[15] When Megabates, Spithridates’ son, who was most fair of form, came near to him as if to greet him with a kiss because the boy felt that he was held in affection by Agesilaos, Agesilaos drew back. And when the boy stopped coming to see him, Agesilaos asked for him; whereupon his friends said that he had only himself to blame, because he shrank from coming within kissing distance of the fair one, and if he would not act the coward, the boy would come again. Agesilaos, reflecting by himself for no brief time in uninterrupted silence, finally said, “There is no need of our trying to persuade him; for I feel that I had rather be above such things than to take by storm the most populous city of our opponents, since it is better to preserve one’s own liberty than to deprive others of theirs.”^[1] […]

[17] Such, then, was Agesilaos in his friends’ behalf in most matters; but there are instances when, in meeting a critical situation, he showed more regard for the general weal. At any rate, on a time when camp was being broken in some disorder, and Agesilaus was leaving behind his loved boy who was ill, and the loved boy implored him and called him back with tears, Agesilaos, turning round, exclaimed, “How hard it is to be merciful and sensible at the same time!”^[2]

[15, d] Μεγαβάτου δὲ τοῦ Σπιθριδάτου παιδός, ὃς ἦν κάλλιστος τὴν μορφήν, προσελθόντος αὐτῷ ὡς ἀσπασομένου καὶ φιλήσοντος διὰ τὸ σφόδρα δοκεῖν ἀγαπᾶσθαι, ἐξέκλινεν· ὡς δ᾿ ἐπαύσατο ἐκεῖνος προσιών, ἐπεζήτησεν αὐτὸν ὁ Ἀγησίλαος· τῶν δὲ φίλων φαμένων ὡς αὐτὸς εἴη αἴτιος τρέσας τὸ Eτοῦ καλοῦ ἐντὸς φιλήματος ἐλθεῖν, [e] κἂν μὴ ἀποδειλιᾷ, ἥξειν ἐκεῖνον, χρόνον οὐκ ὀλίγον πρὸς αὑτῷ γενόμενος ὁ Ἀγησίλαος καὶ διασιωπήσας “οὐδέν,” ἔφη, “δεῖ πείθειν ἐκεῖνον ἡμᾶς· ἐγὼ γάρ μοι δοκῶ τῶν τοιούτων βούλεσθαι ἐπάνω εἶναι, ἢ τὴν εὐανδροτάτην τῶν ἀντιτεταγμένων πόλιν κατὰ κράτος ἑλεῖν· ἄμεινον γὰρ ἑαυτῷ φυλάττειν τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τοῦ ἑτέρων ἀφαιρεῖσθαι.” […]

[17, f] Ἐν μὲν οὖν τοῖς πλείστοις ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων τοιοῦτος ὁ Ἀγησίλαος· ἔστι δὲ ὅπου πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον ἐχρῆτο τῷ καιρῷ μᾶλλον. ἀναζυγῆς γοῦν ποτε γενομένης θορυβωδεστέρας, ἀσθενοῦντα καταλιπὼν τὸν ἐρώμενον, ἐκείνου δεομένου καὶ ἀνακαλοῦντος μετὰ δακρύων αὐτόν, ἐπιστραφεὶς εἶπεν “ὡς χαλεπόν ἐστιν ἐλεεῖν ἅμα καὶ φρονεῖν.’