Aristotle, Politics 1287b

“There’s no natural tyranny”

τυραννικὸν δ᾿ οὐκ ἔστι κατὰ φύσιν

Dio Chrysostom, 6.52-53 On Tyranny

“Therefore, whenever there is war, tyrants long for peace, but when there is peace, they immediately plan for war. When people have everything they need in life, tyrants fear the arrogance of the masses, but whenever there is too little, they fear their rage. They believe that it is is neither safe to go out nor to stay at home, nor to appear in public, nor to remain isolated. They do not even think they can go where it is clearly safe to go. They think that every corner is full of plots and deceit. Each tyrant brings to mind the deaths of other tyrants and all the plots that ever developed around them, imaging that every one of them is coming toward him…”

τοιγαροῦν πολέμου μὲν ὄντος εἰρήνης ἐρῶσιν, εἰρήνης δὲ γενομένης εὐθὺς μηχανῶνται πόλεμον. καὶ τοῦτο μὲν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἀφθόνων ὄντων δεδοίκασι τοῦ πλήθους τὴν ὕβριν, τοῦτο δὲ εἴ τις ἔνδεια καταλαμβάνοι, τὴν ὀργήν. ἡγοῦνται δὲ μήτε ἀποδημεῖν ἀσφαλὲς μήτε μένειν μήτε προϊέναι μήτ᾿ ἔνδον διαιτᾶσθαι παρ᾿ αὑτοῖς, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ ἐπιβαίνειν οὗ ἂν ἐπιβαίνωσιν ἀσφαλῶς, ἅπαντα δὲ εἶναι μεστὰ ἐνέδρας καὶ δόλων. ἀναλογίζεται δὲ ἕκαστος αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς θανάτους τῶν τυράννων καὶ τὰς ἐπιβουλάς, ὅσαι πώποτε γεγόνασι, καὶ ξύμπαντα ταῦτα ἐφ᾿ αὑτὸν ἰέναι νομίζει

Dio Chrysostom, On Custom 76.2

“I guess that I can compare the written law to the power of tyranny: for each law is enacted by means of fear and prohibition. Custom, then, I could compare to the ease of kingship when all people follow it because they want to and without compulsion. So, we know many laws which have been taken back by the very people who made them because they were bad, but no one could easily demonstrate a custom that has been eliminated.”

Διό μοι δοκεῖ τις ἂν προσεικάσαι τὸν μὲν ἔγγραφον νόμον τῇ δυνάμει τῆς τυραννίδος, φόβῳ γὰρ ἕκαστον καὶ μετὰ προστάγματος διαπράττεται· τὸ δὲ ἔθος μᾶλλον τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τῆς βασιλείας, βουλόμενοι γὰρ αὐτῷ πάντες καὶ δίχα ἀνάγκης ἕπονται καὶ νόμους μὲν ἴσμεν πολλοὺς ἀνῃρημένους ὑπὸ τῶν θέντων αὐτούς, ὡς πονηρούς· ἔθος δὲ οὐκ ἂν οὐδεὶς ῥᾳδίως δείξειε λελυμένον.