.; sometimes + confused with Q. Caecilius Metellus Numidicus, whose life Plutarch + either wrote or intended to write (Life of + Marius, chap. xxix.). + +
+

When Caecilius Metellvs was desirous of leading his men + against a strongly fortified place, a centurion + said that with the loss of only ten men Metellvs could take the place. + Metellus asked him if he wished to be one of the ten !

+
+
+

A certain centurion among the younger men inquired what he + was going to do. If I thought, said he, that the shirt on my back knew what is in my + mind, I would strip it off and put it in the fire. + + Cf. Moralia, 506 D; Valerius Maximus, vii. 4. + 5. Frontinus, Strategemata, i. 1. 12, + attributes the remark to Metellus Pius (consul 52 B.C. with + Pompey.) +

+
+
+

He was bitterly opposed to Scipio while Scipio lived, Cicero, De amicitia, 21 (77), and + De officiis, i. 25 + (87). but felt very sad when he died, and commanded his sons + to take part in carrying the bier. He said that he felt grateful to the + gods, for Rome's sake, that Scipio had not been born among another + people. + Cf. Pliny, Natural History, vii. 45 (144), and Valerius Maximus, + iv. 1. 12. +

+
+
+
+ GAIUS MARIUS Famous Roman general, seven times consul; he lived 157-86 B.C. + +
+

Gaius Marius carne from an obscure family and advanced into + political life through his military services. He announced himself a + candidate for the greater The office of curule aedile. aedileship, but, + perceiving that he was running behind, on the very same day he went + after the lesser. That of plebeian aedile. Failing also to + obtain that, he nevertheless did not give up the idea that he should + some day be the first among the Romans. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of C. Marius, chap. v. (408 A); + Cicero, Pro Plancio, 21 + (51). +

+
+
+

He had large varicose veins on both legs, and, refusing to + be fastened down, he submitted these to his physician for excision; and + without a groan or even a contraction of his eyebrows he underwent the + operation with fortitude. But as the physician + turned his attention to the other leg, Marius would not consent, saying + that the cure was not worth the pain. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of C. Marius, chap. vi. (408 E); + Cicero, Tusculan Disputations, ii. 15 + (35) and 22 (53); Pliny, Natural + History, xi. 104 (252). +

+
+
+

In his second consulship Lusius, his nephew, attempted an + indecent assault on one of the youths in the army, by the name of + Trebonius, and the youth killed Lusius. When many accused him of the + crime, he did not deny that he had killed the officer, and disclosed the + circumstances; whereupon Marius ordered the crown which is given for + deeds of supreme valour to be brought, and this he placed upon + Trebonius. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of C. Marius, chap. xiv. (413 B); + Cicero, Oration for + Milo, 4 (9); Valerius Maximus, vi. 1. 12. +

+
+
+

Encamped against the Teutons in a place which had little + water, when the soldiers said they were thirsty, he pointed out to them + a river flowing close by the enemy's palisade, saying, There is drink for you which can be bought with + blood. And they called upon him to lead them on while the blood + within them was fluid and not all dried up by their thirst. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of C. Marius, chap. xviii. (416 A); + Frontinus, Strategemata, ii. 7. 12; + Florus, Epitome of Roman History, i. + 38. 8 ff. +

+
+
+

In the Cimbrian wars a thousand men of Camerinum who had + acquitted themselves bravely he made Roman citizens, in accord with no + law. To those who complained he said that he did not hear the laws + because of the clash of arms. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of C. Marius, chap. xxviii. (421 E); + Cicero, Oration for Corn. Balbus, 20 + (46); Valerius Maximus, v. 2. 8. Cf. also Cicero, Pro Milone, 4 (10), silent enim + leges inter arma. + +

+
+
+

In the Civil War, Usually called the Social War (ὁ συμμαχιὸς πόλεμος), 90-88 B.C. + when he found himself surrounded by a trench + and cut off by the enemy, he held out and bided his own time. Pompaedius + Or possibly + Poppaedius. Silo said to him, If you + are a great general, Marius, come down and fight it out. Marius + replied, If you are a great general, make me fight + it out when I do not wish to do so ! + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of C. Marius, chap. xxxiii. (424 + D). +

+
+
+
+ CATULUS LUTATIUS Quintus Lutatius Catulus, consul 102 B.C. with C. Marius; general in + the war against the Cimbri. The event here described happened in 101 + B.C. + +
+

