Policraticus is a work by John of Salisbury, written around 1159. Sometimes called the first complete medieval work of political theory, it belongs, at least in part, to the genre of advice literature addressed to rulers known as "mirrors for princes", but also breaks from that genre by offering advice to courtiers and bureaucrats. Though it takes up a wide variety of ethical questions, it is most famous for attempting to define the responsibilities of kings and their relationship to their subjects. Title The title Policraticus, like those of other works by John of Salisbury, is a pseudo-Greek neologism, sometimes rendered as "The Statesman's Book". Its original subtitle was , "On the Frivolities of Courtiers and the Footprints of Philosophers". Structure The work consists of eight books, falling roughly into three 'blocks': the private 'frivolities' of the courtiers (books I-III), the public offices of different classes, with a focus on the prince and the body politic (books IV-VI), and the 'footprints' of the philosophers (books VII and VIII). Most scholarly attention of the work has focused on the 'political' content of the second block and the discussion of tyranny in the final book. The topics of the books are as follows: Book I: Hunting, theatre, and magic Book II: Omens, dreams, and occult sciences Book III: Self-interest and flattery Book IV: The duties of the 'prince' (princeps) Book V and VI: The body politic Book VII: Three Epicurean tendencies (according to Boethius) Book VIII: Another two Epicurean tendencies; Tyranny Arguments Monarchy John drew his arguments primarily from the Bible and from Roman law, especially Justinian's Code and Novels. He depicted "the prince" as a "likeness on earth of the divine majesty", "feared by each of those over whom he is set as an object of fear". The prince's power, like all earthly authority, was "from God", requiring the obedience of the prince's subjects. Purportedly following a manual by Plutarch titled the —likely invented by John himself—he argued that the prince had four principal responsibilities: to revere God, adore his subjects, exert self-discipline and instruct his ministers. Since the ruler was the image of God, John advocated strict punishments for lèse-majesté, but he qualified this by specifying that the temporal power of the ruler was delegated by the spiritual power of the church, and argued that a prince should err on the side of mercy and compassion when enforcing the law.