Humanitext Reader

Plutarch · Comparison of Theseus and Romulus §2.1-2.2

Deviations from Kingship and Preserving Ruler Authority

Passage 2 of 6 · Greek

Summary

The author points out that both Theseus and Romulus digressed from the proper path of kingship, making opposite errors of democratization and tyrannization, and discusses how true ruling power is maintained.

§2.1ἀμφοτέρων τοίνυν τῇ φύσει πολιτικῶν γεγονότων, οὐδέτερος διεφύλαξε τὸν βασιλικὸν τρόπον ἐξέστη δὲ καὶ μετέβαλε μεταβολὴν ὁ μὲν δημοτικήν, ὁ δὲ τυραννικήν, ταὐτὸν ἀπʼ ἐναντίων παθῶν ἁμαρτόντες.
Now, although both were by nature suited for governing, neither of them preserved the kingly character, but both digressed and underwent a change—the one toward democracy, the other toward tyranny—making the same mistake from opposite passions.
δεῖ γὰρ τὸν ἄρχοντα σῴζειν πρῶτον αὐτὴν τὴν ἀρχήν σῴζεται δʼ οὐχ ἧττον ἀπεχομένη τοῦ μὴ προσήκοντος ἢ περιεχομένη τοῦ προσήκοντος.
For the ruler must first of all preserve the office itself; and it is preserved no less by abstaining from what is unbecoming than by holding fast to what is becoming.
§2.2ὁ δʼ ἐνδιδοὺς ἢ ἐπιτείνων οὐ μένει βασιλεὺς οὐδὲ ἄρχων, ἀλλʼ ἢ δημαγωγὸς ἢ δεσπότης γιγνόμενος, ἐμποιεῖ τὸ μισεῖν ἢ καταφρονεῖν τοῖς ἀρχομένοις.
But he who yields or tightens the reins does not remain a king or a ruler, but, becoming either a demagogue or a master, produces in his subjects either hatred or contempt.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνο μὲν ἐπιεικείας δοκεῖ καὶ φιλανθρωπίας εἶναι, τοῦτο δὲ φιλαυτίας ἁμάρτημα καὶ χαλεπότητος.
Nevertheless, the former seems to belong to gentleness and humanity, while the latter is an error of selfishness and harshness.

Notes

  1. §2.1ἀμφοτέρων τοίνυν τῇ φύσει πολιτικῶν γεγονότων — Genitive absolute construction. γεγονότων is the perfect active participle (genitive plural) of γίγνομαι. τῇ φύσει is a dative of respect or manner, meaning "by nature" or "constitutionally."
  2. §2.1σῴζεται δʼ οὐχ ἧττον ἀπεχομένη τοῦ μὴ προσήκοντος ἢ περιεχομένη τοῦ προσήκοντος — The subject of the passive verb σῴζεται is the feminine noun ἡ ἀρχή (the office/rule) from the preceding clause. The middle/passive participles ἀπεχομένη (from ἀπέχομαι, "to abstain from") and περιεχομένη (from περιέχομαι, "to hold fast to") are feminine singular nominative in agreement with the subject, functioning adverbially to express means. Both take genitive objects. The construction οὐχ ἧττον ... ἤ ... expresses "no less by ... than by ...."
  3. §2.2ἐμποιεῖ τὸ μισεῖν ἢ καταφρονεῖν τοῖς ἀρχομένοις — The verb ἐμποιέω ("to instill, produce in") takes a dative of the person affected (τοῖς ἀρχομένοις, "the ruled") and an accusative of the thing produced, here represented by the articular infinitives τὸ μισεῖν ἢ καταφρονεῖν ("hatred or contempt").
  4. §2.2ἐκεῖνο μὲν ἐπιεικείας δοκεῖ καὶ φιλανθρωπίας εἶναι, τοῦτο δὲ φιλαυτίας ἁμάρτημα καὶ χαλεπότητος — In the contrast between the demonstrative pronouns, ἐκεῖνο (the remote "that/former") refers to Theseus, and τοῦτο (the proximate "this/latter") refers to Romulus. The genitives (ἐπιεικείας, φιλανθρωπίας, etc.) are genitives of characteristic or possession (denoting what something belongs to or stems from). In the second clause (τοῦτο δὲ...), the verb phrase δοκεῖ εἶναι is omitted by ellipsis from the first clause.

Cite this passage

Plutarch, Comparison of Theseus and Romulus §2.1-2.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg003.humanitext-grc2:2.1-2.2

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.