§39εἰ δὲ δεῖ συντόμως καὶ μηδὲν ὑποστειλάμενον μηδὲ δείσαντα τὸν φθόνον, ἀλλὰ παρρησίᾳ χρησάμενον εἰπεῖν, οὐδεὶς οὔτε θνητὸς οὔθʼ ἡμίθεος οὔτʼ ἀθάνατος εὑρεθήσεται κάλλιον οὐδὲ λαμπρότερον οὐδʼ εὐσεβέστερον λαβὼν ἐκείνου τὴν βασιλείαν.
But if one must speak briefly and without any concealment, nor fearing envy, but using plainness of speech, no one—whether mortal, demigod, or immortal—will be found to have acquired his kingdom more finely, more illustriously, or more piously than he.
καὶ τούτοις ἐκείνως ἄν τις μάλιστα πιστεύσειεν, εἰ σφόδρα τοῖς λεγομένοις ἀπιστήσας ἐξετάζειν ἐπιχειρήσειεν, ὅπως ἕκαστος ἐτυράννευσεν.
And one would believe this most of all in the following way, if, being highly distrustful of what is said, one should attempt to examine how each individual became a tyrant.
φανήσομαι γὰρ οὐκ ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου μεγάλα λέγειν προθυμούμενος, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τοῦ πράγματος ἀλήθειαν οὕτω περὶ αὐτοῦ θρασέως εἰρηκώς. §40εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ μικροῖς διήνεγκε, τοιούτων ἂν καὶ τῶν λόγων αὐτῷ προσῆκεν ἀξιοῦσθαι· νῦν δʼ ἅπαντες ἂν ὁμολογήσειαν τυραννίδα καὶ τῶν θείων ἀγαθῶν καὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων μέγιστον καὶ σεμνότατον καὶ περιμαχητότατον εἶναι.
For it will be manifest that I am not eager to speak in terms of exaggeration by every means, but that I have spoken thus boldly about him because of the truth of the matter. Now, if he had excelled in small matters, it would have been fitting for him to be deemed worthy of such discourses as well; but as it is, everyone would agree that tyranny is the greatest, most august, and most coveted of both divine and human goods.
τὸν δὴ τὸ κάλλιστον τῶν ὄντων κάλλιστα κτησάμενον τίς ἂν ἢ ποιητὴς ἢ λόγων εὑρετὴς ἀξίως τῶν πεπραγμένων ἐπαινέσειεν; §41οὐ τοίνυν ἐν τούτοις ὑπερβαλόμενος ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις εὑρεθήσεται καταδεέστερος γενόμενος, ἀλλὰ πρῶτον μὲν εὐφυέστατος ὢν τὴν γνώμην καὶ πλεῖστα κατορθοῦν δυνάμενος ὅμως οὐκ ᾠήθη δεῖν ὀλιγωρεῖν οὐδʼ αὐτοσχεδιάζειν περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων, ἀλλʼ ἐν τῷ ζητεῖν καὶ φροντίζειν καὶ βουλεύεσθαι τὸν πλεῖστον τοῦ χρόνου διέτριβεν, ἡγούμενος μέν, εἰ καλῶς τὴν αὑτοῦ φρόνησιν παρασκευάσειεν, καλῶς αὑτῷ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἕξειν, θαυμάζων δʼ ὅσοι τῶν μὲν ἄλλων ἕνεκα τῆς ψυχῆς ποιοῦνται τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν, αὐτῆς δὲ ταύτης μηδὲν τυγχάνουσι φροντίζοντες. §42ἔπειτα καὶ περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν αὐτὴν διάνοιαν εἶχεν· ὁρῶν γὰρ τοὺς ἄριστα τῶν ὄντων ἐπιμελουμένους ἐλάχιστα λυπουμένους, καὶ τὰς ἀληθινὰς τῶν ῥᾳθυμιῶν οὐκ ἐν ταῖς ἀργίαις ἀλλʼ ἐν ταῖς εὐπραγίαις καὶ καρτερίαις ἐνούσας, οὐδὲν ἀνεξέταστον παρέλειπεν, ἀλλʼ οὕτως ἀκριβῶς καὶ τὰς πράξεις ᾔδει καὶ τῶν πολιτῶν ἕκαστον ἐγίγνωσκεν ὥστε μήτε τοὺς ἐπιβουλεύοντας αὐτῷ φθάνειν μήτε τοὺς ἐπιεικεῖς ὄντας λανθάνειν, ἀλλὰ πάντας τυγχάνειν τῶν προσηκόντων·
Who, then, whether poet or inventor of discourses, could praise worthily of his deeds the man who has acquired the finest of existing things in the finest manner? Furthermore, although he surpassed in these matters, he will not be found to have been inferior in others; but first, though he was by nature most gifted in intellect and capable of succeeding in most things, nevertheless he did not think he should be negligent or act on the impulse of the moment regarding affairs, but spent most of his time in seeking, reflecting, and deliberating, believing that if he should prepare his own mind well, his kingdom would also be in a good state for him, and wondering at all those who, while taking care of other things for the sake of the soul, happen to take no thought for the soul itself. Secondly, regarding affairs he also held the same view; for seeing that those who take the best care of existing things suffer the least pain, and that true moments of ease are found not in idled lives but in successful actions and endurance, he left nothing unexamined, but knew the affairs so accurately and was acquainted with each of the citizens so well that neither those plotting against him could anticipate him, nor those who were excellent escape his notice, but all obtained their due.
οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ὧν ἑτέρων ἤκουεν οὔτʼ ἐκόλαζεν οὔτʼ ἐτίμα τοὺς πολίτας, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ὧν αὐτὸς συνῄδει τὰς κρίσεις ἐποιεῖτο περὶ αὐτῶν. §43ἐν τοιαύταις δʼ ἐπιμελείαις αὑτὸν καταστήσας οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἑκάστην προσπιπτόντων οὐδὲ περὶ ἓν πεπλανημένως εἶχεν, ἀλλʼ οὕτω θεοφιλῶς καὶ φιλανθρώπως διῴκει τὴν πόλιν ὥστε τοὺς εἰσαφικνουμένους μὴ μᾶλλον Εὐαγόραν τῆς ἀρχῆς ζηλοῦν ἢ τοὺς ἄλλους τῆς ὑπʼ ἐκείνου βασιλείας·
For he neither punished nor honored the citizens on the basis of what he heard from others, but made his judgments about them from what he himself was conscious of. Having placed himself in such habits of care, he was not mistaken even in a single one of the things that occurred day by day, but administered the city so piously and humanely that those who visited it did not envy Evagoras for his rule more than they envied the other citizens for being ruled by him.
ἅπαντα γὰρ τὸν χρόνον διετέλεσεν οὐδένα μὲν ἀδικῶν, τοὺς δὲ χρηστοὺς τιμῶν, καὶ σφόδρα μὲν ἁπάντων ἄρχων, νομίμως δὲ τοὺς ἐξαμαρτόντας κολάζων· §44οὐδὲν μὲν συμβούλων δεόμενος, ὅμως δὲ τοῖς φίλοις συμβουλευόμενος· πολλὰ μὲν τῶν χρωμένων ἡττώμενος, ἅπαντα δὲ τῶν ἐχθρῶν περιγιγνόμενος· σεμνὸς ὢν οὐ ταῖς τοῦ προσώπου συναγωγαῖς ἀλλὰ ταῖς τοῦ βίου κατασκευαῖς· οὐδὲ πρὸς ἓν ἀτάκτως οὐδʼ ἀνωμάλως διακείμενος, ἀλλʼ ὁμοίως τὰς ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις ὁμολογίας ὥσπερ τὰς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις διαφυλάττων· §45μέγα φρονῶν οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῖς διὰ τύχην ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τοῖς διʼ αὑτὸν γιγνομένοις· τοὺς μὲν φίλους ταῖς εὐεργεσίαις ὑφʼ αὑτῷ ποιούμενος, τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους τῇ μεγαλοψυχίᾳ καταδουλούμενος· φοβερὸς ὢν οὐ τῷ πολλοῖς χαλεπαίνειν, ἀλλὰ τῷ πολὺ τὴν τῶν ἄλλων φύσιν ὑπερβάλλειν· ἡγούμενος τῶν ἡδονῶν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἀγόμενος ὑπʼ αὐτῶν· ὀλίγοις πόνοις πολλὰς ῥᾳστώνας κτώμενος, ἀλλʼ οὐ διὰ μικρὰς ῥᾳθυμίας μεγάλους πόνους ὑπολειπόμενος· §46ὅλως οὐδὲν παραλείπων ὧν προσεῖναι δεῖ τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἑκάστης τῆς πολιτείας ἐξειλεγμένος τὸ βέλτιστον, καὶ δημοτικὸς μὲν ὢν τῇ τοῦ πλήθους θεραπείᾳ, πολιτικὸς δὲ τῇ τῆς πόλεως ὅλης διοικήσει, στρατηγικὸς δὲ τῇ πρὸς τοὺς κινδύνους εὐβουλίᾳ, τυραννικὸς δὲ τῷ πᾶσι τούτοις διαφέρειν.
For he passed all his time wronging no one, but honoring the good, and while ruling over all with great power, punishing those who did wrong in accordance with the laws; needing no counselors, yet nevertheless consulting with his friends; yielding to his associates in many things, but overcoming his enemies in all; dignified, not by the frowning of his face, but by the habits of his life; disposed in no single thing in a disorderly or inconsistent manner, but keeping consistency in his deeds just as in his words; taking pride not in things happening by fortune, but in those happening through himself; bringing his friends under his influence by benefits, and subduing the others by his magnanimity; inspiring fear, not by being harsh to many, but by far surpassing the nature of others; ruling over pleasures, but not being led by them; acquiring much ease by few labors, but not leaving behind great labors for the sake of small indulgences; in short, omitting nothing of what ought to belong to kings, but having selected the best from each form of constitution: being democratic in his care for the multitude, statesmanlike in his administration of the whole city, general-like in his good counsel in the face of dangers, and kingly in surpassing everyone in all these qualities.
καὶ ταῦθʼ ὅτι προσῆν Εὐαγόρᾳ, καὶ πλείω τούτων, ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων ῥᾴδιον καταμαθεῖν.
And that these qualities, and even more than these, belonged to Evagoras, is easy to learn from his deeds themselves.