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第4章

hiero-第4章

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overflowing wealth of your possessions; your horses; excellent for



breed and mettle; the choice beauty of your arms; the exquisite finery



of your wives; the gorgeous palaces in which you dwell; and these;



too; furnished with the costliest works of art; add to which the



throng of your retainers; courtiers; followers; not in number only but



accomplishments a most princely retinue; and lastly; but not least of



all; in your supreme ability at once to afflict your foes and benefit



your friends。







'1' Lit。 〃many among those reputed to be men。〃 Cf。 〃Cyrop。〃 V。 v。 33;



    〃Hell。〃 i。 24; 〃their hero〃; and below; viii。 3。 Aristoph。 〃Ach。〃



    78; {oi barbaroi gar andras egountai monous} | {tous pleista



    dunamenous phagein te kai piein}: 〃To the Barbarians 'tis the test



    of manhood: there the great drinkers are the greatest men〃



    (Frere); id。 〃Knights;〃 179; 〃Clouds;〃 823; so Latin 〃vir。〃 See



    Holden ad loc。







'2' 〃Us lesser mortals。〃







To all which Hiero made answer: That the majority of men; Simonides;



should be deluded by the glamour of a despotism in no respect



astonishes me; since it is the very essence of the crowd; if I am not



mistaken; to rush wildly to conjecture touching the happiness or



wretchedness of people at first sight。







Now the nature of a tyrrany is such: it presents; nay flaunts; a show



of costliest possessions unfolded to the general gaze; which rivets



the attention;'3' but the real troubles in the souls of monarchs it



keeps concealed in those hid chambers where lie stowed away the



happiness and the unhappiness of mankind。







'3' There is some redundancy in the phraseology。







I repeat then; I little marvel that the multitude should be blinded in



this matter。 But that you others also; you who are held to see with



the mind's eye more clearly than with the eye of sense the mass of



circumstances;'4' should share its ignorance; does indeed excite my



wonderment。 Now; I know it all too plainly from my own experience;



Simonides; and I assure you; the tyrant is one who has the smallest



share of life's blessings; whilst of its greater miseries he possesses



most。







'4' Lit。 〃the majority of things〃; al。 〃the thousand details of a



    thing。〃







For instance; if peace is held to be a mighty blessing to mankind;



then of peace despotic monarchs are scant sharers。 Or is war a curse?



If so; of this particular pest your monarch shares the largest moiety。



For; look you; the private citizen; unless his city…state should



chance to be engaged in some common war;'5' is free to travel



wheresoe'er he chooses without fear of being done to death; whereas



the tyrant cannot stir without setting his foot on hostile territory。



At any rate; nothing will persuade him but he must go through life



armed; and on all occasions drag about with him armed satellites。 In



the next place; the private citizen; even during an expedition into



hostile territory;'6' can comfort himself in the reflection that as



soon as he gets back home he will be safe from further peril。 Whereas



the tyrant knows precisely the reverse; as soon as he arrives in his



own city; he will find himself in the centre of hostility at once。 Or



let us suppose that an invading army; superior in force; is marching



against a city: however much the weaker population; whilst they are



still outside their walls; may feel the stress of danger; yet once



within their trenches one and all expect to find themselves in



absolute security。 But the tyrant is not out of danger; even when he



has passed the portals of his palace。 Nay! there of all places most;



he feels; he must maintain the strictist watch。'7' Again; to the



private citizen there will come eventually; either through truce or



terms of peace; respite from war; but for the tyrant; the day of peace



will never dawn。 What peace can he have with those over whom he



exercises his despotic sway?'8' Nor have the terms of truce been yet



devised; on which the despotic ruler may rely with confidence。'9'







'5' {koinon}; i。e。 making demands upon the eneriges of all the



    citizens in common; as opposed to the personal character of war as



    conducted by a despot = 〃public;〃 〃patriotic;〃 〃national〃 war。 Al。



    borne by the particular {polis} as member of a league; whether of



    states united for the time being in a {summakhia}; or permanently



    in a confederacy = a 〃federal〃 war。







'6' 〃Even if serving on a campaign in the enemy's country。〃







'7' Or; 〃he has to exercise the utmost vigilance。〃







'8' 〃With those who are 'absolutely governed;' not to say tyrannically



    ruled。〃







'9' Or; 〃which the tyrant may accept in faith and go his way



    rejoicing。〃







Wars doubtless there are;'10' wars waged by states and wars waged by



autocratic monarchs against those whom they have forcibly enslaved;



and in respect of these wars there is no hardship which any member of



the states at war'11' can suffer but the tyrant will feel it also。



That is to say; both must alike be under arms; keep guard; run risks;



and whatever the pains of defeat may be; they are equally sustained by



both。 Up to this point there is no distinction。 The 〃bitters〃 are



equal。 But when we come to estimate the 〃sweets〃 derivable from



warfare between states;'12' the parallel ceases。 The tyrant; if he



shared the pains before; no longer shares the pleasures now。 What



happens when a state has gained the mastery in battle over her



antagonist? It would be hard (I take it) to describe the joy of that



occurrence: joy in the rout; joy in the pursuit; joy in the slaughter



of their enemies; and in what language shall I describe the exultation



of these warriors at their feats of arms? With what assumption they



bind on their brows the glittering wreath of glory;'13' with what



mirth and jollity congratulate themselves on having raised their city



to newer heights of fame。 Each several citizen claims to have shared



in the plan of the campaign;'14' and to have slain the largest number。



Indeed it would be hard to find where false embellishment will not



creep in;'15' the number stated to be the slain exceeding that of



those that actually perished。 So truly glorious a thing it seems to



them to have won a great victory。'16'







'10' Lit。 〃and further; wars there are; waged against forcibly…



    subjected populations whether by free states〃e。g。 of Olynthus;



    〃Hell。〃 V。 ii。 23; or Athens against her 〃subject allies〃 during



    the Pel。 war〃or by despotic rules〃Jason of Pherae (〃Hell。〃



    VI。) Al。 〃wars waged by free states against free states; and wars



    waged by tyrants against enslaved peoples。〃







'11' Does {o en tais polesi} = 〃the citizen〃? So some commentators; or



    (sub。 {polemos}) = 〃the war among states〃 (see Hartman; op。 cit。



    p。 248)? in which case transl。 〃all the hardships involved in



    international war come home to the tyrant also。〃 The same



    obscurity attaches to {oi en tais polesi} below (the commonly



    adopted emend。 of the MS。 {oi sunontes polesi} = 〃the citizens;〃



    or else = 〃international wars。〃







'12' 〃The pleasures incidental to warfare between states〃; al。 〃the



    sweets which citizens engaged in warfare as against rival states



    can count upon。〃







'13' Reading {analambanousin}; or; if after Cobet; etc。;



    {lambanousin}; transl。 〃what brilliant honour; what bright credit



    they assume。〃







'14' 〃To have played his part in counsel。〃 See 〃Anab。〃 passim; a

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