按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
and drinks； but he must bid his serving…men before the feast begins； or
ever the libation to the gods is poured；＇4＇ to taste the viands； out of sheer
mistrust there may be mischief lurking in the cup or platter。＇5＇ ＇3＇ Or；
〃from this 。 。 。 is almost absolutely debarred。〃
＇4＇ 〃Or ever grace is said。〃
＇5＇ Cf。 〃Cyrop。〃 I。 iii。 4。
Once more； the rest of mankind find in their fatherland a treasure
worth all else beside。 The citizens form their own body…guard＇6＇ without
pay or service…money against slaves and against evil…doers。 It is theirs to
see that none of themselves； no citizen； shall perish by a violent death。
And they have advanced so far along the path of guardianship＇7＇ that in
many cases they have framed a law to the effect that 〃not the associate
even of one who is blood…guilty shall be accounted pure。〃 So that； by
reason of their fatherland；＇8＇ each several citizen can live at quiet and
secure。
＇6＇ 〃Are their own 'satellites；' spear…bearers。〃 Cf。 Thuc。 i。 130；
Herod。 ii。 168； vii。 127。
＇7＇ 〃Pushed so far the principle of mutual self…aid。〃
＇8＇ 〃Thanks to the blessing of a fatherland each citizen may spend his
days in peace and safety。〃
20
… Page 21…
Hiero
But for the tyrant it is again exactly the reverse。＇9＇ Instead of aiding or
avenging their despotic lord； cities bestow large honours on the slayer of a
tyrant； ay； and in lieu of excommunicating the tyrannicide from sacred
shrines；＇10＇ as is the case with murderers of private citizens； they set up
statues of the doers of such deeds＇11＇ in temples。
＇9＇ 〃Matters are once more reversed precisely；〃 〃it is all 'topsy…
turvy。'〃
＇10＇ 〃And sacrifices。〃 Cf。 Dem。 〃c。 Lept。〃 137； ｛en toinun tois peri
touton nomois o Drakon 。 。 。 katharon diorisen einai｝。 〃Now in the
laws upon this subject； Draco； although he strove to make it fearful
and dreadful for a man to slay another； and ordained that the
homicide should be excluded from lustrations； cups； and drink…
offerings； from the temples and the market…place； specifying
everything by which he thought most effectually to restrain people
from such a practice； still did not abolish the rule of justice； but laid
down the cases in which it should be lawful to kill； and declared that
the killer under such circumstances should be deemed pure〃 （C。 R。
Kennedy）。
＇11＇ e。g。 Harmodius and Aristogeiton。 See Dem。 loc。 cit。 138： 〃The
same rewards that you gave to Harmodius and Aristogiton；〃
concerning whom Simonides himself wrote a votive couplet：
｛'E meg' 'Athenaioisi phoos geneth' enik' 'Aristogeiton
'Ipparkhon kteine kai 'Armodios。｝
But if you imagine that the tyrant； because he has more possessions
than the private person； does for that reason derive greater pleasure from
them； this is not so either； Simonides； but it is with tyrants as with athletes。
Just as the athlete feels no glow of satisfaction in asserting his superiority
over amateurs；＇12＇ but annoyance rather when he sustains defeat at the
hands of any real antagonist； so； too； the tyrant finds little consolation in
the fact＇13＇ that he is evidently richer than the private citizen。 What he
feels is pain； when he reflects that he has less himself than other monarchs。
These he holds to be his true antagonists； these are his rivals in the race for
wealth。
＇12＇ Or； 〃It gives no pleasure to the athlete to win victories over
21
… Page 22…
Hiero
amateurs。〃 See 〃Mem。〃 III。 viii。 7。
＇13＇ Or； 〃each time it is brought home to him that；〃 etc。
Nor does the tyrant attain the object of his heart's desire more quickly
than do humbler mortals theirs。 For consider； what are their objects of
ambition？ The private citizen has set his heart； it may be； on a house； a
farm； a servant。 The tyrant hankers after cities； or wide territory； or
harbours； or formidable citadels； things far more troublesome and more
perilous to achieve than are the pettier ambitions of lesser men。
And hence it is； moreover； that you will find but few＇14＇ private
persons paupers by comparison with the large number of tyrants who
deserve the title；＇15＇ since the criterion of enough； or too much； is not
fixed by mere arithmetic； but relatively to the needs of the individual。＇16＇
In other words； whatever exceeds sufficiency is much； and what falls short
of that is little。＇17＇
＇14＇ Reading as vulg。 ｛alla mentoi kai penetas opsei oukh outos
oligous ton idioton os pollous ton turannon｝。 Lit。 〃however that may
be； you will see not so few private persons in a state of penury as
many despots。〃 Breitenbach del。 ｛oukh｝； and transl。； 〃Daher weist
du auch in dem Masse wenige Arme unter den Privat… leuten finden；
als viele unter den Tyrannen。〃 Stob。； ｛penetas opsei oligous ton
idioton； pollous de ton turannon｝。 Stob。 MS。 Par。； ｛alla mentoi kai
plousious opsei oukh outos oligous ton idioton os penetas pollous
ton turannon｝。 See Holden ad loc。 and crit。 n。
＇15＇ Cf。 〃Mem。〃 IV。 ii。 37。
＇16＇ Or； 〃not by the number of things we have； but in reference to the
use we make of them。〃 Cf。 〃Anab。〃 VII。 vii。 36。
＇17＇ Dr。 Holden aptly cf。 Addison； 〃The Spectator；〃 No。 574； on the
text 〃Non possidentem multa vocaveris recte beatum 。 。 。〃
And on this principle the tyrant； with his multiplicity of goods； is less
well provided to meet necessary expenses than the private person； since
the latter can always cut down his expenditure to suit his daily needs in
any way he chooses； but the tyrant cannot do so； seeing that the largest
expenses of a monarch are also the most necessary； being devoted to
various methods of safeguarding his life； and to cut down any of them
22
… Page 23…
Hiero
would be little less than suicidal。＇18＇
＇18＇ Or； 〃and to curtail these would seem to be self…slaughter。〃
Or； to put it differently； why should any one expend compassion on a
man； as if he were a beggar； who has it in his power to satisfy by just and
honest means his every need？＇19＇ Surely it would be more appropriate to
call that man a wretched starveling beggar rather； who through lack of
means is driven to live by ugly shifts and base contrivances。
＇19＇ i。e。 〃to expend compassion on a man who； etc。； were surely a
pathetic fallacy。〃 Al。 〃Is not the man who has it in his power； etc。； far
above being pitied？〃
Now it is your tyrant who is perpetually driven to iniquitous spoilation
of temples and human beings； through chronic need of money wherewith
to meet inevitable expenses； since he is forced to feed and support an army
（even in times of peace） no less than if there were actual war； or else he
signs his own death…warrant。＇20＇
＇20＇ 〃A daily； hourly constraint is laid upon him to support an army
as in war time； orwrite his epitaph！〃
23
… Page 24…
Hiero
V
But there is yet another sore affliction to which the tyrant is 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
afra