Episode 7

But if, after all, this is work for a future time, whereas immediateaction is called for by the disorders of all sorts and kinds whicharise every day from your state of civil strife, every man to whomProvidence has given even a moderate share of right intelligence oughtto know that in times of civil strife there is no respite from troubletill the victors make an end of feeding their grudge by combats andbanishments and executions, and of wreaking their vengeance on theirenemies. They should master themselves and, enacting impartial laws,framed not to gratify themselves more than the conquered party, shouldcompel men to obey these by two restraining forces, respect andfear; fear, because they are the masters and can display superiorforce; respect, because they rise superior to pleasures and arewilling and able to be servants to the laws. There is no other waysave this for terminating the troubles of a city that is in a state ofcivil strife; but a constant continuance of internal disorders,struggles, hatred and mutual distrust is the common lot of citieswhich are in that plight.

Therefore, those who have for the time being gained the upperhand, when they desire to secure their position, must by their own actand choice select from all Hellas men whom they have ascertained to bethe best for the purpose. These must in the first place be men ofmature years, who have children and wives at home, and, as far aspossible, a long line of ancestors of good repute, and all must bepossessed of sufficient property. For a city of ten thousandhouseholders their numbers should be fifty; that is enough. These theymust induce to come from their own homes by entreaties and the promiseof the highest honours; and having induced them to come they mustentreat and command them to draw up laws after binding themselves byoath to show no partiality either to conquerors or to conquered, butto give equal and common rights to the whole State.

When laws have been enacted, what everything then hinges on is this.

If the conquerors show more obedience to the laws than theconquered, the whole State will be full of security and happiness, andthere will be an escape from all your troubles. But if they do not,then do not summon me or any other helper to aid you against those whodo not obey the counsel I now give you. For this course is akin tothat which Dion and I attempted to carry out with our hearts set onthe welfare of Syracuse. It is indeed a second best course. Thefirst and best was that scheme of welfare to all mankind which weattempted to carry out with the co-operation of Dionysios; but somechance, mightier than men, brought it to nothing. Do you now, withgood fortune attending you and with Heaven's help, try to bring yourefforts to a happier issue.

Let this be the end of my advice and injunction and of the narrativeof my first visit to Dionysios. Whoever wishes may next hear of mysecond journey and voyage, and learn that it was a reasonable andsuitable proceeding. My first period of residence in Sicily wasoccupied in the way which I related before giving my advice to therelatives and friends of Dion. After those events I persuadedDionysios by such arguments as I could to let me go; and we made anagreement as to what should be done when peace was made; for at thattime there was a state of war in Sicily. Dionysios said that, whenhe had put the affairs of his empire in a position of greater safetyfor himself, he would send for Dion and me again; and he desiredthat Dion should regard what had befallen him not as an exile, butas a change of residence. I agreed to come again on these conditions.

When peace had been made, he began sending for me; he requested thatDion should wait for another year, but begged that I should by allmeans come. Dion now kept urging and entreating me to go. Forpersistent rumours came from Sicily that Dionysios was now once morepossessed by an extraordinary desire for philosophy. For this reasonDion pressed me urgently not to decline his invitation. But though Iwas well aware that as regards philosophy such symptoms were notuncommon in young men, still it seemed to me safer at that time topart company altogether with Dion and Dionysios; and I offended bothof them by replying that I was an old man, and that the steps nowbeing taken were quite at variance with the previous agreement.

After this, it seems, Archytes came to the court of Dionysios.

Before my departure I had brought him and his Tarentine circle intofriendly relations with Dionysios. There were some others inSyracuse who had received some instruction from Dion, and others hadlearnt from these, getting their heads full of erroneous teaching onphilosophical questions. These, it seems, were attempting to holddiscussions with Dionysios on questions connected with suchsubjects, in the idea that he had been fully instructed in my views.

Now is not at all devoid of natural gifts for learning, and he has agreat craving for honour and glory. What was said probably pleasedhim, and he felt some shame when it became clear that he had not takenadvantage of my teaching during my visit. For these reasons heconceived a desire for more definite instruction, and his love ofglory was an additional incentive to him. The real reasons why hehad learnt nothing during my previous visit have just been set forthin the preceding narrative. Accordingly, now that I was safe at homeand had refused his second invitation, as I just now related,Dionysios seems to have felt all manner of anxiety lest certain peopleshould suppose that I was unwilling to visit him again because I hadformed a poor opinion of his natural gifts and character, and because,knowing as I did his manner of life, I disapproved of it.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***