Catulus Lutatius, in the Cimbrian War, was encamped beside + the Atiso Presumably the same river which the Roman writers call the + Athesis. River. The Romans, seeing the barbarians crossing to + attack, retreated, and he, not being able to check them, made haste to + put himself in the front rank of those who were running away so that + they might not seem to flee from the enemy, but to be following their + commander. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of C. Marius, chap. xxiii. (418 + F). +

+
+
+
+ SULLA L. + Cornelius Sulla, 138-78 B.C.; the dictator. + +
+

Sulla, who was called the Fortunate, counted two things + among his greatest pieces of fortune : the friendship of Pius Metellus, + and the fact that he had not razed Athens, but had spared the city. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Sulla, chap. vi. (454 D), chap. + xiv. (460 E), and the Comparison of Lysander + and Sulla, chap. v. (478 B). +

+
+
+
+ GAIUS POPILIUS Consul 172 B.C. + +
+

Gaius Popillius was sent In 18 B.C. to Antiochus IV. + (Epiphanes). + draw his army from Egypt, and not to usurp the + kingdom of Ptolemy's children who were bereft of their parents. As he + was making his approach through the camp, Antiochus welcomed him + graciously while he was still a long way off, but he, without returning + the salutation, delivered the document. When the king had read it, he + said that he would think about it, and give his answer; whereupon + Popillius drew a circle about him with his staff and said, While you stand inside that line, think about it + and answer. All were astounded at the man's lofty spirit, and + Antiochus agreed to comply with the Roman decree; which done, Popillius + saluted him and embraced him. + Cf. Polybuys, xxix. 27; Appian, + Roman History, the Syrian Wars, 66; + Cicero, Philippics, viii. 8 (23); Livy, + xlv. 12; Justin, Historiae + Philippicae, xxxiv. 3; Valerius Maximus, vi. 4. 3; + Valleius Paterculus, i. 10. In Pliny, Natural + History, xxxiv. 11 (24), Cn. Octavian is substituted for + C. Popillius. +

+
+
+
+ LUCULLUS Roman + general, friend of Sulla the dictator; he defeated Mithridates and + Tigranes. + +
+

Lucullus in Armenia with ten thousand menat-arms and a + thousand horsemen was proceeding against Tigranes, who had an army of an + hundred and fifty thousand men, on the sixth day of October, the day on + which, some years before, In 105 B.C. the force with Caepio had been + annihilated by the Cimbrians. When somebody remarked that the Romans set + that day aside as a dread day of expiation, he said, Then let us on this day strive with might and + main to make this, instead of an ill-omened and gloomy day, a glad + and welcome day to the Romans. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Lucullus, chap. xxviii. (510 + C). +

+
+
+

His soldiers feared most the men in full armour, but he bade them not to be afraid, saying that + it would be harder work to strip these men than to defeat them. He was + the first to advance against the hill, and observing the movement of the + barbarians, he cried out, We are victorious, my + men, and, meeting no resistance, he pursued, losing only five + Romans who fell, and he slew over an hundred thousand of the enemy. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Lucullus, chap. xxviii. (510 D-511 + B). +

+
+
+
+ GNAEUS POMPEY The + triumvir. + +
+

Gnaeus Pompey was loved by the Romans as much as his father + was hated. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pompey, chap. i. (619 B). + In his youth he was heart and soul for Sulla's party, and without + holding public office or being in the Senate, he enlisted many men in + Italy for the army. + Ibid. chap. vi. (621 D). + When Sulla summoned him, he refused to present his troops before the + commander-in-chief without spoils and without their having been through + bloodshed. And he did not come until after he had vanquished the + generals of the enemy in many battles. + Ibid. 621 F. +

+
+
+

When he was sent by Sulla to Sicily In 82 B.C. in the + capacity of general, he perceived that the soldiers on the marches kept + dropping out of the ranks to do violence and to plunder, and so he + punished those who were straggling and running about, and placed seals + upon the swords of those who were officially sent by him. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pompey, chap. x. (624 A). +

+
+
+

The Mamertines, who had joined the other party, he was like + to put to death to a man. But Sthennius, their popular leader, said that + Pompey was not doing right in punishing many + innocent men instead of one man who was responsible, and that this man + was himself, who had persuaded his friends, and compelled his enemies, + to choose the side of Marius. Much amazed, Pompey said that he could + pardon the Mamertines if they had been persuaded by a man like him who + valued his country above his own life; and thereupon he liberated both + the city and Sthennius. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pompey, 623 F, where Sthen(n)is + stands instead of Sthennius (Sthennon, Moralia, 815 E), and the Himerians + instead of the Mamertines. +

