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PYRRHUS OF EPEIRUS ¹

[1] The sons of Pyrrhus, when they were children asked their father to whom he intended to leave the kingdom; and he said, To that one of you who keeps his sword sharper.²

[2] Being asked whether Python or Caphisias were the better flute-player he said, Polysperchon is the better general.³

[3] When he was twice victorious in conflict with the Romans, but lost many of his friends and commanders, he said, If we are victorious over the Romans in one more battle, we are lost!⁴

[4] As he was sailing away from Sicily after his failure there, ⁵ he turned to look back, and said to his friends, What a field of conflict are we leaving behind us for the Romans and Carthaginians to wrestle in!⁶

[5] When the soldiers addressed him as Eagle, he said, Why not an eagle, when I am borne aloft on the swift wings of your weapons ?⁷

[6] Hearing that some young men had made many defamatory remarks about him while in their cups, he ordered that they should all be brought before him the next day. When they were brought, he asked the first whether they had said these things about him. And the young man replied, Yes, Your Majesty; and we should have said more than that if we had had more wine.⁸

Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata. Plutarch. Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1931.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (2)

Ἀποφθέγματα βασιλέων καὶ στρατηγῶν Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. III. Babbitt, Frank Cole, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931 (printing).) — 37 focus

Πύρρου τοῦ Ἠπειρώτου

[1] Πύρρον οἱ υἱοὶ παῖδες ὄντες ἠρώτων, τίνι καταλείψει τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ ὁ Πύρρος εἶπεν, ὃς ἂν ὑμῶν ὀξυτέραν¹ ἔχῃ τὴν μάχαιραν.

[2] ἐρωτηθεὶς δὲ πότερον Πύθων ἢ Καφισίας² αὐλητὴς ἀμείνων, Πολυσπέρχων,³ ἔφη, στρατηγός.

[3] ἐπεὶ δὲ συμβαλὼν Ῥωμαίοις δὶς ἐνίκησε πολλοὺς τῶν φίλων καὶ τῶν ἡγεμόνων ἀπολέσας, ἂν ἔτι, ἔφη, μίαν μάχην Ῥωμαίους νικήσωμεν, ἀπολώλαμεν.

[4] ἐπεὶ δὲ Σικελίας ἀποτυχὼν ἐξέπλει, μεταστραφεὶς ὀπίσω πρὸς τοὺς φίλους, οἵαν, ἔφη, 184d Ῥωμαίοις καὶ Καρχηδονίοις ἀπολείπομεν παλαίστραν.

[5] τῶν δὲ στρατιωτῶν Ἀετὸν αὐτὸν προσαγορευόντων, τί γάρ, εἶπεν, οὐ μέλλω, τοῖς ὑμετέροις ὅπλοις ὥσπερ ὠκυπτέροις αἰρόμενος;

[6] ἀκούσας δὲ ὅτι νεανίσκοι πολλὰ βλάσφημα περὶ αὐτοῦ πίνοντες εἰρήκασιν, ἐκέλευσεν ἀχθῆναι μεθʼ ἡμέραν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἅπαντας· ἀχθέντων δέ, τὸν πρῶτον ἠρώτησεν εἰ ταῦτα εἰρήκασι περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ νεανίσκος, ταῦτα, εἶπεν, ὦ βασιλεῦ· πλείονα δʼ ἂν τούτων εἰρήκειμεν, εἰ πλείονα οἶνον εἴχομεν.

Ἀποφθέγματα βασιλέων καὶ στρατηγῶν Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol II. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 37 focus

Πύρρου τοῦ Ἠπειρώτου

[1] Πύρρον οἱ υἱοὶ παῖδες ὄντες ἠρώτων, τίνι καταλείψει τὴν βασιλείαν· καὶ ὁ Πύρρος εἶπεν ὃς 5 ἂν ὑμῶν ὀξυτέραν ἔχῃ τὴν μάχαιραν.

