[p. 517]

And yet surely in the case of despots, 1 who have to know everything, it is the tribe of socalled ‘Ears’ and ‘Jackals’ that makes them most detested. It was Darius Nothus, who had no confidence in himself and regarded everyone with fear and suspicion, who first instituted ‘Listeners’ ; and ‘Jackals’ were distributed by the Dionysii 2 among the people of Syracuse. Consequently when the revolution came, these were the first persons whom the Syracusans arrested and crushed to death. And in fact the tribe of informers is from the same clan and family as busy bodies. But while informers search to see whether anyone has planned or committed a misdemeanour, busy bodies investigate and make public even the involuntary mischances of their neighbours. And it is said that the person called 3 first acquired his name from being a busybody. For it appears that when there was a severe famine at Athens and those who possessed wheat would not contribute it to the common stock, but ground 4 it in their houses secretly by night, some persons went about listening for the noise of the. mills, and so acquired the name. It was in the same way, they say, that the 5 won his name. Since the export of figs 6 was prohibited, men who revealed 7 and gave information against thosewho did export them were called. So it is well worth the while of busybodies to consider this fact also, that they may be ashamed of the resemblance and relationship of their own practice to that of persons who are very cordially hated and loathed.