[1,80] ἵνα δὲ φαίνοιτο μεγαλόφρων, οὐ προσέβλεπε τοὺς προσιόντας, ἀλλ´ ὑπερεώρα καὶ ἠτίμαζεν. ἐκ δὲ τούτου πᾶσιν ἀπηχθάνετο, πάντας δὲ ὑπενόει. καθημένη δὲ ἀτρεμίζειν οὐκ ἐδύνατο, θαμινὰ δὲ κύκλῳ περιέβλεπε καὶ ἀνεπήδα πολλάκις ἐκ τοῦ θρόνου. τὸ δὲ χρυσίον αἴσχιστα ἐφύλαττεν ἐν τοῖς κόλποις, πάλιν δὲ ἐρρίπτει φοβηθεῖσα ἀθρόον, εἶτ´ εὐθὺς ἥρπαζεν ὅ,τι ἔχοι τις τῶν παριόντων καὶ τὸ βραχύτατον. (81) ἡ δὲ ἐσθὴς παντοδαπή, τοῦτο μὲν ἁλουργίδων, τοῦτο δὲ φοινικῶν, τοῦτο δὲ κροκωτῶν· ἦσαν δὲ καὶ λευκοί τινες φαινόμενοι τῶν πέπλων· πολλὰ δὲ καὶ κατέρρηκτο τῆς στολῆς. χρώματα δὲ παντοδαπὰ ἠφίει, φοβουμένη καὶ ἀγωνιῶσα καὶ ἀπιστοῦσα καὶ ὀργιζομένη, καὶ ποτὲ μὲν ὑπὸ λύπης ταπεινή, ποτὲ δὲ ὑφ´ ἡδονῆς μετέωρος ἑωρᾶτο, καὶ νῦν μὲν ἐγέλα τῷ προσώπῳ πάνυ ἀσελγῶς, πάλιν δὲ εὐθὺς ἐθρήνει. (82) ἦν δὲ καὶ ὅμιλος περὶ αὐτὴν γυναικῶν οὐδὲν ἐκείναις ὁμοίων, αἷς ἔφην εἶναι περὶ τὴν Βασιλείαν, ἀλλ´ Ὠμότης καὶ Ὕβρις καὶ Ἀνομία καὶ Στάσις, αἳ πᾶσαι διέφθειρον αὐτὴν καὶ κάκιστα ἀπώλλυον. ἀντὶ δὲ Φιλίας Κολακεία παρῆν, δουλοπρεπὴς καὶ ἀνελεύθερος, οὐδεμιᾶς ἧττον ἐπιβουλεύουσα ἐκείνων, ἀλλὰ μάλιστα δὴ πάντων ἀπολέσαι ζητοῦσα. (83) ὡς δὲ καὶ ταῦτα ἱκανῶς τεθέατο, πυνθάνεται αὐτοῦ ὁ Ἑρμῆς πότερα αὐτὸν ἀρέσειε τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ ποτέρα τῶν γυναικῶν. Ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν ἑτέραν, ἔφη, θαυμάζω καὶ ἀγαπῶ, καὶ δοκεῖ μοι θεὸς ἀληθῶς εἶναι, ζήλου καὶ μακαρισμοῦ ἀξία, ταύτην δὲ τὴν ὑστέραν ἐχθίστην ἔγωγε ἡγοῦμαι καὶ μιαρωτάτην, ὥστε ἥδιστα ἂν αὐτὴν ὤσαιμι κατὰ τούτου τοῦ σκοπέλου καὶ ἀφανίσαιμι. ταῦτ´ οὖν ἐπῄνεσεν ὁ Ἑρμῆς καὶ τῷ Διὶ ἔφρασεν. (84) κἀκεῖνος ἐπέτρεψεν αὐτῷ βασιλεύειν τοῦ σύμπαντος ἀνθρώπων γένους, ὡς ὄντι ἱκανῷ. τοιγαροῦν ὅπου μὲν ἴδοι τυραννίδα καὶ τύραννον ἐκόλαζε καὶ ἀνῄρει παρά τε Ἕλλησι καὶ βαρβάροις· ὅπου δὲ βασιλείαν καὶ βασιλέα, ἐτίμα καὶ ἐφύλαττεν. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τῆς γῆς καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτῆρα * εἶναι, οὐχ ὅτι τὰ θηρία αὐτοῖς ἀπήμυνεν· πόσον γὰρ ἄν τι καὶ βλάψειε λέων ἢ σῦς ἄγριος; ἀλλ´ ὅτι τοὺς ἀνημέρους καὶ πονηροὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐκόλαζε καὶ τῶν ὑπερηφάνων τυράννων κατέλυε καὶ ἀφῃρεῖτο τὴν ἐξουσίαν. καὶ νῦν ἔτι τοῦτο δρᾷ, καὶ βοηθός ἐστι καὶ φύλαξ σοι τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἕως ἂν τυγχάνῃς βασιλεύων.

[1,80] But in order to assume the appearance of pride, she would not glance at those who came into her presence but looked over their heads disdainfully. And so everybody hated her, and she herself ignored everybody. She was unable to sit with composure, but would cast her eyes incessantly in every direction, frequently springing up from her throne. She hugged her gold to her bosom in a disgusting manner and then in terror would fling it from her in a heap, then she would forthwith snatch at whatever any passer-by might have, were it never so little. Her raiment was of many colours, purple, scarlet and saffron, with patelles of white, too, showing here and there from her skirts, since her cloak was torn in many places. From her countenance glowed all manners of colours according to whether she felt terror or anguish or suspicion or anger; while at one moment she seemed prostrate with grief, at another she appeared to be in an exaltation of joy. At one time a quite wanton smile would come over her face, but at the next moment she would be in tears. There was also a throng of women about her, but they resembled in no respect those whom I have described as in attendance upon Royalty. These were Cruelty, Insolence, Lawlessness, and Faction, all of whom were bent upon corrupting her and bringing her to ignoble ruin. And instead of Friendship, Flattery was there, servile and avaricious and no less ready for treachery than any of the others, nay rather, zealous above all things to destroy. (83) Now when Heracles had viewed all this also to his heart's content, Hermes asked him which of the two scenes pleased him and which of the two women. Why, it is the other one,' said he, ` whom I admire and love, and she seems to me a veritable goddess, enviable and worthy to be accounted blest ; this second woman, on the other hand, I consider so utterly odious and abominable that I would gladly thrust her down from this peak and thus put an end to her.' Whereupon Hermes commended Heracles for this utterance and repeated it to Zeus, who entrusted him with the kingship over all mankind as he considered him equal to the trust. And so wherever Heracles discovered a tyranny and a tyrant, lie chastised and destroyed them, among Greeks and barbarians alike ; but wherever he found a kingdom and a king, he would give honour and protection." This, she maintained, was what made him Deliverer of the earth and of the human race, not the fact that lie defended them from the savage beasts—for how little damage could a lion or a wild bear inflict ?—nay, it was the fact that he chastised savage and wicked men, and crushed and destroyed the power of overweening tyrants. And even to this day Heracles continues this work and you have in him a helper and protector of your government as long as it is vouchsafed you to reign.