HIERO

Once more, the rest of mankind find in their fatherland a treasure worth all else beside. The citizens form their own body-guard (6) without pay or service-money against slaves and against evil-doers. It is theirs to see that none of themselves, no citizen, shall perish by a violent death. And they have advanced so far along the path of guardianship (7) that in many cases they have framed a law to the effect that "not the associate even of one who is blood-guilty shall be accounted pure." So that, by reason of their fatherland, (8) each several citizen can live at quiet and secure.

(6) "Are their own 'satellites,' spear-bearers." Cf. Thuc. i. 130;
Herod. ii. 168; vii. 127.

(7) "Pushed so far the principle of mutual self-aid."

(8) "Thanks to the blessing of a fatherland each citizen may spend his
days in peace and safety."

But for the tyrant it is again exactly the reverse. (9) Instead of aiding or avenging their despotic lord, cities bestow large honours on the slayer of a tyrant; ay, and in lieu of excommunicating the tyrannicide from sacred shrines, (10) as is the case with murderers of private citizens, they set up statues of the doers of such deeds (11) in temples.

(9) "Matters are once more reversed precisely," "it is all
     'topsy-turvy.'"

(10) "And sacrifices." Cf. Dem. "c. Lept." 137, {en toinun tois peri
    touton nomois o Drakon... katharon diorisen einai}. "Now in the
    laws upon this subject, Draco, although he strove to make it
    fearful and dreadful for a man to slay another, and ordained that
    the homicide should be excluded from lustrations, cups, and
    drink-offerings, from the temples and the market-place, specifying
    everything by which he thought most effectually to restrain people
    from such a practice, still did not abolish the rule of justice,
    but laid down the cases in which it should be lawful to kill, and
    declared that the killer under such circumstances should be deemed
    pure" (C. R. Kennedy).

(11) e.g. Harmodius and Aristogeiton. See Dem. loc. cit. 138: "The
    same rewards that you gave to Harmodius and Aristogiton,"
    concerning whom Simonides himself wrote a votive couplet:

        {'E meg' 'Athenaioisi phoos geneth' enik' 'Aristogeiton
        'Ipparkhon kteine kai 'Armodios.}

But if you imagine that the tyrant, because he has more possessions than the private person, does for that reason derive greater pleasure from them, this is not so either, Simonides, but it is with tyrants as with athletes. Just as the athlete feels no glow of satisfaction in asserting his superiority over amateurs, (12) but annoyance rather when he sustains defeat at the hands of any real antagonist; so, too, the tyrant finds little consolation in the fact (13) that he is evidently richer than the private citizen. What he feels is pain, when he reflects that he has less himself than other monarchs. These he holds to be his true antagonists; these are his rivals in the race for wealth.

(12) Or, "It gives no pleasure to the athlete to win victories over
amateurs." See "Mem." III. viii. 7.

(13) Or, "each time it is brought home to him that," etc.

Nor does the tyrant attain the object of his heart's desire more quickly than do humbler mortals theirs. For consider, what are their objects of ambition? The private citizen has set his heart, it may be, on a house, a farm, a servant. The tyrant hankers after cities, or wide territory, or harbours, or formidable citadels, things far more troublesome and more perilous to achieve than are the pettier ambitions of lesser men.

And hence it is, moreover, that you will find but few (14) private persons paupers by comparison with the large number of tyrants who deserve the title; (15) since the criterion of enough, or too much, is not fixed by mere arithmetic, but relatively to the needs of the individual. (16) In other words, whatever exceeds sufficiency is much, and what falls short of that is little. (17)

(14) Reading as vulg. {alla mentoi kai penetas opsei oukh outos
    oligous ton idioton os pollous ton turannon}. Lit. "however that
    may be, you will see not so few private persons in a state of
    penury as many despots." Breitenbach del. {oukh}, and transl.,
    "Daher weist du auch in dem Masse wenige Arme unter den
    Privat-leuten finden, als viele unter den Tyrannen." Stob.,
    {penetas opsei oligous ton idioton, pollous de ton
    turannon}. Stob. MS. Par., {alla mentoi kai plousious opsei
    oukh outos oligous ton idioton os penetas pollous ton
    turannon}. See Holden ad loc. and crit. n.

(15) Cf. "Mem." IV. ii. 37.

(16) Or, "not by the number of things we have, but in reference to the
    use we make of them." Cf. "Anab." VII. vii. 36.

(17) Dr. Holden aptly cf. Addison, "The Spectator," No. 574, on the
    text "Non possidentem multa vocaveris recte beatum..."

