the seventh letter-第3章

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confederates　in　the　overthrow　of　the　Mede　and　Eunuch；　and　to　these


he　assigned　portions　of　his　empire；　seven　in　number；　each　of　them


greater　than　all　Sicily；　and　they　were　faithful　to　him　and　did　not


attack　either　him　or　one　another。　Thus　he　showed　a　pattern　of　what　the


good　lawgiver　and　king　ought　to　be；　for　he　drew　up　laws　by　which　he


has　secured　the　Persian　empire　in　safety　down　to　the　present　time。


　　Again；　to　give　another　instance；　the　Athenians　took　under　their　rule


very　many　cities　not　founded　by　themselves；　which　had　been　hard　hit　by


the　barbarians　but　were　still　in　existence；　and　maintained　their


rule　over　these　for　seventy　years；　because　they　had　in　each　them　men


whom　they　could　trust。　But　Dionysios；　who　had　gathered　the　whole　of


Sicily　into　a　single　city；　and　was　so　clever　that　he　trusted　no　one；


only　secured　his　own　safety　with　great　difficulty。　For　he　was　badly


off　for　trustworthy　friends；　and　there　is　no　surer　criterion　of　virtue


and　vice　than　this；　whether　a　man　is　or　is　not　destitute　of　such


friends。


　　This；　then；　was　the　advice　which　Dion　and　I　gave　to　Dionysios；


since；　owing　to　bringing　up　which　he　had　received　from　his　father；


he　had　had　no　advantages　in　the　way　of　education　or　of　suitable


lessons；　in　the　first　place。。。；　and；　in　the　second　place；　that；


after　starting　in　this　way；　he　should　make　friends　of　others　among　his


connections　who　were　of　the　same　age　and　were　in　sympathy　with　his


pursuit　of　virtue；　but　above　all　that　he　should　be　in　harmony　with


himself；　for　this　it　was　of　which　he　was　remarkably　in　need。　This　we


did　not　say　in　plain　words；　for　that　would　not　have　been　safe；　but


in　covert　language　we　maintained　that　every　man　in　this　way　would　save


both　himself　and　those　whom　he　was　leading；　and　if　he　did　not　follow


this　path；　he　would　do　just　the　opposite　of　this。　And　after　proceeding


on　the　course　which　we　described；　and　making　himself　a　wise　and


temperate　man；　if　he　were　then　to　found　again　the　cities　of　Sicily


which　had　been　laid　waste；　and　bind　them　together　by　laws　and


constitutions；　so　as　to　be　loyal　to　him　and　to　one　another　in　their


resistance　to　the　attacks　of　the　barbarians；　he　would；　we　told　him；


make　his　father's　empire　not　merely　double　what　it　was　but　many


times　greater。　For；　if　these　things　were　done；　his　way　would　be


clear　to　a　more　complete　subjugation　of　the　Carthaginians　than　that


which　befell　them　in　Gelon's　time；　whereas　in　our　own　day　his　father


had　followed　the　opposite　course　of　levying　attribute　for　the


barbarians。　This　was　the　language　and　these　the　exhortations　given


by　us；　the　conspirators　against　Dionysios　according　to　the　charges


circulated　from　various　sources…charges　which；　prevailing　as　they


did　with　Dionysios；　caused　the　expulsion　of　Dion　and　reduced　me　to　a


state　of　apprehension。　But　when…to　summarise　great　events　which


happened　in　no　great　time…Dion　returned　from　the　Peloponnese　and


Athens；　his　advice　to　Dionysios　took　the　form　of　action。


　　To　proceed…when　Dion　had　twice　over　delivered　the　city　and


restored　it　to　the　citizens；　the　Syracusans　went　through　the　same


changes　of　feeling　towards　him　as　Dionysios　had　gone　through；　when


Dion　attempted　first　to　educate　him　and　train　him　to　be　a　sovereign


worthy　of　supreme　power　and；　when　that　was　done；　to　be　his　coadjutor


in　all　the　details　of　his　career。　Dionysios　listened　to　those　who


circulated　slanders　to　the　effect　that　Dion　was　aiming　at　the


tyranny　in　all　the　steps　which　he　took　at　that　time　his　intention


being　that　Dionysios；　when　his　mind　had　fallen　under　the　spell　of


