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ARCHIDAMUS, SON OF AGESILAUS¹

[1] Archidamus, the son of Agesilaus, when Philip after the battle of Chaeroneia, wrote him a somewhat haughty letter, wrote in reply, If you should measure your own shadow, you would not find that it has become any greater than before you were victorious.

[2] Being asked how much land the Spartans controlled, he said, As much as they can reach with the spear.²

[3] Periander, the physician, was distinguished in his profession and commended very very highly, but was a writer of wretched verses. Why in the world, Periander, said Archidamus, do you yearn to be called a bad poet instead of a skilful physician?

[4] In the war against Philip, when some proffered the advice that they ought to engage him in battle at a good distance from their own land,³ Archidamus said, No, that is not what we ought to look to, but where, in fighting, we shall be superior to the enemy.

[5] In answer to those who commended him when he had been victorious in battle⁴ against the Arcadians, he said, It would have been better if we had vanquished them by intelligence rather than by strength.

[6] When he invaded Arcadia, he learned that the Eleans were supporting the Arcadians, and so he sent this letter to them: Archidamus to the Eleans. Quiet is a good thing.⁵

[7] In the Peloponnesian war, when his allies sought to know how much money would be sufficient, and said it was only fair that he set a limit to their contributions, he said, War does not feed on fixed rations.⁶

[8] When he saw the missile shot by a catapult, which had been brought then for the first time from Sicily, he exclaimed, Great Heavens! man’s valour is no more!⁷

[9] When the Greeks were not willing to take his advice and break their agreements with Antipater⁸ and Craterus the Macedonian, and be free, because of a feeling that the Spartans would be harsher than the Macedonians, he said, A sheep or a goat bleats always in the same way, but a man talks in a great variety of ways until he accomplishes what he has set his mind upon.

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

Editions (2)

Ἀποφθέγματα Λακωνικά Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. III. Babbitt, Frank Cole, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931 (printing).) — 20 focus

Ἀρχιδάμου τοῦ Ἀγησιλάου

[1] Ἀρχίδαμος ὁ Ἀγησιλάου, Φιλίππου μετὰ τὴν ἐν Χαιρωνείᾳ μάχην σκληροτέραν αὐτῷ ἐπιστολὴν 218f γράψαντος, ἀντέγραψεν, εἰ μετρήσαις τὴν σαυτοῦ σκιάν, οὐκ ἂν εὕροις αὐτὴν μείζονα γεγενημένην ἢ πρὶν νικᾶν.

[2] ἐρωτηθεὶς δὲ πόσης χώρας κρατοῦσιν οἱ Σπαρτιᾶται, ὅσης ἄν, ἔφη, τῷ δόρατι ἐφίκωνται.

[3] Περιάνδρου δὲ τοῦ ἰατροῦ ἀξιολόγου κατὰ τέχνην ὄντος καὶ ἐπαινουμένου ἐς τὰ μάλιστα, φαῦλα δὲ ποιήματα γράφοντος, τί δήποτε, ὦ Περίανδρε, εἶπεν, ἀντὶ χαρίεντος ἰατροῦ κακὸς ποιητὴς καλεῖσθαι ἐπιθυμεῖς;ν

[4] ἐν δὲ τῷ πρὸς Φίλιππον πολέμῳ συμβουλευόντων τινῶν ὅτι πόρρω τῆς οἰκείας τὴν μάχην συνάπτειν δεῖ, ἀλλʼ οὐ τοῦτο, ἔφη, ὁρᾶν δεῖ, ἀλλʼ οὗ¹ μαχόμενοι² κρείττονες τῶν πολεμίων ἐσόμεθα.

[5] πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἐπαινοῦντας αὐτόν, ὅτε τὴν πρὸς Ἀρκάδας μάχην ἐνίκησε, βέλτιον ἂν ἦν, εἰ τῇ φρονήσει, ἔφη, αὐτοὺς ἐνικῶμεν μᾶλλον ἢ τῇ ἰσχύι.

