Agis   

The fable of Ixion, who, embracing a cloud instead of Juno, begot
the Centaurs, has been ingeniously enough supposed to have been invented
to represent to us ambitious men, whose minds, doting on glory, which
is a mere image of virtue, produce nothing that is genuine or uniform,
but only, as might be expected of such a conjunction, misshapen and
unnatural actions. Running after their emulations and passions, and
carried away by the impulses of the moment, they may say with the
herdsmen in the tragedy of Sophocles-
"We follow these, though born their rightful lords,
And they command us, though they speak no words." For this is indeed
the true condition of men in public life, who, to gain the vain title
of being the people's leaders and governors, are content to make themselves
the slaves and followers of all the people's humours and caprices.
For as the lookout men at the ship's prow, though they see what is
ahead before the men at the helm, yet constantly look back to the
pilots there, and obey the orders they give; so these men, steered,
as I may say, by popular applause, though they bear the name of governors,
are in reality the mere underlings of the multitude. The man who is
completely wise and virtuous has no need at all of glory, except so
far as it disposes and eases his way to action by the greater trust
that it procures him. A young man, I grant, may be permitted, while
yet eager for distinction, to pride himself a little in his good deeds;
for (as Theophrastus says) his virtues, which are yet tender and,
as it were, in the blade, cherished and supported by praises, grow
stronger, and take the deeper root. But when this passion is exorbitant,
it is dangerous in all men, and in those who govern a commonwealth,
utterly destructive. For in the possession of large power and authority,
it transports men to a degree of madness; so that now they no more
think what is good, glorious, but will have those actions only esteemed
good that are glorious. As Phocion, therefore, answered King Antipater,
who sought his approbation of some unworthy action, "I cannot be your
flatterer, and your friend," so these men should answer the people,
"I cannot govern and obey you." For it may happen to the commonwealth,
as to the serpent in the fable, whose tail, rising in rebellion against
the head, complained, as of a great grievance, that it was always
forced to follow, and required that it should be permitted by turns
to lead the way. And taking the command accordingly, it soon inflicted,
by its senseless courses, mischiefs in abundance upon itself, while
the head was torn and lacerated with following, contrary to nature,
a guide that was deaf and blind. And such we see to have been the
lot of many, who, submitting to be guided by the inclinations of an
uninformed and unreasoning multitude, could neither stop, nor recover
themselves out of the confusion.
This is what has occurred to us to say of that glory which depends
on the voice of large numbers, considering the sad effects of it in
the misfortunes of Caius and Tiberius Gracchus, men of noble nature,
and whose generous natural dispositions were improved by the best
of educations, and who came to the administration of affairs with
the most laudable intentions; yet they were ruined, I cannot say by
an immoderate desire of glory, but by a more excusable fear of disgrace.
For being excessively beloved and favoured by the people, they thought
it a discredit to them not to make full repayment, endeavouring by
new public acts to outdo the honours they had received, and again,
because of these new kindnesses, incurring yet further distinctions;
till the people and they, mutually inflamed, and vying thus with each
other in honours and benefits, brought things at last to such a pass
that they might say that to engage so far was indeed a folly, but
to retreat would now be a shame.
This the reader will easily gather from the story. I will now compare
with them two Lacedaemonian popular leaders, the kings Agis and Cleomenes.
For they, being desirous also to raise the people, and to restore
the noble and just form of government, now long fallen into disuse,
incurred the hatred of the rich and powerful, who could not endure