Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom

by Dio Chrysostom

  [42] In a similar vein his successors have spoken about government and kingship, following his most wise doctrine as closely as they might.

  [43] λέγεται γὰρ ἡ μὲν ἀρχὴ νόμιμος ἀνθρώπων διοίκησις καὶ πρόνοια ἀνθρώπων κατὰ νόμον, βασιλεία δὲ ἀνυπεύθυνος ἀρχή, βασιλεὺς δὲ καὶ αὐτοκράτωρ ὁ αὐτὸς ἀνυπεύθυνος ἄρχων ὁ δὲ νόμος βασιλέως δόγμα.

  [43] And the very terms they use make the distinctions clear at the outset. “Government” is defined as the lawful ordering of men and as oversight over men in accordance with law; “monarchy,” as an irresponsible government where the king’s will is law;

  [44] ὁ δὲ τύραννος καὶ ἡ τυραννὶς ἐναντίον τούτοις βίαιος καὶ παράνομος χρῆσις ἀνθρώπων τοῦ δοκοῦντος ἰσχύειν πλέον.

  [44] “tyrant,” or rather “tyranny,” on the contrary, as the arbitrary and lawless exploitation of men by one regarded as having superior force on his side.

  [45] οὕτω δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς διανοούμεθα καὶ φαμὲν περὶ τοῦ θείου καὶ θεοφιλοῦς αὐτοκράτορος καὶ βασιλέως τρία γὰρ εἴδη, τὰ φανερώτατα, πολιτειῶν ὀνομάζεται γιγνομένων κατὰ νόμον καὶ δίκην μετὰ δαίμονός τε ἀγαθοῦ καὶ τύχης ὁμοίας: μία μὲν ἡ πρώτη καὶ μάλιστα συμβῆναι δυνατή, περὶ ἧς ὁ νῦν λόγος, εὖ διοικουμένης πόλεως ἢ πλειόνων ἐθνῶν ἢ ξυμπάντων ἀνθρώπων ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς ἀγαθοῦ γνώμῃ καὶ ἀρετῇ:

  [45] The three most conspicuous forms of government — governments based on law and justice and enjoying the favour of heaven and fortune — are expressly named. One is the first to come into existence and the most practicable — that which forms the subject of the present address — where we have a city, or a number of peoples, or the whole world, well ordered by one good man’s judgment and virtue; second, the so-called “aristocracy,”

  [46] δευτέρα δὲ ἀριστοκρατία καλουμένη, οὔτε ἑνὸς οὔτε πολλῶν τινων, ἀλλὰ ὀλίγων τῶν ἀρίστων ἡγουμένων, πλεῖον ἀπέχουσα ἤδη τοῦ δυνατοῦ καὶ τοῦ συμφέροντος: τοῦτο ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ καὶ Ὅμηρος εἰπεῖν διανοηθείς,

  οὐκ ἀγαθὸν πολυκοιρανίη: εἷς κοίρανος ἔστω,

  εἷς βασιλεύς, ᾧ ἔδωκε Κρόνου παῖς ἀγκυλομήτεω.

  [46] where not one man, nor a considerable number of men, but a few, and they the best, are in control — a form of government, at length, far from being either practicable or expedient. It seems to me that Homer too had this in mind when he said:

  “The rule

  Of the many is not well. One must be chief

  In war, and one the king, to whom the son

  Of Cronus, crafty in counsel, the sceptre doth give.”

  [47] τρίτη δὲ πασῶν ἀδυνατωτάτη σχεδὸν ἡ σωφροσύνῃ καὶ ἀρετῇ δήμου προσδοκῶσά ποτε εὑρήσειν κατάστασιν ἐπιεικῆ καὶ νόμιμον, δημοκρατία προσαγορευομένη, ἐπιεικὲς ὄνομα καὶ πρᾷον, εἴπερ ἦν δυνατόν.

