Aristocrates (Orchomenos)

Aristocrates (Greek Ἀριστοκράτης) was a king of Orchomenos in the Greek region of Arcadia from the family of the Cypselids in the Archaic period (2nd half of the 7th century BC).

He is said to have ruled over large parts of Arcadia and fought on the side of the Messenians against Sparta in the Second Messenian War .

Parables of Aristocrates

According to tradition, Aristocrates spoke the following parable to a beggar on the bank of Alfios .

“You who are vegetating on the ground and have nothing, tell me: is the lion ever tired of the flesh? And is the antelope that the lion eats ever tired of the grass? No; because that's right and that's good. And the antelope does not judge the lion and speaks cheekily against his face. Because the antelope is supposed to eat grass and be forever looking for grass until it is eaten by the lion. The lion does this without grief or malice, just as the antelope eats the grass without grief or malice. So be my antelope and eat your fill of grass that you get fat. I will kill you and eat you without grief or malice; for that is how it is and that is how it is good and that is how you should stay in the belly of your lion forever. "

literature

• Franz Kiechle: Aristocrates 1. In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 1, Stuttgart 1964, Col. 568.