There is a story that when his
wife once asked him whether he was not ashamed to leave to his sons
a royal power which was less than he had inherited from his father,
'No indeed,' he replied, 'for the power which I leave to them will
be more lasting.'
As to (2) tyrannies, they are preserved in two most opposite ways.
One of them is the old traditional method in which most tyrants
administer their government. Of such arts Periander of Corinth is said
to have been the great master, and many similar devices may be
gathered from the Persians in the administration of their
government. There are firstly the prescriptions mentioned some
distance back, for the preservation of a tyranny, in so far as this is
possible; viz., that the tyrant should lop off those who are too high;
he must put to death men of spirit; he must not allow common meals,
clubs, education, and the like; he must be upon his guard against
anything which is likely to inspire either courage or confidence among
his subjects; he must prohibit literary assemblies or other meetings
for discussion, and he must take every means to prevent people from
knowing one another (for acquaintance begets mutual confidence).
Further, he must compel all persons staying in the city to appear in
public and live at his gates; then he will know what they are doing:
if they are always kept under, they will learn to be humble.
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