  [47] Third, possibly the most impracticable one of all, the one that expects by the self-control and virtue of the common people some day to find an equitable constitution based on law. Men call it “democracy” — a specious and inoffensive name, if the thing were but practicable.

  [48] τρισὶ δὲ ταύταις, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, πολιτείαις τρεῖς ἐναντίαι καὶ παράνομοι διαφθοραί, ἡ μὲν πρώτη τε καὶ ἀρίστη καὶ μόνη [p. 42] δυνατή, τυραννίς, ἑνὸς ὕβρει καὶ βίᾳ τοῦ κακίστου τῶν ἄλλων ἀπολλυμένων: ἡ δὲ μετ᾽ ἐκείνην ὀλιγαρχία, σκληρὰ καὶ ἄδικος πλεονεξία πλουσίων τινῶν καὶ πονηρῶν ὀλίγων ἐπὶ τοὺς πολλοὺς καὶ ἀπόρους συστᾶσα:

  [48] To these forms of government — three in number, as I have said — are opposed three degenerate forms not based on law: The first is “tyranny,” where one man’s high-handed use of force is the ruin of others. Next comes oligarchy, harsh and unjust, arising from the aggrandizement of a certain few wealthy rascals at the expense of the needy masses.

  [49] ἡ δὲ ἑξῆς ποικίλη καὶ παντοδαπὴ φορὰ πλήθους οὐδὲν εἰδότος ἁπλῶς, ταραττομένου δὲ ἀεὶ καὶ ἀγριαίνοντοσὑπὸ ἀκολάστων δημαγωγῶν, ὥσπερ κλύδωνος ἀγρίου καὶ χαλεποῦ ὑπὸ ἀνέμων σκληρῶν μεταβαλλομένου. τούτων μὲν οὖν ὁ λόγος ἄλλως ἐπεμνήσθη, πολλὰ παθήματα καὶ συμφορὰς ἑκάστης αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ πρότερον χρόνου δεῖξαι δυνάμενος:

  [49] The next in order is a motley impulsive mob of all sorts and conditions of men who know absolutely nothing but are always kept in a state of confusion and anger by unscrupulous demagogues, just as a wild rough sea is whipped this way and that by the fierce blasts.

  These degenerate forms I have merely touched on in passing, though I could point to many mischances and disasters that each of them has suffered in the past,

  [50] περὶ δὲ τῆς εὐδαίμονός τε καὶ θείας καταστάσεως τῆς νῦν ἐπικρατούσης χρὴ διελθεῖν ἐπιμελέστερον.πολλαὶ μὲν οὖν εἰκόνες ἐναργεῖς καὶ παραδείγματα οὐκ ἀμυδρὰ τῆσδε τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἔν τε ἀγέλαις καὶ σμήνεσι διασημαινούσης τῆς φύσεως τὴν κατὰ φύσιν τοῦ κρείττονος τῶν ἐλαττόνων ἀρχὴν καὶ πρόνοιαν: οὐ μὴν φανερώτερον οὐδὲ κάλλιον ἕτερον ἂν γένοιτο τῆς τοῦ παντὸς ἡγεμονίας, ἣ ὑπὸ τῷ πρώτῳ τε καὶ ἀρίστῳθεῷ ΤΑ περὶ τοῦ ΔΙΟΣ τοιοῦτος δὲ ὢν πρῶτον μέν ἐστι θεοφιλής,

  [50] but it is my duty to discuss more carefully the happy and god-given polity at present in force. Now there are many close parallels and striking analogies to this form of government to be found in nature, where herds of cattle and swarms of bees indicate clearly that it is natural for the stronger to govern and care for the weaker. However, there could be no more striking or beautiful illustration than that government of the universe which is under the control of the first and best god.

  [51] ἅτε τῆς μεγίστης τυγχάνων παρὰ θεῶν τιμῆς καὶ πίστεως. καὶ πρῶτόν γε καὶ μάλιστα θεραπεύσει τὸ θεῖον, οὐχ ὁμολογῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πεπεισμένος εἶναι θεούς, ἵνα δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔχῃ τοὺς κατ᾽

  [51] A ruler of this character is, to begin with, highly favoured of the gods, seeing that he enjoys their greatest respect and confidence, and he will give the first and chief place to religion, not merely confessing but also believing in his heart that there are gods, to the end that he too may have worthy governors under him.

