Texte grec :
| [3,130] <130> ὁ δὲ ἐξ ἁπάντων ποιεῖται τὴν ἐκλογήν, ἄτοπον ἡγούμενος
Νισαίους μὲν ἵππους μεταπέμπεσθαι, ὅτι βελτίους εἰσὶ τῶν Θετταλῶν, καὶ
κύνας Ἰνδικάς, ἀνθρώποις δὲ μόνοις χρῆσθαι τοῖς
<131> ἐγγύς. πάντα γὰρ ὑπάρχει τούτῳ, δι´ ὧν ἐστι φιλία κτητόν.
προσάγεται γὰρ εἰς εὔνοιαν τοὺς μὲν φιλοτίμους ἔπαινος, τοὺς δὲ
ἡγεμονικοὺς τὸ ἀρχῆς μεταλαμβάνειν, τοὺς δὲ αὖ πολεμικοὺς τὸ
πράττειν τι τῶν πολεμικῶν, τοὺς δὲ ἐπιμελεῖς τὸ πράγματα διοικεῖν·
<132> τούς γε μὴν φιλοστόργους ἡ συνήθεια. τίς οὖν δύναται
μᾶλλον ἄρχοντας ἀποδεικνύειν; τίς δὲ πλειόνων δεῖται τῶν ἐπιμελουμένων; τίς
δὲ κύριος μειζόνων μεταδοῦναι πραγμάτων; τίνι
δὲ μᾶλλον ἔξεστιν ἑτέρῳ πιστεύειν τὰ πρὸς πόλεμον; αἱ παρὰ
τίνος δὲ τιμαὶ φανερώτεραι; ἡ παρὰ τίνι δὲ εὐδοξοτέρα τράπεζα;
εἰ δὲ ὠνητὸν ὑπῆρχε φιλία, τίς εὐπορώτερος χρημάτων, ὥστε μηδένα
ἔχειν τὸν ἀντιποιησόμενον;
(133) ἐπειδὴ ἄνθρωπον ὄντα φύσει τῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ διαφερόντων
καὶ τοῦτο τῶν ἄλλων {τι} ὥσπερ παραμύθιον ἔχειν δεῖ· ὅθεν
δὴ πολλὰ πολλοῖς προσέπεσε νοσήματα ἀγεννῆ καὶ λυμαινόμενα
τὰς ψυχάς, ἔτι δὲ καθαιροῦντα τὸ ἀξίωμα τῆς βασιλείας· ὁ
μὲν γὰρ {ὑπὸ} ᾠδῆς ἁλοὺς μινυρίζων διετέλει καὶ θρηνῶν ἐν τοῖς
θεάτροις, ἀμελήσας δὲ τῆς αὑτοῦ βασιλείας, τοὺς παλαιοὺς
(134) ὑποκρινόμενος ἠγάπα βασιλέας·
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Traduction française :
| [3,130] The true king, however,
makes his choice from among all men, esteeming
it perverse to import horses from the Nisaean
plains because they surpass the Thessalian breed,
or hounds from India, and only in the case of men
to take those near at hand ; since all the means for
making friends are his. For instance, the ambitious
are won over to friendliness by praise, those who
have the gift of leadership by participation in the
government, the warlike by performing some sort
of military service, those having executive ability
by the management of affairs, and, assuredly, those
with a capacity for love, by intimacy. Now, who
is more able to appoint governors ? Who needs
more executives ? Who has it in his power to give
a part in greater enterprises ? Who is in a better
position to put a man in charge of military operations ?
Who can confer more illustrious honours?
Whose table lends greater distinction ? And if
friendship could be bought, who has greater means
to forestall every possible rival ?
(133) Since nature made him a man, and a man of
exalted station in life, he too needs some distraction
as it were to relieve his more serious duties ;
and it is this, alas ! which for many has proved to
be the source of many ignoble and soul-destroying
vicesvices which also destroy the high esteem in
which royalty is held. One king, having become
enamoured of singing, spent his time warbling and
wailing in the theatres and so far forgot his royal
dignity that he was content to impersonate the
early kings upon the stage ; another fell in love
with flute-playing;
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