He didn’ t know, King Kleomenis, he didn’ t dare —
he just didn’ t know how to tell his mother
a thing like that: Ptolemy’ s demand,
to guarantee their treaty, that she too go to Egypt
and be held there as a hostage —
a very humiliating, indecorous thing.
And he would be about to speak yet always hesitate,
would start to tell her yet always stop.
But the magnificent woman understood him
(she’ d already heard some rumors about it)
and she encouraged him to get it out.
And she laughed, saying of course she’ d go,
happy even that in her old age
she could be useful to Sparta still.
As for the humiliation — that didn’ t touch her at all.
Of course an upstart like the Lagid
couldn’ t possibly comprehend the Spartan spirit;
so his demand couldn’ t in fact humiliate
a Royal Lady like herself:
mother of a Spartan king.