The Republic Of Plato: Second Edition by Plato

Author:Plato
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Perseus Book Group-A
Published: 1991-10-01T16:00:00+00:00

“For he couldn’t be ashamed a second time,” he said.

“And I suppose,” I said, “that if he’s caught, he’s given death.”

“Necessarily.”

“And surely it’s plain that this leader himself doesn’t lie ‘great in his greatness’ on the ground, but, having cast down many others, stands in the chariot of the city, now a perfected tyrant instead of a leader. ”28

“Of course,” he said.

“Then let us,” I said, “go through the happiness of the man and the city in which such a mortal comes to be.”

“Most certainly,” he said, “let’s go through it.”

“In the first days of his time in office,” I said, “doesn’t he smile at and greet whomever he meets, and not only deny he’s a tyrant but promise much in private and public, and grant freedom from debts and distribute land to the people and those around himself, and pretend to be gracious and gentle to all?”

“Necessarily,” he said.

“But I suppose that when he is reconciled with some of his enemies outside and has destroyed the others, and there is rest from concern with them, as his first step he is always setting some war in motion, so that the people will be in need of a leader.”

“That’s likely.”

“And, also, so that, becoming poor from contributing money, they will be compelled to stick to their daily business and be less inclined to plot against him?”

“Plainly.”

“Then, too, I suppose—if he suspects certain men of having free thoughts and not putting up with his ruling—so that he can have a pretext for destroying them by giving them to the enemy? For all these reasons isn’t it necessary for a tyrant always to be stirring up war?”

“It is necessary.”

“And is, consequently, all this activity a preparation for being more hateful to the citizens?”

“Of course.”

“Also, don’t some of those who helped in setting him up and are in power—the manliest among them—speak frankly to him and to one another, criticizing what is happening?”

“That’s likely.”

“Then the tyrant must gradually do away with all of them, if he’s going to rule, until he has left neither friend nor enemy of any worth whatsoever.”

“Plainly.”

“He must, therefore, look sharply to see who is courageous, who is great-minded, who is prudent, who is rich. And so happy is he that there is a necessity for him, whether he wants to or not, to be an enemy of all of them and plot against them until he purges the city.”

“A fine purgation,” he said.

“Yes,” I said, “the opposite of the one the doctors give to bodies. For they take off the worst and leave the best, while he does the opposite.”

“For it seems,” he said, “to be a necessity for him, if he is to rule.”

“Therefore,” I said, “he is bound by a blessed necessity that prescribes that he either dwell with the ordinary many, even though hated by them, or cease to live.”

“That is precisely his situation,” he said.

“To the extent that he is more hateful to the citizens for doing these things, won’t he have more need of more—and more trustworthy —armed guards?”

“Of course.

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