"Spartan mothers or wives gave a departing warrior his shield with the words: "With it or on it!" (Greek: Ἢ τὰν ἢ ἐπὶ τᾶς! E tan e epi tas!), implying that he should return with his shield, or (his dead body) upon it, but by no means after saving himself by throwing away his heavy shield and fleeing. It is, however, likely that this quote is propaganda, or at the very least apocryphal. Spartans buried their battle dead on or near the battle field; corpses were not brought back on their shield."