Book VIII, 568–569

568a friends and trustworthy men, after destroying his former companions.”

“And yet those are the men he uses,” he said.

“So these companions admire him,” I said, “and the new citizens keep his company, while decent people hate him and flee?”

“How could they do otherwise?”

“It is no wonder,” I said, “that tragedy in general has a reputation for wisdom, and Euripides above all its poets.”

“Why?”

“Because he uttered this saying, drawn from a keen insight: 568b ‘Tyrants grow wise by keeping company with the wise.’ Plainly he meant that these companions of the tyrant are the wise men.”

“He also praises tyranny as equal to godhood,” he said, “and says many other things of that sort, as do the other poets.”

“And so,” I said, “being wise, the tragic poets will forgive us, and all who live under a constitution close to ours, for refusing them admission to our city, since they sing the praises of tyranny.”

“I think those among them with any refinement 568c will forgive us,” he said.

“But I suppose they go around to other cities, gathering crowds, hiring actors with fine, powerful, persuasive voices, and drawing constitutions toward tyranny and democracy.”

“Certainly.”

“And beyond that, they receive pay and honors, chiefly, as you would expect, from tyrants, and second from democracies. But the higher they climb toward the steep ascent of constitutions, 568d the more their honor fails them, as though it were too short of breath to go on.”

“Quite so.”

“But we have digressed,” I said. “Let us return to the tyrant’s army, that beautiful, vast, many-colored, ever-changing force, and ask how he will feed it.”

“Clearly,” he said, “if the city has sacred funds, he will spend them, and as long as the confiscated property holds out, he will use that too, requiring the people to pay less in contributions.”

“568e And when these resources run out?”

“Clearly,” he said, “he and his fellow drinkers, his male companions and his female companions, will be supported from his father’s estate.”

“I see,” I said. “The people, who fathered the tyrant, must support him and his companions.”

“They have no choice,” he said.

“But what do you mean?” I asked. “Suppose the people grow angry and say it is not right for a grown son to be supported by his father; rather, a father should be supported by his son. They say they did not 569a bring him into being and establish him so that, once he had grown great, they themselves should become slaves to their own slaves and support him and his slaves along with a rabble of others. Instead, they wanted him as their champion to free them from the rich and the so-called fine and good men of the city. Now they order him and his companions to leave the city, just as a father might drive his son and his troublesome drinking friends out of the house.”

“By Zeus,” he said, “the people will 569b then learn what sort of creature they fathered, welcomed, and raised—and that it is the weaker who are trying to drive out the stronger.”

“What do you mean?” I said. “Will the tyrant dare to use force against his father, even to beat him if he will not obey?”

“Yes,” he said, “once he has taken away his weapons.”

“You describe a tyrant who beats his father,” I said, “and a harsh caretaker in his father’s old age. By now, it seems, this would be tyranny in its acknowledged form. And, as the saying goes, in fleeing the smoke of 569c enslavement to free men, the people would have fallen into the fire of domination by slaves. In place of their former excessive and ill-timed freedom, they would put on the harshest and bitterest slavery, slavery to slaves.”

“That is exactly what happens,” he said.

“Well, then,” I asked, “would we not be justified in saying that we have adequately described how tyranny changes from democracy, and what it is like once formed?”

“Entirely adequately,” he said.

568a friends and loyal men he uses after destroying his former supporters,” I said.“But those are indeed the men he uses,” he said.“And these companions admire him, and the new citizens keep him company, while decent people hate him and avoid him?”“Of course.”“No wonder tragedy is generally thought wise, and Euripides especially outstanding in it,” I said.“Why?”“Because he made this clever observation: 568b ‘Tyrants grow wise by keeping company with the wise.’ Clearly he meant that these companions of the tyrant were the wise people.”“He also praises tyranny as equal to a god,” he said, “and says many other such things. The other poets do too.”“So the tragic poets, being wise, will forgive us and those who establish political orders close to ours for not admitting them into our city, since they sing the praises of tyranny.”“I think the more reasonable ones among them will forgive us,” he said. 568c“But when they tour the other cities and gather crowds, they hire performers with beautiful, strong, persuasive voices. They draw those political orders toward tyranny or democracy.”“Exactly.”“Besides, they are paid and honored for doing so. Tyrants give them the greatest honors, as you would expect, and democracies give them the next greatest. But the further they climb up the steep path toward better political orders, the more their honors fade, as if shortness of breath kept them from going any farther. 568d”“Quite so.”“But we have wandered off,” I said. “Let's return to that large, splendid, varied, ever-changing army of the tyrant. Where will he get the money to support it?”“Clearly,” he said, “if the city has temple funds, he will spend them. He will also spend whatever he gets from selling sacred property for as long as it lasts, requiring the people to pay smaller contributions. 568e”“And when these funds run out?”“Clearly,” he said, “he and his fellow drinkers, his male companions, and his female companions will live off his father's property.”“I see,” I said. “The people who gave birth to the tyrant will support him and his companions.”“They will have no choice,” he said.“But suppose the people resent this. Suppose they say it is not right for a grown son to be supported by his father. Instead, a son should support his father. They did not give birth to him and put him in power

569a so that, when he grew up, they would be slaves to their own slaves, supporting him, his slaves, and a pack of other hangers-on. They did it to free themselves, with his help, from the rich and those called fine and good in the city. Now they order him and his companions to leave the city, as a father might throw a son and his troublesome drinking friends out of the house.”“By Zeus,” he said, “then the people will learn what kind of creature they welcomed into the world and raised, and that they are trying to drive out someone stronger than themselves. 569b”“What do you mean?” I said. “Will the tyrant dare to use force against his father, and beat him if he refuses to obey?”“Yes,” he said, “once he has taken away his weapons.”“You describe a tyrant who beats his father and cares for him harshly in old age,” I said. “This, it seems, is what everyone agrees tyranny is. As the saying goes, the people have fled the smoke of slavery to free people and fallen into the fire of mastery by slaves. In place of their earlier excessive, ill-timed freedom, they have put on the harshest and bitterest slavery: slavery to slaves. 569c”“That is exactly what happens,” he said.“Well, then,” I said, “will it be fair to say that we have sufficiently described how tyranny develops from democracy, and what it is like after it has arisen?”“More than sufficiently,” he said.