Xenophon’s Hiero, Summary Automatic translate

The work is a fictional dialogue written by the ancient Greek historian and philosopher Xenophon, probably after 365 BC (the action of the dialogue is dated to 474 BC ). It is one of the first works in the history of political thought devoted to analyzing tyranny not as an absolute evil, but as a problem of governance, exploring the difference between the life of a private individual and that of an autocrat.

Debate on happiness

The poet Simonides arrives at the court of the Syracusan tyrant Hiero and asks for clarification on how the life of a ruler differs from that of an ordinary person, believing that a monarch, having experienced both, knows the answer better. Simonides expresses the generally accepted opinion: a tyrant is happier because he has more opportunities to experience pleasure through sight, hearing, taste, and other senses, and experiences less suffering.

Hiero decisively refutes this notion. He argues that tyranny offers far fewer joys and brings far more misery than the life of a private individual. A ruler is limited in terms of visual experiences: he cannot safely travel the world or attend national festivities for fear of his life and power. What is accessible to every citizen is closed to him, and the rare spectacles brought to the palace are unjustifiably expensive.

The ruler’s ear also knows no pleasure. The sweetest sound — sincere praise — is inaccessible to him, as those around him flatter him out of fear. The most unpleasant sound — cursing — doesn’t reach him, but this only means that his subjects harbor grudges in silence.

Gastronomic and carnal pleasures

The interlocutors discuss the pleasures of food. Simonides believes the monarch’s table is richer and more delicious. Hiero counters: the soul enjoys food only when there is desire, and constant abundance dulls the palate. An ordinary person, who rarely indulges in delicacies, derives more pleasure from them than a satiated ruler does from exquisite dishes. The tyrant is forced to resort to hot and sour condiments to whet an appetite spoiled by luxury.

In matters of love, the despot’s situation is even more dire. Marriage to a woman of noble birth is impossible (since no one is nobler than him), marriage to a foreigner lacks intimacy, and a union with a woman of lower status brings no prestige. As for the pleasures of love, the tyrant lacks the most important thing — the certainty of reciprocity. True passion does not thrive where there is coercion. Hieron admits to loving the handsome Dailokh, but wishes to gain his favor voluntarily, not by force. Taking what he desires by force is as abhorrent to him as robbery. However, a tyrant can never trust manifestations of love, for fear compels people to feign affection more skillfully than genuine feeling. Conspiracies most often originate from those who pretend to be the most loving.

Loneliness and fear

Simonides tries to shift the conversation to other benefits of power: wealth, the best horses, weapons, and the ability to help friends or harm enemies. Hiero counters that the crowd judges by outward appearances, failing to see the ruler’s hidden mental anguish.

A tyrant’s greatest affliction is the absence of peace. Citizens can travel without fear, but the ruler is always in enemy territory and is forced to carry arms. Even his own palace is not a fortress, but a place requiring increased security. War eventually ends in peace for the state, but the tyrant’s war with his own people is eternal.

Even victory over external enemies brings no joy. While citizens are proud of their city’s victory and take credit for it, a tyrant, having suppressed a rebellion or eliminated rivals, cannot be proud, as he only diminishes the number of his subjects. He is forced to hire guards, fearing his own citizens more than foreigners.

Crisis of trust

Hiero argues that a tyrant lacks the greatest blessings — friendship and trust. Ordinary people enjoy the company of loved ones, but a ruler fears food and drink, ordering his servants to taste them first. Murder is common in the families of tyrants: children kill their fathers, wives kill their husbands.

Citizens protect each other selflessly, while the tyrant is forced to pay mercenaries. Moreover, the murder of a tyrant in cities is often not only unpunished but also revered: monuments to the murderers are erected in churches.

Hiero envies private individuals even in their wealth. An ordinary person can cut back on expenses, but a tyrant cannot cut back on his army and security, for doing so would mean his own downfall. He is forced to plunder temples and people to support his army.

The most terrible thing, according to Hiero, is that a tyrant fears worthy people: the brave for their courage, the wise for their intelligence, the just for their influence over the people. He is forced to rely on scoundrels and servile people. He cannot even enjoy the prosperity of his city, since poor people are easier to rule.

Life turns into a living nightmare: fear of crowds, fear of loneliness, fear of the absence of guards, and fear of the guards themselves. Hieron admits that he sometimes wants to commit suicide, but even that is impossible. Tyranny is a misfortune that cannot simply be abandoned, since it is impossible to return all the loot or resurrect the dead. Hanging himself — that seems to be his only way out.

Simonides’ Advice: The Path to the Love of the People

After listening to Hieron’s complaints, Simonides disagrees with the hopelessness of his situation. He argues that power is a tool for earning genuine love, to a greater degree than is possible for an individual. Any courtesy, any gift, or attention from a ruler is received with far greater gratitude and admiration than the same actions from an equal. Power itself imbues a person with a certain aura, making their flaws less noticeable and their virtues more striking.

Simonides offers a concrete program of action to transform the hated tyranny into a respectable government:

1. Separation of duties. Unpleasant tasks (punishments, coercion) should be delegated to others, while rewards and incentives should be kept for oneself. The poet gives the example of choral competitions, where the archon distributes prizes, while others perform routine work and coercion.
2. Competition and incentives. A system of incentives must be introduced in all spheres of life: agriculture, trade, and military affairs. By rewarding those who best cultivate the land or devise new, bloodless ways to replenish the treasury, the state will grow rich, and citizens will become more loyal and less prone to vice.
3. The role of mercenaries. The personal guard should be transformed into a public police force. If mercenaries protect not only the palace but also the property of all citizens from thieves and bandits, and also assist peasants and herders in times of danger, the people will begin to see them as protectors and will be willing to pay for their upkeep.
4. Spending for the common good. Simonides convinces Hieron that money spent on city beautification (walls, temples, shipyards) will bring him more glory than personal luxury. A tyrant should not compete with private individuals in building chariots for the Olympic Games — his victory will only arouse envy, and his defeat, ridicule. His true competition should be with the rulers of other states. The goal of this competition is to make his own city the happiest.

Simonides paints a picture of ideal government: if Hiero follows this advice, he will gain not flattering but sincere respect. Citizens will voluntarily obey him and defend him. He will be greeted as a benefactor, not an enemy. The poet urges people to consider their homeland, citizens as comrades, friends as children, and sons as their souls.

The dialogue concludes with the assertion that defeating enemies by force of arms is not comparable to defeating friends through benevolence. If a ruler achieves this, he will attain the most precious and enviable happiness in the world.

"You will be happy and no one will envy you."