Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata

Plutarch

Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. III. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931 (printing).

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.)