Hiero

Books

• 1
  Book 1

  The poet Simonides visits the tyrant Hiero and asks him: who is happier, the private citizen or the ruler? Hiero says the citizen.

  38 lines
• 2
  Book 2

  Hiero describes the tyrant's pleasures — food, drink, sex. All of them are spoiled by excess, suspicion, and the impossibility of trust.

  18 lines
• 3
  Book 3

  The tyrant and love. No one loves a tyrant freely. Every display of affection might be fear or flattery. Hiero cannot tell the difference.

  9 lines
• 4
  Book 4

  The tyrant and friendship. The man who can have anyone killed cannot have a friend. Friendship requires equality, and the tyrant has no equal.

  11 lines
• 5
  Book 5

  The tyrant and travel. A citizen can move freely; a tyrant is a prisoner of his own power. Every journey is a military operation.

  4 lines
• 6
  Book 6

  The tyrant and war. In victory, the tyrant gains nothing — he already has everything. In defeat, he loses everything, including his life.

  16 lines
• 7
  Book 7

  The tyrant and trust. He must arm his bodyguard and disarm his citizens. The men who protect him are the men he fears most.

  13 lines
• 8
  Book 8

  The universal hatred. Private citizens are hated only by enemies; the tyrant is hated by everyone. He knows it. He cannot escape it.

  10 lines
• 9
  Book 9

  Simonides responds. A benevolent ruler can overcome these problems. Use your power to help, not to harm, and the hatred will turn to gratitude.

  11 lines
• 10
  Book 10

  Practical advice: the good ruler should compete in beneficence rather than force. Make the city prosperous and the citizens will defend you willingly.

  8 lines
• 11
  Book 11

  Simonides' conclusion: the ruler who governs for the common good will be loved rather than feared, guarded by devotion rather than mercenaries, and remembered after death as a hero rather than a tyrant.

  15 lines