(2) There is another sort of monarchy not uncommon among the
barbarians, which nearly resembles tyranny. But this is both legal and
hereditary. For barbarians, being more servile in character than
Hellenes, and Asiadics than Europeans, do not rebel against a despotic
government. Such royalties have the nature of tyrannies because the
people are by nature slaves; but there is no danger of their being
overthrown, for they are hereditary and legal. Wherefore also their
guards are such as a king and not such as a tyrant would employ,
that is to say, they are composed of citizens, whereas the guards of
tyrants are mercenaries. For kings rule according to law over
voluntary subjects, but tyrants over involuntary; and the one are
guarded by their fellow-citizens the others are guarded against them.
These are two forms of monarchy, and there was a third (3) which
existed in ancient Hellas, called an Aesymnetia or dictatorship.
This may be defined generally as an elective tyranny, which, like
the barbarian monarchy, is legal, but differs from it in not being
hereditary. Sometimes the office was held for life, sometimes for a
term of years, or until certain duties had been performed. For
example, the Mytilenaeans elected Pittacus leader against the
exiles, who were headed by Antimenides and Alcaeus the poet.
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