+
+
+

He crossed over to Africa against Domitius In 81 B.C. + and overcame him in a mighty battle; then, when the soldiers were + hailing him as commander-in-chief, he said he could not accept the + honour while the enemy's palisade still stood upright. And they, in + spite of a heavy rain that enveloped them, swept on and plundered the + camp. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pompey, chaps. xi.-xii. (624 + C-E). +

+
+
+

When he returned, Sulla received him graciously with many + honours, and was the first to call him ' Magnus ' (The Great). He + desired to celebrate a triumph, but Sulla would not allow him to do so, + since he was not as yet a member of the Senate. When Pompey remarked to + those present that Sulla did not realize that more people worship the + rising than the setting sun, Sulla cried out, Let + him have his triumph ! Servilius, a man of noble family, was + indignant, and many of the soldiers stood in his way with their demands + of largess before his triumph. But when Pompey said that he would rather + give up his triumph than curry favour with them, Servilius said that now + he saw that Pompey was truly great, and deserved his triumph. + Ibid. chaps. xiii.-xiv. (625-626 + B); Moralia, 804 + F. +

+
+
+

It is a custom in Rome for the knights, when they have completed the regular term of service + in the army, to lead their horses into the Forum, one at a time, before + the two men whom they call censors, and after enumerating their + campaigns and the generals under whom they served, to receive such + commendation or censure as is fitting. Pompey, who was then consul, with + his own hand led his horse before the censors, Gellius and Lentulus, and + when they asked him, in conformity with the custom, whether he had + served all his campaigns, he replied, Yes, all, + and under myself as commander-in-chief. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pompey, chap. xxii. (630 + A). +

+
+
+

On gaining possession of the papers of Sertorius in Spain, + among which were letters from many leading men inviting Sertorius to + come to Rome with a view to fomenting a revolution and changing the + government, he burned them all, thus offering an opportunity for the + miscreants to repent and become better men. + Ibid. chap. xx. (p. 629); similar + stories are told of others, as, for example, of William III. of + England. +

+
+
+

When Phraates, king of the Parthians, sent to him, claiming + the right to set his boundary at the river Euphrates, he said that the + Romans set justice as their boundary towards the Parthians. + Ibid. chap. xxxiii. (637 + C). +

+
+
+

Lucius Lucullus, after his campaigns, gave himself up to + pleasures and lived very expensively, and strongly disapproved of + Pompey's yearning for the strenuous life as something out of keeping + with his years. But Pompey said that for an old man it was more out of + keeping with his years to be a voluptuary than to hold office. + Ibid. chap. xlviii. (644 E); + Life of Lucullus, chap. xxxviii. + (518 B); Moralia, 785 + E. + +

+
+
+

When he was ill his physician prescribed a thrush as diet, + but those who tried to get one did not find any, for thrushes were out + of season; however, somebody said that they would be found at the house + of Lucullus, where they were kept the year round. So then, said Pompey, if Lucullus were + not a voluptuary, Pompey could not live ! and letting his + physician go, he made his diet of things not so hard to procure. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pompey, chap. ii. (620 B); Life of Lucullus, chap. xl. (518 F); + Moralia, 786 A. + Stobaeus, Florilegium, xvii. 43, quotes + from Musonius a similar story about Zeno the philosopher. +

+
+
+

At a time when there was a serious scarcity of grain in + Rome In 57 + B.C. he was appointed nominally overseer of the market, He was appointed + praefectus annonae, for five years. but + actually supreme master on land and sea, and sailed to Africa, Sardinia, + and Sicily. Having got together a great quantity of grain, he was eager + to get to Rome. A great storm arose and the pilots were hesitating, when + he, going on board first himself, gave orders to weigh anchor, crying + out, To sail is a necessity; to live is not a + necessity. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pompey, chap. xlix. and l. (645 + C-676 A); Dio Cassius, xxxix. 9; Zonaras, x. 5; Cicero, Letters to Atticus, iv. 1. 7. +

+
+
+

When his falling-out with Caesar came to light, one + Mareellinus, who was among those reputed to have been advanced by Pompey + but had gone over to Caesar, inveighed against him at great length in + the Senate. Mareellinus, said Pompey, are you not ashamed to revile me, when it is all + owing to me that you, from being inarticulate, have become so + fluent, and from being a starveling, are now able to eat and + disgorge and eat again ? + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pompey, chap. li. (646 E). +

