Lacaenarum Apophthegmata

Plutarch

Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. III. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931 (printing).

Another Spartan woman made away with her son, who had deserted his post, on the ground that he was unworthy of his country, saying, Not mine the scion. This is the epigram referring to her[*](Cf. the variant version in the Palatine Anthology, vii. no. 433 (or W. R. Paton, The Greek Anthology (in L.C.L.), ii. p. 238).):

  1. Off to your fate through the darkness, vile scion, who makes such a hatred, So the Eurotas flow not e’en for the timorous deer.
  2. Worthless whelp that you are, vile remnant, be oif now to Hades; Off! for never I bore Sparta’s unworthy son.[*](Cf.Moralia, 242 a, infra.)