Plutarch, Praecepta gerendae reipublicae, Harold North Fowler (Translator), 21

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[21] Now both of these arise from each other. Most people say and believe that it is the business of political teaching to cause men to be good subjects; for, they say, the subject class is in every State larger than the ruling class; and each official rules but a short time, whereas he is ruled all the time, if he is a citizen of a democracy; so that it is a most excellent and useful thing to learn to obey those in authority, even if they happen to be deficient in power and reputation. For it is absurd that in a tragedy the chief actor, even though he is a Theodorus or a Polus,¹ often makes his entrance after a hireling who takes third-class parts and addresses him in humble fashion, just because the latter wears the diadem and sceptre, but that in real affairs and in government the rich and famous man belittles and despises the official who is plebeian and poor, thereby using his own high standing to insult and destroy that of the State, instead of enhancing it rather and adding to the office the esteem and power derived from himself. So at Sparta the kings gave precedence to the ephors, and if any other Spartan was summoned, he did not walk slowly in obeying the summons, but by running eagerly at full speed through the market-place they exhibited to their fellow-citizens their spirit of obedience, rejoicing in paying honour to their rulers. They did not behave like some uncultured and unmannerly persons who, as if swaggering in the excess of their own power, abuse the umpires at the games, revile the choregi at the Dionysiac festival, and jeer at generals and gymnasiarchs, not knowing and not understanding that it is often more glorious to pay honour than to receive it. For to a man who has great power in the State greater distinction accrues through serving in the bodyguard and the escort of an official than through being so served and escorted by him, or rather the latter brings him dislike and envy, but the former brings true reputation, that which comes from goodwill; and by being seen sometimes at the official’s door, by greeting him first, and by putting him in the middle place² in walking a man adds lustre to the State without taking anything from himself.

Praecepta gerendae reipublicae. Plutarch. Harold North Fowler (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1936.

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Current edition Perseus

Precepts of Statecraft (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. X. Fowler, Harold North, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Πολιτικὰ παραγγέλματα Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol. V. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1893.) — 21 focus

[21] γίγνεται μὲν οὖν διʼ ἀλλήλων ἀμφότερα ταῦτα. λέγουσι δ’ οἱ πλεῖστοι καὶ νομίζουσι πολιτικῆς παιδείας ἔργον· εἶναι τὸ καλῶς ἀρχομένους παρασχεῖν καὶ γὰρ πλέον ἐστὶ τοῦ ἄρχοντος ἐν ἑκάστῃ πόλει τὸ ἀρχόμενον· καὶ χρόνον ἕκαστος 5 ἄρχει βραχύν, ἄρχεται δὲ τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον ἐν δημοκρατίᾳ πολιτευόμενος· ὥστε κάλλιστον εἶναι μάθημα καὶ χρησιμώτατον τὸ πειθαρχεῖν τοῖς ἡγουμένοις, κἂν ὑποδεέστεροι δυνάμει καὶ δόξῃ τυγχάνωσιν ὄντες. ἄτοπον γάρ ἐστι τὸν μὲν ἐν τραγῳδίᾳ 10 γῳδίᾳ πρωταγωνιστήν, Θεόδωρον ἢ Πῶλον ὄντα μισθωτὸν τῷ¹ τὰ τρίτα λέγοντι πολλάκις ἕπεσθαι καὶ προσδιαλέγεσθαι ταπεινῶς, ἂν ἐκεῖνος; ἔχῃ τὸ 817a διάδημα καὶ τὸ σκῆπτρον· ἐν δὲ πράξεσιν ἀληθιναῖς καὶ πολιτείᾳ τὸν πλούσιον καὶ ἔνδοξον ὀλιγωρεῖν 15 καὶ καταφρονεῖν ἄρχοντος; ἰδιώτου καὶ πένητος, ἐνυβρίζοντα καὶ καθαιροῦντα² τῷ περὶ αὑτὸν³ ἀξιώματι τὸ τῆς πόλεως, ἀλλὰ μὴ μᾶλλον αὔξοντα καὶ προστιθέντα τὴν ἀπʼ αὑτοῦ⁴ δόξαν καὶ δύναμιν τῇ ἀρχῇ. καθάπερ ἐν Σπάρτῃ τοῖς ἐφόροις οἵ τε βασιλεῖς 20 ὑπεξανίσταντο, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὁ κληθεὶς οὐ βάδην ὑπήκουεν ἀλλὰ δρόμῳ καὶ σπουδῇ διʼ ἀγορᾶς θέοντες ἐπεδείκνυντο τὴν εὐπείθειαν τοῖς πολίταις, ἀγαλλόμενοι τῷ τιμᾶν τοὺς ἄρχοντας· 817b οὐχ ὥσπερ ἔνιοι τῶν ἀπειροκάλων καὶ σολοίκων, 25 οἷον ἰσχύος ἑαυτῶν καλλωπιζόμενοι περιουσίᾳ, βραβευτὰς ἐν ἀγῶσι προπηλακίζουσι καὶ χορηγοὺς ἐν Διονυσίοις λοιδοροῦσι καὶ στρατηγῶν καὶ γυμνασιάρχων⁵ καταγελῶσιν, οὐκ εἰδότες οὐδὲ μανθάνοντες ὅτι τοῦ τιμᾶσθαι τὸ τιμᾶν πολλάκις ἐστὶν ἐνδοξότερον. ἀνδρὶ γὰρ ἐν πόλει δυναμένῳ μέγα μείζονα φέρει κόσμον ἄρχων δορυφορούμενος 5 ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ προπεμπόμενος ἢ δορυφορῶν καὶ προπέμπων μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦτο μὲν ἀηδίαν καὶ φθόνον, ἐκεῖνο δὲ τὴν ἀληθινὴν φέρει, τὴν ἀπʼ 817c εὐνοίας, δόξαν· ὀφθεὶς δʼ ἐπὶ θύραις ποτὲ καὶ πρότερος ἀσπασάμενος καὶ λαβὼν ἐν περιπάτῳ μέσον, 10 οὐδὲν ἀφαιρούμενος ἑαυτοῦ, τῇ πόλει κόσμον περιτίθησι.

