One asking him why Sparta had no walls, he shewed him armed citizens, saying, These are the walls of Sparta.
Being very fond of his children, he would sometimes ride about on a cane among them. A friend catching him at this sport, Agesilaus said, Tell nobody till you are yourself a father.
King Demaratus being asked in company whether he was silent through folly, or wisdom, answered, A fool cannot be silent.
Cleomenes the son of Cleombrotus, when presented with some game-cocks, by a person who, enhancing the gift, said they were of a breed who would die before they yielded; answered, Give me rather some of the breed that kill them.
Pausanias, when a physician told him “You look well,” answered, Yes, you are not my physician.
When the same was blamed by a friend, for speaking ill of a physician, whom he had never tried, he replied, If I had tried him, I should not have lived to speak ill of him.