§5.1312bἐὰν ἐναντία τις ᾖ πολιτεία κρείττων (τὸ μὲν γὰρ βούλεσθαι δῆλον ὡς ὑπάρξει διὰ τὴν ἐναντιότητα τῆς προαιρέσεως· ἃ δὲ βούλονται, δυνάμενοι πράττουσι πάντες), ἐναντίαι δʼ αἱ πολιτεῖαι, δῆμος μὲν τυραννίδι καθʼ Ἡσίοδον ὡς κεραμεὺς κεραμεῖ (καὶ γὰρ ἡ δημοκρατία ἡ τελευταία τυραννίς ἐστιν), βασιλεία δὲ καὶ ἀριστοκρατία διὰ τὴν ἐναντιότητα τῆς πολιτείας (διὸ Λακεδαιμόνιοι πλείστας κατέλυσαν τυραννίδας καὶ Συρακούσιοι κατὰ τὸν χρόνον ὃν ἐπολιτεύοντο καλῶς)·
tyranny is destroyed from without if there is some contrary constitution that is stronger (for that they should wish to do so is clear due to the contrariety of their choice; and what they wish, all who have the power perform); and these constitutions are contrary, democracy to tyranny according to Hesiod, as potter against potter (for the extreme democracy is also a tyranny), and kingship and aristocracy because of the contrariety of their constitution (wherefore the Lacedaemonians destroyed very many tyrannies, and the Syracusans did so during the time when they were governed well).
ἕνα δʼ ἐξ αὑτῆς, ὅταν οἱ μετέχοντες στασιάζωσιν, ὥσπερ ἡ τῶν περὶ Γέλωνα καὶ νῦν ἡ τῶν περὶ Διονύσιον, ἡ μὲν Γέλωνος Θρασυβούλου τοῦ Ἱέρωνος ἀδελφοῦ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Γέλωνος δημαγωγοῦντος καὶ πρὸς ἡδονὰς ὁρμῶντος, ἵνʼ αὐτὸς ἄρχῃ, τῶν δὲ οἰκείων συστησάντων ἵνα μὴ ἡ τυραννὶς ὅλως καταλυθῇ ἀλλὰ Θρασύβουλος, οἱ δὲ συστάντες αὐτῶν, ὡς καιρὸν ἔχοντες, ἐξέβαλον ἅπαντας αὐτούς·
But in another way from within itself, whenever those who share in it fall into faction, just as that of those around Gelon was destroyed, and recently that of those around Dionysius; that of Gelon when Thrasybulus, the brother of Hiero, played the demagogue with the son of Gelon and urged him toward pleasures so that he himself might rule, and when the relatives banded together so that the tyranny as a whole might not be destroyed but only Thrasybulus; but those of them who banded together, having seized the opportunity, expelled all of them.
Διονύσιον δὲ Δίων στρατεύσας, κηδεστὴς ὢν καὶ προσλαβὼν τὸν δῆμον, ἐκεῖνον ἐκβαλὼν διεφθάρη.
And Dionysius was expelled by Dion, who marched against him, being a relative and taking the people to his side, but after expelling him he was himself destroyed.
δύο δὲ οὐσῶν αἰτιῶν διʼ ἃς μάλιστʼ ἐπιτίθενται ταῖς τυραννίσι, μίσους καὶ καταφρονήσεως, θάτερον μὲν ἀεὶ τούτων ὑπάρχει τοῖς τυράννοις, τὸ μῖσος, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ καταφρονεῖσθαι πολλαὶ γίνονται τῶν καταλύσεων.
Since there are two causes because of which men especially attack tyrannies, hatred and contempt, one of these, hatred, is always present for tyrants, but from being despised many of the destructions occur.
σημεῖον δέ· τῶν μὲν γὰρ κτησαμένων οἱ πλεῖστοι καὶ διεφύλαξαν τὰς ἀρχάς, οἱ δὲ παραλαβόντες εὐθὺς ὡς εἰπεῖν ἀπολλύασι πάντες.
This is indicated by the fact that most of those who acquired their rule also preserved it, but those who received it in succession almost all destroy it immediately.
ἀπολαυστικῶς γὰρ ζῶντες εὐκαταφρόνητοί τε γίνονται καὶ πολλοὺς καιροὺς παραδιδόασι τοῖς ἐπιτιθεμένοις.
For living in a lifestyle of enjoyment, they become easily despised and present many opportunities to those who attack them.
μόριον δέ τι τοῦ μίσους καὶ τὴν ὀργὴν δεῖ τιθέναι· τρόπον γάρ τινα τῶν αὐτῶν αἰτία γίνεται πράξεων.
