The Game of Chess

...merciful, for he did not wish to violate his truth. Continuity from previous page regarding King Alexander's refusal to break his oath, even when tricked. And therefore Quintilian Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (c. 35–100 AD), a Roman rhetorician whose writings on ethics and oratory were highly valued by medieval scholars. says that for a high-ranking man and for a prince, a simple word that he violates original: "uberseczt." Literally "transgresses" or "sets aside." reflects worse upon him than if a merchant were to break an oath. Thirdly, the king should be kind, for it is impossible that kind people are ever lost or die a wrongful death. But one often reads of those who suffer terrible fates original: "fraiss am litte." Refers to intense physical agony or a horrific end. and die wickedly. And of this Orosius Paulus Orosius (c. 375–418 AD), a historian and theologian whose "History Against the Pagans" was a standard medieval source for ancient history. writes that a great master smith named Perillus made for King Phalaris Phalaris (c. 570–554 BC), the tyrant of Acragas in Sicily, renowned for his extreme cruelty.—who was an evil tyrant tyrant original: "wüterich." A term denoting a bloodthirsty, raging, or monstrous ruler. and a wicked man who inflicted the most painful deaths he could devise upon people—a bronze bull original: "glockspisen ochsen." Literally an "ox of bell-metal," referring to a bronze alloy., and on the side of the bull was a hidden little door. Thus, when someone was to be executed, he went through the door into the bull, and then the door was locked, and fire and embers were placed under the bull; and when the person screamed, his voice sounded so strange that one would not take it for the voice of a...