Apophthegmata Laconica

After he returned home he made no change in anything touching his life and his manner of living on account of so many successes and victories. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Agesilaus, chap. xix. (606 B-C).)

Seeing that some of the citizens thought themselves to be somebody and gave themselves great airs because they kept a racing stud, he persuaded his sister Cynisca to enter a chariot in the races at Olympia, for he wished to demonstrate to the Greeks that this sort of thing was no sign of excellence, but only of having money and being willing to spend it. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Agesilaus, chap. xx. (606 D); Xenophon, Agesilaus, 9. 6; Pausanias, iii. 8. 1-2; iii. 15. 1; v. 12. 5; vi. 1. 6; and the epigram in the Greek Anthology, xiii. 16 (L.C.L. v. p. 10), which records Cynisca’s victory. Fragments of the original inscription, which was cut on the pedestal on which the statue of Cynisca stood, were found in the excavations at Olympia. See J.G. Frazer, Pausanias, iv. p. 3; or Pausanias, ed. Hitzig and Blumner, ii. p. 532.)

He had with him Xenophon the philosopher, who was treated with marked consideration, and he urged Xenophon to send for his sons, and bring them up in Sparta, where they would be taught the fairest of all lessons-to rule and to be ruled. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Agesilaus, chap. xx. (606 D), and Diogenes Laertius, ii. 51 and 54.)

On one other occasion he was asked what was the especial reason why the Spartans were fortunate above all other peoples, and he replied, Because they, above all others, make it their practice to rule and to be ruled. [*](Cf.Moralia, 215 C, infra; Plutarch’s Life of Lycurgus, chap. xxx. (58 C), and Life of Agesilaus, chap. i. (596 D); Xenophon, Agesilaus, 2. 16.)

After Lysander’s death he found a huge association banded together, which Lysander, immediately after his return from Asia, had organized against him, and he set out to show up Lysander by pointing out what kind of a citizen he had been when he was alive. So, after reading a speech which had been left among Lysander’s papers, the author of which was Cleon of Halicarnassus, and which Lysander had been intending to appropriate and deliver before the people on the subject of revolution and changing the form of government, Agesilaus wished to make it public. But when one of the aged men read the speech, and was frightened at its cleverness, and advised him not to disinter the dead Lysander, but rather to inter the speech along with him, he took the advice and did nothing. [*](Cf.Moralia, 229 F, infra; Plutarch’s Life of Lysander, chap. xxiv. (447 D), and chap. xxx. (450 E); Life of Agesilaus, chap. xx. (606 E).)

Those who covertly opposed him he did not openly put to confusion, but managed to have some of them always sent out as generals and officers, and then he would proceed to demonstrate that they had proved themselves unprincipled and greedy in exercising their authority. Then later, when they were brought to trial, his role this time would be to help them and defend them at their trial; and thus he won their allegiance, and brought them over to his own side, so that there was nobody who opposed him. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Agesilaus, chap. xx. (606 F).)

Somebody wanted him to write to his friends in Asia so that the petitioner might meet with right treatment there. But, said Agesilaus, my friends of themselves do what is right, even if I do not write to them.

Somebody in a foreign land pointed out to Agesilaus the city wall, high towering and exceedingly massive in its construction, and asked Agesilaus [*]( )

When a man from Megara boasted greatly about his city, Agesilaus said, Young man, your words need a great power to back them. [*](The remark is usually attributed to Lysander; Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Lysander, chap. xxii. (445 D); Moralia, 71 E, 190 E, supra, 229 C, infra. Themistius, Oration xxvii. 334 C. The idea was originally expressed by Adeimantus to Themistocles in Herodotus, viii. 61.)

Things which he saw other people admiring he seemed not even to notice. For example, once upon a time Callippides, the tragic actor, [*](Famous for his impressive acting. Cf. Xenophon, Symposium, 3. 11; Aristotle, Poetics, chap. 26; Plutarch, Moralia, 348 E; Polyaenus, Strategemata, vi. 10.) who had a name and repute among the Greeks, and was received everywhere with the most flattering attention, first of all put himself in front of Agesilaus and addressed him, and then pompously thrust himself into the company that was walking with him, thus making it plain that he expected the king to begin some friendly conversation, and finally he said, Your Majesty, do you not recognize me, and have you not heard who I am? At that Agesilaus looked towards him and said, Are ye no Callippidas the shawman? That is what the Spartans call the strolling players. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Agesilaus, chap. xxi. (607 D).)

When he was invited to hear the man who imitated the nightingale’s voice, he begged to be excused, saying, I hae heard the bird itsel’ mony a time. [*](Life of Agesilaus, chap. xxi. (607 E); Moralia, 191 B; Life of Lycurgus, chap. xx. (52 E). A similar remark is attributed to Pleistarchus, Moralia, 231 C, infra. )

Menecrates the physician, who, because of his success in curing certain persons who had been given up to die, had come to be called Zeus, used to drag

King Agesilaus to Menecrates, health andsanity, supra, and Plutarch’s Life of Agesilaus, chap. xxi. (607 E). Ascribed to Philip of Macedon by Aelian, Varia Historia, xii. 51, and Athenaeus, 289 B.)

When Conon and Pharnabazus with the Great Kings fleet were masters of the sea and blockaded the Spartans’ coast, and the walls of Athens had been rebuilt [*](In 393 B.C. (Xenophon, Hellenica, iv. 8. 10).) with the money provided by Pharnabazus, the Spartans made peace with the king. [*](The peace of Antalcidas, 387 B.C. (Xenophon, Hellenica, v. 1. 29; Plutarch, Life of Artaxerxes, chap. xxi. (1022 A)).) They sent one of their citizens, Antalcidas, to Tiribazus, and surrendered into the king’s power those Greeks in Asia Minor for whose freedom Agesilaus had fought. It follows, therefore, that Agesilaus could not have had the slightest thing to do with this disreputable business; for Antalcidas was at enmity with him, and employed every resource in working for the peace, because he felt that the war made Agesilaus great and enhanced his repute and importance. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Agesilaus, chap. xxiii. (608 C).)

Yet, in answer to a man who said that the Spartans were becoming pro-Persian, Agesilaus said that rather the Persians were becoming pro-Spartan! [*](Ibid. 608 D; Cf. also Plutarch’s Life of Artaxerxes, chap. xxi. (1022 C).)

Being asked once which was better of the virtues, bravery or justice, he said that there is no use for bravery unless justice is also in evidence, and

The inhabitants of Asia were accustomed to give to the king of Persia the title of The Great, but Agesilaus said, In what, pray, is he greater than I. unless he is more just and more self-controlled? [*](Cf. the note on Moralia, 190 F (2), supra. )

He used to say that the inhabitants of Asia were poor freemen, but good slaves. [*](Cf. the note on Moralia 190 F (1), supra. )

Being asked how one might most surely have a good name among men, he said, If one say what is best and do what is most honourable.