SINCE A TYRANT, despising the common good, seeks his private interest,
it follows that he will oppress his subjects in different ways according
as he is dominated by different passions to acquire certain goods. The
one who is enthralled by the passion of cupidity seizes the goods of his
subjects; whence Solomon says [Pr 29:4]: “A just king sets up the land;
a covetous man shall destroy it.” If he is dominated by the passion of
anger, he sheds blood for nothing; whence it is said by Ezekiel: “Her
princes in the midst of her are like wolves ravening the prey to shed
blood.” Therefore this kind of government is to be avoided as the Wise
man admonishes [Si 9:13]: “Keep far from the man who has the power to
kill,” because he kills not for justice’ sake but by his power, for the
lust of his will. Thus there can be no safety. Everything is uncertain
when there is a departure from justice. Nobody will be able firmly to
state: This thing is such and such, when it depends upon the will of
another, not to say upon his caprice. Nor does the tyrant merely oppress
his subjects in corporal things but he also hinders their spiritual
good. Those who seek more to use, than to be of use to, their subjects
prevent all progress, suspecting all excellence in their subjects to be
prejudicial to their own evil domination. For tyrants hold the good in
greater suspicion than the wicked, and to them the valour of others is
always fraught with danger.
So the above-mentioned tyrants strive
to prevent those of their subjects who have become virtuous from
acquiring valour and high spirit in order that they may not want to cast
off their iniquitous domination. They also see to it that there be no
friendly relations among these so that they may not enjoy the benefits
resulting from being on good terms with one another, for as long as one
has no confidence in the other, no plot will be set up against the
tyrant’s domination. Wherefore they sow discords among the people,
foster any that have arisen, and forbid anything which furthers society
and co-operation among men, such as marriage, company at table and
anything of like character, through which familiarity and confidence are
engendered among men. They moreover strive to prevent their subjects
from becoming powerful and rich since, suspecting these to be as wicked
as themselves, they fear their power and wealth; for the subjects might
become harmful to them even as they are accustomed to use power and
wealth to harm others. Footnote Whence in the Book of Job it is said of
the tyrant [15:21]: “The sound of dread is always in his ears and when
there is peace (that is, when there is no one to harm him), he always
suspects treason.”
It thus results that when rulers, who ought to
induce their subjects to virtue,” are wickedly jealous of the virtue of
their subjects and hinder it as much as they can, few virtuous men are
found under the rule of tyrants. For, according to Aristotle’s sentence
[Eth. III, 11: 1116a 20], brave men are found where brave men are
honoured. And as Tullius says [Tuscul. Disp. I, 2, 4]: “Those who are
despised by everybody are disheartened and flourish but little.” It is
also natural that men, brought up in fear, should become mean of spirit
and discouraged in the face of any strenuous and manly task. This is
shown by experience in provinces that have long been under tyrants.
Hence the Apostle says to the Colossians: “Fathers, provoke not your
children to indignation, lest they be discouraged.”
So,
considering these evil effects of tyranny King Solomon says [Pr 28:12]:
“When the wicked reign, men are ruined” because, forsooth, through the
wickedness of tyrants, subjects fall away from the perfection of virtue.
And again he says [Pr 29:2]: “When the wicked rule the people shall
mourn, as though led into slavery.” And again [Pr 28:28]: “When the
wicked rise up men shall hide themselves”, that they may escape the
cruelty of the tyrant. It is no wonder, for a man governing without
reason, according to the lust of his soul, in no way differs from the
beast. Whence Solomon says [Pr 28:15]: ”As a roaring lion and a hungry
bear, so is a wicked prince over the poor people.” Therefore men hide
from tyrants as from cruel beasts and it seems that to be subject to a
tyrant is the same thing as to lie prostrate beneath a raging beast.
~St. Thomas Aquinas: Excerpt from De Regno (On Kingship to the King of Cyprus), Bk. 1, Ch. 3.