[2] ἐρωτηθεὶς δὲ πότερον Πύθων ἢ Καφισίας ¹ αὐλητὴς ἀμείνων Πολυσπέρχων² ἔφη στρατηγός.

[3] ἐπεὶ δὲ συμβαλὼν Ῥωμαίοις δὶς ἐνίκησε πολλοὺς τῶν φίλων καὶ τῶν ἡγεμόνων ἀπολέσας, ἂν ἔτι 10 ἔφη μίαν μάχην Ῥωμαίους νικήσωμεν, ἀπολώλαμεν.

[4] ἐπεὶ δὲ Σικελίας ἀποτυχὼν ἐξέπλει, μεταστραφεὶς ὀπίσω πρὸς τοὺς φίλους οἵαν ἔφη Ῥωμαίοις 184d καὶ Καρχηδονίοις ἀπολείπομεν παλαίστραν.

[5] τῶν δὲ στρατιωτῶν Ἀετὸν αὐτὸν προσαγορευόντων 15 τί γάρ εἶπεν οὐ μέλλω, τοῖς ὑμετέροις ὅπλοις ὥσπερ ὠκυπτέροις αἰρόμενος;

[6] ἀκούσας δὲ ὅτι νεανίσκοι πολλὰ βλάσφημα περὶ αὐτοῦ πίνοντες εἰρήκασιν, ἐκέλευσεν ἀχθῆναι μεθʼ ἡμέραν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἅπαντας· ἀχθέντων δὲ τὸν 20 πρῶτον ἠρώτησεν , εἰ ταῦτα εἰρήκασι περὶ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ὁ νεανίσκος ταῦτα εἶπεν ὦ βασιλεῦ· πλείονα δʼ ἂν τούτων εἰρήκειμεν, εἰ πλείονα οἶνον εἴχομεν.

Translations (1)

The apophthegms or remarkable sayings of kings and great commanders. Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. I. Goodwin, William W., editor; Hinton, Edward, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 37 focus

[37] PYRRHUS THE EPIROT. Pyrrhus was asked by his sons, when they were boys, to whom he would leave the kingdom. To him of you, saith he, that hath the sharpest sword. Being asked whether Pytho or Caphisius was the better piper, Polysperchon, said he, is the best general. He joined in battle with the Romans, and twice overcame them, but with the loss of many friends and captains. If I should overcome the Romans, said he, in another fight, I were undone. Not being able to keep Sicily (as he said) from them, turning to his friends he said: What a fine wrestling ring do we leave to the Romans and Carthaginians! His soldiers called him Eagle; And I may deserve the title, said he, while I am borne upon the wings of your arms. Hearing some young men had spoken many re proachful words of him in their drink, he summoned them all to appear before him next day; when they appeared, ne asked the foremost whether they spake such things of him or not. The young man answered: Such words were spoken, O King, and more we had spoken, if we had had more wine.

Notes on the current edition

Sayings of Kings and Commanders

1. King of Epeirus circa 307-272 B.C.

2. Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Pyrrhus, chap. ix. (388 A).

3. Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Pyrrhus, chap. viii. (387 D).

4. The details may be found ibid. chap. xxii. (397 B). The Pyrrhic victory is like the Cadmean victory, Moralia, 10 A.

5. In 276 B.C.

6. Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Pyrrhus, chap. xxiii. (398 F).

7. Ibid. chap. x. (388 B).

8. Told with more details by Plutarch in his Life of Pyrrhus, chap. viii. (387 F), and Valerius Maximus, v. 1. ext. 3. Cf. also Quintilian, vi. 3. 10.

Plutarch Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata 37

Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator)

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PYRRHUS OF EPEIRUS ¹

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Πύρρου τοῦ Ἠπειρώτου

Πύρρου τοῦ Ἠπειρώτου

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PYRRHUS OF EPEIRUS 1

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Πύρρου τοῦ Ἠπειρώτου

Πύρρου τοῦ Ἠπειρώτου

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PYRRHUS OF EPEIRUS ¹