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wearing it out. 1.1.8 For kingdom and children and wife all at once press upon me, the one seeking a wise ruler, the other a most reasonable and most pious guardian of her widowhood, and the others those who will guide them on account of their unripe age and the weaker nature of the female sex. 1.1. And often because of my disease I scorn nature and flee its bond and disregard my children, and my wife is overlooked by me, as I think I am already dead and have obtained freedom from this care. 1.1.10 But immediately the inexorable care for the sceptre has leapt in; for not only is it a struggle to preserve the power entrusted, but also to pass on the inheritance fittingly to others. 1.1.11 For the second rulers must be better than the first, so that they may introduce correction for their predecessors' failings, or, to put it simply, all the subjects slip away, if one has supported the kingdom on a weaker foundation. 1.1.12 While these thoughts were consuming my mind, resourceful Providence assists us in our labors and has brought forth a single plan with us and shows the one who will be king and who will mount the throne of power, this very Maurice, a most beneficial man, who has deposited many and great labors for the Roman empire, as if paying down certain pledges for his future providence for his subjects. 1.1.13 Him you will see as emperor today. And so I trust in this greatest undertaking (and the movements of my mind do not falter), that I have also entrusted my little daughter to this man along with the kingdom. Encouraging you with so great a pledge of nature, I will take this consolation with me as provision for that long journey hence. 1.1.14 And you are for me trustworthy witnesses of this most excellent arrangement from your experience of us holding the reins of power and of him riding beside us very wisely. 1.1.15 And you, Maurice, make your reign for me the finest epitaph for us. Adorn my tomb with your virtues, neither shaming the hopes of those who have trusted you, nor being ignorant of your own virtues and fleeing the nobility of your soul. 1.1.16 Bridle your power with reason, steer your rule with philosophy; for kingship is a high and lofty thing, lifting its rider to a great height and making his thoughts insolent. Do not seem to surpass all by being most prudent, even if the gifts of fortune are yours high above all. 1.1.17 Seek from your subjects goodwill instead of fear, and instead of flattery, honor reproof as the best teacher; for power is not subject to admonition and does not tolerate instruction. Let justice be an assessor before