  [52] ἀξίαν ἄρχοντας. ἡγεῖται δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνθρώποις συμφέρειν τὴν αὑτοῦ πρόνοιαν οὕτως ὡς αὐτῷ τὴν ἐκείνων ἀρχήν. καὶ μὴν ἐκεῖνο ἑαυτῷ συνειδὼς ὡς οὔποτε δῶ
ρον δέξεται παρὰ κακῶν ἀνδρῶν, οὐδὲ τοὺς θεοὺς ἀναθήμασιν οὐδὲ θυσίαις οἴεται χαίρειν τῶν ἀδίκων ἀνδρῶν, παρὰ μόνων δὲ τῶν ἀγαθῶν προσίεσθαι τὰ διδόμενα.τοιγαροῦν θεραπεύειν ἀφθόνως αὐτοὺς σπουδάσει καὶ τούτοις: ἐκείνοις γε μὴν οὐδέποτε παύσεται τιμῶν, τοῖς καλοῖς ἔργοις καὶ [p. 43] ταῖς δικαίαις πράξεσιν. ἕκαστόν γε μὴν τῶν θεῶν ἱλάσκεται κατὰ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δύναμιν.

  [52] And he believes that his own oversight is advantageous to others just as the rule of the gods is to himself. Furthermore, being firmly resolved in his own heart never to receive a gift from wicked men, he believes that the gods also do not delight in the offerings or sacrifices of the unjust, but accept the gifts made by the good alone. Accordingly, he will be zealous to worship them with these also without stint. Of a truth he will never cease honouring them with noble deeds and just acts. Each one, indeed, of the gods he will propitiate as far as within him lies.

  [53] ἡγεῖται δὲ τὴν μὲν ἀρετὴν ὁσιότητα, τὴν δὲ κακίαν πᾶσαν ἀσέβειαν. εἶναι γὰρ ἐναγεῖς καὶ ἀλιτηρίους οὐ μόνον τοὺς τὰ ἱερὰ συλῶντας ἢ λέγοντάς τι βλάσφημον περὶ τῶν θεῶν, ἀλλὰ πολὺ μᾶλλον τούς τε δειλοὺς καὶ ἀδίκους καὶ ἀκρατεῖς καὶ ἀνοήτους καὶ καθόλου τοὺς ἐναντίον τι πράττοντας τῇ τε δυνάμει καὶ βουλήσει τῶν θεῶν.

  [53] Virtue he regards as holiness and vice as utter impiety, being firmly persuaded that not only those who rob temples or blaspheme the gods are sinners and accursed but, much more so, the cowardly, the unjust, the licentious, the fools, and, in general, those who act contrary to the power and will of the gods.

  [54] οὐ μόνον δὲ ἡγεῖται θεούς, ἀλλὰ καὶ δαίμονας καὶ ἥρωας ἀγαθοὺς τὰς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν ψυχὰς μεταβαλούσας ἐκ τῆς θνητῆς φύσεως:

  [54] Furthermore, he believes not only in gods but also in good spirits and demi-gods, which are the souls of good men that have cast off this mortal nature; and in confirming this belief he does no small service to himself as well.

  [55] τοῦτο δὲ βεβαιοῖ τὸ δόγμα οὐχ ἥκιστα χαριζόμενος αὑτῷ. τήν τε τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπιμέλειαν οὐ πάρεργον οὐδὲ ἀσχολίαν ἄλλως νενόμικεν, βαρυνόμενος οἶμαι τὰς φροντίδας, ἀλλὰ ἔργον αὑτοῦ καὶ τέχνην ταύτην. καὶ ὅταν μὲν ἄλλο τι ποιῇ, οὐδὲν ἡγεῖται σπουδαῖον οὐδὲ τῶν αὑτοῦ πράττειν: ὅταν δὲ ἀνθρώπους ὠφελῇ, τότε νομίζει τὸ προσῆκον ἀποτελεῖν, ἅτε ὑπὸ τοῦ μεγίστου θεοῦ ταχθεὶς ἐπὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον, ᾧ ἀπειθεῖν οὐ θέμις οὐδὲν οὐδὲ ἄχθεσθαι.

