Lacaenarum Apophthegmata

Gyrtias, when on a time Acrotatus, her grandson, in a fight with other boys received many blows, and was brought home for dead, and the family and friends were all wailing, said, Will you not stop your noise ? He has shown from what blood he was sprung. And she said that people who were good for anything should not scream, but should try to find some remedy.[*](The last sentence is borrowed from Plato, Republic, 604 c.)

When a messenger came from Crete bringing the news of the death of Acrotatus,[*](Son of Areus I., king of Sparta. He fell in battle at Megalopolis in 265 bc., but the fact that hsi father Areus had been fighting in Crete may account for the intrusion of Crete here. Pausanias (viii. 27. 11) makes a more serious error in confusing this Acrotatus with his grandfather of the same name.) she said, When he had come to the enemy, was he not bound either to be slain by them or to slay them ? It is more pleasing to hear that he died in a manner worthy of myself, his country, and his ancestors than if he had lived for all time a coward.[*](Cf. the similar saying of a Spartan woman, quoted by Teles in Stobaeus, Florilegium, cviii. 83.)