And on this principle the tyrant, with his multiplicity of goods, is less well provided to meet necessary expenses than the private person; since the latter can always cut down his expenditure to suit his daily needs in any way he chooses; but the tyrant cannot do so, seeing that the largest expenses of a monarch are also the most necessary, being devoted to various methods of safeguarding his life, and to cut down any of them would be little less than suicidal. (18)

(18) Or, "and to curtail these would seem to be self-slaughter."

Or, to put it differently, why should any one expend compassion on a man, as if he were a beggar, who has it in his power to satisfy by just and honest means his every need? (19) Surely it would be more appropriate to call that man a wretched starveling beggar rather, who through lack of means is driven to live by ugly shifts and base contrivances.

(19) i.e. "to expend compassion on a man who, etc., were surely a
pathetic fallacy." Al. "Is not the man who has it in his power,
etc., far above being pitied?"

Now it is your tyrant who is perpetually driven to iniquitous spoilation of temples and human beings, through chronic need of money wherewith to meet inevitable expenses, since he is forced to feed and support an army (even in times of peace) no less than if there were actual war, or else he signs his own death-warrant. (20)

(20) "A daily, hourly constraint is laid upon him to support an army
as in war time, or—write his epitaph!"

But there is yet another sore affliction to which the tyrant is liable, Sinmonides, which I will name to you. It is this. Tyrants no less than ordinary mortals can distinguish merit. The orderly, (1) the wise, the just and upright, they freely recognise; but instead of admiring them, they are afraid of them—the courageous, lest they should venture something for the sake of freedom; the wise, lest they invent some subtle mischief; (2) the just and upright, lest the multitude should take a fancy to be led by them.

(1) The same epithets occur in Aristoph. "Plut." 89:

        {ego gar on meirakion epeiles' oti
        os tous dikaious kai sophous kai kosmious
        monous badioimen.}

    Stob. gives for {kasmious} {alkimous}.

(2) Or, "for fear of machinations." But the word is suggestive of
    mechanical inventions also, like those of Archimedes in connection
    with a later Hiero (see Plut. "Marcel." xv. foll.); or of
    Lionardo, or of Michael Angelo (Symonds, "Renaissance in Italy,"
    "The Fine Arts," pp. 315, 393).

And when he has secretly and silently made away with all such people through terror, whom has he to fall back upon to be of use to him, save only the unjust, the incontinent, and the slavish-natured? (3) Of these, the unjust can be trusted as sharing the tyrant's terror lest the cities should some day win their freedom and lay strong hands upon them; the incontinent, as satisfied with momentary license; and the slavish-natured, for the simple reason that they have not themselves the slightest aspiration after freedom. (4)

(3) Or, "the dishonest, the lascivious, and the servile."

(4) "They have no aspiration even to be free," "they are content to
    wallow in the slough of despond." The {adikoi} (unjust) correspond
    to the {dikaioi} (just), {akrateis} (incontinent) to the {sophoi}
    (wise) (Breit. cf. "Mem." III. ix. 4, {sophian de kai sophrosunen
    ou diorizen}), {andrapododeis} (servile) to the {kasmioi},
    {andreioi} (orderly, courageous).

This, then, I say, appears to me a sore affliction, that we should look upon the one set as good men, and yet be forced to lean upon the other.

And further, even a tyrant cannot but be something of a patriot—a lover of that state, without which he can neither hope for safety nor prosperity. On the other hand, his tyrrany, the exigencies of despotic rule, compel him to incriminate his fatherland. (5) To train his citizens to soldiery, to render them brave warriors, and well armed, confers no pleasure on him; rather he will take delight to make his foreigners more formidable than those to whom the state belongs, and these foreigners he will depend on as his body-guard.

(5) Or, "depreciate the land which gave him birth." Holden cf.
"Cyrop." VII. ii. 22. See Sturz, s.v.

Nay more, not even in the years of plenty, (6) when abundance of all blessings reigns, not even then may the tyrant's heart rejoice amid the general joy, for the greater the indigence of the community the humbler he will find them: that is his theory.

(6) "In good seasons," "seasons of prosperity." Cf. Aristot. "Pol." v.
6. 17.

