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｝。　See　Hartman；　〃An。　Xen。　Nova；〃
  p。　246。　｛theamasi｝　=　〃spectacular　effects；〃　is　perhaps　a　gloss　on
  〃all　objects　apprehensible　through　vision。〃　Holden　（crit。　app。）
  would　rather　omit　｛dia　tes　opseos｝　with　Schneid。
  ＇15＇　The　words　are　perhaps　a　gloss。
  ＇16＇　e。g。　the　games　at　Olympia；　or　the　great　Dionysia　at　Athens；　etc。
  ＇17＇　Omitting　｛einai｝；　or　if　with　Breit。　｛dokei　einai　。　。　。
  sunageiresthai｝；　transl。　〃in　which　it　is　recognised　that　sights
  are　to　be　seen　best　fitted　to　enchain　the　eyes　and　congregate　vast
  masses。〃　For　other　emendations　see　Holden；　crit。　app。；　Hartm。　op。
  cit。　p。　258。
  ＇18＇　〃Religious　embassies〃；　it。　〃Theories。〃　See　Thuc。　vi。　16；　〃Mem。〃
  IV。　viii。　2。
  ＇19＇　Lit。　〃not　stronger　than　those　present。〃
  ＇20＇　Or；　〃The　dread　oppresses　him；　he　may　be　deprived　of　his　empire
  and　yet　be　powerless。〃
  ＇21＇　Cf。　Plat。　〃