If the people yield, well and good; but if they resist him, as he began by beating his own father and mother, so now, if he has the power, he beats them, and will keep his dear old fatherland or motherland, as the Cretans say, in subjection to his young retainers whom he has introduced to be their rulers and masters. This is the end of his passions and desires.
[E] Exactly.
The behaviour of the tyrant to his early supporters. When such men are only private individuals and before they get power, this is their character; they associate entirely with their own flatterers or ready tools; or if they want anything from anybody, they in their turn are equally ready to bow down before them: they profess every sort of [576]affection for them; but when they have gained their point they know them no more.
Yes, truly.
He is always either master or servant, always treacherous, unjust, the waking reality of our dream, a tyrant by nature, a tyrant in fact. They are always either the masters or servants and never the friends of anybody; the tyrant never tastes of true freedom or friendship. 286
Certainly not.
And may we not rightly call such men treacherous?
No question.
[B] Also they are utterly unjust, if we were right in our notion of justice?
Yes, he said, and we were perfectly right.