PAUSANIAS, THE SON OF PLEISTOANAX 1
Pausanias, the son of Pleistoanax, in answer to the question why it was not permitted to change any of the ancient laws in their country, said, ‘ Because the laws ought to have authority over the men, and not the men over the laws.’
When, in Tegea, after he had been exiled, 2 he commended the Spartans, someone said, ‘Why did you not stay in Sparta instead of going into exile ? ’ And he said, ‘Because physicians, too, are wont to spend their time, not among the healthy, but where the sick are.’ 3 [p. 385]
When someone inquired of him how they could become able to conquer the Thracians, he said, ‘If we should make the best man our general.’
When a physician paid him a visit and said, ‘You have nothing wrong with you,’ he said, ‘No, for I do not employ you as my physician.’
When one of his friends blamed him because he spoke ill of a certain physician, although he had never had anything to do with him, and had not suffered any harm at his hands, he said, ‘Because if I had ever had anything to do with him I should not now be alive.’
When the physician said to him, ‘You have lived to be an old man,’ he said, ‘That is because I never employed you as my physician.’
He said that the best physician was the man who did not allow his patients to rot, but buried them quickly.