[6] 219a ὅτε δὲ εἰς Ἀρκαδίαν ἐνέβαλε, πυθόμενος βοηθεῖν αὐτοῖς Ἠλείους ἐπέστειλεν αὐτοῖς, Ἀρχίδαμος Ἠλείοις· καλὸν ἡσυχία.³

[7] τῶν δὲ συμμάχων ἐν τῷ Πελοποννησιακῷ πολέμῳ ἐπιζητούντων πόσα χρήματα ἀρκέσει, καὶ ἀξιούντων ὁρίσαι τοὺς φόρους, ὁ πόλεμος, ἔφη, οὐ τεταγμένα σιτεῖται.⁴

[8] καταπελτικὸν δὲ ἰδὼν βέλος τότε πρῶτον ἐκ Σικελίας κομισθὲν ἀνεβόησεν, Ἡράκλεις, ἀπόλωλεν ἀνδρὸς ἁρετά.

[9] ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐκ ἐβούλοντο Ἕλληνες πείθεσθαι αὐτῷ καὶ λῦσαι τὰς πρὸς Ἀντίπατρον⁵ καὶ Κρατερὸν 219b τοὺς Μακεδόνας ὁμολογίας καὶ ἐλεύθεροι εἶναι, ὡς χαλεπωτέρων ἐσομένων Λακεδαιμονίων ἢ Μακεδόνων, εἶπε, πρόβατον μὲν ἀεὶ τὴν αὐτὴν φθέγγεται φωνήν, ἄνθρωπος δὲ πολλὰς καὶ ποικίλας, ἕως ἂν τὸ δόξαν ἐπιτελέσῃ.

Ἀποφθέγματα Λακωνικά Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol II. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 20 focus

Ἀρχιδάμου τοῦ Ἀγησιλάου

[1] Ἀρχίδαμος ὁ Ἀγησιλάου, Φιλίππου μετὰ τὴν ἐν Χαιρωνείᾳ μάχην σκληροτέραν αὐτῷ ἐπιστολὴν 218f γράψαντος , ἀντέγραψεν εἰ μετρήσαις τὴν σαυτοῦ 20 σκιάν, οὐκ ἂν εὕροις αὐτὴν μείζονα γεγενημένην ἢ πρὶν νικᾶν.

[2] ἐρωτηθεὶς δὲ πόσης χώρας κρατοῦσιν οἱ Σπαρτιᾶται ὅσης ἄν ἔφη τῷ δόρατι ἐφίκωνται.

[3] Περιάνδρου δὲ τοῦ ἰατροῦ ἀξιολόγου κατὰ 25 τέχνην ὄντος καὶ ἐπαινουμένου ἐς τὰ μάλιστα, φαῦλα δὲ ποιήματα γράφοντος, τί δήποτε, ὦ Περίανδρε εἶπεν ἀντὶ χαρίεντος ἰατροῦ κακὸς ποιητὴς καλεῖσθαι ἐπιθυμεῖς;

[4] ἐν δὲ τῷ πρὸς Φίλιππον πολέμῳ συμβουλευόντων τινῶν ὅτι πόρρω τῆς οἰκείας τὴν μάχην 5 συνάπτειν δεῖ, ἀλλʼ οὐ τοῦτο ἔφη ὁρᾶν δεῖ, ἀλλʼ οἷ μαχούμενοι κρείσσονες τῶν πολεμίων ἐσόμεθα.

[5] πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἐπαινοῦντας αὐτόν, ὅτε τὴν πρὸς Ἀρκάδας μάχην ἐνίκησε, βέλτιον ἂν ἦν, εἰ τῇ φρονήσει ἔφη αὐτοὺς ἐνικῶμεν μᾶλλον ἢ τῇ 10 ἰσχύι. 219a

[6] ὅτε δὲ εἰς Ἀρκαδίαν ἐνέβαλε, πυθόμενος βοηθεῖν αὐτοῖς Ἠλείους ἐπέστειλεν αὐτοῖς Ἀρχίδαμος Ἠλείοις· καλὸν ἡσυχία.¹

[7] τῶν δὲ συμμάχων ἐν τῷ Πελοποννησιακῷ 15 πολέμῳ ἐπιζητούντων, πόσα χρήματα ἀρκέσει, καὶ ἀξιούντων ὁρίσαι τοὺς φόρους, ὁ πόλεμος ἔφη οὐ τεταγμένα σιτεῖται.