your eyes, 1.1.18 presiding over the recompense for deeds done in life. Consider the purple, by being a philosopher, to be wearing some cheap rag, and the crown to differ in no way from the pebbles on the shores of the sea. The flower of the purple is somber, and seems to me to exhort kings to be moderate in their good fortunes, and not to exult and be insolent in this mournful robe of monarchy; for the sceptre of the kingdom promises not a license for licentiousness but a glorious servitude to be philosophic. 1.1.1 Let love of mankind rule over anger, and fear rule over moderation. For nature has also appointed rulers for the bees, and has fortified the king bee with a sting, as if implanting in it a certain automatic power, so that it may be able to strike one who does not rightly obey. 1.1. But its sting is not tyrannical, but rather beneficial to the people and just. Therefore we shall be imitators of it, unless reason has been able to bestow even greater things. These things I, the sponsor, say; and you will have your power as an incorruptible judge of your judgment, either honoring virtues or despising wickedness." 1.1.21 When, therefore, the emperor's speech was ending, a great flood of tears surged up for the spectators, some being distressed at his suffering, among whom goodwill was more earnest, while others were charmed by the pity on account of

κατατρύχουσαν. 1.1.8 βασιλεία γὰρ καὶ παῖδες καὶ γύναιον κατὰ ταυτὸν ἐπιτίθενται, ἡ μὲν ἡγεμόνα ζητοῦσα σοφόν, ἡ δὲ κηδεμόνα χηρείας ἐπιεικέστατόν τε καὶ εὐσεβέστατον, αἱ δὲ τοὺς χειραγωγοῦντας διὰ τὸ τῆς ἡλικίας ἄωρον τό τε τῆς θηλείας φύσεως ἀσθενέστερον. 1.1. περιφρονῶ δὲ πολλάκις ὑπὸ τῆς νόσου τὴν φύσιν καὶ τὸν ἐκείνης δραπετεύω δεσμὸν καὶ παίδων ὑπερορῶ, καὶ περιῶπταί μοι γύναιον, ἤδη τεθνάναι δοκῶν καὶ τῆσδε τῆς προμηθείας 1.1.10 ἐλευθερίαν λαχεῖν. ἀλλ' εὐθὺς ἡ περὶ τῶν σκήπτρων ἀπαραίτητος φροντὶς εἰσεπήδησεν· οὐ τὸ μόνον γὰρ διατηρῆσαι κράτος ἐμπιστευθέν ἐστιν ἀγών, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ δεόντως ἑτέροις 1.1.11 παραπέμψαι τὸν κλῆρον. δεῖ γὰρ τῶν προτέρων ἡγεμόνων εἶναι τοὺς δευτέρους ἀμείνους, ἵνα τοῖς προσφαλεῖσιν ἐκεῖνοι τὴν παρ' αὐτῶν διόρθωσιν εἰσαγάγωσιν, ἢ διολισθάνειν ἅπαν συλλήβδην εἰπεῖν τὸ ὑπήκοον, ἀδρανεστέρᾳ κρηπῖδι 1.1.12 τὴν βασιλείαν στηρίξαντι. τούτων κατεσθιόντων τῶν λογισμῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, ἡ τεχνῖτις ἡμῖν πρόνοια συλλαμβάνει τῶν πόνων καὶ μίαν μεθ' ἡμῶν βουλὴν προηνέγκατο καὶ δείκνυσι τὸν βασιλεύσοντα ἐπιβάτην τε τῆς ἐξουσίας ἐσόμενον, Μαυρίκιον τουτονί, ἄνδρα λυσιτελέστατον, τῇ ῾Ρωμαίων ἀρχῇ πολλοὺς καὶ μεγάλους πόνους ἐγκαταθέμενον, ὥσπερ ἀρραβῶνάς τινας