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İngilizce İngilizce Yunanca

7 Solon then, after a moment’s delay, said, In my opinion either a king, or a despot, would best gain repute if out of a monarchy he should organize a democracy for his people.

7 Next Bias said, If he should be the very first to conform to his country’s laws.

7 Following him Thales said that he accounted it happiness for a ruler to reach old age and die a natural death.

7 Fourth, Anacharsis said, If only he have sound sense.

7 Fifth, Cleobulus, If he trust none of his associates.

7 Sixth, Pittacus, If the ruler should manage to make his subjects fear, not him, but for him. Plutarch cites a concrete case in his Life of Aratus, chap. xxv. (p. 1039 A).

7 Chilon followed by saying that a ruler’s thoughts should never be the thoughts of a mortal, but of an immortal always.

7 When these sentiments had been expressed, we insisted that Periander himself should also say something. And he, not very cheerful, but with a hard set face, said, Well, I may add my view, that the opinions expressed, taken as a whole, practically divorce any man possessed of sense from being a ruler.

7 Whereupon Aesop, as though taking us to task, said, You ought, then, to have carried out this discussion by yourselves, and not, while professing to be counsellors and friends, to have made yourselves complainants against rulers.