§11.1βούλομαι δὲ καὶ ἐν κεφαλαίοις ἐπανελθεῖν τὴν ἀρετὴν αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἂν ὁ ἔπαινος εὐμνημονεστέρως ἔχῃ.
I wish also to recapitulate his virtue in summary form, so that the praise may be more easily remembered.
Ἀγησίλαος ἱερὰ μὲν καὶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐσέβετο, ἡγούμενος τοὺς θεοὺς οὐχ ἧττον ἐν τῇ πολεμίᾳ χρῆναι ἢ ἐν τῇ φιλίᾳ συμμάχους ποιεῖσθαι· ἱκέτας δὲ θεῶν οὐδὲ ἐχθροὺς ἐβιάζετο, νομίζων ἄλογον εἶναι τοὺς μὲν ἐξ ἱερῶν κλέπτοντας ἱεροσύλους καλεῖν, τοὺς δὲ βωμῶν ἱκέτας ἀποσπῶντας εὐσεβεῖς ἡγεῖσθαι.
Agesilaus, on the one hand, respected sacred things even those in enemy territory, thinking that one must make the gods allies no less in hostile than in friendly territory; and on the other hand, he did not violate the suppliants of the gods, not even when they were enemies, thinking it unreasonable to call temple-robbers those who steal from temples, yet to consider pious those who drag suppliants away from altars.
§11.2ἐκεῖνός γε μὴν ὑμνῶν οὔποτʼ ἔληγεν ὡς τοὺς θεοὺς οἴοιτο οὐδὲν ἧττον ὁσίοις ἔργοις ἢ ἁγνοῖς ἱεροῖς ἥδεσθαι.
Indeed, he never ceased declaring that he believed the gods to be pleased no less by holy deeds than by pure sacrifices.
ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ ὁπότε εὐτυχοίη, οὐκ ἀνθρώπων ὑπερεφρόνει, ἀλλὰ θεοῖς χάριν ᾔδει.
Moreover, whenever he was successful, he did not look down on men, but felt gratitude to the gods.
καὶ θαρρῶν πλείονα ἔθυεν ἢ ὀκνῶν ηὔχετο.
And he offered more sacrifices in confidence than he prayed in hesitation.
εἴθιστο δὲ φοβούμενος μὲν ἱλαρὸς φαίνεσθαι, εὐτυχῶν δὲ πρᾷος εἶναι.
And he was accustomed to appear cheerful when in fear, and to be mild when successful.
§11.3τῶν γε μὴν φίλων οὐ τοὺς δυνατωτάτους ἀλλὰ τοὺς προθυμοτάτους μάλιστα ἠσπάζετο.
Of his friends, indeed, he welcomed most warmly not the most powerful, but the most zealous.
ἐμίσει οὐκ εἴ τις κακῶς πάσχων ἠμύνετο, ἀλλʼ εἴ τις εὐεργετούμενος ἀχάριστος φαίνοιτο.
He hated not someone who defended himself when treated badly, but someone who appeared ungrateful when treated well.
ἔχαιρε δὲ τοὺς μὲν αἰσχροκερδεῖς πένητας ὁρῶν, τοὺς δὲ δικαίους πλουσίους ποιῶν, βουλόμενος τὴν δικαιοσύνην τῆς ἀδικίας κερδαλεωτέραν καθιστάναι.
And he rejoiced to see the greedily covetous poor, and to make the just rich, wishing to make justice more profitable than injustice.
§11.4ἤσκει δὲ ἐξομιλεῖν μὲν παντοδαποῖς, χρῆσθαι δὲ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς.
And he practiced associating with all sorts of people, but forming close friendships with the good.
ὁπότε δὲ ψεγόντων ἢ ἐπαινούντων τινὰς ἀκούοι, οὐχ ἧττον ᾤετο καταμανθάνειν τοὺς τῶν λεγόντων τρόπους ἢ περὶ ὧν λέγοιεν.
