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Theophrastus · Fragments §128.1

Depleting Wealth and Monumental Works to Prevent Plots

Passage 133 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Theophrastus points out that the tyrant Dionysius wasted wealth to prevent conspiracies, and that monumental structures like the pyramids were built with a similar political intent.

§128.1Fr. 128 Θ. ἐν τῷ περὶ καιρῶν βʼ λέγει οὕτως· "Ἑτεροι δʼ εἰς ἀνδρδέστερα καταδαπανῶντες οἷον στρατείας ἐξάγοντες καὶ πολέμους ἐπαναιρούμενοι καθάπερ καὶ Διονύσιος ὁ τύραννος· ἐκεῖνος γὰρ οὐ μόνον ᾤετο δεῖν τὰ τῶν ἄλλων καταναλίσκειν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸ μὴ ὑπάρχειν ἐφόδιον ἐφόδια Phot. τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύουσιν· ἐοίκασι δὲ καὶ αἱ πυραμίδες ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ ὁ τῶν Κυψελιδῶν κολοσσὸς καὶ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα τὴν αὐτὴν καὶ παραπλησίαν ἔχειν διάνοιαν. "
Theophrastus in the second book of On Seasons speaks as follows: "Others, spending [their wealth] on more manly things, such as leading out expeditions and undertaking wars, just as the tyrant Dionysius also did; for he thought it necessary not only to consume the property of others but also his own, so that there would be no resources available for those who plot against him; and the pyramids in Egypt, the colossus of the Cypselids, and all such things seem to have the same or a very similar purpose."

Notes

  1. §128.1καταδαπανῶντες — A present participle in the nominative plural. The main verb of this clause is missing, and it either implies a verb of action such as "to maintain their rule by spending" or is a corruption of the finite verb καταδαπανῶσι (third-person plural present indicative).
  2. §128.1πρὸς τὸ μὴ ὑπάρχειν ἐφόδιον — The preposition πρὸς followed by the articular infinitive τὸ μὴ ὑπάρχειν expresses purpose ("in order that... not"). The inserted note ἐφόδια Phot. indicates a variant reading (neuter plural ἐφόδια instead of neuter singular ἐφόδιον) from Photios, both meaning "resources" or "means" for the conspiracy.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §128.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:128.1

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