[3,40] εἰ δὲ φιλήδονος καὶ φιλοχρήματος καὶ ὑβριστὴς καὶ παράνομος, αὑτὸν οἰόμενος αὔξειν μόνον, ὡς ἂν πλεῖστα μὲν χρήματα κεκτημένος, μεγίστας δὲ καὶ πλείστας καρπούμενος ἡδονάς, ῥᾳθύμως δὲ διάγων καὶ ἀπόνως· τοὺς δὲ ὑπηκόους ἅπαντας ἡγούμενος δούλους καὶ ὑπηρέτας (41) τῆς αὑτοῦ τρυφῆς, οὐδὲ ποιμένος ἐπιεικοῦς ἔχων ἦθος, σκέπης καὶ νομῆς προνοούμενος τοῖς αὑτοῦ κτήνεσιν, ἔτι δὲ θῆρας ἀπαμύνων καὶ φῶρας προφυλάττων, ἀλλ´ αὐτὸς πρῶτος διαρπάζων τε καὶ φθείρων καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐπιτρέπων, καθάπερ, οἶμαι, πολεμίων λείαν, οὐκ ἄν ποτε εἴποιμι τὸν τοιοῦτον ἄρχοντα ἢ αὐτοκράτορα ἢ βασιλέα, πολὺ δὲ μᾶλλον τύραννον καὶ λευστῆρα, ὥς ποτε προσεῖπεν ὁ Ἀπόλλων τὸν Σικυώνιον τύραννον, εἰ καὶ πολλὰς μὲν ἔχοι τιάρας, πολλὰ δὲ σκῆπτρα ὑπακούοιεν αὐτῷ. (42) τοιαῦτα μὲν ἐκεῖνος εἰώθει λέγειν, προτρέπων ἀεὶ πρὸς ἀρετὴν καὶ βελτίους ποιῶν καὶ ἄρχοντας καὶ ἰδιώτας. ὅμοια δὲ εἰρήκασι περὶ ἀρχῆς καὶ βασιλείας οἱ μετ´ αὐτόν, ὡς οἷόν τε ἑπόμενοι τῇ σοφωτάτῃ γνώμῃ. αὐτὰ δὲ πρῶτα δηλοῖ τὰ ὀνόματα τὴν διαφορὰν τῶν πραγμάτων. (43) λέγεται γὰρ ἡ μὲν ἀρχὴ νόμιμος ἀνθρώπων διοίκησις καὶ πρόνοια ἀνθρώπων κατὰ νόμον, βασιλεία δὲ ἀνυπεύθυνος ἀρχή, {βασιλεὺς δὲ καὶ αὐτοκράτωρ ὁ αὐτὸς (44) ἀνυπεύθυνος ἄρχων} ὁ δὲ νόμος βασιλέως δόγμα. ὁ δὲ τύραννος καὶ ἡ τυραννὶς ἐναντίον τούτοις βίαιος καὶ παράνομος χρῆσις ἀνθρώπων τοῦ δοκοῦντος ἰσχύειν πλέον. {οὕτω δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς διανοούμεθα καὶ φαμὲν περὶ τοῦ θείου καὶ θεοφιλοῦς αὐτοκράτορος καὶ βασιλέως}

[3,40] If, on the other hand, he loves pleasure and wealth, is overbearing and lawless, and is minded to exalt himself alone to the end that he may get the most wealth and enjoy the most and greatest pleasures, leading an idle and effortless life and looking upon his subjects one and all as but slaves and ministers to his own luxury ; if he lacks even the quality of a good shepherd, who takes thought for the shelter and pasturing of his own flock, and, besides, keeps off wild beasts and guards it against thieves ; nay, if he is the very first to plunder and destroy them and to grant the same privilege to others as though they were veritable spoil of the enemy- never should I style such a ruler either emperor or king. Much rather should I call him a tyrant and oppressor, as Apollo once called the tyrant of Sicyon —yea, even though he had many tiaras, many sceptres, and many obeyed his behests." (42) Such was the sage's habitual message while he constantly incited to virtue and tried to make both rulers and subjects better. In a similar vein his successors have spoken about government and kingship, following his most wise doctrine as closely as they might. And the very terms they use make the distinctions clear at the outset. " Government " is defined as the lawful ordering of men and as oversight over men in accordance with law; " monarchy," as an irresponsible government where the king's will is law ; " tyrant," or rather " tyranny," on the contrary, as the arbitrary and lawless exploitation of men by one regarded as having superior force on his side.