Γοργοῦς

[1] Γοργὼ βασιλέως Κλεομένους θυγάτηρ, Ἀρισταγόρου τοῦ Μιλησίου παρακαλοῦντος αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸν πρὸς βασιλέα πόλεμον ὑπὲρ Ἰώνων καὶ ὑπισχνουμένου χρημάτων πλῆθος καὶ ὅσῳ ἀντέλεγε πλείονα προστιθέντος, καταφθερεῖ σε, ἔφη, ὦ πάτερ, τὸ ξενύλλιον, ἐὰν μὴ τάχιον αὐτὸν τῆς οἰκίας ἐκβάλῃς.

[2] προστάξαντος δέ ποτε αὐτῇ τοῦ; πατρὸς δοῦναί τινι σῖτον εἰς μισθοῦ λόγον καὶ προστιθέντος, ἐδίδαξε γάρ με τὸν οἶνον χρηστὸν ποιεῖν, οὐκοῦν, ὦ πάτερ, ἔφη, ὃ τʼ οἶνος πλείων 240e ἐκποθήσεται καὶ οἱ πίνοντες θρυπτικώτεροι καὶ χείρονες γενήσονται. ʼ ʼ

[3] τὸν δʼ Ἀρισταγόραν ὑπό τινος τῶν οἰκετῶν ὑποδούμενον θεασαμένη, πάτερ, ἔφη, ὁ ξένος χεῖρας οὐκ ἔχει.

[4] ξένου δέ τινος μαλακῶς καὶ σχολῇ¹ προσαγαγόντος, παρωσαμένη αὐτόν, οὐκ ἄπει ἐντεῦθεν, εἶπεν, οὐδὲ² τὰ τῆς γυναικὸς δυνάμενος;ν

[5] ἐρωτηθεῖσα δὲ ὑπό τινος Ἀττικῆς, διὰ τί ὑμεῖς ἄρχετε μόναι τῶν ἀνδρῶν αἱ Λάκαιναι³; ὅτι, ἔφη, καὶ τίκτομεν μόναι ἄνδρας.

[6] Προτρεπομένη δὲ τὸν ἄνδρα Λεωνίδαν ἐξιόντα εἰς Θερμοπύλας ἄξιον τῆς Σπάρτης φανῆναι, ἠρώτα τί χρὴ πράττειν ὁ δὲ ἔφη, ἀγαθὸν γαμεῖν καὶ ἀγαθὰ τίκτειν.

Lacaenarum Apophthegmata. Plutarch. ed. Frank Cole Babbitt. Cambridge, MA. 1931.

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Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)

Λακαινῶν ἀποφθάγματα Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol IΙ. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 2 focus

Γοργοῦς

[1] Γοργὼ βασιλέως Κλεομένους θυγάτηρ, Ἀρισταγόρου 10 τοῦ Μιλησίου παρακαλοῦντος αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸν πρὸς βασιλέα πόλεμον ὑπὲρ Ἰώνων καὶ ὑπισχνουμένου χρημάτων πλῆθος καὶ ὅσῳ ἀντέλεγε πλείονα προστιθέντος, καταφθερεῖ σε ἔφη ὦ πάτερ τὸ ξενύλλιον, ἐὰν μὴ τάχιον αὐτὸν τῆς οἰκίας ἐκβάλῃς.

[2] προστάξαντος δέ ποτε αὐτῇ τοῦ πατρὸς δοῦναί τινι σῖτον εἰς μισθοῦ λόγον, καὶ προστιθέντος ἐδίδαξε γάρ με τὸν οἶνον χρηστὸν ποιεῖν, οὐκοῦν, 240e ὦ πάτερ ἔφη ὃ τʼ οἶνος πλείων ἐκποθήσεται καὶ οἱ πίνοντες θρυπτικώτεροι καὶ χείρονες ἔσονται.

[3] τὸν δʼ Ἀρισταγόραν ὑπό τινος τῶν οἰκετῶν 5 ὑποδούμενον θεασαμένη πάτερ ἔφη ὁ ξένος χεῖρας οὐκ ἔχει.

[4] ξένου δέ τινος μαλακῶς καὶ ¹ σχολῇ προσάγοντος, ² παρωσαμένη αὐτὸν οὐκ ἄπει ἐντεῦθεν εἶπεν οὐδὲ ³ τὰ τῆς γυναικὸς δυνάμενος;

ἐρωτηθεῖσα δὲ ὑπό τινος Ἀττικῆς διὰ τί ὑμεῖς ἄρχετε μόναι τῶν ἀνδρῶν αἱ Λάκαιναι;⁴ ὅτι ἔφη καί τίκτομεν μόναι ἄνδρας.

[6] προτρεπομένη δὲ τὸν ἄνδρα Λεωνίδαν ἐξιόντα εἰς Θερμοπύλας ἄξιον τῆς Σπάρτης φανῆναι, 15 ἠρώτα τί χρὴ πράττειν· ὁ δὲ ἔφη ἀγαθὸν γαμεῖν καὶ ἀγαθά τίκτειν.

Translations (1)

Sayings of Spartan Women Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. III. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931 (printing).) — 2 focus

GORGO¹

[1] Gorgo, daughter of king Cleomenes, when Aristagoras of Miletus was urging her father to enter upon the war against the Persian king in behalf of the Ionians, promising a vast sum of money, and, in answer to Cleomenes’ objections, making the amount larger and larger, said, Father, the miserable foreigner will be your ruin if you don’t get him out of the house pretty soon!²

[2] Once when her father told her to give some grain to a man by way of remuneration, and added, It is because he showed me how to make the wine taste good, she said, Then, father, there will be more wine drunk, and the drinkers will become more intemperate and depraved.³

[3] When she had watched Aristagoras having his shoes put on and laced by one of the servants, she said, Father, the foreigner hasn’t any hands!⁴

[4] When a foreigner made advances in a mild and leisurely way, she pushed him aside, saying, Get away from here, you who cannot play a woman’s part either!

[5] Being asked by a woman from Attica, Why is it that you Spartan women are the only women that lord it over your men, she said, Because we are the only women that are mothers of men.⁵

[6] As she was encouraging her husband Leonidas, when he was about to set out for Thermopylae, to show himself worthy of Sparta, she asked what she should do; and he said, Marry a good man, and bear good children.⁶

Notes on the current edition

Λακαινῶν ἀποφθάγματα

1. καὶ σχολῇ (or σχολῇ)] στολὴν Stephanus, perhaps rightly.

2. οὐδὲ Bernardakis: οὔτε.

3. Λάκαιναι, the usual form: λάκωναι.

Plutarch Lacaenarum Apophthegmata 2

ed. Frank Cole Babbitt

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Γοργοῦς

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Γοργοῦς

GORGO¹

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Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Γοργοῦς

Current edition Perseus

Γοργοῦς

GORGO 1

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

GORGO¹