+
+
+

Cato assailed him bitterly, because when he himself had + often foretold that Caesar's power and his rise + to fame boded no good to the democracy, Pompey had taken the opposite + side; whereupon Pompey replied, Your words were + more prophetic, but my actions were more friendly. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pompey, chap. lx. (651 E); Life of Cato Minor, chap. lii. (787 + D). +

+
+
+

Speaking frankly about himself, he said that he had + attained every office sooner than he had expected, and laid it down + sooner than had been expected. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pompey, chap. liv. (647 F). + 15. After the battle of Pharsalus In 48 B.C. he fled to + Egypt, and as he was about to transfer from the trireme to a + fishing-boat which the king had sent for him, he turned to his wife and + son, and said never a word except the lines of Sophocles : Whoever comes to traffic with a king Is slave to + him, however free he come.Nauck, Trag. + Graec. Frag., Sophocles, no. 789; quoted by Plutarch + also in Moralia, 33 + D and the Life of Pompey, chap. + lxxviii. (661 A). Appian, Civil + Wars, ii. 84, and Dio Cassius, xlii. 4, also state + that Pompey quoted these verses shortly before his death when he + was slain by order of the king's counselors. + When he landed, he was struck with a sword, and uttering one + groan, he covered his face and surrendered himself to be slain.

+
+
+
+ CICERO Cicero had + a collection of jokes in three volumes (Quintillian, Inst. Or. vi. 3. 5; Macrobius, Sat. ii. 1. 12), so that the few found here + can only be regarded as samples which have a personal touch. + +
+

Cicero, the orator, was often twitted about his name, and + his friends urged him to have it changed, but he said that he would make + Cicero to be held in higher esteem than the Catos, the Catuli, and the + Scauri. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Cicero, chap. i. (861 C). +

+
+
+

When he dedicated a silver goblet to the gods, he caused the engraver to cut the letters of + his first two names, but instead of Cicero to + engrave a chick-pea. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Cicero, where, a few lines + earlier, the derivation of Cicero from + cicer, chick-pea is + explained. +

+
+
+

He used to say that those of the orators who are given to + violent vociferation rely on noise to carry them through because of + weakness, just as lame men mount horses. + Ibid. chap. v. (863 C). +

+
+
+

Verres, who had a son that had been anything but virtuous + when a boy, rebuked Cicero for effeminacy and called him a corrupter of + youth. Don't you know, said Cicero, that it is proper for children to be scolded + behind the doors of their own home ? + + Ibid. chap. vii. (864 C). +

+
+
+

Metellus Nepos said to him, You have + caused the death of more men by your testimony than you have saved + by your advocacy. + Yes, said Cicero, the + reason is that I am endowed with more credibility than eloquence + ! + + Ibid. chap. xxvi. (873 F); Moralia, 541 F. +

+
+
+

When Metellus kept asking him who his father was, Cicero + said, The answer to that same question your mother + has made the more difficult for you ! For Metellus's mother was + far from virtuous, and Metellus himself was light-minded, vacillating, + and carried away by his impulses. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Cicero, chap. xxvi. (874 + B). +

+
+
+

When Diodotus, Metellus's teacher of oratory died, Metellus + had a marble raven placed over his grave. A very + just tribute, said Cicero, for he taught + Metellus to be high-flown, but not to be a speaker. + + Ibid. + +

+
+
+

Vatinius, who was at odds with Cicero, and was a bad + character generally, Cicero heard was dead, and then later discovered + that he was alive. Curses on the rascal who lied + so ! said he. + Ibid. chap. xxvi. (873 E). +

+
+
+

To a man who appeared to be of African race, and asserted that he could not hear Cicero when he + spoke, Cicero retorted, Yet you have ears that are + not wanting in holes. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Cicero, chap. xxvi. (873 E). The + story is told also in Moralia, 631 D. The pierced ears suggest a + slave. +

+
+
+

Cicero summoned as a witness in a certain case Castus + Popillius, who wanted to be a lawyer, but was ignorant and stupid. When + he denied knowing anything, Cicero said, Very + likely you think you are being asked about some point of law ! + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Cicero, chap. xxvi. (874 A), where + the name of the man is given as Publius Consta. +

+
+
+

Hortensius, the orator, received as a fee a silver sphinx + from Verres. When Cicero used innuendo in something that he said, + Hortensius declared that he had no skill in solving riddles. Cicero + retorted, And yet you have the sphinx at your + house ! + + Life of Cicero, chap. vii. (864 D), + where the sphinx is of ivory. Cf. + also Pliny, Natural History, xxxiv. 18 + (48), and Quintillian, Inst. Or. vi. 3. + 98. Intimacy with the sphinx, the author of riddles, should have + helped Hortensius! +

