Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata

Semiramis [*](Herodotus, i. 187, says that Nitocris built the tomb above the gates of Babylon. Stobaeus, x. 53, copies Plutarch word for word.) caused a great tomb to be prepared for herself, and on it this inscription: Whatsoever king finds himself in need of money may break into this monument and take as much as he wishes. Darius accordingly broke into it, but found no money; he did, however, come upon another inscription reading as follows: If you were not a wicked man with an insatiate greed for money, you would not be disturbing the places where the dead are laid.

Ariamenes, the brother of Xerxes son of Darius, was on his way down from the Bactrian country to contest Xerxes’ right to the kingdom. Xerxes accordingly sent him gifts, bidding those who offered them to say, With these gifts Xerxes your brother now honours you; and if he be proclaimed king, you

Angered at the Babylonians, who had revolted, [*](The usual tradition is that Babylong revolted from Darius; Herodotus, iii. 150.) he overpowered them, and then ordained that henceforth they should not bear arms, but should play the i lyre and flute, keep public prostitutes, engage in I petty trade, and wear long flowing garments.[*](Cyrus is said to have employed this device against the Lydians; Herodotus, i. 156; Polyaenus, Strategemata, vii. 6. 4; Justin, Hist. Philip, i. 7. For two other instances cf. the scholia on Sophocles, Oedipus Col. 329, and Dionysius Hal. Antiq. Rom. vii. 9. )

He said he would not eat figs from Attica which had been imported for sale, but would eat them when he had obtained possession of the land that bore them. [*](Cf.Athenaeus, p. 652 B.)

When he caught Greek spies in his camp, he did them no injury, but, after bidding them observe his army freely, let them go. [*](The story is told in Herodotus, vii. 146-147.)

Artaxerxes, the son of Xerxes, called Longhand, because of his having one hand longer than the other [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Artaxerxes, chap. i. (1011 E).) used to say that it is more kingly to give to one who has than to take away.

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

He was the first to ordain this form of punishment for those of the ruling class who offended:

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 !

Cyrus the younger, in urging the Spartans to ally themselves with him, said that he had a stouter heart than his brother, and that he could drink more strong wine than his brother could and carry it better; moreover, that at hunts his brother could hardly stay on his horse, and at a time of terror not even on his throne. Cyrus urged the Spartans to send him men, promising to give horses to the foot-soldiers, chariots to those who had horses, villages to those who owned farms, and to make those who had villages the masters of cities; and as for gold and silver there should be no counting, but weighing instead. [*](The content of the passage agrees, in the main, with that of Plutarch’s Life of Artaxerxes, chap. vi. (1013 F); but there he says, οὐκ ἀριθμὸν ἀλλὰ μέτρον, not counting but measuring out. )

Artaxerxes, Cyrus’s brother, called Mnemon, [*](Because of his good memory.) not only granted audience freely to those who wished to speak with him, but also bade his wife draw aside the curtains from her carriage so that those who desired might speak with her on the road. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Artaxerxes, chap. v. (1013 D-E). )

A poor man brought to him an apple of extraordinary size which he accepted with pleasure, and at the same time he remarked, By Mithras I swear it seems to me that this man would make a big city out of a small one if it were entrusted to his charge. [*](Ibid. chap. iv. (1013 B).)

Once in a precipitate retreat his baggage was plundered, and as he ate dry figs and barley-bread he exclaimed, What a pleasure is this which has never been mine before! [*](Ibid. chap. xii. (1017 B_ is a similar story regarding stale water.)

Parysatis, the mother of Cyrus and Artaxerxes, advised that he who was intending to talk frankly with the king should use words of softest texture.

Orontes, the son-in-law of King Artaxerxes, became involved in disgrace because of an accusation, [*](Against Tiribazus according to Diodorus, xv. 10-11, where the story is told at length.) and, when the decision was given against him, he said that, as mathematicians’ fingers are able to represent tens of thousands at one time, and at another

Memnon, who was waging war against Alexander on the side of King Darius, [*](Circa 333 B.C.) when one of his mercenary soldiers said many libellous and indecent things of Alexander, struck the man with his spear, saying, I pay you to fight Alexander, not to malign him.

The kings of the Egyptians, in accordance with a rule of their own, used to require their judges to swear that, even if the king should direct them to decide any case unfairly, they would not do so. [*](Cf. Diodorus, i. 71.)

Poltys, king of the Thracians at the time of the Trojan war, when once both the Trojans and the Greeks sent deputations to him at the same time, bade Alexander restore Helen and accept a couple of beautiful women from him,

Teres, the father of Sitalces, used to say that whenever he had nothing to do and was not in the field with his army he felt that there was no difference between himself and his grooms. [*](In Moralia, 729 C, this remark is attributed to Ateas, king of the Scythians.)

Cotys was once presented with a leopard, and he presented the donor with a lion in return. He was by nature very irascible and prone to punish severely any lapses in service. On a time when a friend from abroad brought him some vessels of earthenwrare, very fragile and delicate, wrought with figures in relief in a realistic and highly artistic manner, he gave presents to the friend, but broke all the vessels in pieces, so that I, as he said, may not in anger punish too severely those that break them.