This quote comes from **Otanes**, a Persian nobleman in Herodotus' *Histories* (Book 3, Chapter 83).
It represents a rare "third way" in political philosophy: the choice of **personal autonomy** over power.
### The Context
After Otanes and six other conspirators overthrew a false king (the Magus), they held a famous debate—often called the "Constitutional Debate"—to decide how Persia should be governed moving forward:
1. **Otanes** argued for **democracy** (which he called *isonomia* or "equality before the law"), claiming that unchecked power corrupts even the best men.
2. **Megabyzus** argued for **oligarchy** (rule by a select group).
3. **Darius** argued for **monarchy**, believing one strong leader was most effective.
### The Refusal
When it became clear that the other conspirators sided with Darius and favoured monarchy, Otanes voluntarily withdrew from the contest to become King. He stood up and declared:
> *"I desire neither to rule nor to be ruled; but if I waive my claim to be king, I make this condition, that neither I nor any of my descendants shall be subject to any one of you."*
### The Outcome
The others agreed. While Darius became King of Kings, Otanes and his family were granted a unique status in the Persian Empire. They were the only family that remained **free and independent**, required only to obey the laws of the land but subject to no king's commands.
It’s a powerful statement of liberty—rejecting the binary of "master" vs. "slave" in favour of simply being free.
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