He continued: I desire to make known to you, Simonides, (1) those divers pleasures which were mine whilst I was still a private citizen, but of which to-day, nay, from the moment I became a tyrant, I find myself deprived. In those days I consorted with my friends and fellows, to our mutual delectation; (2) or, if I craved for quietude, (3) I chose myself for my companion. Gaily the hours flitted at our drinking-parties, ofttimes till we had drowned such cares and troubles as are common to the life of man in Lethe's bowl; (4) or ofttimes till we had steeped our souls in song and dance (5) and revelry; ofttimes till the flame of passion kindled in the breasts of my companions and my own. (6) But now, welladay, I am deprived of those who took delight in me, because I have slaves instead of friends as my companions; I am robbed of my once delightful intercourse with them, because I discern no vestige of goodwill towards me in their looks. And as to the wine-cup and slumber—these I guard against, even as a man might guard against an ambuscade. Think only! to dread a crowd, to dread solitude, to dread the absence of a guard, to dread the very guards that guard, to shrink from having those about one's self unarmed, and yet to hate the sight of armed attendants. Can you conceive a more troublesome circumstance? (7) But that is not all. To place more confidence in foreigners than in your fellow-citizens, nay, in barbarians than in Hellenes, to be consumed with a desire to keep freemen slaves and yet to be driven, will he nill he, to make slaves free, are not all these the symptoms of a mind distracted and amazed with terror?

(1) Or, "I wish I could disclose to you (he added) those heart-easing
    joys." For {euphrosunas} cf. "Od." vi. 156; Aesch. "P. V." 540;
    Eur. "Bacch." 376. A favourite word with our author; see "Ages."
    ix. 4; "Cyrop." passim; "Mem." III. viii. 10; "Econ." ix. 12.

(2) Lit. "delighting I in them and they in me."

(3) Or, "when I sought tranquility I was my own companion."

(4) Or, "in sheer forgetfulness."

(5) Or, "absorbed our souls in song and festal cheer and dance." Cf.
    "Od." viii. 248, 249, {aiei d' emin dais te phile kitharis te
    khoroi te} | {eimata t' exemoiba loetra te therma kau eunai}, "and
    dear to us ever is the banquet and the harp and the dance, and
    changes of raiment, and the warm bath, and love and sleep"
    (Butcher and Lang).

(6) Reading as vulg. {epithumias}. Breit. cf. "Mem." III. ix. 7; Plat.
    "Phaed." 116 E, "he has eaten and drunk and enjoyed the society of
    his beloved" (Jowett). See "Symp." the finale; or if, after Weiske
    and Cobet, {euthumias}, transl. "to the general hilarity of myself
    and the whole company" (cf. "Cyrop." I. iii. 12, IV. v. 7), but
    this is surely a bathos rhetorically.

(7) Or, "a worse perplexity." See "Hell." VII. iii. 8.

For terror, you know, not only is a source of pain indwelling in the breast itself, but, ever in close attendance, shadowing the path, (8) becomes the destroyer of all sweet joys.

(8) Reading {sumparakolouthon lumeon}. Stob. gives {sumparomarton
lumanter}. For the sentiment cf. "Cyrop." III. i. 25.

And if you know anything of war, Simonides, and war's alarms; if it was your fortune ever to be posted close to the enemy's lines, (9) try to recall to mind what sort of meals you made at those times, with what sort of slumber you courted rest. Be assured, there are no pains you then experienced, no horrors to compare with those that crowd upon the despot, who sees or seems to see fierce eyes of enemies glare at him, not face to face alone, but from every side.

(9) Or, "in the van of battle, opposite the hostile lines."

He had spoken so far, when Simonides took up the thread of the discourse, replying: Excellently put. A part I must admit, of what you say; since war is terrible. Yet, Hiero, you forget. When we, at any rate, are out campaigning, we have a custom; we place sentinels at the outposts, and when the watch is set, we take our suppers and turn in undauntedly.

And Hiero answered: Yes, I can well believe you, for the laws are the true outposts, (10) who guard the sentinels, keeping their fears alive both for themselves and in behalf of you. Whereas the tyrant hires his guards for pay like harvest labourers. (11) Now of all functions, all abilities, none, I presume, is more required of a guard than that of faithfulness; and yet one faithful man is a commodity more hard to find than scores of workmen for any sort of work you like to name; (12) and the more so, when the guards in question are not forthcoming except for money's sake; (13) and when they have it in their power to get far more in far less time by murdering the despot than they can hope to earn by lengthened service in protecting him.

(10) Or, "beyond the sentinels themselves is set the outpost of the
    laws, who watch the watch."

(11) Or, "ten-day labourers in harvest-time."

(12) Or, "but to discover one single faithful man is far more
    difficult than scores of labourers in any field of work you
    please."

(13) Or, "are merely hirelings for filthy lucre's sake."

And as to that which roused your envy—our ability, as you call it, to benefit our friends most largely, and beyond all else, to triumph over our foes—here, again, matters are not as you suppose.

How, for instance, can you hope to benefit your friends, when you may rest assured the very friend whom you have made most your debtor will be the happiest to quit your sight as fast as may be? since nobody believes that anything a tyrant gives him is indeed his own, until he is well beyond the donor's jurisdiction.