  [55] Then, the care bestowed on his subjects he does not consider an incidental thing or mere drudgery, when weighed down, let us say, by cares, but as his own work and profession. And when he is otherwise engaged, he does not feel that he is doing anything worth while or that he is attending to his own business; it is only when he helps men that he thinks he is doing his duty, having been appointed to this work by the greatest god, whom it is not right for him to disobey in aught nor yet to feel aggrieved, believing, as he does, that these tasks are his duty.

  [56] ἅτε προσηκούσας αὑτῷ νομίζων τὰς εὐεργεσίας. οὐδεὶς γὰρ οὕτω μαλακὸς οὐδὲ φιλήδονος ὃς οἰχ ἥδεται τῇ αὑτοῦ πράξει, κἂν τύχῃ ἐπίπονος: ὡς ἥκιστα μὲν κυβερνήτης ἂν ἀχθεσθείη τοῖς ἐν θαλάττῃ πόνοις, ἥκιστα δὲ γεωργὸς τοῖς περὶ γεωργίαν ἔργοις, ἥκιστα δὲ κυνηγέτης οἷς δεῖ θηρῶντα κάμνειν: καίτοι σφόδρα μὲν ἐπίπονον γεωργία,

  [56] For no one is so effeminate or enslaved to pleasure as not to like his own occupation even if it chance to be laborious. A sea-captain, for example, never finds his toil at sea irksome, nor a farmer his work in tilling the soil; never is the huntsman wearied by the hardships of the chase; and yet both farming and hunting are most laborious.

  [57] σφόδρα δὲ κυνηγεσία. οὐ μὴν ἀπαξιοῖ τὸ κάμνειν καὶ ἐνοχλεῖσθαι τῶν ἄλλων ἕνεκεν, οὐδὲ ταύτῃ χεῖρον πράττειν νενόμικεν, ἐὰν δέῃ πλείστους αὐτὸν ἀνέχεσθαι πόνους καὶ πλεῖστα πράγματα ἔχειν.

  [57] No indeed, the king does not object to toil and discomfort in behalf of others, nor does he deem his lot any the worse simply because he has to face the most tasks and have the most troubles. For he sees that the sun, too, although inferior to none of the gods, frets not because, to preserve man and life, he must accomplish all his many tasks throughout the ages.

  [62] ὁρᾷ γὰρ ὅτι πανταχοῦ τὸ βέλτιον τοῦ ἥττονος ἔταξεν ὁ θεὸς προνοεῖν [p. 44] τε καὶ ἄρχειν, οἷον τέχνην μὲν ἀτεχνίας, ἀσθενείας δὲ δύναμιν, τοῦ δὲ ἀνοήτου τὸ φρόνιμον προνοεῖν καὶ προβουλεύειν ἐποίησεν. ἐν πάσαις δὲ ταύταις ταῖς ἐπιμελείαις τὸ ἄρχειν οὐδαμῶς ῥᾴθυμον, ἀλλὰ ἐπίπονον, οὐδὲ πλεονεκτοῦν ἀνέσεως καὶ σχολῆς, ἀλλὰ φροντίδων καὶ πόνων.