προκαταβαλόμενον τῆς ἐσομένης ἀμφὶ τὸ ὑπήκοον προνοίας 1.1.13 αὐτῷ. τοῦτον αὐτοκράτορα τήμερον ὄψεσθε. οὕτω δὲ πέποιθα ἐπὶ τήνδε τὴν μεγίστην ἐγχείρησιν (καὶ τὰ τῆς διανοίας οὐ σκάζει κινήματα), ὡς καὶ τὸ θυγάτριον ἅμα τῇ βασιλείᾳ τούτῳ πεπίστευκα. τηλικούτῳ φύσεως ἐνεχύρῳ θαρρύνων ὑμᾶς ταύτην ἐφόδιον τὴν ψυχαγωγίαν ἐπὶ τὴν μακρὰν ἐκείνην 1.1.14 ἐκδημίαν ἀποίσομαι. καὶ ὑμεῖς δέ μοι μάρτυρες τῆσδε τῆς καλλίστης συντάξεως ἀξιόχρεῳ ἐξ ὧν ἐπειράθητε ἡμῶν τε ἡνιοχούντων τὴν ἡγεμονίαν καὶ τοῦδε παριππεύοντος λίαν 1.1.15 ἡμῖν ἐμφρονέστατα. σὺ δέ μοι, Μαυρίκιε, κάλλιστον ἡμῖν ἐπιτάφιον τὴν σὴν βασιλείαν πεποίησο. κόσμει τὸν ἐμὸν τάφον ταῖς σαῖς ἀρεταῖς, μήτε τὰς τῶν πεπιστευκότων καταισχύνων ἐλπίδας, μήτε τὰς σὰς ἀγνωμονῶν ἀρετὰς τήν τε 1.1.16 τῆς ψυχῆς δραπετεύων εὐγένειαν. χαλίνου λόγῳ τὴν ἐξουσίαν, φιλοσοφίᾳ τὸ κράτος οἰάκιζε· βασιλεία γὰρ ὑψηλόν τι χρῆμα καὶ μετέωρον, ἐς μέγα τὸν ἐπιβάτην ἀπαιωροῦσα τοῖς τε λογισμοῖς ἐκφρυάττουσα. δόκει μὴ πάντων ὑπερέχειν τῷ φρονιμώτατος εἶναι, εἰ καὶ τὰ τῆς τύχης ὑψηλά σοι παρὰ 1.1.17 πάντας. θηρῶ παρὰ τῶν ὑπηκόων ἀντὶ μὲν φόβου τὴν εὔνοιαν, ἀντὶ δὲ κολακείας τίμα τὸν ἔλεγχον οἷα διδάσκαλον ἄριστον· ἀνουθέτητον γὰρ ἐξουσία καὶ παιδείας οὐκ ἀνεχόμενον. ἔστω πρὸ τῶν σῶν ὀφθαλμῶν σύνεδρος ἡ δίκη 1.1.18 πρυτανεύουσα τῶν βεβιωμένων ἀντίδοσιν. νόμιζε τὴν πορφύραν, τῷ φιλόσοφος εἶναι, εὐτελές τι ῥάκος ἀμπέχεσθαι, τὸν δὲ στέφανον μηδέν τι διοίσειν τῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς αἰγιαλοῖς τῆς θαλάττης ψηφίδων. στυγνὸν τὸ τῆς ἁλουργίδος ἄνθος, καί μοι δοκεῖ τοῖς βασιλεῦσι παρεγγυᾶν μετριοπαθεῖν ἐπὶ ταῖς εὐπραγίαις, καὶ μὴ περιγάνυσθαι καὶ φρυάττεσθαι τῇ πενθίμῳ ταύτῃ τῆς μοναρχίας στολῇ· οὐ γὰρ ἐξουσίαν ἀκολασίας ἀλλὰ δουλείαν ἔνδοξον τὸ σκῆπτρον τῆς βασιλείας 1.1.1 φιλοσοφεῖν ἐπαγγέλλεται. ἡγείσθω τῆς ὀργῆς τὸ φιλάνθρωπον, τῆς δὲ σωφροσύνης ὁ φόβος. ἐξέταξε γὰρ καὶ ταῖς μελίτταις ἡγεμόνας ἡ φύσις, ὠχύρωσε δὲ καὶ κέντρῳ τὸν βασιλέα τὴν μέλιτταν ὥσπερ τι κράτος αὐτόματον ἐγκεντρίζουσά πως αὐτῷ, ἵνα καὶ πλήττειν ἔχῃ τὸν μὴ δικαίως πειθόμενον. 1.1. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκείνῃ τὸ κέντρον τυραννικόν, δημωφελὲς δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ δίκαιον. οὐκοῦν ἐκείνης ἐσόμεθα μιμηταί, εἰ μήγε λόγος δεδύνηται χαρίζεσθαι καὶ τὰ μείζονα. ταῦτα μὲν ὁ προβολεὺς ἐγώ· ἕξεις δὲ τῆς γνώμης ὥσπερ δικαστὴν τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἀδέκαστον, ἢ τιμῶσαν τὰς ἀρετὰς ἢ τὴν κακίαν φαυλίζουσαν." 1.1.21 ῞Οτε τοίνυν τὰ τῆς διαλέξεως ἐπερατοῦτο τῷ αὐτοκράτορι, πολὺ τοῖς θεαταῖς τὸ δάκρυον ἐπεκύμαινεν, τῶν μὲν ἀνιωμένων ἐπὶ τῷ πάθει, παρ' οἷς καὶ τὰ τῆς εὐνοίας ἦν λιπαρώτερα, ἄλλων δὲ κατακηλουμένων ἐπὶ τῷ οἴκτῳ διὰ