So much for friends, and as to enemies conversely. How can you say "most power of triumphing over our enemies," when every tyrant knows full well they are all his enemies, every man of them, who are despotically ruled by him? And to put the whole of them to death or to imprison them is hardly possible; or who will be his subjects presently? Not so, but knowing they are his enemies, he must perform this dexterous feat: (14) he must keep them at arm's length, and yet be compelled to lean upon them.

(14) Lit. "he must at one and the same moment guard against them, and
yet be driven also to depend upon them."

But be assured, Simonides, that when a tyrant fears any of his citizens, he is in a strait; it is ill work to see them living and ill work to put them to the death. Just as might happen with a horse; a noble beast, but there is that in him makes one fear he will do some mischief presently past curing. (15) His very virtue makes it hard to kill the creature, and yet to turn him to account alive is also hard; so careful must one be, he does not choose the thick of danger to work irreparable harm. And this, further, doubtless holds of all goods and chattels, which are at once a trouble and a benefit. If painful to their owners to possess, they are none the less a source of pain to part with.

(15) Lit. "good but fearful (i.e. he makes one fear), he will some day
do some desperate mischief."

Now when he had heard these reasonings, Simonides replied: O Hiero, there is a potent force, it would appear, the name of which is honour, so attractive that human beings strain to grasp it, (1) and in the effort they will undergo all pains, endure all perils. It would further seem that even you, you tyrants, in spite of all that sea of trouble which a tyranny involves, rush headlong in pursuit of it. You must be honoured. All the world shall be your ministers; they shall carry out your every injunction with unhesitating zeal. (2) You shall be the cynosure of neighbouring eyes; men shall rise from their seats at your approach; they shall step aside to yield you passage in the streets. (3) All present shall at all times magnify you, (4) and shall pay homage to you both with words and deeds. Those, I take it, are ever the kind of things which subjects do to please the monarch, (5) and thus they treat each hero of the moment, whom they strive to honour. (6)

(1) Lit. "that human beings will abide all risks and undergo all pains
    to clutch the bait."

(2) Cf. "Cyrop." II. iii. 8; VIII. i. 29.

(3) Cf. "Mem." II. iii. 16; "Cyrop." VII. v. 20.

(4) {gerairosi}, poetic. Cf. "Cyrop." VIII. i. 39; "Hell." I. vii. 33;
    "Econ." iv. 8; "Herod." v. 67; Pind. "O." iii. 3, v. 11; "N." v.
    15; "Od." xiv. 437, 441; "Il." vii. 321; Plat. "Rep." 468 D,
    quoting "Il." vii. 321.

(5) Reading {tois turannois}, or if {tous turannous}, after Cobet,
    "That is how they treat crowned heads."

(6) Cf. Tennyson, "Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington":

        With honour, honour, honour to him,
        Eternal honour to his name.

Yes, Hiero, and herein precisely lies the difference between a man and other animals, in this outstretching after honour. (7) Since, it would seem, all living creatures alike take pleasure in meats and drinks, in sleep and sexual joys. Only the love of honour is implanted neither in unreasoning brutes (8) nor universally in man. But they in whose hearts the passion for honour and fair fame has fallen like a seed, these unmistakably (9) are separated most widely from the brutes. These may claim to be called men, (10) not human beings merely. So that, in my poor judgment, it is but reasonable you should submit to bear the pains and penalties of royalty, since you are honoured far beyond all other mortal men. And indeed no pleasure known to man would seem to be nearer that of gods than the delight (11) which centres in proud attributes.

(7) Or, "in this strong aspiration after honour." Holden aptly cf.
    "Spectator," No. 467: "The love of praise is a passion deeply
    fixed in the mind of every extraordinary person; and those who are
    most affected with it seem most to partake of that particle of the
    divinity which distinguishes mankind from the inferior creation."

(8) {alogous}, i.e. "without speech and reason"; cf. modern Greek {o
    alogos} = the horse (sc. the animal par excellence). See
    "Horsemanship," viii. 14.

(9) {ede}, "ipso facto."

(10) See "Anab." I. vii. 4; Frotscher ap. Breit. cf. Cic. "ad Fam." v.
    17. 5, "ut et hominem te et virum esse meminisses."

(11) Or, "joyance."

To these arguments Hiero replied: Nay, but, Simonides, the honours and proud attributes bestowed on tyrants have much in common with their love-makings, as I described them. Like honours like loves, the pair are of a piece.