[8] καταπελτικὸν δὲ ἰδὼν βέλος τότε πρῶτον ἐκ Σικελίας κομισθὲν ἀνεβόησεν Ἡράκλεις, ἀπόλωλεν 20 ἀνδρὸς ἁρετά.

[9] ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐκ ἐβούλοντο Ἕλληνες πείθεσθαι αὐτῷ καὶ λῦσαι τὰς πρὸς Ἀντίγονον ² καὶ Κρατερὸν 219b τοὺς Μακεδόνας ὁμολογίας καὶ ἐλεύθεροι εἶναι, ὡς χαλεπωτέρων ἐσομένων Λακεδαιμονίων ἢ Μακεδόνων, 25 εἶπε πρόβατον μὲν ἀεὶ τὴν αὐτὴν φθέγγεται φωνήν, ἄνθρωπος δὲ πολλὰς καὶ ποικίλας, ἕως ἂν τὸ δόξαν ἐπιτελέσῃ.

Translations (1)

Laconic Apophthegms; or Remarkable Sayings of the Spartans. Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. I. Goodwin, William W., editor; unknown, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 20 focus

Of Archidamus the Son of Agesilaus.

Archidamus the son of Agesilaus, when Philip after the battle at Chaeronea sent him a haughty letter, returned this answer, If you measure your shadow, you will find it no greater than before the victory. And being asked how much land the Spartans possessed, he said, As much as their spears reach. Periander, a physician, being well skilled in his profession and of good credit, but writing very bad poems, he said to him, Why, Periander, instead of a good physician are you eager to be called a bad poet In the war with Philip, when some advised him to fight at some distance from his own country, he replied, Let us not mind that, but whether we shall fight bravely and beat our enemies. To some who commended him for routing the Arcadians he said, It had been better if we had been too hard for them in policy rather than in strength. When he invaded Arcadia, understanding that the Eleans were ready to oppose him, he wrote thus: Archidamus to the Eleans; It is good to be quiet. The allies in the Peloponnesian war consulting what treasure would be sufficient to carry on the war, and desiring to set the tax, he said, War cannot be put on a certain allowance. As soon as ever he saw a dart shot out of an engine brought from Sicily, he cried out, Good God! true valor is gone for ever. When the Greeks refused to obey him orto stand to those conditions which he had made with Antigonus and Craterus the Macedonians, but would be free, alleging that the Spartans would prove more rigorous lords than the Macedonians, he said: A sheep always uses the same voice, but a man various and many, till he hath perfected his designs.

Notes on the current edition

Sayings of Spartans

1. Archidamus III., king of Sparta, 361-338 B.C.

2. Cf. the note on Moralia, 210 E (28), supra.

3. The policy of Demosthenes ( e.g. Olynthiac i. ad fin.).

4. The tearless battle in 368 B.C. described by Xenophon, Hellenica, vii. 1. 28-32. Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Agesilaus

5. The saying is attributed to Periander by Diogenes Laertius, i. 97.

6. Cf. the note on Moralia, 190 A, supra. The saying plainly belongs to Archidamus II. (218 C, supra), who lived at the time of the Peloponnesian war. See Plutarch’s Life of Cleomenes, chap. xxvii. (817 E).

7. Cf. Moralia, 191 D, supra.

8. Either Antipater (Wyttenbach’s certain emendation) or Antigonus (MSS.) is too late for Archidamus III., who died in 338 B.C.

Plutarch Apophthegmata Laconica 20

Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

ARCHIDAMUS, SON OF AGESILAUS¹

Current edition Perseus

Ἀρχιδάμου τοῦ Ἀγησιλάου

Ἀρχιδάμου τοῦ Ἀγησιλάου

Of Archidamus the Son of Agesilaus.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

ARCHIDAMUS, SON OF AGESILAUS 1

Current edition Perseus

Ἀρχιδάμου τοῦ Ἀγησιλάου

Ἀρχιδάμου τοῦ Ἀγησιλάου

Of Archidamus the Son of Agesilaus.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

ARCHIDAMUS, SON OF AGESILAUS¹