Moreover, some, like Cato, thrust themselves into
every part of polity, thinking a good citizen should not
omit any care or industry for the obtaining authority. And
these men greatly commend Epaminondas; for that being
by the Thebans through envy and in contempt appointed
telearch, he did not reject it, but said, that the office does
not show the man, but the man also the office. He brought
the telearchate into great and venerable repute, which was
before nothing but a certain charge of the carrying the
dung out of the narrow streets and lanes of the city, and
turning of watercourses. Nor do I doubt but that I myself afford matter of laughter to many who come into this
our city, being frequently seen in public employed about
such matters. But that comes into my assistance which is
related of Antisthenes; for, when one wondered to see him
carry a piece of stock-fish through the market, 'Tis for myself, said he. But I, on the contrary, say to those who
upbraid me for being present at and overseeing the measuring of tiles, or the bringing in and unloading of clay and
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stones.: It is not for myself, but for my country, that I perform this service. For though he who in his own person
manages and does many such things for himself may be
judged mean-spirited and mechanical, yet if he does them
for the public and for his country, he is not to be deemed
sordid; but on the contrary, his diligence and readiness,
extending even to these small matters, is to be esteemed
greater and more highly to be valued. But others there
are, that hold Pericles's manner of acting to have been
more magnanimous and august; amongst which Critolaus
the Peripatetic, who is of opinion that, as at Athens the
Salaminian ship and the Paralus were not launched forth
for every service, but only on necessary and great occasions, so a statesman ought to employ himself in the chiefest and greatest affairs, like the King of the universe, who,
as Euripides says,
Reserves great things for his own government,
But small things leaves to Fortune's management.
For neither do we approve the excessively ambitious and
contentious spirit of Theagenes, who, having obtained the
victory not only through the whole course of public games,
but also in many other contests, and not only in wrestling
but in buffeting and running of long races, at last, being
at the anniversary festival supper of a certain hero, after
every one was served, according to the custom, he started
up, and fell to wrestling, as if it were necessary that no
other should conquer when he was present; whence he got
together twelve hundred coronets, most of which one would
have taken for rubbish.
Now nothing do they differ from him, who strip themselves for every public affair, and render themselves reprehensible by many, becoming troublesome, and being, when
they do well, the subject of envy, and when they do ill, of
rejoicing. And that industry which was at the beginning
admired turns afterwards to contempt and laughter. In
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this manner it was said; Metiochus leads forth the army,
Metiochus oversees the highways, Metiochus bakes the
bread, Metiochus bolts the meal, Metiochus does all things,
Metiochus shall suffer for it at last. This Metiochus was
a follower of Pericles, and made use, it seems, of the power
he had with him invidiously and disdainfully. For a
statesman ought to find the people when he comes to them
(as they say) in love with him, and leave in them a longing
after him when he is absent; which course Scipio Africanus also took, dwelling a long time in the country, at the
same time both removing from himself the burthen of envy,
and giving those leisure to breathe, who seemed to be oppressed by his glory. But Timesias the Clazomenian, who
was otherwise a good commonwealths-man, was ignorant
of his being envied and hated for doing all things by himself, till the following accident befell him. It happened
that, as he passed by where certain boys were striking a
cockal-bone out of an hole, some of them said, that the
bone was still left within; but he who had stricken it cried
out, I wish I had as certainly beaten out Timesias's brains,
as this bone is out of the hole. Timesias, hearing this,
and thereby understanding the envy and spite borne him by
every one, returned home, where he imparted the matter
to his wife, and having commanded her to pack up, all and
follow him, immediately left both his house and the city.
And Themistocles seems to have been in some such condition amongst the Athenians, when he said: How is it, O
ye blessed ones, that you are tired with the frequent receiving of benefits?
Now some of those things have indeed been rightly
spoken, others not so well. For a statesman ought not to
withdraw his affection and providential care from any public affair whatever, nor reserve himself sacred, like the
anchor in a ship, for the last necessities and hazards of the
state. But as the masters of ships do some things with their
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own hands, and perform others, sitting afar off, by other
instruments, turning and winding them by the hands of
others, and making use of mariners, boatswains, and mates,
some of which they often call to the stern, putting the helm
into their hands; so it is convenient for a statesman sometimes to yield the command to his companions, and to invite them kindly and civilly to the tribunal, not managing
all the affairs of the commonweal by his own speeches,
decrees, and actions, but having good and faithful men, to
employ every one of them in that proper and peculiar
station which he finds to be most suitable for him. Thus
Pericles used Menippus for the conduct of the armies, by
Ephialtes he humbled the council of the Areopagus, by
Charinus he passed the law against the Megarians, and
sent Lampon to people the city of Thurii. For not only
is the greatness of authority less liable to be envied by the
people, when it seems to be divided amongst many; but
the business also is more exactly done. For as the division
of the hand into fingers has not weakened it, but rendered
it more commodious and instrumental for the uses to which
it serves; so he who in the administration of a state gives
part of the affairs to others renders the action more efficacious by communicating it. But he who, through an unsatiable desire of glory or power, lays the whole burthen
of the state upon his own shoulders, and applies himself
to that for which he is neither fitted by nature nor exercise,—as Cleon did to the leading forth of armies, Philopoemen to the commanding of navies, and Hannibal to
haranguing the people,—has no excuse for his errors;
but hears that of Euripides objected against him,
Thou, but a carpenter, concernd'st thyself
With works not wrought in wood;—
being no good orator, you went on an embassage; being
of a lazy temper, you thrust yourself into the stewardship;
being ignorant in keeping accounts, you would be treasurer;
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or, being old and infirm, you took on you the command of the army. But Pericles divided his authority
with Cimon, reserving to himself the governing within the
city, and committing to him the manning of the navy and
making war upon the barbarians; for the other was naturally fitted for war, and himself for civil affairs. Eubulus
also the Anaphlystian is much commended, that, having
credit and authority in matters of the greatest importance,
he managed none of the Grecian affairs, nor betook himself to the conducting of the army; but employing himself
about the treasure, he augmented the public revenues,
and greatly benefited the city by them. But Iphicrates,
practising to make declamations at his own house in the
presence of many, rendered himself ridiculous; for though
he had been no bad orator but an excellently good one, yet
ought he to have contented himself with the glory got by
arms, and abstaining from the school, to have left it to the
sophisters.