culture；　should　neglect　the　government　and　leave　it　in　his　hands；


and　that　he　should　then　appropriate　it　for　himself　and　treacherously


depose　Dionysios。　These　slanders　were　victorious　on　that　occasion；


they　were　so　once　more　when　circulated　among　the　Syracusans；　winning　a


victory　which　took　an　extraordinary　course　and　proved　disgraceful　to


its　authors。　The　story　of　what　then　took　place　is　one　which　deserves


careful　attention　on　the　part　of　those　who　are　inviting　me　to　deal


with　the　present　situation。


　　I；　an　Athenian　and　friend　of　Dion；　came　as　his　ally　to　the　court


of　Dionysios；　in　order　that　I　might　create　good　will　in　place　of　a


state　war；　in　my　conflict　with　the　authors　of　these　slanders　I　was


worsted。　When　Dionysios　tried　to　persuade　me　by　offers　of　honours


and　wealth　to　attach　myself　to　him；　and　with　a　view　to　giving　a　decent


colour　to　Dion's　expulsion　a　witness　and　friend　on　his　side；　he　failed


completely　in　his　attempt。　Later　on；　when　Dion　returned　from　exile；　he


took　with　him　from　Athens　two　brothers；　who　had　been　his　friends；


not　from　community　in　philosophic　study；　but　with　the　ordinary


companionship　common　among　most　friends；　which　they　form　as　the　result


of　relations　of　hospitality　and　the　intercourse　which　occurs　when


one　man　initiates　the　other　in　the　mysteries。　It　was　from　this　kind　of


intercourse　and　from　services　connected　with　his　return　that　these　two


helpers　in　his　restoration　became　his　companions。　Having　come　to


Sicily；　when　they　perceived　that　Dion　had　been　misrepresented　to　the


Sicilian　Greeks；　whom　he　had　liberated；　as　one　that　plotted　to


become　monarch；　they　not　only　betrayed　their　companion　and　friend；　but


shared　personally　in　the　guilt　of　his　murder；　standing　by　his


murderers　as　supporters　with　weapons　in　their　hands。　The　guilt　and


impiety　of　their　conduct　I　neither　excuse　nor　do　I　dwell　upon　it。


For　many　others　make　it　their　business　to　harp　upon　it；　and　will


make　it　their　business　in　the　future。　But　I　do　take　exception　to　the


statement　that；　because　they　were　Athenians；　they　have　brought　shame


upon　this　city。　For　I　say　that　he　too　is　an　Athenian　who　refused　to


betray　this　same　Dion；　when　he　had　the　offer　of　riches　and　many


other　honours。　For　his　was　no　common　or　vulgar　friendship；　but


rested　on　community　in　liberal　education；　and　this　is　the　one　thing　in


which　a　wise　man　will　put　his　trust；　far　more　than　in　ties　of　personal


and　bodily　kinship。　So　the　two　murderers　of　Dion　were　not　of


sufficient　importance　to　be　causes　of　disgrace　to　this　city；　as　though


they　had　been　men　of　any　note。


　　All　this　has　been　said　with　a　view　to　counselling　the　friends　and


family　of　Dion。　And　in　addition　to　this　I　give　for　the　third　time　to


you　the　same　advice　and　counsel　which　I　have　given　twice　before　to


others…not　to　enslave　Sicily　or　any　other　State　to　despots…this　my


counsel　but…to　put　it　under　the　rule　of　laws…for　the　other　course　is


better　neither　for　the　enslavers　nor　for　the　enslaved；　for　themselves；


their　children's　children　and　descendants；　the　attempt　is　in　every　way


fraught　with　disaster。　It　is　only　small　and　mean　natures　that　are　bent


upon　seizing　such　gains　for　themselves；　natures　that　know　nothing　of


goodness　and　justice；　divine　as　well　as　human；　in　this　life　and　in　the


next。


　　These　are　the　lessons　which　I　tried　to　teach；　first　to　Dion；


secondly　to　Dionysios；　and　now　for　the　third　time　to　you。　Do　you


obey　me　thinking　of　Zeus　the　Preserver；　the　patron　of　third


ventures；　and　looking　at　the　lot　of　Dionysios　and　Dion；　of　whom　the


one　who　disobeyed　me　is　living　in　dishonour；　while　he　who　obeyed　me


has　died　honourably。　For　the　one　thing　which　is　wholly　right　and　noble


