Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata

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.)