PEISISTRATUS ¹

[1] Peisistratus, the despot of the Athenians, on a time when some of his friends had revolted and taken possession of Phyle, came to them carrying a bundle of bedding. When they asked what he meant by this, he said, To persuade you and get you away from here, or, if I cannot persuade you, to stay with you; that is why I have come prepared.

[2] It was whispered to him regarding his mother that she was in love with a certain young man, and had secret meetings with him, but that the young man was afraid and generally asked to be excused. Whereupon Peisistratus invited him to dinner, and after he had dined asked him, How was it ? And when the young man said, Very pleasant, Peisistratus said, You shall have this pleasure every day if you are agreeable to my mother.

[3] When Thrasybulus, who was in love with the daughter of Peisistratus, kissed her one day on meeting her, Peisistratus, when incited by his wife against the man, said, If we hate them that love us, what shall we do to them that hate us ? And thereupon he gave the maiden as wife to Thrasybulus. ²

[4] Some revellers fell in with his wife, and did and said a good many ribald things. The next day when they besought Peisistratus with many tears, he said, As for you, do you try to conduct yourselves in a seemly manner hereafter, but as for my wife, she did not go out at all yesterday.³

[5] When he was bent on marrying a second wife, his children inquired whether he had any fault to find with them. By no means, he said, but only praise—and the desire to have other children like you.⁴

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

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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).) — 51 focus

Πεισιστράτου

[1] Πεισίστρατος ὁ Ἀθηναίων τύραννος, ἐπεὶ τῶν φίλων τινὲς ἀποστάντες αὐτοῦ Φυλὴν κατέλαβον, ἦλθε πρὸς αὐτοὺς στρωματόδεσμον αὐτὸς κομίζων. πυνθανομένων δὲ ἐκείνων τί βούλεται, πείσας ὑμᾶς, εἶπεν, ἀπαγαγεῖν ἢ μὴ πείσας μένειν μεθʼ ὑμῶν, διὰ τοῦτο ἀφῖγμαι συνεσκευασμένος.

[2] Διαβληθείσης δὲ τῆς μητρὸς πρὸς αὐτόν, ὡς ἐρᾷ τινος νεανίσκου καὶ κρύφα σύνεστι φοβουμένῳ καὶ παραιτουμένῳ τὰ πολλά, καλέσας ἐπὶ δεῖπνον τὸν νεανίσκον ἠρώτησε δειπνήσαντα, πῶς γέγονεν; ἡδέως, δὲ φήσαντος, ταῦτά σοι, 189c ἔφη, καθʼ ἡμέραν ἔσται, ἐὰν τῇ μητρί μου ἀρέσκῃς.

[3] ἐπεὶ δὲ Θρασύβουλος ἐρῶν αὐτοῦ τῆς θυγατρὸς ἐφίλησεν ἀπαντήσας, παροξυνόμενος ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῆς γυναικός, ἂν τοὺς φιλοῦντας, εἶπε, μισῶμεν, τί ποιήσομεν τοὺς μισοῦντας; καὶ ἔδωκε γυναῖκα τῷ Θρασυβούλῳ τὴν παρθένον.

[4] Κωμαστῶν δέ τινων περιτυχόντων αὐτοῦ τῇ γυναικὶ καὶ πολλὰ πραξάντων ἀσελγῆ καὶ εἰπόντων, μεθʼ ἡμέραν δὲ τοῦ Πεισιστράτου δεομένων καὶ δακρυόντων, ὑμεῖς μέν, ἔφη, πειρᾶσθε σωφρονεῖν τὸ λοιπὸν ἡ δʼ ἐμὴ γυνὴ τὸ παράπαν ἐχθὲς οὐδαμῇ προῆλθε.

[5] 189d τῶν δὲ παίδων, αὐτοῦ γαμεῖν ἑτέραν γυναῖκα μέλλοντος, διαπυνθανομένων μή τι μεμφόμενος αὐτοὺς εἴη, ἥκιστα, εἶπεν, ἀλλʼ ἐπαινῶν καὶ βουλόμενος ἑτέρους μοι παῖδας τοιούτους γενέσθαι.

