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Hiero







by Xenophon







Translation by H。 G。 Dakyns

















Xenophon the Athenian was born 431 B。C。 He was a



pupil of Socrates。 He marched with the Spartans;



and was exiled from Athens。 Sparta gave him land



and property in Scillus; where he lived for many



years before having to move once more; to settle



in Corinth。 He died in 354 B。C。









The Hiero is an imaginary dialogue; c。 474 B。C。;



between Simonides of Ceos; the poet; and Hieron;



of Syracuse and Gela; the despot。























HIERO; or 〃THE TYRANT〃







A Discourse on Despotic Rule











I







Once upon a time Simonides the poet paid a visit to Hiero the



〃tyrant;〃'1' and when both obtained the liesure requisite; Simonides



began this conversation:







'1' Or; 〃came to the court of the despotic monarch Hiero。〃 For the



    〃dramatis personae〃 see Dr。 Holden's Introduction to the 〃Hieron〃



    of Xenophon。







Would you be pleased to give me information; Hiero; upon certain



matters; as to which it is likely you have greater knowledge than



myself?'2'







'2' Or; 〃would you oblige me by explaining certain matters; as to



    which your knowledge naturally transcends my own?〃







And pray; what sort of things may those be (answered Hiero); of which



I can have greater knowledge than yourself; who are so wise a man?







I know (replied the poet) that you were once a private person;'3' and



are now a monarch。 It is but likely; therefore; that having tested



both conditions;'4' you should know better than myself; wherein the



life of the despotic ruler differs from the life of any ordinary



person; looking to the sum of joys and sorrows to which flesh is heir。







'3' Or; 〃a common citizen;〃 〃an ordinary mortal;〃 〃a private



    individual。〃







'4' Or; 〃having experienced both lots in life; both forms of



    existence。〃







Would it not be simpler (Hiero replied) if you; on your side;'5' who



are still to…day a private person; would refresh my memory by



recalling the various circumstances of an ordinary mortal's life? With



these before me;'6' I should be better able to describe the points of



difference which exist between the one life and the other。







'5' Simonides is still in the chrysalis or grub condition of private



    citizenship; he has not broken the shell as yet of ordinary



    manhood。







'6' Lit。 〃in that case; I think I should best be able to point out the



    'differentia' of either。〃







Thus it was that Simonides spoke first: Well then; as to private



persons; for my part I observe;'7' or seem to have observed; that we



are liable to various pains and pleasures; in the shape of sights;



sounds; odours; meats; and drinks; which are conveyed through certain



avenues of senseto wit; the eyes; ears; nostrils; mouth。 And there



are other pleasures; those named of Aphrodite; of which the channels



are well known。 While as to degree of heat and cold; things hard and



soft; things light and heavy; the sense appealed to here; I venture to



believe; is that of the whole body;'8' whereby we discern these



opposites; and derive from them now pain; now pleasure。 But with



regard to things named good and evil;'9' it appears to me that



sometimes the mind (or soul) itself is the sole instrument by which we



register our pains and pleasures; whilst at other times such pains and



pleasures are derived conjointly through both soul and body。'10' There



are some pleasures; further; if I may trust my own sensations; which



are conveyed in sleep; though how and by what means and when



precisely; are matters as to which I am still more conscious of my



ignorance。 Nor is it to be wondered at perhaps; if the perceptions of



waking life in some way strike more clearly on our senses than do



those of sleep。'11'







'7' Or; 〃if I may trust my powers of observation I would say that



    common men are capable of pains and pleasures conveyed through



    certain avenues of sense; as sight through our eyes; sounds



    through our ears; smells through our noses; and meats and drinks



    through our mouths。〃







'8' Cf。 Cic。 〃de N。 D。〃 ii。 56; S。 141。







'9' Reading {edesthai te kai lupeisthai 。 。 。} or if with Breit



    reading {ote d' au lupeisthai}; transl。 〃then as to good and evil



    we are affected pleasurably or painfully; as the case may be:



    sometimes; if I am right in my conclusion; through the mind itself



    alone; at other times 。 。 。〃







'10' Or; 〃they are mental partly; partly physical。〃







'11' Lit。 〃the incidents of waking life present sensations of a more



    vivid character。〃







To this statement Hiero made answer: And I; for my part; O Simonides;



would find it hard to state; outside the list of things which you have



named yourself; in what respect the despot can have other channels of



perception。'12' So that up to this point I do not see that the



despotic life differs in any way at all from that of common people。







'12' i。e。 〃being like constituted; the autocratic person has no other



    sources of perception: he has no claim to a wider gamut of



    sensation; and consequently thus far there is not a pin to choose



    between the life of the despot and that of a private person。〃







Then Simonides: Only in this respect it surely differs; in that the



pleasures which the 〃tyrant〃 enjoys through all these several avenues



of sense are many times more numerous; and the pains he suffers are



far fewer。







To which Hiero: Nay; that is not so; Simonides; take my word for it;



the fact is rather that the pleasures of the despot are far fewer than



those of people in a humbler condition; and his pains not only far



more numerous; but more intense。







That sounds incredible (exclaimed Simonides); if it were really so;



how do you explain the passionate desire commonly displayed to wield



the tyrant's sceptre; and that too on the part of persons reputed to



be the ablest of men? Why should all men envy the despotic monarch?







For the all…sufficient reason (he replied) that they form conclusions



on the matter without experience of the two conditions。 And I will try



to prove to you the truth of what I say; beginning with the faculty of



vision; which; unless my memory betrays me; was your starting…point。







Well then; when I come to reason'13' on the matter; first of all I



find that; as regards the class of objects of which these orbs of



vision are the channel;'14' the despot has the disadvantage。 Every



region of the world; each country on this fair earth; presents objects



worthy of contemplation; in quest of which the ordinary citizen will



visit; as the humour takes him; now some city 'for the sake of



spectacles';'15' or again; the great national assemblies;'16' where



sights most fitted to entrance the gaze of multitudes would seem to be



collected。'17' But the despot has neither part nor lot in these high



festivals;'18' seeing it is not safe for him to go where he will find



himself at the mercy of the assembled crowds;'19' nor are his home



affairs in such security that he can leave them to the guardianship of



others; whilst he visits foreign parts。 A twofold apprehension haunts



him:'20' he will be robbed of his throne; and at the same time be



powerless to take vengeance on his wrongdoer。'21'







'13' {logizomenos}; 〃to apply my moral algebra。〃







'14' {en tois dia tes opseos theamasi}。

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