“If”
-The Spartan Ephors, 346bc
Greek Vase – black-figure krater, c. 530 BC
“Better than a thousand hollow words,
is one word that brings peace.”
-Buddha
In 346 bc, King Philip of Macedon (Alexander the Great’s dad) having just defeated the Phocians in the Third Sacred War, he tried to throw his weight around. His plan? To intimidate the Spartan’s…
Sending a messenger to Sparta with his prepared statement of intimidation he writes,
“You are advised to submit without further delay, for if I bring my army on your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people and raze your city.”
Other versions have the statement as simply
“If I win this war, you will be slaves forever.”
or
“If I invade Laconia, I shall turn you out”
-as quoted by the 1st-century Greek scholar Plutarch, in Plutarchs’ Moralia. Volume VI. 511 A.
All the stories have the same reply… The Spartan response to King Philip was just one word…
“If”
With this response King Philip deflated decides to look elsewhere with his military mite…
Marble statue of a helmed hoplite (5th century BC), possibly Leonidas
As the years go by so do the battle victories for King Philip including wars with the Thebans, Athenians, Ardiaioi, Scythians…
Feeling unbeatable King Philip again sends a message to Sparta…
King Philip’s message asked the Spartan Ephors whether they wished
“that he should come as a friend or as a foe?”…
Again the Spartan’s respond with just one word…
“Neither”
Spartan helmet on display at the British Museum
King Philip never set foot in Sparta…
Even his son the legendary Alexander the Great, chose to avoid Sparta…