And one must also place anger as a part of hatred; for in a certain way it becomes the cause of the same actions.
πολλάκις δὲ καὶ πρακτικώτερον τοῦ μίσους· συντονώτερον γὰρ ἐπιτίθενται διὰ τὸ μὴ χρῆσθαι λογισμῷ τὸ πάθος (μάλιστα δὲ συμβαίνει τοῖς θυμοῖς ἀκολουθεῖν διὰ τὴν ὕβριν, διʼ ἣν αἰτίαν ἥ τε τῶν Πεισιστρατιδῶν κατελύθη τυραννὶς καὶ πολλαὶ τῶν ἄλλων), ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τὸ μῖσος· ἡ μὲν γὰρ ὀργὴ μετὰ λύπης πάρεστιν, ὥστε οὐ ῥᾴδιον λογίζεσθαι, ἡ δʼ ἔχθρα ἄνευ λύπης.
And often it is even more active than hatred; for they attack more intensely because the passion does not employ calculation (and it happens especially that anger follows insolence, for which cause the tyranny of the Peisistratidae was destroyed, as well as many of the others), but hatred is rather more the cause; for anger is present with pain, so that it is not easy to calculate, but hostility is without pain.
ὡς δὲ ἐν κεφαλαίοις εἰπεῖν, ὅσας αἰτίας εἰρήκαμεν τῆς τε ὀλιγαρχίας τῆς ἀκράτου καὶ τελευταίας καὶ τῆς δημοκρατίας τῆς ἐσχάτης, τοσαύτας καὶ τῆς τυραννίδος θετέον· καὶ γὰρ αὗται τυγχάνουσιν οὖσαι διαιρεταὶ τυραννίδες.
To speak in summary, as many causes as we have mentioned of both unmixed and extreme oligarchy, and of ultimate democracy, so many must also be assumed for tyranny; for these happen to be divided tyrannies.
βασιλεία δʼ ὑπὸ μὲν τῶν ἔξωθεν ἥκιστα φθείρεται, διὸ καὶ πολυχρόνιός ἐστιν· ἐξ αὐτῆς δʼ αἱ πλεῖσται φθοραὶ συμβαίνουσιν.
But kingship is least of all destroyed by those from without, wherefore also it is long-lasting; but from within itself most destructions occur.
φθείρεται δὲ κατὰ δύο τρόπους, §5.1313aἕνα μὲν στασιασάντων τῶν μετεχόντων τῆς βασιλείας, ἄλλον δὲ τρόπον τυραννικώτερον πειρωμένων διοικεῖν, ὅταν εἶναι κύριοι πλειόνων ἀξιῶσι καὶ παρὰ τὸν νόμον.
And it is destroyed in two ways: one, when those who share in the kingship fall into faction, and in another, more tyrannical way when they attempt to govern, when they claim to be masters of more things and contrary to the law.
οὐ γίγνονται δʼ ἔτι βασιλεῖαι νῦν, ἀλλʼ ἄν περ γίγνωνται, μοναρχίαι, τυραννίδες μᾶλλον, διὰ τὸ τὴν βασιλείαν ἑκούσιον μὲν ἀρχὴν εἶναι, μειζόνων δὲ κυρίαν, πολλοὺς δʼ εἶναι τοὺς ὁμοίους, καὶ μηδένα διαφέροντα τοσοῦτον ὥστε ἀπαρτίζειν πρὸς τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα τῆς ἀρχῆς.
Kingships do not occur anymore now, but if they do occur, they are monarchies and rather tyrannies, because kingship is a voluntary rule, but master of greater things, while many are similar and no one differs so much as to measure up to the magnitude and the dignity of the rule.
ὥστε διὰ μὲν τοῦτο ἑκόντες οὐχ ὑπομένουσιν· ἂν δὲ διʼ ἀπάτης ἄρξῃ τις ἢ βίας, ἤδη δοκεῖ τοῦτο εἶναι τυραννίς.
So that because of this they do not endure it voluntarily; and if someone rules through deceit or force, this already seems to be a tyranny.
ἐν δὲ ταῖς κατὰ γένος βασιλείαις τιθέναι δεῖ τῆς φθορᾶς αἰτίαν πρὸς ταῖς εἰρημέναις καὶ τὸ γίνεσθαι πολλοὺς εὐκαταφρονήτους, καὶ τὸ δύναμιν μὴ κεκτημένους τυραννικὴν ἀλλὰ βασιλικὴν τιμὴν ὑβρίζειν· ῥᾳδία γὰρ ἐγίνετο ἡ κατάλυσις· μὴ βουλομένων γὰρ εὐθὺς οὐκ ἔσται βασιλεύς, ἀλλὰ τύραννος καὶ μὴ βουλομένων.