For just as the ministrations won from loveless hearts (12) are felt to be devoid of grace, and embraces forcibly procured are sweet no longer, so the obsequious cringings of alarm are hardly honours. Since how shall we assert that people who are forced to rise from their seats do really rise to honour those whom they regard as malefactors? or that these others who step aside to let their betters pass them in the street, desire thus to show respect to miscreants? (13) And as to gifts, it is notorious, people commonly bestow them largely upon those they hate, and that too when their fears are gravest, hoping to avert impending evil. Nay, these are nothing more nor less than acts of slavery, and they may fairly be set down as such.

(12) Or, "the compliance of cold lips where love is not reciprocated
is..."

(13) Or, "to rank injustice."

But honours have a very different origin, (14) as different to my mind as are the sentiments to which they give expression. See how, for instance, men of common mould will single out a man, who is a man, (15) they feel, and competent to be their benefactor; one from whom they hope to reap rich blessings. His name lives upon their lips in praise. As they gaze at him, each one among them sees in him a private treasure. Spontaneously they yield him passage in the streets. They rise from their seats to do him honour, out of love not fear; they crown him for his public (16) virtue's sake and benefactions. They shower gifts upon him of their own free choice. These same are they who, if my definition holds, may well be said to render honour to their hero by such service, whilst he that is held worthy of these services is truly honoured. And for my part I can but offer my congratulations to him. "God bless him," say I, perceiving that so far from being the butt of foul conspiracy, he is an object of anxiety to all, lest evil should betide him; and so he pursues the even tenour of his days in happiness exempt from fears and jealousy (17) and risk. But the current of the tyrant's life runs differently. Day and night, I do assure you, Simonides, he lives like one condemned by the general verdict of mankind to die for his iniquity.

(14) Lit. "Honours would seem to be the outcome and expression of
    conditions utterly remote from these, in fact their very
    opposites."

(15) Cf. Napoleon's accost of Goethe, "Vous etes un homme," and "as
    Goethe left the room, Napoleon repeated to Berthier and Daru,
    'Voila un homme!'" ("The Life of Goethe," Lewes, p. 500).

(16) Reading {koines}, which ought to mean "common to them and him";
    if with Cobet {koine}, "in public crown him for his virtue's sake,
    a benefactor."

(17) Or, "without reproach."

Now when Simonides had listened to these reasonings to the end, (18) he answered: How is it, Hiero, if to play the tyrant is a thing so villainous, (19) and that is your final judgment, how comes it you are not quit of so monstrous an evil? Neither you, nor, for that matter, any monarch else I ever heard of, having once possessed the power, did ever of his own free will divest himself of sovereignty. How is that, Hiero?

(18) Cf. "Econ." xi. 1.

(19) Or, "if to monarchise and play the despot."

For one simple reason (the tyrant answered), and herein lies the supreme misery of despotic power; it is not possible even to be quit of it. (20) How could the life of any single tyrant suffice to square the account? How should he pay in full to the last farthing all the moneys of all whom he has robbed? with what chains laid upon him make requital to all those he has thrust into felons' quarters? (21) how proffer lives enough to die in compensation of the dead men he has slain? how die a thousand deaths?

(20) Holden aptly cf. Plut. "Sol." 14, {kalon men einai ten torannida
    khorion, ouk ekhein de apobasin}, "it was true a tyrrany was a
    very fair spot, but it had no way down from it" (Clough, i. p.
    181).

(21) Or, "how undergo in his own person the imprisonments he has
    inflicted?" Reading {antipaskhoi}, or if {antiparaskhoi}, transl.
    "how could he replace in his own person the exact number of
    imprisonments which he has inflicted on others?"

Ah, no! Simonides (he added), if to hang one's self outright be ever gainful to pour mortal soul, then, take my word for it, that is the tyrant's remedy: there's none better suited (22) to his case, since he alone of all men is in this dilemma, that neither to keep nor lay aside his troubles profits him.

(22) Or, "nought more profitable to meet the case." The author plays
on {lusitelei} according to his wont.

Here Simonides took up the thread of the discourse (1) as follows: That for the moment, Hiero, you should be out of heart regarding tyranny (2) I do not wonder, since you have a strong desire to be loved by human beings, and you are persuaded that it is your office which balks the realisation of your dream.

(1) Al. "took up the speaker thus."

(2) "In reference to despotic rule."

Now, however, I am no less certain I can prove to you that government (3) implies no obstacle to being loved, but rather holds the advantage over private life so far. And whilst investigating if this be really so, let us not embarrass the inquiry by asking whether in proportion to his greater power the ruler is able to do kindness on a grander scale. But put it thus: Two human beings, the one in humble circumstances, (4) the other a despotic ruler, perform a common act; which of these twain will, under like conditions, (5) win the larger thanks? I will begin with the most trifling (6) examples; and first a simple friendly salutation, "Good day," "Good evening," dropped at sight of some one from the lips of here a ruler, there a private citizen. In such a case, whose salutation will sound the pleasanter to him accosted?