is　to　strive　for　that　which　is　most　honourable　for　a　man's　self　and


for　his　country；　and　to　face　the　consequences　whatever　they　may　be。


For　none　of　us　can　escape　death；　nor；　if　a　man　could　do　so；　would


it；　as　the　vulgar　suppose；　make　him　happy。　For　nothing　evil　or　good；


which　is　worth　mentioning　at　all；　belongs　to　things　soulless；　but　good


or　evil　will　be　the　portion　of　every　soul；　either　while　attached　to


the　body　or　when　separated　from　it。


　　And　we　should　in　very　truth　always　believe　those　ancient　and


sacred　teachings；　which　declare　that　the　soul　is　immortal；　that　it　has


judges；　and　suffers　the　greatest　penalties　when　it　has　been


separated　from　the　body。　Therefore　also　we　should　consider　it　a　lesser


evil　to　suffer　great　wrongs　and　outrages　than　to　do　them。　The　covetous


man；　impoverished　as　he　is　in　the　soul；　turns　a　deaf　ear　to　this


teaching；　or　if　he　hears　it；　he　laughs　it　to　scorn　with　fancied


superiority；　and　shamelessly　snatches　for　himself　from　every　source


whatever　his　bestial　fancy　supposes　will　provide　for　him　the　means


of　eating　or　drinking　or　glutting　himself　with　that　slavish　and


gross　pleasure　which　is　falsely　called　after　the　goddess　of　love。　He


is　blind　and　cannot　see　in　those　acts　of　plunder　which　are　accompanied


by　impiety　what　heinous　guilt　is　attached　to　each　wrongful　deed；　and


that　the　offender　must　drag　with　him　the　burden　of　this　impiety


while　he　moves　about　on　earth；　and　when　he　has　travelled　beneath　the


earth　on　a　journey　which　has　every　circumstance　of　shame　and　misery。


　　It　was　by　urging　these　and　other　like　truths　that　I　convinced


Dion；　and　it　is　I　who　have　the　best　right　to　be　angered　with　his


murderers　in　much　the　same　way　as　I　have　with　Dionysios。　For　both　they


and　he　have　done　the　greatest　injury　to　me；　and　I　might　almost　say


to　all　mankind；　they　by　slaying　the　man　that　was　willing　to　act


righteously；　and　he　by　refusing　to　act　righteously　during　the　whole　of


his　rule；　when　he　held　supreme　power；　in　which　rule　if　philosophy


and　power　had　really　met　together；　it　would　have　sent　forth　a　light　to


all　men；　Greeks　and　barbarians；　establishing　fully　for　all　the　true


belief　that　there　can　be　no　happiness　either　for　the　community　or


for　the　individual　man；　unless　he　passes　his　life　under　the　rule　of


righteousness　with　the　guidance　of　wisdom；　either　possessing　these


virtues　in　himself；　or　living　under　the　rule　of　godly　men　and　having


received　a　right　training　and　education　in　morals。　These　were　the　aims


which　Dionysios　injured；　and　for　me　everything　else　is　a　trifling


injury　compared　with　this。


　　The　murderer　of　Dion　has；　without　knowing　it；　done　the　same　as


Dionysios。　For　as　regards　Dion；　I　know　right　well；　so　far　as　it　is


possible　for　a　man　to　say　anything　positively　about　other　men；　that；


if　he　had　got　the　supreme　power；　he　would　never　have　turned　his　mind


to　any　other　form　of　rule；　but　that；　dealing　first　with　Syracuse；


his　own　native　land；　when　he　had　made　an　end　of　her　slavery；　clothed


her　in　bright　apparel；　and　given　her　the　garb　of　freedom；　he　would


then　by　every　means　in　his　power　have　ordered　aright　the　lives　of


his　fellow…citizens　by　suitable　and　excellent　laws；　and　the　thing　next


in　order；　which　he　would　have　set　his　heart　to　accomplish；　was　to


found　again　all　the　States　of　Sicily　and　make　them　free　from　the


barbarians；　driving　out　some　and　subduing　others；　an　easier　task　for


him　than　it　was　for　Hiero。　If　these　things　had　been　accomplished　by


a　man　who　was　just　and　brave　and　temperate　and　a　philosopher；　the　same


belief　with　regard　to　virtue　would　have　been　established　among　the


majority　which；　if　Dionysios　had　been　won　over；　would　have　been


established；　I　might　almost