Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata
Plutarch
Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. III. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931 (printing).
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:
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.[*](Cf. Moralia, 35 E and 565 A, and Wyttenbach’s note on the latter passage.)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).)