(3) {to arkhein}. Cf. "Cyrop." passim.

(4) "A private person."

(5) Lit. "by like expenditure of power."

(6) {arkhomai soi}. Lit. "I'll begin you with quite commonplace
    examples." Holden cf. Shakesp. "Merry Wives," i. 4. 97, "I'll do
    you your master what good I can"; "Much Ado," ii. 3. 115, "She
    will sit you." For the distinction between {paradeigmaton} =
    examples and {upodeigmata} = suggestions see "Horsem." ii. 2.

Or again, (7) let us suppose that both should have occasion to pronounce a panegyric. Whose compliments will carry farther, in the way of delectation, think you? Or on occasion of a solemn sacrifice, suppose they do a friend the honour of an invitation. (8) In either case it is an honour, but which will be regarded with the greater gratitude, the monarch's or the lesser man's?

(7) "Come now."

(8) Cf. "Mem." II. iii. 11 as to "sacrifices as a means of social
    enjoyment." Dr. Holden cf. Aristot. "Nic. Eth." VIII. ix. 160,
    "And hence it is that these clan communities and hundreds solemnise
    sacrifices, in connection with which they hold large gatherings,
    and thereby not only pay honour to the gods, but also provide for
    themselves holiday and amusement" (R. Williams). Thuc. ii. 38,
    "And we have not forgotten to provide for our weary spirits many
    relaxations from toil; we have regular games and sacrifices
    throughout the year" (Jowett). Plut. "Them." v., {kai gar
    philothuten onta kai lampron en tais peri tous xenous dapanais
   ...} "For loving to sacrifice often, and to be splendid in his
    entertainment of strangers, he required a plentiful revenue"
    (Clough, i. 236). To which add Theophr. "Char." xv. 2, "The
    Shameless Man": {eita thusas tois theois autos men deipnein par'
    etero, ta de krea apotithenai alsi pasas, k.t.l.}, "then when he
    has been sacrificing to the gods, he will put away the salted
    remains, and will himself dine out" (Jebb).

Or let a sick man be attended with a like solicitude by both. It is plain, the kind attentions of the mighty potentate (9) arouse in the patient's heart immense delight. (10)

(9) "Their mightinesses," or as we might say, "their serene
highnesses." Cf. Thuc. ii. 65.

(10) "The greatest jubilance."

Or say, they are the givers of two gifts which shall be like in all respects. It is plain enough in this case also that "the gracious favour" of his royal highness, even if halved, would more than counterbalance the whole value of the commoner's "donation." (11)

(11) Or, "half the great man's 'bounty' more than outweighs the small
man's present." For {dorema} cf. Aristot. "N. E." I. ix. 2,
"happiness... a free gift of God to men."

Nay, as it seems to me, an honour from the gods, a grace divine, is shed about the path of him the hero-ruler. (12) Not only does command itself ennoble manhood, but we gaze on him with other eyes and find the fair within him yet more fair who is to-day a prince and was but yesterday a private citizen. (13) Again, it is a prouder satisfaction doubtless to hold debate with those who are preferred to us in honour than with people on an equal footing with ourselves.

(12) Lit. "attends the footsteps of the princely ruler." Cf. "Cyrop."
    II. i. 23, Plat. "Laws," 667 B, for a similar metaphorical use of
    the word.

(13) {to arkhein}, "his princely power makes him more noble as a man,
    and we behold him fairer exercising rule than when he functioned
    as a common citizen." Reading {kallio}, or if {edion}, transl. "we
    feast our eyes more greedily upon him."

Why, the minion (with regard to whom you had the gravest fault to find with tyranny), the favourite of a ruler, is least apt to quarrel (14) with gray hairs: the very blemishes of one who is a prince soon cease to be discounted in their intercourse. (15)

(14) Lit. "feels least disgust at age"; i.e. his patron's years and
wrinkles.

(15) Cf. Plat. "Phaedr." 231 B.

The fact is, to have reached the zenith of distinction in itself lends ornament, (16) nay, a lustre effacing what is harsh and featureless and rude, and making true beauty yet more splendid.

(16) Or, "The mere prestige of highest worship helps to adorn." See
    Aristot. "N. E." xi. 17. As to {auto to tetimesthai m. s.} I think
    it is the {arkhon} who is honoured by the rest of men, which
    {time} helps to adorn him. Others seem to think it is the
    {paidika} who is honoured by the {arkhon}. If so, transl.: "The
    mere distinction, the privilege alone of being highly honoured,
    lends embellishment," etc.

