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Theophrastus · Fragments §127.1

The Aisymnetai as Elected Tyrants

Passage 132 of 196 · Greek

Summary

A description from Theophrastus' On Kingship stating that the ancient Greek officials known as 'aisymnetai' were a kind of elected tyrants.

§127.1Fr. 127 Οἱ γὰρ αἰσυμνῆται καλούμενοι παρʼ Ἕλλησι τὸ ἀρχαῖον, ὡς ἐν τοῖς περὶ βασιλείας ἱστορεῖ Θ., αἱρετοί τινες ἦσαν τύραννοι.
For those who were called aisymnetai among the Greeks in ancient times, as Theophrastus records in his work On Kingship, were a kind of elected tyrants.

Notes

  1. §127.1τὸ ἀρχαῖον — The neuter singular accusative is used adverbially, meaning 'in ancient times' or 'of old'.
  2. §127.1αἱρετοί τινες ἦσαν τύραννοι — The adjective αἱρετός (elected) modifies τύραννοι (tyrants). It describes the nature of the aisymnetai as dictators or arbitrators appointed by mutual consent, in contrast to conventional tyrants who seized power by force or inheritance.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §127.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:127.1

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