The King's Sons

There was a King that ruled over a kingdom and
He promised that all who honored him would live well.
His people said "You are truly our King in war and in peace"
But we have no knowledge of such things.
How then can we understand the desires of your heart?"
The King responded, "I will set over you two Princes,
One to rule you in peace and one to rule you in war.
If you honor these then you honor me."

Now the King had two sons and they were twins.
One son, Corinth, was very handsome - to the point of vanity.
The other, Dor, was very powerful - to the point of oppression.
So the King set Corinth to rule over the people in peace.
Dor he set to rule over the people in war.
But there was great enmity between them for jealousy's sake.
Such that, in peace Dor would connive to begin a war,
And in times of war Corinth would collude to initiate peace.

So the people came once again before the King to petition him.
"In the morning we rise to peace yet we arrive in our fields at war.
In our armor we march to the battle and find no enemy.
How then can we understand the desires of your heart?"
The King responded, "I will set over the two Princes, a third.
He will be a balance to jealousy to pull the teeth of their enmity,
He will hear each of them and decide between war and peace.
If you honor these then you honor me."

The King had also a younger son whose name was Ion,
He was not so very handsome nor was he so very powerful,
But he loved each brother dearly and preferred not one to the other.
Now the King set Ion over his brothers to balance the jealousy.
The twins envied their brother and conspired against him continually,
So Ion came before his father, the King, to seek counsel in this matter.
The King said, "You have four daughters. Each is worthy of great value.
Marry them to your brothers and this will soften their will against you."

The daughters of Ion are Dike, Thrasos, Epiphron and Sophrosyne.
Dike and Thrasos, fearless in their judgments, are immune to the powerful.
Epiphron and Sophrosyne, selfless in their desires, do not yield to beauty.
So Ion gave his daughters to wed and thus softened their zeal against him.
Dike and Thrasos he gave to his brother Dor to quench his oppressiveness.
To Corinth he gave Epiphron and Sophrosyne to starve his vanity.
The King saw that harmony prevailed so he gathered his people and told them,
"If you honor these then you honor me."

Now the people tested this and trusted this and thus honored the King's sons.
And the King accounted this honor to himself, and the people lived well.

The 7 Virtues consist of the 3 Theological Virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity; and the 4 Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Temperance, Justice and Fortitude. These virtues are represented by the characters of the poem.