This story comes down to us through Plutarch, in whose " Apothegms of the Laconian Women, " the story appears thus: " Another (Spartan mother) on handing her boy his shield, exhorting him, said, 'My son, either this or upon this'."

这个故事是通过普鲁塔克传给我们的，在他的“拉科尼亚妇女的箴言”中，这个故事是这样出现的：“另一个（斯巴达母亲）把盾牌交给她的男孩，劝告他说，‘我的儿子，要么是这个，要么是在这个'。”