+
+
+

Meeting Voconius with three daughters who had very ugly + faces, he said softly to his friends, Phoebus + forbade when he his children got. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Cicero, chap. xxvii. (874 D). + The verse may possibly be from the Oedipus of Euripides. Cf. Nauck, Trag. Graec. Frag., adespota, no. 378. + +

+
+
+

When Faustus, the son of Sulla, because of a multitude of + debts, posted a notice of an auction of his goods, Cicero said, I find this notice more welcome than the kind + which his father used to post. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Cicero, chap. xxvii. (874 D), and + Cicero, Letters to Atticus, ix. 11. The + reference, of course, is to the proscription lists of men condemned + which Sulla posted. +

+
+
+

When Pompey and Caesar took opposite sides, he said, I know from whom I flee without knowing to whom + to flee. + + Ibid. chap. xxxvii. (879 D); + Cicero, Letters to Atticus, viii. 7. 2 + ego vero quem fugiam habeo, quem sequar + non habeo. + +

+
+
+

He blamed Pompey for abandoning the city, and imitating Themistocles rather than + Pericles, when his situation was not like that of Themistocles, but + rather that of Pericles. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Pompey, chap. lxiii. (652 F); + Cicero, Letters to Atticus, vii. 11. 3, + and x. 8. 4. +

+
+
+

When he went over to Pompey s side, changing his mind + again, and was asked by Pompey where he had left Piso, his son-in-law, + he said, With your father-in-law ! + Pompey married + Caesar's daughter Julia as his fourth wife. +

+
+
+

One man changed from Caesar's side to Pompey's, and said + that as the result of haste and eagerness he had left his horse behind. + Cicero said that the man showed greater consideration-for his horse ! +

+
+
+

To the man who reported that Caesar's friends were downcast + he retorted, You speak as if they were Caesar's + foes ! + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Cicero, chap. xxxviii. (880 + B). +

+
+
+

After the battle of Pharsalus, when Pompey had fled, one + Nonius declared that on their side were still seven eagles, and exhorted + them, therefore, to have courage. Your advice + would be good, said Cicero, if we were + making war on jackdaws. + + Ibid. 880 C. +

+
+
+

After Caesar had conquered, he set up again with honour + Pompey s statues which had been thrown down. Cicero, in speaking of him, + said that Caesar, by restoring Pompey's statues, made his own secure. + Plutarch + repeats this story in Moralia, 91 A; Life of Caesar, + chap. lvii. (734 E); Life of Cicero, + chap. xl. (881 D). Cf. Suetonius, + Divus Iulius, + 75. +

+
+
+

He set a very high value on excellent speaking, and strove + especially for this, so much so that once, when he had a case to plead + before the court of the centum viri, and the day was almost come, and + his slave Eros reported to him that the case + had been postponed to the following day, he gave the slave his freedom. +

+
+
+
+ GAIUS CAESAR C. + Julius Caesar also made a collection of apophthegms (Cicero, Letters, ix. 16. 4; Suetonius, Divus Iulius, 56), and it is + said that he possessed unusual discrimination in recognizing the genuine + work of any writer. + +
+

Gaius Caesar, while still a young man, in trying to escape + from Sulla, fell into the hands of pirates. First of all, when demand + was made upon him for a very large sum of money, he laughed at the + robbers for their ignorance of the man they had in their power, and + agreed to give double the sum. Later, being kept under guard while he + was getting together the money, he enjoined upon the men that they + should give him a quiet time for sleep and should not talk. He wrote + speeches and poems, and read them to his captors, and those who did not + speak very highly of them he called dull barbarians, and threatened + laughingly to hang them. And this he actually did a little later. For + when the ransom was brought, and he was set free, he got together men + and ships from Asia Minor, seized the robbers, and crucified them. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Caesar, chaps. i.-ii. (708 A-D); + Suetonius, Divus Iulius, + 4: Velleius Paterculus, Roman History, + ii. 41; Valerius Maximus, vi. 9. 15. +

+
+
+

In Rome he entered into a contest against Catulus, the + leading man among the Romans, for the office of Pontifex Maximus, In 63 B.C. + and, as he was accompanied to the door by his mother, he said, To-day, mother, you shall have as your son a + Pontifex Maximus or an exile. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Caesar, chap. vii. (710 D); + Suetonius, Divus Iulius, + 13. +

