When the tyrant has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or

"When the tyrant has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty, and there is nothing more to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader." These words, uttered by the great philosopher Plato, reveal a profound insight into the nature of tyranny and the manipulative tactics employed by those who seek to wield unchecked power. Plato, who lived in the shadow of the great Athenian democracy, saw with clear eyes the dark forces at work in the hearts of rulers. His warning is timeless: when the tyrant has secured his position, when the external threats to his power have been vanquished, he will often fabricate or stir up new conflicts to justify his rule and to keep the people dependent on him.

Let us contemplate this deeper truth, for it speaks not only to the political rulers of Plato's time but to the rulers throughout the ages. Tyrants thrive on the fear and dependence of their subjects. As long as the people believe that there is an external threat, a danger looming just beyond their borders, they will be willing to sacrifice their freedoms for the security offered by their leader. Once this external threat is neutralized, however, the tyrant's power begins to weaken, for the people no longer feel the urgent need to rally around a leader. Thus, the tyrant must create new wars, new enemies, to rekindle the flames of fear and ensure that the people look to him for salvation.

History is rife with such examples of rulers who, once freed from foreign enemies, sought to keep their power by turning their gaze inward and stirring up strife. Consider the reign of Julius Caesar, whose conquest of Gaul brought him great power and fame. But once he had secured his position in Rome, Caesar did not rest. Instead, he sought to create new conflicts, to stoke the fires of civil war in order to maintain his dominance over Rome. The political turmoil that he stirred up within the Republic was not merely a matter of ambition; it was a calculated attempt to keep the people dependent on his leadership. In this way, the tyrant uses war not just as a means of defense, but as a tool for control, shaping the very fabric of society to serve his will.

In ancient Athens, the tyrant Pericles provides another example. During the Peloponnesian War, Pericles was able to consolidate immense power by stirring up conflict with Sparta and rallying the Athenian people under his banner. Even after Athens had secured its dominance and the external threats were temporarily diminished, Pericles continued to feed the flames of war to maintain his hold over the city. His leadership, though often hailed as brilliant, was also marked by the strategic use of conflict to justify his rule. In this way, war became a means of political manipulation, allowing the tyrant to keep the people in line, forever fearful of an external force and ever dependent on the leadership of their ruler.

The essence of Plato’s wisdom lies in the recognition that tyranny feeds not on the external threats alone but on the constant creation of internal fear. The tyrant's greatest weapon is the fear of the unknown, the uncertainty that unsettles the people. Once the external enemies have been dealt with, the tyrant knows that he must create new threats to maintain the illusion of necessity. This is the true machination of tyranny: the manipulation of the masses, not through force alone, but through the careful orchestration of war and strife. The tyrant does not need a foreign enemy; he needs only the perception of danger to keep his rule intact.

In our own time, we must be vigilant against this manipulation. Plato's warning is as relevant today as it was in his day. The modern world is often caught in the grip of leaders who stoke fear in order to justify their power. Whether through the creation of external enemies or the internal stirring of civil unrest, the leaders who seek to consolidate their power often rely on the fear of war to maintain control. Consider the rise of authoritarian regimes that claim the mantle of defense against external threats, only to use that threat as an excuse to crack down on dissent and stifle freedom. The fear of war, the fear of the unknown, becomes the tool of tyranny.

The lesson that Plato offers is one of profound awareness. We must recognize when our leaders use war and conflict as tools for manipulation rather than as measures of true defense. We must understand that true freedom is found not in the constant need for a leader to protect us from external threats, but in the confidence of a people who have the power to govern themselves. In our own lives, we must challenge the notion that leadership is best maintained through fear and dependence. Instead, we should seek leaders who inspire through wisdom, integrity, and the courage to face challenges without resorting to war.

Let us then be mindful of the power we entrust to our leaders. Let us demand that they lead not by stirring up fear, but by fostering a spirit of cooperation and peace. Let us recognize that true leadership is born of trust, not of manipulation, and that a nation or people is strongest when it relies not on the fear of war, but on the strength of its unity and the wisdom of its choices. The path to a just society lies not in the continual creation of enemies, but in the pursuit of common ground, in the recognition that true strength is found in peace, not in perpetual conflict.