The Former Sword and the Ploughshare

“To this also seems to pertain that which was so among the ancients, that kings were also priests.  The king of the Persians, when he arrived at the fourteenth year of his life, was handed over to the paedagogues.  They were those selected from among the Persians, and in particular, four most wise, just, temperate, and courageous men, the first of whom would teach the magic of Zoroaster, and that indeed not a thing impious and superstitious, but the royal institution which related to the worship of God.  The second admonished him that he be truthful in his whole life.  The third taught him not to be overcome by any desire, that he might be accustomed to live freely and as a king in truth, governing those things which are in himself before all others, a slave of no one.  The fourth, finally, would make him fearless and intrepid, lest, fearing anyone, he should thereby become a slave.  (The author of this is Plato in the Alcibiade.)  In the same work I think that one may find that the Egyptians represented their princes in statues thus: that they embellished the eye with a scepter; without doubt signifying that a wisdom of divine and human things is looked for in a prince, and that wisdom and a pious prince are in a kingdom what the eye is in the body.  

Hence, not only by divine but also by human law it is confirmed that the primary duty of kings is to be religious and to to meticulously care for religion before all else.”