Since then, by aid of equal ministrations, you are privileged to win not equal but far deeper gratitude: it would seem to follow, considering the vastly wider sphere of helpfulness which lies before you as administrators, and the far grander scale of your largesses, I say it naturally pertains to you to find yourselves much more beloved than ordinary mortals; or if not, why not?

Hiero took up the challenge and without demur made answer: For this good reason, best of poets, necessity constrains us, far more than ordinary people, to be busybodies. We are forced to meddle with concerns which are the very fount and springhead of half the hatreds of mankind.

We have moneys to exact if we would meet our necessary expenses. Guards must be impressed and sentinels posted wherever there is need of watch and ward. We have to chastise evil-doers; we must put a stop to those who would wax insolent. (17) And when the season for swift action comes, and it is imperative to expedite a force by land or sea, at such a crisis it will not do for us to entrust the affair to easy-goers.

(17) Or, "curb the over-proud in sap and blood."

Further than that, the man who is a tyrant must have mercenaries, and of all the burdens which the citizens are called upon to bear there is none more onerous than this, since nothing will induce them to believe these people are supported by the tyrant to add to his and their prestige, (18) but rather for the sake of his own selfishness and greed.

(18) Reading with Breit. {eis timas}, or if the vulg. {isotimous},
    transl. "as equal merely to themselves in privilege"; or if with
    Schenkl (and Holden, ed. 3) {isotimias}, transl. "their firm
    persuasion is these hirelings are not supported by the tyrant in
    the interests of equality but of undue influence."

To these arguments Simonides in turn made answer: Nay, Hiero, I am far from stating that you have not all these divers matters to attend to. They are serious duties, (1) I admit. But still, what strikes me is, if half these grave responsibilities do lend themselves undoubtedly to hatred, (2) the remaining half are altogether gratifying. Thus, to teach others (3) arts of highest virtue, and to praise and honour each most fair performance of the same, that is a type of duty not to be discharged save graciously. Whilst, on the other hand, to scold at people guilty of remissness, to drive and fine and chasten, these are proceedings doubtless which go hand in hand with hate and bitterness.

(1) Cf. "Econ." vii. 41.

(2) Or, "tend indisputably to enmity."

(3) Or, "people," "the learner."

What I would say then to the hero-ruler is: Wherever force is needed, the duty of inflicting chastisement should be assigned to others, but the distribution of rewards and prizes must be kept in his own hands. (4)

(4) Cf. "Cyrop." VIII. ii. 27; ib. i. 18; "Hipparch," i. 26.

Common experience attests the excellence of such a system. (5) Thus when we (6) wish to set on foot a competition between choruses, (7) it is the function of the archon (8) to offer prizes, whilst to the choregoi (9) is assigned the duty of assembling the members of the band; (10) and to others (11) that of teaching and applying force to those who come behindhand in their duties. There, then, you have the principle at once: The gracious and agreeable devolves on him who rules, the archon; the repellent counterpart (12) on others. What is there to prevent the application of the principle to matters politic in general? (13)

(5) Or, "current incidents bear witness to the beauty of the
    principle."

(6) {emin}. The author makes Simonides talk as an Athenian.

(7) Lit. "when we wish our sacred choirs to compete."

(8) Or, "magistrate"; at Athens the Archon Eponymos. See Boeckh, "P.
    E. A." p. 454 foll. Al. the {athlethetai}. See Pollux, viii. 93;
    cf. Aeschin. "c. Ctes." 13.

(9) Or more correctly at Athens the choragoi = leaders of the chorus.

(10) i.e. the choreutai.

(11) Sc. the choro-didaskaloi, or chorus-masters.

(12) {ta antitupa}, "the repellent obverse," "the seamy side." Cf.
    Theogn. 1244, {ethos ekhon solion pistios antitupon}. "Hell." VI.
    iii. 11.

(13) Or, "Well then, what reason is there why other matters of
    political concern—all other branches of our civic life, in
    fact—should not be carried out on this same principle?"

All states as units are divided into tribes ({thulas}), or regiments ({moras}), or companies ({lokhous}), and there are officers ({arkhontes}) appointed in command of each division. (14)

(14) e.g. Attica into ten phylae, Lacedaemon into six morae, Thebes
and Argos into lochi. See Aristot. "Pol." v. 8 (Jowett, i. 166);
"Hell." VI. iv. 13; VII. ii. 4.

