"The demagogue is a bad thing: to "lead the people"is to mislead--above all, to mislead by failing to lead. The demagogue is driven by self-interest, by the desire to advance himself in power, and through power, in wealth. To chieve this, he surrenders all principles, all genuine leadership, and he panders to the people in every way--in Thucydides's words, "even offering the conduct of affairs to the whims of the people." This picture is drawn not only directly, but also in reverse. Here, for example, is Thucydides' image of the right kind of leader: "Because of his prestige, intelligence and known incorruptibility with respect to money, Pericles was able to lead the people as a free man should. He led them instead of being led by them. He did not have to humour them in pursuit of power; on the contrary, his repute was such that he could contradict them and provoke their anger." (From "Athenian Demagogues" by M.I. Finley, in Rhodes, P.J., Athenian Democracy, (NY: Oxford University Press, 2004).