The Spartans of Ancient Greece were the masters of brevity when it came to quips and comebacks—to the point where dry wit is known today as laconic humor (after Laconia, the historical region of Greece that included the city-state of Sparta). On one famous occasion, King Philip II of Macedon threatened to invade Laconia, sending a message to the Spartan leaders asking them if he should come as “friend or a foe.” Their reply? “Neither.”