Well then, suppose that some one were to offer prizes (15) to these political departments on the pattern of the choric prizes just described; prizes for excellence of arms, or skill in tactics, or for discipline and so forth, or for skill in horsemanship; prizes for prowess (16) in the field of battle, bravery in war; prizes for uprightness (17) in fulfilment of engagements, contracts, covenants. If so, I say it is to be expected that these several matters, thanks to emulous ambition, will one and all be vigorously cultivated. Vigorously! why, yes, upon my soul, and what a rush there would be! How in the pursuit of honour they would tear along where duty called: with what promptitude pour in their money contributions (18) at a time of crisis.

(15) See "Revenues," iii. 3; A. Zurborg, "de. Xen. Lib. qui {Poroi}
    inscribitur," p. 42.

(16) Cf. "Hell." III. iv. 16; IV. ii. 5 foll.

(17) "In reward for justice in, etc." See "Revenues," l.c.; and for
    the evil in question, Thuc. i. 77; Plat. "Rep." 556.

(18) {eispheroien}, techn. of the war-tax at Athens. See "Revenues,"
    iii. 7 foll.; iv. 34 foll.; Thuc. iii. 19; Boeckh, "P. E. A." pp.
    470, 539. Cf. Aristot. "Pol." v. 11. 10, in illustration of the
    tyrant's usual method of raising money.

And that which of all arts is the most remunerative, albeit the least accustomed hitherto to be conducted on the principle of competition (19)—I mean agriculture—itself would make enormous strides, if some one were to offer prizes in the same way, "by farms and villages," to those who should perform the works of tillage in the fairest fashion. Whilst to those members of the state who should devote themselves with might and main to this pursuit, a thousand blessings would be the result. The revenues would be increased; and self-restraint be found far more than now, in close attendance on industrious habits. (20) Nay further, crimes and villainies take root and spring less freely among busy workers.

(19) Al. "and what will be the most repaying... being a department
of things least wont," etc.

(20) Or, "soundness of soul much more be found allied with
occupation."

Once more, if commerce (21) is of any value to the state, then let the merchant who devotes himself to commerce on the grandest scale receive some high distinction, and his honours will draw on other traders in his wake.

(21) Cf. "Revenues," l.c.

Or were it made apparent that the genius who discovers a new source of revenue, which will not be vexatious, will be honoured, by the state, a field of exploration will at once be opened, which will not long continue unproductive. (22)

(22) Lit. "that too is an inquiry which will not long lie fallow."

And to speak compendiously, if it were obvious in each department that the introducer of any salutary measure whatsoever will not remain unhonoured, that in itself will stimulate a host of pople who will make it their business to discover some good thing or other for the state. Wherever matters of advantage to the state excite deep interest, of necessity discoveries are made more freely and more promptly perfected. But if you are afraid, O mighty prince, that through the multitude of prizes offered (23) under many heads, expenses also must be much increased, consider that no articles of commerce can be got more cheaply than those which people purchase in exchange for prizes. Note in the public contests (choral, equestrian, or gymnastic) (24) how small the prizes are and yet what vast expenditure of wealth and toil, and painful supervision these elicit. (25)

(23) Reading {protithemenon} with Cobet.

(24) Lit. "hippic, gymnic, and choregic contests."

(25) e.g. "in the choral dances (1) money on the part of the choragoi;
    (2) pains on the part of the choreutai; (3) supervising care on
    the part of the choro-didaskoi, and so mutatis mutandis of the
    hippic and gymnic."

And Hiero replied: Thus far you reason prettily, methinks, Simonides; but about these mercenary troops have you aught to say? Can you suggest a means to avoid the hatred of which they are the cause? Or will you tell me that a ruler who has won the affection of his subjects has no need for body-guards?

Nay, in good sooth (replied Simonides), distinctly he will need them none the less. I know it is with certain human beings as with horses, some trick of the blood they have, some inborn tendency; the more their wants are satisfied, the more their wantonness will out. Well then, to sober and chastise wild spirits, there is nothing like the terror of your men-at-arms. (1) And as to gentler natures, (2) I do not know by what means you could bestow so many benefits upon them as by means of mercenaries.

(1) Lit. "spear-bearers"; the title given to the body-guard of kings
and tyrants.

(2) Lit. "the beautiful and good," the {kalois kagathois}. See "Econ."
vi. 11 foll.

Let me explain: You keep them, I presume, in the first instance, for yourself, as guards of your own person. But for masters, owners of estates and others, to be done to death with violence by their own slaves is no unheard-of thing. Supposing, then, the first and foremost duty laid on mercenary troops were this: they are the body-guards of the whole public, and bound as such to come to the assistance of all members of the state alike, in case they shall detect some mischief brewing (3) (and miscreants do spring up in the hearts of states, as we all know); I say then, if these mercenary troops were under orders to act as guardians of the citizens, (4) the latter would recognise to whom they were indebted.