Texte grec :
| [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}
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Traduction française :
| [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.
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