Title: The Wolf and the Lamb: A Pretext for Tyranny – Myth Crafts
Headings: The Wolf and the Lamb: A Pretext for Tyranny
The Wolf and the Lamb: A Pretext for Tyranny
Content: Upon hearing this the wolf grabbed the little lamb and ate him anyway, exclaiming “Well, I won’t remain hungry, even if you refute every one of my accusations. Attributed to Aesop (620 – 564 BCE), this fable was written to remind us that the tyrant will always find a pretext for their tyranny. They may try to justify their behavior, even try and convince you that their actions are in the best interest, but ultimately, they are self-serving narcissists that believe their own rhetoric. The modern usage of Tyrant has evolved to mean ‘one who holds absolute power and operates regardless of law’ and is often seen to spearhead a cruel and oppressive regime. The word tyrant originates from the Greek tyrannos, and was initially used to describe the new breed of leaders that were seizing power from the established aristocratic rulers. Two things were required for tyrannical rule to take place: first and foremost, the new ruler had to be exceedingly wealthy. They required money to hire mercenaries (those which will fight any battle for their own personal gain) to allow them to overthrow the current rulers, and ongoing funds to retain the mercenaries ‘loyalty’ so they didn’t defect to the next person offering pay. The second thing required was the support of the local peasants, which was generally given, as the Tyrant seemingly offered an alternative system and they were disillusioned with the current one. The good news was, as Thales of Miletus wrote: “