And in hereditary kingships, we must place as the cause of destruction, in addition to those mentioned, both the fact that many become easily despised, and that, possessing not tyrannical power but only kingly honor, they behave with insolence; for the destruction becomes easy; for if they do not wish, immediately there will be no king, but a tyrant exists even if they do not wish.
φθείρονται μὲν οὖν αἱ μοναρχίαι διὰ ταύτας καὶ τοιαύτας ἑτέρας αἰτίας.
Monarchies, then, are destroyed because of these and other such causes.
σῴζονται δὲ δῆλον ὡς ἁπλῶς μὲν εἰπεῖν ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων, ὡς δὲ καθʼ ἕκαστον τῷ τὰς μὲν βασιλείας ἄγειν ἐπὶ τὸ μετριώτερον.
But they are preserved, clearly, to speak simply, from their opposites, but in detail for kingships by bringing them to a more moderate state.
ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν ἐλαττόνων ὦσι κύριοι, πλείω χρόνον ἀναγκαῖον μένειν πᾶσαν τὴν ἀρχήν· αὐτοί τε γὰρ ἧττον γίγνονται δεσποτικοὶ καὶ τοῖς ἤθεσιν ἴσοι μᾶλλον, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρχομένων φθονοῦνται ἧττον.
For by how much the fewer things they are masters of, the longer time the whole rule must necessarily remain; for they themselves become less despotic and more equal in their characters, and are envied less by those who are ruled.
διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ ἡ περὶ Μολοττοὺς πολὺν χρόνον βασιλεία διέμεινεν, καὶ ἡ Λακεδαιμονίων διὰ τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τε εἰς δύο μέρη διαιρεθῆναι τὴν ἀρχήν, καὶ πάλιν Θεοπόμπου μετριάσαντος τοῖς τε ἄλλοις καὶ τὴν τῶν ἐφόρων ἀρχὴν ἐπικαταστήσαντος· τῆς γὰρ δυνάμεως ἀφελὼν ηὔξησε τῷ χρόνῳ τὴν βασιλείαν, ὥστε τρόπον τινὰ ἐποίησεν οὐκ ἐλάττονʼ ἀλλὰ μείζονʼ αὐτήν.
For because of this also the kingship among the Molossians lasted a long time, and that of the Lacedaemonians, both because from the beginning the rule was divided into two parts, and again when Theopompus moderated it in other ways and established the office of the ephors; for by taking away from its power he increased the kingship in time, so that in a certain way he made it not less but greater.
ὅπερ καὶ πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα ἀποκρίνασθαί φασιν αὐτόν, εἰποῦσαν εἰ μηδὲν αἰσχύνεται τὴν βασιλείαν ἐλάττω παραδιδοὺς τοῖς υἱέσιν ἢ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς παρέλαβεν· "οὐ δῆτα"
φάναι· "παραδίδωμι γὰρ πολυχρονιωτέραν. "
αἱ δὲ τυραννίδες σῴζονται κατὰ δύο τρόπους τοὺς ἐναντιωτάτους, ὧν ἅτερός ἐστιν ὁ παραδεδομένος καὶ καθʼ ὃν διοικοῦσιν οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν τυράννων τὴν ἀρχήν.
Which indeed they say he answered to his wife when she said if he was not ashamed to hand down the kingship smaller to his sons than he received it from his father: "Not at all," he said, "for I hand it down more long-lasting." But tyrannies are preserved in two most opposite ways, of which one is the traditional one and according to which most tyrants administer their rule.
τούτων δὲ τὰ πολλά φασι καταστῆσαι Περίανδρον τὸν Κορίνθιον· πολλὰ δὲ καὶ παρὰ τῆς Περσῶν ἀρχῆς ἔστι τοιαῦτα λαβεῖν.
Most of these they say Periander the Corinthian established; and many such things can also be taken from the Persian rule.
ἔστι δὲ τά τε πάλαι λεχθέντα πρὸς σωτηρίαν, ὡς οἷόν τε, τῆς τυραννίδος, τὸ τοὺς ὑπερέχοντας κολούειν καὶ τοὺς φρονηματίας ἀναιρεῖν, καὶ μήτε συσσίτια ἐᾶν μήτε ἑταιρίαν μήτε παιδείαν μήτε ἄλλο μηθὲν τοιοῦτον,
And there are the things said of old for the preservation, as far as possible, of tyranny, to cut off those who stand out and to destroy those of high spirit, and to allow neither common meals nor association nor education nor anything else of the sort,