When the tyrant has disposed for foreign enemies by conquest or treaty, and there is… — Socrates
When the tyrant has disposed for foreign enemies by conquest or treaty, and there is nothing to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader.
In the original Greek
ὅταν δέ γε οἶμαι πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω ἐχθροὺς τοῖς μὲν καταλλαγῇ, τοὺς δὲ καὶ διαφθείρῃ, καὶ ἡσυχία ἐκείνων γένηται, πρῶτον μὲν πολέμους τινὰς ἀεὶ κινεῖ, ἵν᾽ ἐν χρείᾳ ἡγεμόνος ὁ δῆμος ᾖ.
Other tags relating to this quote
Person
Provenance
Current citation
Socrates. Quoted in Republic, written by Plato, translated by Desmond Lee. Penguin Classics, 2007.
Original citation
Socrates. Quoted in Πολιτεία [Republic], written by Plato. c. 375 BCE.
