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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 themthe 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 patriota
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。
VI
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 slumberthese 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