The 48 Laws Of Power

OBSERVANCEOFTHELAWI

Nearthe

end

ofthe

sixth

century

B.C.,

the

city-state

ofAthensoverthrew

theseriesof

petty

tyrants

whohaddominatedits

politics

fordecades.Ites-

tablishedinsteada

democracy

thatwastolastovera

century,

adernoc»

racy

thatbecamethesourceofits

power

andits

proudest

achievement.

Butasthe

democracy

evolved,

sodida

problem

theAthenianshadnever

faced:

How

to

dealwith

those

whodidnot

concernthemselves

withthe

cohesionofasmall

city

surrounded

by

enemies,

whodid

not

workforits

greaterglory,

but

thought

of

only

themselvesandtheirownambitionsand

pettyintrigues?

TheAtheniansunderstoodthatthese

people,

ifleft

alone,

would

sow

dissension,

divide

the

city

into

factions,

andstir

up

anxieties,

all

of

whichcouldleadtotheruinoftheir

democracy.

Violent

punishment

no

longer

suitedthe

new,

civilizedorderthat

Athenshadcreated.Insteadthecitizensfound

another,

more

satisfying,

andlessbrutal

way

todealwiththe

chronically

selfish:

Everyyearthey

would

gather

inthe

marketplace

and

write

ona

piece

of

earthenware,

an

astralcon,

the

name

of

an

individual

they

wanted

toseebanishedfrom

the

city

forten

years.

Ifa

particular

name

appeared

onsixthousand

ballots,

that

person

would

instantly

beexiled.Ifnoonereceivedsixthousand

votes,

the

person

withthemostartmka

recording

hisnamewouldsuffer

the

ten-year

“ostracism.”

Thisritual

expulsion

becamea

kindof

festival—-

whata

joy

to

be

abletobanishthose

irritating,

anxie

~inducing

individu-

alswhowantedtoriseabovethe

group

they

shouldhaveserved.

In 490

8.0,Aristides,

oneofthe

greatgenerals

ofAthenian

history,

helped

defeatthePersiansatthebattleofMarathon.

Meanwhile,

offthe

battlefield,

his

fairnessasa

judge

hadearnedhimthenickname“The

just.”

Butasthe

years

went

by

theAthenianscametodislikehim. He

madesuchaShowofhis

righteousness,

and

this,

they

believed,

disguised

his

feelings

of

superiority

andscornforthecommonfolk.His

omnipres-

enceinAthenian

politics

became

obnoxious;

thecitizens

grew

tiredof

hearing

himcalled“The

just.”They

fearedthatthiswas

just

the

type

of

man——judgmental,haughty—who

would

eventually

stir

up

fiercedivi-

sions

among

them,In 482

B.C.,

despite

Aristides’invaluable

expertise

in

‘

the

continuing

warwiththe

Persians,they

collectedtheostrakaand had

himbanished.

After

Aristides’

ostracism,

the

greatgeneral

Themistocles

emerged

as

the

city’spremier

leader.

But

his

many

honors

andvictories

went

tohis

head,

andhetoobecame

arrogant

and

overbearing,constantlyreminding

theAtheniansofhis

triumphs

in

battle,

the

temples

hehad

built,

thedan-

gers

hehadfendedoil.Heseemedtobe

saying

thatwithouthimthe

city

would

come

toruin.And

so,

in 472

B.C.,

Thernistocles’namewasfilledin

on

theostra/caand

the

city

was

ridofhis

poisonouspresence.

The

greatestpoliticalfigure

in

fifth-century

Athenswas

undoubtedly

Pericles.

Although

severaltimesthreatenedwith

ostranism,

heavoided

thatfate

bymaintaining

close

tieswiththe

people.Perhaps

hehadlearned

alesson

as

a

child

fromhisfavorite

tutor,

the

incomparable

Damon,

who

THIV,

f.()\Ql'IC\T

Hi‘l‘l".Iil

Tlw

struggle

new

bccunm

fiercur

than

overanmmlthe

royai

liner

/ofA1ahuulpa,

kingnj’/he

Inca»

empire].

I1reeledmore

and

mom,

am!at

length,

sewrexl

of

the

nobles

who

supported

it

having

been

slain.

it

mix‘ovrcrmmcd.and

the

Indian

prince

wouldhave(1)7213with

violencetothe

groumi.

hadnorhis

fall

been

broken

by

the

effortsof

Pizarro

andsomeother

oflhe

cu

vultrtm“,

who

mughrlzim

intheir

arm;The

imperial

horia

was

insmnfly

srmrchezl

from

his

templesby

a

soldier,

andthe

unhappy

mnrzarcli.

strongly

secured,

wasremoved

toa

neighboring

bm’ld~

ing

wherehewascare-

fullyguarded.

All

attcmpr

atr:’5is—

twicenowceased,The

fareoftlic

Inca

[/lrainmilmi

sorm

.\'[)N,‘l!Il

overtownand

mumry.

The

Lharm

that

might

haveheld

thrPeruvinnr

together

wayd:’.r.r(1h-«art.

Every

man

Ilirmghzonlyof

hisown

xufety.

Even

the

[mean]soldier)’

encamped

anthe

ad/'av

Cemfields

tookthe

nlrrrm,wad,

learning

the

fatalIitlingr,

wereseen

/lying

in

rwrvrlirec1i()n

before

their

_pur.m(er.v,

whoinmehm!

of

triumph

showedno

much

Gfi-"1l'l’4"}’.

At

length

night,

more

pi/iv

/‘ul

than

man,

threwher

frizwdly

mtmrleover

the

fugitives,

and(hr

LAW 42 359