[3,5] οὗτος ὁ ἀνήρ, ὅταν ᾖ νομιμώτερος μὲν δικαστὴς τῶν κατὰ κλῆρον δικαζόντων, ἐπιεικέστερος δὲ βασιλεὺς τῶν ὑπευθύνων ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ἀρχόντων, δικαιότερος δὲ στρατηγὸς τῶν ἑπομένων στρατιωτῶν, φιλοπονώτερος δὲ ἐν ἅπασι τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν ὑπ´ ἀνάγκης πονούντων, ἔλαττον δὲ βουλόμενος τρυφᾶν τῶν μηδεμιᾶς εὐπορούντων τρυφῆς, εὐνούστερος δὲ τοῖς ὑπηκόοις τῶν φιλοτέκνων πατέρων, φοβερώτερος δὲ τοῖς πολεμίοις τῶν ἀνικήτων καὶ ἀμάχων θεῶν, πῶς οὐκ ἂν εἴποι τις τοῦδε τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀγαθὸν εἶναι τὸν δαίμονα, οὐκ αὐτῷ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι; (6) τῶν μὲν γὰρ πολλῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἰδιωτῶν {μικράν τινα ἀρχὴν ἐχόντων} ὀλίγος ὁ δαίμων καὶ μόνου τοῦ ἔχοντος· ὅτου δ´ ἂν παμπληθεῖς μὲν ὑπακούωσι πόλεις, πάμπολλα δὲ ἔθνη κυβερνᾶται διὰ τῆς {ἐκείνου} γνώμης, ἀνήριθμα δὲ φῦλα ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἄμικτα ἀλλήλοις ἀποβλέπῃ πρὸς τὴν φρόνησιν, πάντων οὗτος ἀνθρώπων γίγνεται σωτὴρ καὶ φύλαξ, ἄνπερ ᾖ τοιοῦτος. (7) τοῦ γὰρ πάντων ἄρχοντος καὶ κρατοῦντος ἡ μὲν φρόνησις ἱκανὴ καὶ τοὺς ἄφρονας ὠφελεῖν· βουλεύεται γὰρ ὁμοίως ὑπὲρ πάντων. ἡ δὲ σωφροσύνη καὶ τοὺς ἀκολαστοτέρους σωφρονεστέρους ποιεῖ· ἐφορᾷ γὰρ ὁμοίως ἅπαντας. ἡ δὲ δικαιοσύνη καὶ τοῖς ἀδίκοις αὑτῆς μεταδίδωσιν, ἡ δὲ ἀνδρεία καὶ τοὺς ἧττον εὐψύχους οὐ μόνον σῴζειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ θαρραλεωτέρους ποιεῖν δύναται. (8) οὔτε γὰρ δειλὸς οὕτως ἄγαν οὐδεὶς ὥστε μὴ θαρρεῖν ἑπόμενος μεθ´ οὗ νικᾶν ἕτοιμον, οὔτε ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἀνειμένος ὥστε ῥᾳθυμεῖν παραταττόμενον ὁρῶν ᾧ μόνῳ τὸ προστάττειν ἔνειμεν ὁ θεός, οὐδ´ αὖ σφόδρα οὕτως ἀναίσχυντος ὥστε περὶ ἑτέρου πονεῖν ἀναγκαῖον, τούτῳ δὲ μὴ συμπονεῖν ἐθέλειν. (9) δοκεῖ δέ μοι καὶ Ὅμηρος αὐτὸ τοῦτο φράζειν· μνησθεὶς γὰρ τοῦ χρηστοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ πᾶσιν εἴρηκεν, ἀρετῶσι δὲ λαοὶ ὑπ´ αὐτοῦ. ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος βασιλεὺς τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις καλὸν κτῆμα τὴν ἀρετὴν νενόμικεν, αὑτῷ δὲ καὶ ἀναγκαῖον.

[3,5] when that man, I say, is at once a judge more observant of the law than an empanelled jury, a king of greater equity than the responsible magistrates in our cities, a general more courageous than the soldiers in the ranks, a man more assiduous in all his tasks than those who are forced to work, less covetous of luxury than those who have no means to indulge in luxury, kindlier to his subjects than a loving father to his children, more dreaded by his enemies than are the invincible and irresistible gods - how can one deny that such a man's fortune is a blessing, not to himself alone, but to all others as well ? (6) For in the case of the generality of men, those either in private station or holding some petty office, the individual's personal fortune is of slight account and concerns himself alone ; but let untold cities yield obedience to a man, let countless nations be governed by his judgment, let tribes of men unnumbered and hostile to one another look to his prudence alone, and that man becomes the saviour and protector of men everywhere—that is, if such be his type. For when a man governs and holds sway over all mankind, his prudence avails to help even the imprudent, since he takes thought for all alike ; his temperance serves to restrain even the intemperate, since his eye is over all alike; his justice gives of itself even to the unjust; and his courage is able, not only to save the less valiant, but even to fire them with greater courage. For no one is such a coward as not to feel reassured when he follows a general with whom victory is certain, nor so exceeding indifferent as to sit at ease when he sees submitting to take orders that man to whom God has apportioned the right to give orders only, nor, again, so completely lost to a sense of shame that he can watch a man toiling in behalf of another although under no necessity to toil—and yet refuse him aid. This, it seems to me, is exactly Homer's view as well ; for, after speaking of the ideal king, he concludes by saying, " And virtuous the people beneath him." Such a king considers virtue a fair possession for others but an absolute necessity for himself.