“ Hieron ” ( dr. Greek Ιέρων ; lat. Hieron ) is a small treatise in the form of a dialogue between the ancient Greek writer and historian of Athenian origin Xenophon , which understands the art of being a monarch or tyrant in a dialogue between a Sicilian tyrant and a poet . Displays the political views of Xenophon.
Content
Title of the work
Hieron - tyrant of Syracuse , who ruled in 478-466 BC. e. At his court, the poets Simonides , Pindar and Bacchillides lived for some time, glorifying his name in their odes. With the poet Simonides, then popular among the Greeks, in the work of Xenophon, the tyrant conducts a conversation.
Actors
- Simonides of Keos - a poet popular among Greeks who lived at the court of Hieron.
- Hieron of Syracuse is a tyrant during whose reign Syracuse became one of the cultural centers of Western Greece.
Contents
The treatise consists of 11 chapters. The dialogue begins with contrasting the misfortunes of the life of a tyrant and the simple everyday joys of ordinary people. The first chapters are devoted to listing the various problems and tribulations that accompany the reign of a tyrant. In the last chapters, transformations are proposed that can make both the people and the tyrant happy. In the last chapters, the poet, sympathizing with the tyrant, explains to him that power can be applied in another way and eventually become a beloved people. For this you need:
- To form a bright image of the ruler.
- Punish with the wrong hands, reward yourself.
- Encourage subjects to improve in various competitions.
Translations
- Works of Xenophon. At 5 o’clock. Translation by G. A. Yanchevetsky (several editions before the revolution)
- Hieron, or the Word of tyranny. Translation by A. A. Rossius. SPb., 2006
See also
- Lacedaemonian polity (Xenophon)
Notes
Literature
- A reader on the history of ancient Greece. Ed. D.P. Kallistova. M., “Thought”, 1964. Translations by E. D. Frolov.