φεῦγε Λάκων ποτὲ δῆριν ὑπαντιάσασα δὲ μήτηρ
εἶπε, κατὰ στέρνων ἆορ ἀνασχομένη:

ζώων μὲν σέο μητρὶ διαμπερὲς αἶσχος ἀνάπτεις,

καὶ κρατερῆς Σπάρτης πάτρια θεσμὰ λύεις:

ἢν δὲ θάνῃς παλάμῃσιν ἐμαῖς, μήτηρ μὲν ἀκούσω

δύσμορος, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἐμῇ πατρίδι σῳζομένη.

— Paton edition

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. "

— Paton edition