And whenever he heard people blaming or praising any persons, he thought he learned no less about the characters of those speaking than about those of whom they spoke.
καὶ τοὺς μὲν ὑπὸ φίλων ἐξαπατωμένους οὐκ ἔψεγε, τοὺς δὲ ὑπὸ πολεμίων πάμπαν κατεμέμφετο, καὶ τὸ μὲν ἀπιστοῦντας ἐξαπατᾶν σοφὸν ἔκρινε, τὸ δὲ πιστεύοντας ἀνόσιον.
And he did not blame those who were deceived by friends, but he thoroughly censured those deceived by enemies; and he judged that to deceive those who are distrustful is clever, but to deceive those who trust is impious.
§11.5ἐπαινούμενος δὲ ἔχαιρεν ὑπὸ τῶν καὶ ψέγειν ἐθελόντων τὰ μὴ ἀρεστά, καὶ τῶν παρρησιαζομένων οὐδένα ἤχθραινε, τοὺς δὲ κρυψίνους ὥσπερ ἐνέδρας ἐφυλάττετο.
And when praised, he rejoiced to be praised by those who were also willing to blame what was displeasing, and he hated none of those who spoke frankly, but guarded against those of hidden mind as against ambushes.
τούς γε μὴν διαβόλους μᾶλλον ἢ τοὺς κλέπτας ἐμίσει, μείζω ζημίαν ἡγούμενος φίλων ἢ χρημάτων στερίσκεσθαι.
And indeed he hated slanderers more than thieves, considering it a greater loss to be deprived of friends than of money.
§11.6καὶ τὰς μὲν τῶν ἰδιωτῶν ἁμαρτίας πρᾴως ἔφερε, τὰς δὲ τῶν ἀρχόντων μεγάλας ἦγε, κρίνων τοὺς μὲν ὀλίγα, τοὺς δὲ πολλὰ κακῶς διατιθέναι.
And he bore the errors of private citizens gently, but considered those of rulers to be great, judging that the former did little damage, but the latter much.
τῇ δὲ βασιλείᾳ προσήκειν ἐνόμιζεν οὐ ῥᾳδιουργίαν ἀλλὰ καλοκἀγαθίαν.
And he thought that not indolence but nobility of character became kingship.
§11.7καὶ τοῦ μὲν σώματος εἰκόνα στήσασθαι ἀπέσχετο, πολλῶν αὐτῷ τοῦτο δωρεῖσθαι θελόντων, τῆς δὲ ψυχῆς οὐδέποτε ἐπαύετο μνημεῖα διαπονούμενος, ἡγούμενος τὸ μὲν ἀνδριαντοποιῶν, τὸ δὲ αὑτοῦ ἔργον εἶναι, καὶ τὸ μὲν πλουσίων, τὸ δὲ τῶν ἀγαθῶν.
And he abstained from setting up an image of his body, though many wished to present this to him, but he never ceased working upon monuments of his soul, thinking that the former was the work of sculptors, but the latter his own, and the former belonged to the rich, but the latter to the good.
§11.8χρήμασί γε μὴν οὐ μόνον δικαίως ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐλευθερίως ἐχρῆτο, τῷ μὲν δικαίῳ ἀρκεῖν ἡγούμενος τὸ ἐὰν τὰ ἀλλότρια, τῷ δὲ ἐλευθερίῳ καὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ προσωφελητέον εἶναι.
Indeed, he used money not only justly but also generously, thinking that for the just man it was enough to leave alone the things of others, but for the generous man one must also give of one's own to help others.
αἰεὶ δὲ δεισιδαίμων ἦν, νομίζων τοὺς μὲν καλῶς ζῶντας οὔπω εὐδαίμονας, τοὺς δὲ εὐκλεῶς τετελευτηκότας ἤδη μακαρίους.
And he was always God-fearing, thinking that those who live well are not yet happy, but those who have died gloriously are already blessed.