Ἀποφθέγματα βασιλέων καὶ στρατηγῶν Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol II. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 51 focus

Πεισιστράτου

[1] Πεισίστρατος ὁ Ἀθηναίων τύραννος, ἐπεὶ 15 τῶν φίλων τινὲς ἀποστάντες αὐτοῦ Φυλὴν κατέλαβον, ἦλθε πρὸς αὐτοὺς στρωματόδεσμον αὐτὸς κομίζων. πυνθανομένων δὲ ἐκείνων τί βούλεται, πείσας ὑμᾶς εἶπεν ἀπαγαγεῖν ἢ μὴ πείσας μένειν μεθʼ ὑμῶν, διὰ τοῦτο ἀφῖγμαι συνεσκευασμένος.

[2] διαβληθείσης δὲ τῆς μητρὸς πρὸς αὐτόν, ὡς ἐρᾷ τινος νεανίσκου καὶ κρύφα σύνεστι φοβουμένῳ καὶ παραιτουμένῳ τὰ πολλά, καλέσας ἐπὶ δεῖπνον τὸν νεανίσκον ἠρώτησε δειπνήσαντα πῶς γέγονεν· 189c ἡδέως δὲ φήσαντος, ταῦτά σοι ἔφη καθʼ ἡμέραν 25 ἔσται, ἐὰν τῇ μητρί μου ἀρέσκῃς

[3] ἐπεὶ δὲ Θρασύβουλος ἐρῶν αὐτοῦ τῆς θυγατρὸς ἐφίλησεν ἀπαντήσας, παροξυνόμενος ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς ἂν τοὺς φιλοῦντας εἶπε μισῶμεν, τί ποιήσομεν τοὺς μισοῦντας; καὶ ἔδωκε γυναῖκα τῷ Θρασυβούλῳ τὴν παρθένον.

[4] κωμαστῶν δέ τινων περιτυχόντων αὐτοῦ τῇ 5 γυναικὶ καὶ πολλὰ πραξάντων ἀσελγῆ καὶ εἰπόντων, μεθʼ ἡμέραν δὲ τοῦ Πεισιστράτου δεομένων καὶ δακρυόντων, ὑμεῖς μέν ἔφη πειρᾶσθε σωφρονεῖν τὸ λοιπόν· ἡ δʼ ἐμὴ γυνὴ τὸ παράπαν ἐχθὲς οὐδαμῇ προῆλθε. 189d

τῶν δὲ παίδων, αὐτοῦ γαμεῖν ἑτέραν γυναῖκα μέλλοντος, διαπυνθανομένων μή τι μεμφόμενος αὐτοὺς εἴη, ἥκιστα εἶπεν ἀλλʼ ἐπαινῶν καὶ βουλόμενος ἑτέρους μοι παῖδας τοιούτους γενέσθαι.

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.) — 51 focus

[51] PISISTRATUS. Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens, when some of his party revolted from him and possessed themselves of Phyle, came to them bearing his baggage on his back. They asked him what he meant by it. Either, said he, to persuade you to return with me, or if I cannot persuade you, to tarry with you; and therefore I come prepared accordingly. An accusation was brought to him against his mother, that she was in love and used secret familiarity with a young man, who out of fear for the most part refused her. This young man he invited to supper, and as they were at supper asked him how he liked his entertainment. He answered, Very well. Thus, said he, you shall be treated daily, if you please my mother. Thrasybulus was in love with his daughter, and as he met her, kissed her; whereupon his wife would have incensed him against Thrasybulus. If, said he, we hate those that love us, what shall we do to them that hate us?—and he gave the maid in marriage to Thrasybulus. Some lascivious drunken persons by chance met his wife, and used unseemly speech and behavior to her; but the next day they begged his pardon with tears. As for you, said he, learn to be sober for the future; but as for my wife, yesterday she was not abroad at all. He designed to marry another wife, and his children asked him whether he could blame them for any thing. By no means, said he, but I commend you, and desire to have more such children as you are.

Notes on the current edition

Sayings of Kings and Commanders

1. Ruler of Athens, at times between 560 and 528 B.C.

2. Cf. Valerius Maximus, v. 1, ext. 2. Plutarch also refers to the incident in Moralia, 457 F.

3. Musonius in Stobaeus, Florilegium, xix. 16, records a similar action on the part of Phocion.

4. Cf. Moralia, 480 D. Plutarch in his Life of Cato Major, chap. xxiv. (351 B), says that Cato as well as Peisistratus made his remark.

Plutarch Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata 51

Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator)

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