+
+
+

He put away his wife Pompeia because her name was linked in + gossip with Clodius, but later, when Clodius was brought to trial on + this charge, and Caesar was cited as a witness, + he spoke no evil of his wife. And when the prosecutor asked, Then why did you put her out of the house ? + he replied, Because Caesar's wife must be free + from suspicion. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Caesar, chap. x. (712 C); Life of Cicero, chap. xxix. (875 E); Dio + Cassius, xxxvii. 45; Suetonius, Divus Iulius 6 and 74. +

+
+
+

While he was reading of the exploits of Alexander, he burst + into tears, and said to his friends, When he was + of my age he had conquered Darius, but, up to now, nothing has been + accomplished by me. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Caesar, chap. xi. (712 F) and + Perrin's note in vol. vii. of the L.C.L.; Dio Cassius, xxxvii. 52. + 2: Suetonius, Divus + Iulius, 7. +

+
+
+

As he was passing by a miserable little town in the Alps, + his friends raised the question whether even here there were rival + parties and contests for the first place. He stopped and becoming + thoughtful said, I had rather be the first here + than the second in Rome. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Caesar, chap. xi. (712 F). +

+
+
+

He said that the venturesome and great deeds of daring call + for action and not for thought.

+
+
+

And he crossed the river Rubicon from his province in Gaul + against Pompey, saying before all, Let the die be + cast. + + Ibid. chap. xxxii. (723 F); Life of Pompey, chap. lx. (651 D); + Suetonius, Divus Iulius, + 32 iacta alea est or esto. The expression seems to have been proverbial; + Cf. Leutsch and Schneidewin, + Paroemiographi + Graeci, i. p. 383 and the references; Aristophanes, + Frag. 673 Kock, Com. Att. Frag. i. p. 557 + and Menander, Frag. 65, Ibid. iii. p. 22. +

+
+
+

When Pompey had fled to sea from Rome, Caesar wished to + take money from the treasury, but Metellus, who was in charge, tried to + stop him, and locked up the treasury, whereupon Caesar threatened to kill him. Metellus was astounded, but Caesar + said, Young man, that was harder for me to say + than to do. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Caesar, chap. xxv. (725 C); Life of Pompey, chap. lxii. (652 C); + Appian The Civil Wars, ii. 41 and 138; + Dio Cassius, xli. 17. 2; Cicero, Letters to + Atticus, x. 4. 8; Lucan, Pharsalia, iii. 114-153. +

+
+
+

As the transportation of his soldiers from Brundusium to + Dyrrachium proceeded slowly, he, without being seen by anybody, embarked + in a small boat, and attempted the passage through the open sea. But as + the boat was being swamped by the waves, he disclosed his identity to + the pilot, crying out, Trust to Fortune, knowing + it is Caesar you carry. + The story is + often told. Cf. for example, + Moralia, 319 B; + Plutarch's Life of Caesar, chap. + xxxviii. (726 D); Appian, Roman History, the + Civil Wars, ii. 57; Dio Cassius, xli. 46; Suetonius, + Divus Iulius, 58; + Lucan, Pharsalia, v. + 580; Valerius Maximus, ix. 8. 2. +

+
+
+

At that time he was prevented from crossing, as the storm + became violent, and his soldiers quickly gathered about him in a state + of high emotion if it could be that he were waiting for other forces + because he felt he could not rely on them. A battle was fought At Dyrrhacium, 48 + B.C. and Pompey was victorious; he did not, however, follow + up his success, but withdrew to his camp. Caesar said, To-day the victory was with the enemy, but they + have not the man who knows how to be victorious. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Caesar, chap. xxxviii. (726 D) and + xxxix. (727 B); Life of Pompey, chap. + lxv. (654 A); Appian, Roman History, the Civil + Wars, ii. 62; Dio Cassius, xli. 50; Suetonius, Divus Iulius, 36. +

+
+
+

At Pharsalus In 48 B.C. Pompey gave the word for his + regiments after they had formed for battle to stand in their tracks and + meet the onset of the enemy. In this Caesar said that he made a mistake, + inasmuch as he lost the effect on his soldiers of the intensity and + excitement which comes from rushing to the onset with enthusiasm. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Caesar, chap. xliv. (729 B); + Life of Pompey, chap. lxix. (656 + C); Caesar, Civil War, iii. 92. Appian + (The Civil Wars, ii. 79) says that + this statement was found in Caesar's letters. + +

