Monday, November 2, 2009

Summoned to his nobility

In a novel about ancient Greece, the warrior Alcibiades is asked how to lead free men, and he responds: “By being better and thus commanding their emulation.”

Alcibiades goes on, “A commander’s role is to model … excellence before his men. One need not thrash them to greatness, only hold it out before them. They will be compelled by their own nature to emulate it.”

He concludes: How [to] lead free men?

Only by this means: the summoning of each to his nobility.

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