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！
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
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 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！〃
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 afraid of themthe courageous； lest they
should venture something for the sake of freedom； the wise； lest they
invent some subtle mischief；＇2＇ the just and upright； lest the
multitude should take a fancy to be led by them。
＇1＇ The same epithets occur in Aristoph。 〃Plut。〃 89：
｛ego gar on meirakion epeiles' oti
os tous dikaious kai sophous kai kosmious
monous badioimen。｝
Stob。 gives for ｛kasmious｝ ｛alkimous｝。
＇2＇ Or； 〃for fear of machinations。〃 But the word is suggestive of
mechanical inventions also； like those of Archimedes in connection
with a later Hiero （see Plut。 〃Marcel。〃 xv。 foll。）； or of
Lionardo； or of Michael Angelo （Symonds； 〃Renaissance in Italy；〃
〃T