REMARKS ON THE HIERO.

THE visit of Simonides of Ceos to Hiero, at an advanced age, is related by Ælian, Var. Hist. ix. 1.

The Hiero here mentioned is not Hiero II., so much celebrated as the friend and ally of the Romans, but Hiero I., who began to reign B. C. 478. He succeeded his brother Gelon, whose government had been extremely mild and popular; that of Hiero was of a far more severe and despotic character. From the admonitions that Xenophon puts into the mouth of Simonides, it may be inferred that there was in Hiero's conduct towards his subjects, and in his ostentatious magnificence, much that was generally regarded with disapprobation. But from the praises bestowed on him by Pindar, and the attractions which his court presented, not only to him, but to Eschylus, Bacchylides, Epicharmus, Xenophanes, and other men of eminence, we may suppose that he had some considerable merits, not only as a patron, but as a man.

The voyage of Simonides to Syracuse is placed by Schneider in the year B. C. 471, the seventh year of Hiero's reign, when Simonides was more than eighty years old. Hiero died five years afterwards. Simonides continued with him till his death, and died in Sicily, about the age of ninety.

To the discourses of Simonides with Hiero, there are allusions in Plato's Epistle to Dionysius (Epist. ii.); and in Aristotle's Rhetoric, ii. 16.

HIERO:

A DIALOGUE ON THE CONDITION OF ROYALTY,

BETWEEN

HIERO, KING OF SYRACUSE, AND SIMONIDES THE POET.

CHAPTER I.

Hiero observes that private individuals enjoy more gratifications from the senses than sovereigns; that they are more at liberty to seek objects of curiosity or pleasure, as well in foreign countries as in their own; that their ears are delighted with more sincere praise than those of kings; that their appetites are less satiated with dainties; that the odours with which kings are perfumed please the sense of others rather than their own; and that kings have the disadvantage even in affairs of love.

1. THE poet Simonides came once on a visit to the court of Hiero. When they were both at leisure, Simonides said, "Would you consent to tell me some things which it is probable that you know better than I?”

"And of what nature are those things," said Hiero, "which I can be expected to know better than you, who are so wise a man?"

2. "I know," said Simonides, "that you have been in a private station, and that you are now a prince. It is natural, therefore, since you have had experience of both conditions, that you should know better than I, in what respects the life of a king and that of a private man differ, with reference to the pleasures or pains usually attendant on mankind."

3. "Well, then," said Hiero, "why should not you, as you are still, for the present at least, in a private station, recall to my memory the peculiarities of private life? for by that means I

§ 4-9.]

DISADVANTAGES OF ROYALTY.

45

think that I shall be best enabled to set before you the distinctive qualities of each condition."

4. Simonides accordingly said, "I think that I have observed, Hiero, that men in private life are affected with pleasure and pain through their eyes, by objects which they see; through their ears, by sounds which they hear; through the nose, by odours; through the mouth, by meats and drinks; and through other bodily senses, by means which every one knows. 5. As to cold and warm, hard and soft, light and heavy objects, it seems to me that, in distinguishing them, we receive agreeable or painful impressions in all parts of our bodies alike. But by good and evil, we appear to be delighted or offended sometimes through the mind alone, and sometimes through the mind and body in conjunction. 6. That we receive pleasure from sleep, I seem to myself to be conscious; but how, and in what part of us, and at what time,' I feel myself rather at a loss to understand; nor ought this perhaps to seem surprising, since what affects us when we are awake makes clearer impressions upon our senses than that which influences us during sleep."

7. To these observations Hiero replied, "For my part, Simonides, I should be quite unable to tell how a king can have any other perceptions besides those which you have mentioned. Accordingly, as far as these points are concerned, I know not whether the life of a king differs in any respect from that of a private person."

8. "Yet in these particulars," said Simonides, "there would be a difference, 2 if the king is pleased by each of these means as much as the private person, and has far fewer causes of trouble."

"Such, however, is not the case," said Hiero; "as kings, be well assured, experience much less pleasure than persons living in a middle rank of life, and have also more numerous and considerable sources of trouble."