  [58] And again, he considers courage, self-control, and prudence necessary even for those who disregard justice and wish to play the tyrant, if they are not speedily to perish; nay, he sees that they stand in need of these qualities even more than those others,

  [63] αὐτίκα ἐν νηὶ ἐπιβάταις ἔξεστιν ἀμελεῖνκαὶ μηδὲ ὁρᾶν τὴν θάλατταν, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ ὅποι γῆς εἰσι, τὸ τοῦ λόγου, τοῦτο εἰδέναι: καὶ πολλοὶ τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον πλέουσι ταῖς εὐδίαις, οἱ μὲν πεττεύοντες, οἱ δὲ ᾄδοντες, οἱ δὲ εὐωχούμενοι δι᾽ ἡμέρας: ὅταν δὲ καταλάβῃ χειμών, ἐγκαλυψάμενοι περιμένουσι τὸ συμβησόμενον: οἱ δέ τινες καθυπνώσαντες οὐδὲ ἀνέστησαν, ἕως

  [59] and that the more such a man is beset by those who hate him and by those who plot against him, while he has no one on whom he can rely or look to for sympathy; so much the more, if he is to remain safe for any time, must he be on the alert and use his wits, guarding against defeat by his enemies and plotting to have full knowledge of the plotters, and so much the more must he abstain from pleasure and refuse to yield under any pressure to the allurement of high living, sloth, and carnal pleasure — yea, much more than the man beloved by all who has no one plotting against him.

  [64] ἐγένοντο ἐν τῷ λιμένι. τῷ κυβερνήτῃ δὲ ἀνάγκη μὲν ὁρᾶν πρὸς τὸ πέλαγος, ἀνάγκη δὲ ἀποβλέπειν εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, ἀνάγκη δὲ προσκοπεῖν τὴν γῆν: οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τὰ ἐν τῷ βυθῷ χρὴ λανθάνειν αὐτόν, ἢ λήσεται περιπεσὼν ὑφάλοις πέτραις ἢ ἀδήλοις ἕρμασι:

  [60] Therefore, if the unjust ruler must have the same anxieties as the other — or even more — and much more e
xacting toil, if he must equally steel himself against pleasure, must equally face danger, how much better it is for him to show justice and virtue rather than wickedness and injustice in doing all this, to win credit rather than censure for his acts, to have the love of men and gods instead of their hate?

  [65] μόνῳ δὲ ἐκείνῳ τῆς μὲν νυκτὸς ἧττον ἔξεστι καθυπνῶσαι ἢ τοῖσνηχομένοις: ἡμέρας δὲ εἴ πού τι βραχὺ κλέψειε τοῦ ὕπνου, καὶ τοῦτο μετέωρον καὶ ἀμφίβολον, ὡς ἀναβοᾶν πολλάκις ἢ τὸ ἱστίον στέλλειν ἢ παράγειν τὸ πηδάλιον ἢ ἄλλο τι τῶν ναυτικῶν: ὥστε καὶ κοιμώμενος ἐκεῖνος μᾶλλον ἐπιμελεῖται τῆς νεὼς ἢ τῶν ἄλλων οἱ σφόδρα ἐγρηγορότες.

  [61] Besides, man’s present is short and uncertain; the most of his life is filled with remembrance of the past and expectation of the future. Which, therefore, of the two men do we think finds joy in remembrance, and which remorse? Which do we think is encouraged by his expectations and which dismayed? Therefore of necessity the life of the good king is more pleasant also.

  [66] ἔν γε μὴν τῷ στρατεύεσθαι τῶν μὲν στρατιωτῶνἕκαστος αὑτῷ μόνῳ ἐπιμελεῖται καὶ ὅπλων καὶ τροφῆς, καὶ ταῦτα οὐ πορίζων, ἀλλ᾽ ἕτοιμα ἀξιῶν ἔχειν: μόνης δὲ φροντίζει τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς ἑαυτοῦ, μόνης δὲ τῆς σωτηρίας.

  [62] Once more, you see that God has everywhere appointed the superior to care for and rule over the inferior: skill, for instance, over unskilfulness, strength over weakness; and for the foolish he has made the wise to have care and thought, to watch and plan; and with all these responsibilities governing is by no means easy; nay, it is laborious and does not get the greater share of relaxation and ease, but rather of care and toil.