Apophthegmata Laconica

When the exiles were inciting him to lead his army against the Athenians, and saying that, when his name was proclaimed at Olympia, they were the only people who hissed him, he said, What do you think that those who hissed when they were being well treated will do if they are treated ill ? [*](A similar remark is attributed to Philip of Macedon in Moralia, 143 F, 179 A, and 457 F.)

When someone inquired why the Spartans had

In answer to the man who was weak in body, but was urging that they risk a battle against the enemy by both land and sea, he said, Are you willing to strip yourself and show what kind of a man you are — you who advise us to fight?

When some people were amazed at the costliness of the raiment found among the spoils of the barbarians, he said that it would have been better for them to be themselves men of worth than to possess things of worth. [*](Cf. Plato, Laws, 870 B; Cicero, Paradoxa Stoicorum, vi. 1-3 (42-52). )

After the victory at Plataea over the Persians he ordered that the dinner which had been prepared for the Persians should be served to himself and his officers. As this had a wondrous sumptuousness, he said, By Heaven, the Persian was a greedy fellow who, when he had all this, came after our barley-cake. [*](Cf. Herodotus, ix. 82.)

Pausanias, the son of Pleistoanax, in answer to the question why it was not permitted to change any of the ancient laws in their country, said, Because the laws ought to have authority over the men, and not the men over the laws.

When, in Tegea, after he had been exiled, [*](In 394 B.C.) he commended the Spartans, someone said, Why did you not stay in Sparta instead of going into exile? And he said, Because physicians, too, are wont to spend their time, not among the healthy, but where the sick are. [*](Cf. the similar saying which is attributed to Aristippus in Diogenes Laertius, ii. 70.)

When someone inquired of him how they could become able to conquer the Thracians, he said, If we should make the best man our general.

When a physician paid him a visit and said, You have nothing wrong with you, he said, No, for I do not employ you as my physician.

When one of his friends blamed him because he spoke ill of a certain physician, although he had never had anything to do with him, and had not suffered any harm at his hands, he said, Because if I had ever had anything to do with him I should not now be alive.

When the physician said to him, You have lived to be an old man, he said, That is because I never employed you as my physician.