+
+
+

After he had conquered Pharnaces of Pontus by a swift drive + against him, he wrote to his friends, I came, saw, + conquered. + In 47 B.C. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Caesar, chap. 1. (731 F); Appian, + The Civil Wars, ii. 91; Dio + Cassius, xlii. 48. According to Suetonius, Divus Iulius, 37, these words ('veni, vidi, vici') were + borne aloft in Caesar's triumph. +

+
+
+

Following upon the flight of Scipio and his followers in + Africa Cato took his own life; whereat Caesar said, I begrudge you your death, Cato, for you + begrudged me the saving of your life. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Caesar, chap. liv. (733 B); Life of Cato Minor, chap. lxxii. (794 C); + Appian, The Civil Wars, ii. 99; Dio + Cassius, xlii. 12. +

+
+
+

Some looked with suspicion upon Antony and Dolabella and + urged Caesar to be on his guard, but he said that he did not fear these + fat and sleek tradesmen and craftsmen but those lean and pale fellows, + indicating Brutus and Cassius. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Caesar, chap. lxii. (737 C); + Life of Antony, chap. xii. (921 B); + Life of Brutus, chap. viii. (987 + C). Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, i. 2: + Let me have men about me that are fat: + Sleek-headed men and such as sleep o' nights: Yond Cassius has a + lean and hungry look; He thinks too much: such men are + dangerous. seems to incorporate all the terms used in + the Lives, but to ignore βαναύσους in this passage. +

+
+
+

When the conversation at dinner once digressed to the + subject of death, regarding what kind of death is the best, he said, Sudden death. + + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Caesar, chap. lxiii. (737 F); + Appian, The Civil Wars, ii. 115; + Suetonius, Divus Iulius, + 87. +

+
+
+
+ CAESAR AUGUSTUS These sayings of Augustus were, beyond doubt, incorporated in the + Life of Augustus which Plutarch wrote + (No. 26 in Lamprias's list of Plutarch's writings). Augustus (Octavian) + was Julius Caesar's grand-nephew. + +
+

Caesar, who was the first to bear the title of Augustus, + was only a youth when he made formal demand upon Antony for the million + pounds Plutarch + in his Life of Antony, chap. xv. (922 + C), says 4000 talents, which would be the same as 24,000,000 + drachmae (or denarii), a little less than the amount given here. + Velleius Paterculus, ii. 60, says sestertium septiens + miliens (= 700,000,000 sesterces), or about 6,000,000 + pounds! which had belonged to the + first Caesar, who had been assassinated, and which Antony had + transferred from Caesar's house to his own keeping; for Augustus wished + to pay to the citizens of Rome the sum which had been left to them by + Caesar, three pounds Suetonius, Divus + Iulius, 83, says 300 sesterces, which is in agreement + with the amount stated by Plutarch. to each man. But when + Antony held fast to the money, and also suggested to Augustus that, if + he had any sense, he had better forget about his demand, Augustus + announced an auction of his ancestral property and sold it; and by + paying the bequest he fostered popularity for himself and hatred for + Antony on the part of the citizens. + Cf.Plutarch's Life of Cicero, chap. xliii. (883 A); Life of Antony, chap. xvi. (922 D); Life of Brutus, chap. xxii. (994 B); + Appian, The Civil Wars, iii. 28; Dio + Cassius, xlv. 3-5; Velleius Paterculus, ii. 60. +

+
+
+

Rhoemetalces, king of the Thracians, who had changed his + alliance from Antony to Augustus, could not practise moderation when + there was any drinking going on, and gave much offence by his + disparaging remarks about his new alliance, whereat Augustus, as he + drank to one of the other kings, said, I like + treachery, but I cannot say anything good of traitors. + Plutarch + repeats this aphorism in his Life of + Romulus, chap. xvii. (28 A). Stobaeus, liv. 63, quotes + Philip of Macedon as the author of a similar remark. +

+
+
+

After the capture of Alexandria, the people of the city + were expecting to be treated with the most frightful severity, but when + he had mounted the tribune and had directed Areius of Alexandria to take + a place beside him, he declared that he spared the city, first because + of its greatness and beauty, secondly because of its founder, Alexander, + and thirdly because of Areius his own friend. + Cf. Plutarch's Life of Antony, chap. lxxx. (953 A); Dio + Cassius, li. 16; Julian, Letters, No. + 51 (ad Alexandrinos); + Suetonius, Augustus, 89. +

+
+
+

When it was told him that Eros, procurator in Egypt, had bought a quail + which had defeated all others in fighting and + was the undisputed champion, and that Eros had roasted this quail and + eaten it, the emperor sent for him and examined him regarding the + charge; and when the man admitted the fact, the emperor ordered him to + be nailed to a ship's mast.

