A Reading on Xenophon’s Hiero (2.8-16; 6.7-10): Citizens and War in the Tyrant’s Discourse = Una lectura sobre el Hiero de Jenofonte (2.8-16; 6.7-10): los ciudadanos y la guerra en el discurso del tirano

This essay focuses on the role that the theme of the war waged by the citizens plays in the tyrant Hiero’s regret for his lost status as a citizen. By invoking the military commitment that citizens offer to the city when it is engaged in a common war, Hiero underlines those aspects of being a citizen that he misses the most: sharing in the joys of victory, taking part in collective discussions when the community decides to go to war for a common advantage, the protection of the laws afforded to the citizens defending their city, the honor that victory over the enemy brings to the entire community of citizens.