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Book IX, 397
Translated by W. R. Paton (1916–18) · From The Greek Anthology (Loeb, vol. III, 1917)
A Spartan once was flying from the battle, and his mother, uplifting a sword to smite his breast, exclaimed: “If thou livest, thou dost fix on thy mother eternal disgrace, and dost violate the inherited laws of mighty Sparta. But if thou dost perish by my hand, they will call me an unlucky mother, but saved from disgrace together with my country.”
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Alexandria, Palladas of. “Book IX, 397.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/palladas/40/.
Chicago
Alexandria, Palladas of. “Book IX, 397.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/palladas/40/.
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