hiero-第7章
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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。
VIII
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 embarass 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 communites 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。〃
IX
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