9. "What you say," rejoined Simonides, "is incredible; for, if it were so, why should many, even of those who seem

1 Όπως—τινι-οπότε.] In what manner, in what part of the body, and whether when falling asleep or when actually asleep. Schneider. ? I read diapépot av with Schneider, Zeune, and Stobæus. Weiske and Dindorf have διαφέρει.

to be most sensible persons, be desirous of reigning? And why should everybody envy kings?"

66

10. Because, forsooth," replied Hiero, "they form their opinions upon the subject without having had experience of both conditions. On this point I will endeavour to convince you that I speak the truth, beginning my remarks with the sense of sight; for I seem to have a recollection that it was with an allusion to that sense that you commenced your obser ations on the subject. 11. Looking in the first place, ther, to objects that fall under our vision, I am persuaded that kings have the disadvantage in that respect. In different countries there are different objects worthy of being seen; and to every one of these private persons can go, and also to whatever cities they please, for the purpose of viewing them; as well as to the public assemblies, where whatever is thought most worthy of contemplation among mankind appears to be collected. 12. But kings cannot occupy themselves much with spectacles; for neither is it safe for them to go where they will not be stronger than those around them, nor have they their affairs in so secure a condition at home, that they can intrust the conduct of them to others, and go abroad; since they have at once to dread lest they be deprived of their sovereignty, and lest they be rendered incapable of taking vengeance on those who have wronged them.

13. "But spectacles of this kind,' you will perhaps tell me, 'are presented to kings even while they remain at home.' Assuredly, my dear Simonides, only few out of many; and these, of whatever nature, are sold at so high a price to kings, that those who exhibit before them anything whatsoever, think that they ought to be dismissed with the receipt of a far greater reward from a sovereign for a short time, than they would gain from all other men together for their whole life."

66

14. But," remarked Simonides, "if you have the disadvantage as to objects of sight, you have at least the superiority as to hearing; for you are never without the most pleasing of

1 'IkavwrάTwv ȧvdowv.] Sturz, in his Lexicon, takes iravós, in this passage, in the sense of bonus, probus, peritus. This seems to be a better interpretation than Weiske's, who thinks that it means opibus pollenes, in opposition to oi μerpiws diάyoUTES, who are mentioned a little abcre. Schneider, however, follows Weiske.

§ 15-19.] KINGS SATIATED WITH LUXURIES.

47

all sounds, that of your own praise; since all who approach you applaud alike whatever you say, and whatever you do; while you are exempted from hearing the most unpleasant of sounds, that of censure, as no one ventures to reprove a king to his face."

15. "But what pleasure," said Hiero, "do you think those who do not speak ill of a king give him, when he is well aware that all of them, though they are silent, think everything that is bad of him? Or what delight do you suppose his encomiasts afford, when they are suspected of offering their praises for the purpose of flattering?

16. "This," said Simonides, "I certainly admit, that the most agreeable of praises are those which proceed from men of the most independent spirit. But (as you see)2 with regard to the food on which we human beings are supported, you will never persuade a single individual in the whole world, that you do not derive from it far more pleasure than other men." 17. 66 I know very well, Simonides,” he replied, "that the greater part of mankind consider that we eat and drink with more pleasure than private individuals; and for this reason, that they think they themselves would partake with greater relish of the entertainment which is set before us, than of that which is set before them; for whatever exceeds 3 that to which we are accustomed affords gratification. 18. On this account, all mankind look forward with pleasure to festival days, except kings; for their tables, being always supplied with abundance, admit of no addition on festive occasions; so that, first of all, in the pleasure derived from anticipation they are decidedly inferior to private individuals. 19. And in the next

place," continued he, "I am sure that you are very well aware of this fact, that the more dishes a man has on his table beyond what is sufficient, the sooner satiety in eating comes upon him; so that, with regard to the duration of this pleasure, he

1 Agesilaus used to say, that he was best pleased with the praises of those who would have blamed him with equal freedom if he had acted improperly. See Ages. c. 11, sect. 5.

2 'Opas.] Zeune and Schneider suspect that this word is a corruption of apa où.

3 Tò vπéρßalov.] This reading of Dindorf's is infinitely preferable to Epßά, which Zeune and Schneider have adopted from Athenaeus