ARTAXERXES ¹

[1] Artaxerxes, the son of Xerxes, called Longhand, because of his having one hand longer than the other ² used to say that it is more kingly to give to one who has than to take away.

[2] He was the first to issue an order that any of his companions in the hunt who could and would might throw their spears without waiting for him to throw first.³

[3] He was the first to ordain this form of punishment for those of the ruling class who offended: Instead of having their bodies scourged and the hair plucked from their heads, they took off their outer garments and these were scourged, and put off their head-dress and this was plucked.⁴

[4] Satibarzanes, his chamberlain, made a dishonourable request of him, and it came to his knowledge that the man was doing this for thirty thousand pounds; whereupon he directed his treasurer to bring him thirty thousand pounds, and, as he gave the money to his chamberlain, he said, Take this, Satibarzanes; for if I make you this gift I shall not be poorer, but if I do that deed I shall be more dishonourable !

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).) — 6 focus

Ἀρταξέρξου

[1] Ἀρτοξέρξης ὁ Ξέρξου, ὁ μακρόχειρ προσαγορευθεὶς διὰ τὸ τὴν ἑτέραν χεῖρα μακροτέραν ἔχειν, ἔλεγεν ὅτι τὸ προσθεῖναι τοῦ ἀφελεῖν βασιλικώτερόν ἐστι.

[2] πρῶτος δὲ πρωτοβολεῖν ἐκέλευσε τῶν συγκυνηγετούντων τοὺς δυναμένους καὶ βουλομένους.

[3] πρῶτος δὲ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι τῶν ἡγεμονικῶν τιμωρίαν ἔταξεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ τὸ σῶμα μαστιγοῦν καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποτίλλειν,¹ μαστιγοῦσθαι μὲν ἀποδυσαμένων τὰ ἱμάτια τίλλεσθαι δὲ τὴν τιάραν ἀποθεμένων.

[4] 173e Σατιβαρζάνην δὲ τὸν κατακοιμιστὴν αἰτούμενόν τι παρʼ αὐτοῦ τῶν μὴ δικαίων αἰσθόμενος ἐπὶ τρισμυρίοις δαρεικοῖς τοῦτο ποιοῦντα, προσέταξε τῷ ταμίᾳ τρισμυρίους δαρεικοὺς κομίσαι· καὶ διδοὺς² αὐτῷ, λάβε, εἶπεν, ὦ Σατιβαρζάνη· ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ δοὺς οὐκ³ ἔσομαι πενέστερος, ἐκεῖνα δὲ πράξας ἀδικώτερος.

Ἀποφθέγματα βασιλέων καὶ στρατηγῶν Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol II. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 6 focus

Ἀρτοξέρξου

[1] Ἀρτοξέρξης ὁ Ξέρξου, ὁ μακρόχειρ προσαγορευθεὶς 25 διὰ τὸ τὴν ἑτέραν χεῖρα μακροτέραν ἔχειν, ἔλεγεν ὅτι τὸ προσθεῖναι τοῦ ἀφελεῖν βασιλικώτερόν ἐστι,

[2] πρῶτος δὲ πρωτοβολεῖν ἐκέλευσε τῶν συγκυνηγετούντων τοὺς δυναμένους καὶ βουλομένους.

[3] πρῶτος δὲ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι τῶν ἡγεμονικῶν τιμωρίαν ἔταξεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ τὸ σῶμα μαστιγοῦσθαι 5 καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποτίλλεσθαι, μαστιγοῦσθαι μὲν ἀποδυσαμένων τὰ ἱμάτια τίλλεσθαι δὲ τὴν τιάραν ἀποθεμένων.

173e

Σατιβαρζάνην δὲ τὸν κατακοιμιστὴν αἰτούμενόν τι παρʼ αὐτοῦ τῶν μὴ δικαίων αἰσθόμενος ἐπὶ 10 τρισμυρίοις δαρεικοῖς τοῦτο ποιοῦντα, προσέταξε τῷ ταμίᾳ τρισμυρίους δαρεικοὺς κομίσαι· καὶ διδοὺς αὐτῷ λάβε εἶπεν ὦ Σατιβαρζάνη· ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ δοὺς οὐκ ἔσομαι πενέστερος, ἐκεῖνα δὲ πράξας ἀδικώτερος.

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.) — 6 focus

[6] ARTAXERXES. Artaxerxes, the son of Xerxes, surnamed Longimanus (or Long-hand) because he had one hand longer than the other, said, it was more princely to add than to take away. He first gave leave to those that hunted with him, if they would and saw occasion, to throw their darts before him. He also first ordained that punishment for his nobles who had offended, that they should be stripped and their garments scourged instead of their bodies; and whereas their hair should have been plucked out, that the same should be done to their turbans. When Satibarzanes, his chamberlain, petitioned him in an unjust matter, and he understood he did it to gain thirty thousand pieces of money, he ordered his treasurer to bring the said sum, and gave them to him, saying: O Satibarzanes! take it; for when I have given you this, I shall not be poorer, but I had been more unjust if I had granted your petition.

Notes on the current edition

Sayings of Kings and Commanders

1. King of Persia, 465-425 B.C.

2. Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Artaxerxes, chap. i. (1011 E).

3. Xenophon ( Cyropaedia, i. 4. 14) attributes this innovation to the elder Cyrus; but Cf. Ctesias, Persica, frag. 40.

4. Cf. Moralia, 35 E and 565 A, and Wyttenbach’s note on the latter passage.

Plutarch Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata 6

Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator)

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