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Herodotus · Histories §3.81.1-3.81.3

Megabyzus Advocates Oligarchy and Condemns Democracy

Passage 485 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Megabyzus severely criticizes the folly and insolence of the rule of the multitude (democracy) and proposes establishing an oligarchy, arguing that the rule of the best men naturally produces the best counsels.

§3.81.1Ὀτάνης μὲν δὴ ταύτην γνώμην ἐσέφερε· Μεγάβυζος δὲ ὀλιγαρχίῃ ἐκέλευε ἐπιτρέπειν, λέγων τάδε. τὰ μὲν Ὀτάνης εἶπε τυραννίδα παύων, λελέχθω κἀμοὶ ταῦτα, τὰ δʼ ἐς τὸ πλῆθος ἄνωγε φέρειν τὸ κράτος, γνώμης τῆς ἀρίστης ἡμάρτηκε·
Otanes indeed brought forward this opinion; but Megabyzus urged to entrust the government to an oligarchy, saying these things: "What Otanes said in putting down tyranny, let these things be taken as said by me also; but as for what he urged, to bring the power to the multitude, he has missed the best judgment.
ὁμίλου γὰρ ἀχρηίου οὐδέν ἐστι ἀξυνετώτερον οὐδὲ ὑβριστότερον.
For nothing is more witless or more insolent than a useless crowd.
§3.81.2καίτοι τυράννου ὕβριν φεύγοντας ἄνδρας ἐς δήμου ἀκολάστου ὕβριν πεσεῖν ἐστὶ οὐδαμῶς ἀνασχετόν.
And indeed, for men fleeing the insolence of a tyrant to fall into the insolence of an unrestrained populace is in no way tolerable.
ὃ μὲν γὰρ εἴ τι ποιέει, γινώσκων ποιέει, τῷ δὲ οὐδὲ γινώσκειν ἔνι·
For the former, if he does anything, does it with knowledge; but to the latter, even knowledge is not possible.
κῶς γὰρ ἂν γινώσκοι ὃς οὔτʼ ἐδιδάχθη οὔτε εἶδε καλὸν οὐδὲν οἰκήιον,ὠθέει τε ἐμπεσὼν τὰ πρήγματα ἄνευ νόου, χειμάρρῳ ποταμῷ εἴκελος;
For how could he know who was neither taught nor saw anything beautiful of his own, and rushes in and drives affairs without understanding, like a winter torrent?
§3.81.3δήμῳ μέν νυν, οἳ Πέρσῃσι κακὸν νοέουσι, οὗτοι χράσθων, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀνδρῶν τῶν ἀρίστων ἐπιλέξαντες ὁμιλίην τούτοισι περιθέωμεν τὸ κράτος· ἐν γὰρ δὴ τούτοισι καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐνεσόμεθα· ἀρίστων δὲ ἀνδρῶν οἰκὸς ἄριστα βουλεύματα γίνεσθαι.
Let those, then, who wish ill to the Persians make use of a democracy; but let us, selecting a company of the best men, invest these with the power; for among these we ourselves also shall be; and it is reasonable that from the best men should come the best counsels."

Notes

  1. §3.81.1τὰ μὲν Ὀτάνης εἶπε — τὰ acts here as a relative pronoun or demonstrative in a contrastive structure τὰ μὲν ... τὰ δʼ ... . τὰ μὲν refers to 'what Otanes said' and serves as the subject of the passive imperative λελέχθω. The subsequent τὰ δʼ refers to 'what he urged concerning the multitude' and functions as an accusative of respect/reference ('as for the things which...').
  2. §3.81.2ὃ μὲν γὰρ εἴ τι ποιέει, γινώσκων ποιέει, τῷ δὲ οὐδὲ γινώσκειν ἔνι — ὃ μὲν (nominative) and τῷ δὲ (dative) are used as contrastive demonstrative pronouns, referring to 'the former (the tyrant)' and 'the latter (the populace)' respectively. ἔνι is an anastrophe of ἔνεστι ('it is possible', 'it is in one's power'), which taking the infinitive γινώσκειν means 'to the latter, even understanding is not possible.'
  3. §3.81.2ὠθέει τε ἐμπεσὼν τὰ πρήγματα — The subject is carried over from the preceding relative clause ὃς (he who is untaught, representing the ignorant populace). The aorist active participle ἐμπεσὼν (from ἐμπίπτω, 'to fall into, rush in') expresses an action prior to or concurrent with the main verb ὠθέει ('pushes, drives'). τὰ πρήγματα ('affairs/state business') is the direct object of ὠθέει.
  4. §3.81.3δήμῳ μέν νυν... οὗτοι χράσθων — The dative δήμῳ is the complement of the verb χράσθων (third-person plural present imperative of χράομαι, 'to use, make use of'), which appears at the end of the clause. The word order is highly inverted (hyperbaton), with the subject relative clause οἳ Πέρσῃσι κακὸν νοέουσι ('who wish ill to the Persians') and the demonstrative οὗτοι (resuming the relative clause) inserted in between.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §3.81.1-3.81.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.81.1-3.81.3

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