Translations (1)

Political Precepts Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. V. Goodwin, William W., editor; White, Samuel, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 21 focus

[21] These two things then are affected by each other; yet most men both say and think that the business of political instruction is to render the people pliable to be governed. For there are in every city more governed than governors, and every one who lives in a democracy rules only a short time, but is subject all his life, so that it is the most excellent and useful lesson we can learn, to obey those who are set over us, though they are less furnished with authority and reputation.

For it is absurd that a Theodorus or a Polus, the principal actor in a tragedy, should often obey a hireling who plays the third part, and speak humbly to him because he wears a diadem and a sceptre; and that in real actions and in the government of the state, a rich and mighty man should undervalue and contemn a magistrate because he is simple and poor, thus injuring and degrading the dignity of the commonweal by his own; whereas he should rather by his own reputation and authority have increased and advanced that of the magistrate. As in Sparta the kings rose up out of their thrones to the ephors, and whoever else was sent for by them did not slowly obey, but running hastily and with speed through the forum, gave a pattern of obedience to his fellow-citizens, whilst he gloried in honoring the magistrates; not like to some ill-bred and barbarous persons, who, priding themselves in the abundance of their power, affront the judges of the public combats, revile the directors of the dances in the Bacchanals, and deride military commanders and those that preside over the exercises of youth, neither knowing nor understanding that to honor is sometimes more glorious than to be honored. For to a man of great authority in a city, his accompanying and attending on the magistrate is a greater grace than if he were himself accompanied and attended on by him; or rather this indeed would bring trouble and envy, but that brings real glory, and such as proceeds from kindness and good-will. And such a man, being seen sometimes at the magistrate’s door, and saluting him first, and giving him the middle place in walking, does, without taking any thing from himself, add ornament to the city.

Notes on the current edition

Precepts of Statecraft

1. Theodorus and Polus were famous actors at Athens in the fourth century b.c. See J. B. O’Connor, Chapters in the History of Actors and Acting in Ancient Greece, pp. 100, 128. The terms τραγῳδός and κωμῳδός were used for actors who had been assigned to the highest rank and were privileged to bring out old plays at the festivals, and they stand in sharp contrast to the hireling actors, usually referred to after Demosthenes’ time as tritagonists, to whom were often given the third-class roles of kings; see ibid. chap. i.

2. Cf . Life of Cicero, chap. ii., Cicero placed in their midst, as a mark of honour, Perrin’s translation, L.C.L.

Plutarch Praecepta gerendae reipublicae 21

Harold North Fowler (Translator)

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