Greece -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Rome -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
himself promoted to a responsible post, because he dreamed that he was
killing him; for Dionysius argued that his dream must have been
suggested by some thoughts or talk in his waking hours. To such a
condition of terror and misery was he reduced by his cowardice, although
he was angry with Plato for not declaring him to be the bravest of men.
X. Dion, perceiving, as has been said before, that the character of the
young Dionysius had been ruined by his want of education, begged him to
educate himself, to offer all possible inducements to the first of
philosophers to visit Sicily, and when he came, to place himself in his
hands, in order that his character might be exalted by the contemplation
of virtue, and formed upon the noblest of models, which alone can
produce order out of chaos; by which means he would not only gain great
happiness for himself, but would bestow great happiness upon the
citizens by his mild and just paternal rule, thus becoming a true king
instead of a despot. He pointed out that the "adamantine chains" by
which Dionysius's father boasted that his dominion was secured, were not
terror and force, the numbers of his ships of war, or the thousands of
his barbarian mercenaries, but rather the goodwill, loyalty, and
gratitude engendered by virtue and justice, which, though softer than
those rough defences, would nevertheless establish his rule far more
securely than they. Besides these considerations he urged that it was a
sorry thing, and showed a want of proper ambition for a ruler to be
splendidly dressed and luxuriously lodged, but yet to be no more
intellectual in his conversation and arguments than any ordinary man,
and to neglect to adorn the palace of his soul as became a king.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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