Politics

​The attack on Philip was by Pausanias because Philip allowed him to be insulted by those around Attalus; and that on Amyntas the small was by Derdas because Amyntas boasted about his youth; and that of the eunuch on Evagoras the Cyprian, for because Evagoras’s son took away his wife, he killed Evagoras as having been insulted. Many attacks have also occurred because of bringing shame on the bodies of certain monarchs, as was the attack of Crataeus on Archelaus. For Crataeus was always displeased with the sexual association, so that even a smaller pretext would have been sufficient; or because Archelaus did not give him any of his daughters after promising them, but instead gave the elder one, hard pressed by the war against Sirras and Arrabaeus, to the king of Elimea, and the younger one to his son Amyntas, thinking that in this way Amyntas and the son born of Cleopatra would least dispute. However, the beginning of the alienation was his being displeased with the sexual favor. Hellanocrates of Larissa also joined the attack for the same reason: for because Archelaus did not restore him to his home as promised after using his youth, Hellanocrates thought that the association was done for insolence and not from erotic desire. Python and Heraclides of Aenus destroyed Cotys to avenge their father, and Adamas revolted from Cotys because he had been castrated by him when he was a boy, acting as one insulted. And many others, having been angered because of being physically abused with blows, either killed or attacked as having been insulted, even among those around the ruling circles and royal dynasties. For example, in Mytilene, Megacles attacked and killed the Penthilidae with his friends as they went around striking people with clubs, and later Smerdis killed Penthilus after receiving blows and being dragged away from his wife. Decamnichus also became the leader of the attack on Archelaus, being the first to stir up the attackers; and the cause of his anger was that Archelaus handed him over to Euripides the poet to be whipped. Euripides was angry because Decamnichus had said something about his bad breath. And many others for such reasons were either killed or plotted against. Similarly also because of fear: for this was one of the causes, just as in ordinary constitutions so also in monarchies; for instance, Artapanus, fearing Xerxes because of the slander concerning Darius, whom he had hanged without Xerxes ordering it, but thinking Xerxes would forgive him, forgetting because of dining. And those because of contempt, ​just as someone seeing Sardanapalus carding wool with the women (if what the storytellers say is true; and if it is not true of him, it would at least be true of someone else); and Dion attacked Dionysius the younger because of contempt, seeing that the citizens felt this way and that Dionysius himself was always drunk. And some of their friends also attack because of contempt: for because they are trusted, they feel contempt as they think they will go unnoticed. And those who think they can grasp the rule also attack in a certain way because of contempt; for being capable and contemning the danger because of their power, they easily make the attempt, just as those who act as generals for monarchs, like Cyrus against Astyages, contemning both his lifestyle and his power because his power had become idle and he himself was living luxuriously, and Seuthes the Thracian against Amadocus when he was his general. And some attack even because of more than these, such as both contemning and for the sake of profit, like Mithridates against Ariobarzanes. But those who are bold by nature and possess military honor under the monarchs attempt it especially for this reason; for courage possessing power is boldness, through both of which, as thinking they will easily conquer, they make their attacks. But of those who attack because of ambition, there is a different mode of cause from those mentioned before. For not as some attempt tyrants because they see great profits and great honors belonging to them, so also does each of those who attack because of ambition choose to run the risk; but while those do so because of the aforementioned cause, these, just as if any other extraordinary action were to occur through which they become famous and known to others, so also attempt monarchs, not wishing to acquire monarchy but glory. Nevertheless, those who start because of this cause are very few in number; for there must be an underlying assumption of caring nothing for survival, unless one is about to achieve the deed. To whom the resolve of Dion must belong, but it is not easy for this resolve to arise in many: for he marched with a few against Dionysius, saying that in whatever way he might be able to advance, it was enough for him to have shared in the deed to that extent, as if upon taking a small step on the land it should happen that he immediately died, this death would be honorable for him. And tyranny is destroyed in one way, just as each of the other constitutions, from without,