Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata

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, 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 was never seen by anyone to laugh or cry. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Phocion, chap. iv. (743 D).)