mies
would so best be kept secret. In an oligarchy however it happens often
that many, while practising virtue with regard to the commonwealth,
have strong private enmities arising among themselves; for as each man
desires to be himself the leader and to prevail in counsels, they come
to great enmities with one another, whence arise factions among them,
and out of the factions comes murder, and from murder results the rule
of one man; and thus it is shown in this instance by how much that is
the best. Again, when the people rules, it is impossible that corruption
73 should not arise, and when corruption arises in the commonwealth,
there arise among the corrupt men not enmities but strong ties of
friendship: for they who are acting corruptly to the injury of the
commonwealth put their heads together secretly to do so. And this
continues so until at last some one takes the leadership of the people
and stops the course of such men. By reason of this the man of whom I
speak is admired by the people, and being so admired he suddenly appears
as monarch. Thus he too furnishes herein an example to prove that the
rule of one is the best thing. Finally, to sum up all in a single word,
whence arose the liberty which we possess, and who gave it to us? Was it
a gift of the people or of an oligarchy or of a monarch? I therefore
am of opinion that we, having been set free by one man, should preserve
that form of rule, and in other respects also that we should not annul
the customs of our fathers which are ordered well; for that is not the
better way."

83. These three opinions then had been proposed, and the other four
men of the seven gave their assent to the last. So when Otanes, who was
desirous to give equality to the Persians, found his opinion defeated,
he spoke to those assembled thus: "Partisans, it is clear that some
one of us must become king, selected either by casting lots, or by
entrusting the decision to the multitude of the Persians and taking him
whom it shall choose, or by some other means. I therefore shall not be a
competitor with you, for I do not desire either to rule or to be ruled;
and on this condition I withdraw from my claim to rule, namely that I
shall not be ruled by any of you, either I myself or my descendants in
future time." When he had said this, the six made agreement with him on
those terms, and he was no longer a competitor with them, but withdrew
from the assembly; and at the present time this hous