Apophthegmata Laconica

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.

He used to say that a general ought to be possessed of boldness towards the enemy and kind ness towards the men under him. [*](Stobaeus, Florilegium, liv. 49, adds, and reasoning power to meet crises. )

When someone desired to know what boys ought to learn, he said, That which they will use when they become men. [*](Leotychidas (224 D, infra) and Aristippus (diogenes Laertius, ii. 80) expressed the same opinion, which has been repeated ad nauseam by professors of paedagogy.)

Once when he was sitting as judge the accuser spoke well and the defendant poorly, merely repeating in answer to each point, Agesilaus, a king must uphold the laws; whereat Agesilaus said, And if somebody had broken into your house, and if somebody had robbed you of your coat, should you expect that the builder of the house or the maker of the coat would come to your assistance?

After the peace was made, [*](The peace of Antalcidas, 387 B.C. See Moralia, 213 A-B, supra. ) a letter from the king of Persia was brought to him, of which the

He was unusually fond of children, and it is said that at home he used to mount astride a stick as a hobby-horse and play with his children when they were little. But when he was seen thus by one of his friends, he begged the man to tell nobody before he had children of his own. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Agesilaus, chap. xxv. 610 C): Aelian, Varia Historia, xii. 15. Diogenes Laertius and Valerius Maximus (viii. 8, ext. 1), tell this story of Socrates.)

He made war continually upon the Thebans, and when he was wounded in the battle, [*](In the invasion of Boeotia in 378 B.C.) they say that Antalcidas exclaimed, This is a fine reward which you are receiving from the Thebans for giving them lessons in fighting when they had no desire to fight, and no knowledge even of fighting! For, as a fact, they say that the Thebans at that time were more warlike than they had ever been before, owing to the many campaigns of the Spartans against them. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Agesilaus, chap. xxvi. (610 D); Life of Pelopidas, cap. xv. (285 D); Moralia, 227 C, infra. ) It was for this reason that Lycurgus of old, in his so-called Decrees, forbade campaigning frequently against the same peoples, so that these should not learn to make war. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Lycurgus, chap. xiii. (47 D), Moralia, 189 F, supra; Polyaenus, Strategemata, i. 16. 2.)

When he heard once that the allies had come to be disaffected because of the continual campaigning (for they in great numbers followed the Spartans who were but few), wishing to bring their numbers to the proof, he gave orders that the allies all sit down together indiscriminately and the Spartans separately by themselves; and then, through the herald, he commanded the potters to stand up first; and when these had done so, he commanded the smiths to stand up next, and then the carpenters in turn, and the builders, and each of the other trades. As a result, pretty nearly all of the allies stood up, but of the Spartans not a single one; for there was a prohibition against their practising or learning any menial calling. And so Agesilaus, with a laugh, said, You see, men, how many more soldiers we send out than you do. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Agesilaus, chap. xxvi. (610 E); Polyaenus, Strategemata, ii. 1. 7.)

In the battle of Leuctra many Spartans ran away to escape the enemy, and these were liable to disgrace as provided by the law. The Ephors, seeing the State bereft of men when it was in great need of soldiers, wished to do away with the disgrace, and also to observe the laws. Accordingly they chose Agesilaus as lawgiver; and he, coming into the public meeting, said, I would not become a lawgiver to enact another set of laws, for in the present laws I would make no addition, subtraction, or revision. It is good that our present laws be in full force, beginning with the morrow. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Agesilaus, chap. xxx. (612 F): and the note on Moralia, 191 C (10), supra. )

Although Epameinondas came on with such

In the battle of Mantineia he urged the Spartans to pay no attention to any of the others, but to fight against Epameinondas, for he said that only men of intelligence are valiant and may be counted upon to bring victory; if, therefore, they could make away with that one man, they would very easily reduce the others to subjection; for these were unintelligent and worthless. And so it came to pass. For while the victory rested with Epameinondas, and the rout of the enemy was complete, as he turned and was cheering on his men, one of the Spartans struck him a fatal blow; and when he had fallen, Agesilaus’s men, rallying from their flight, made the victory hang in the balance, and the Thebans showed themselves far inferior, and the Spartans far superior.

When Sparta was in need of money for war, and was supporting a mercenary force, Agesilaus set out for Egypt, having been summoned by the king of the Egyptians for a goodly remuneration. But because of the simplicity of his clothes he came into contempt among the people there; for they had been expecting that they should see the king of Sparta, like the king of Persia, with his person magnificently apparelled-a sorry opinion for them to hold regarding kings. At any rate, he showed them, before they

When he saw that his men were on the point of capitulating, for fear of the oncoming danger because of the vast number of the enemy (two hundred thousand) and the small number with him, he determined, before drawing up the battle-line, to forestall this by a plan unknown to the others. And upon his hand he wrote the word victory with the letters turned towards the left. Then, as he received the liver from the priest, he placed it on the hand which had the writing upon it. Holding it for rather a long time, he showed perplexity, and kept up a pretence of not knowing what to do, until the marks of the letters had been taken up by the liver and imprinted upon it. Then he exhibited it to those who with him were to engage in the struggle, saying that the gods through the letters had revealed victory. So his men, feeling that they had a sure sign that they were to overcome the enemy, became bold for the battle. [*](A similar trick of Alexander’s is told by Frontinus, Strategemata, i. 11. 14.)

While the enemy were digging a ditch to surround his position (as they could do by reason of their vast numbers), and Nectanabis, with whom he was allied, was insistent upon a sortie and a decisive battle, Agesilaus said that he would not hinder the enemy in their desire to put themselves on equal terms with the defenders. And when the trench lacked but little of completion, he drew up his men in the open space between the ends, and, fighting with equal numbers against equal numbers,

On his way home from Egypt death came to him, and in his last hours he gave directions to those with him that they should not cause to be made any sculptured or painted or imitative representation of his person. For if I have done any goodly deed, that shall be my memorial; but if not, then not all the statues in the world, the works of menial and worthless men, will avail. [*](Cf.Moralia, 191 D (12), supra, and the note.)