+
+
+

In Sicily he appointed Areius procurator in place of + Theodorus; and when someone handed him a paper on which was written, Theodorus of Tarsus is a bald-pate or a thief; + what opinion have you ? Caesar, having read it, wrote + underneath, It is my opinion. +

+
+
+

From Maecenas, his bosom-friend, he used to receive each + year on his birthday a drinking-cup as a birthday present.

+
+
+

Athenodorus, A Stoic philosopher from Tarsus. Dio Cassius, lvi. + 43, relates a story about his practical instruction. He was later + allowed to return home (Strabo, xiv. 5. 14. p. 674). the + philosopher, because of his advanced years begged to be dismissed and + allowed to go home, and Augustus granted his request. But when + Athenodorus, as he was taking leave of him, said, Whenever you get angry, Caesar, do not say or do anything before + repeating to yourself the twenty-four letters of the alphabet, + Augustus seized his hand and said, I still have + need of your presence here, and detained him a whole year, + saying, —ldquo;No risk attends the meed that + silence brings. + Cf. Bergk, Poet. Lyr. Graec. iii. + p. 417, Simonides, no. 66; or Edmonds, Lyra Graeca (in L.C.L.), ii. p. + 322. —rdquo; +

+
+
+

He learned that Alexander, having completed nearly all his + conquests by the time he was thirtytwo years old, was at an utter loss + to know what he should do during the rest of his life, whereat Augustus + expressed his surprise that Alexander did not regard it as a greater + task to set in order the empire which he had won than to win it. +

+
+
+

After promulgating the law about adulterers, Lex Iulia de adulteriis et de pudicitia. + Cf. Horace, Odes, iv. 5. + 21; Dio Cassius, liv. 16. in which it was specified how the + accused were to be tried, and how the convicted were to be punished, he + later, under stress of anger, fell upon a young man whose name had been + linked in gossip with his daughter Julia, and struck him with his fists; + but when the young man cried out, You have made a + law, Caesar, such a revulsion of feeling came over him that he + refused food the rest of the day.

+
+
+

When he dispatched Gaius his daughter's son C. Caesar, son of + M. Agrippa and Julia. into Armenia, he besought the gods that + the popularity of Pompey, the daring of Alexander, and his own good luck + might attend the young man. + Cf. Moralia, 319 D. +

+
+
+

He said that he would leave to the Romans as his successor + on the throne a man who never had deliberated twice about the same + thing, meaning Tiberius.

+
+
+

When he was trying to quiet the young men in high station + who were in an uproar, and they paid no heed, but continued with their + uproar, he said, Do you young men listen to an old + man, to whom old men listened when he was young. + + Cf. Moralia, 785 D. +

+
+
+

When, as it appeared, the Athenian people had committed + some offence, he wrote from Aegina that he supposed they could not be + unaware that he was angry; otherwise he would not have spent the whole + winter in Aegina. But he neither said nor did anything else to + them. + Cf. Dio Cassius, liv. 7, who says, + however, that Augustus spent the winter (21 B.C.) in Samos. +

+
+
+

One of the accusers of Eurycles Presumably the Eurycles who + pursued Cleopatra's ship (on board which was the Antony) at Actium; + Cf. Plutarch. Life of Antony, chap. lxvii. (947 + A). was unsparing and tiresome with + his frank utterances, and went so far as to say, If these things, Caesar,' do not seem to you to be of high + importance, order him to repeat for me the seventh The fourth + book (which tells of Brasidas), as the books are now numbered, + would be in point: but we know that anciently the history of + Thucydides was divided into thirteen books (and into nine books) + as well as into eight books. book of Thucydides; and + Augustus, much incensed, ordered the man away to prison, but, on + learning that he was the sole survivor of Brasidas's descendants, he + sent for him, and, after reproving him moderately, ordered that he be + released.

+
+
+

When Piso Probably Cn. Calpurnius Piso, consul 7 B.C., but it + may have been his father, of the same name, or L. Calpurnius + Piso. built his house with great care from the foundation to + the roof-tree, Augustus said, You make my heart + glad by building thus, as if Rome is to be eternal. +

+
+
+
+ + +