Sayings of the Spartan Women

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

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Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.

This work is a collection of sayings and anecdotes showcasing the courage and patriotism of ancient Spartan women. The figures presented range from royal women to ordinary mothers, and their encounters with war, death, and temptation are depicted in concise dialogues and episodes. The text begins with famous anecdotes of notable figures, such as Brasidas's mother Argileonis and King Leonidas's wife Gorgo, and transitions into stories of unnamed mothers. Rather than mourning the deaths of their sons, these women take pride in their country's victory and sometimes even execute their own cowardly sons. In the latter half, the focus shifts to women who, even when facing slavery or temptation, preserve their dignity and choose death over dishonor. Ultimately, this collection vividly illustrates the unique Spartan virtue of unyielding discipline and pride through the powerful and resolute voices of its women.