The tyrant dies and his rule ends, the martyr dies and his rule begins.

The aphorism contrasts two kinds of power. A tyrant’s authority is coercive and personal; it depends on the tyrant’s continued ability to intimidate, so it collapses with his death. A martyr’s “rule,” by contrast, is moral and symbolic: death can amplify the witness of a life or cause, turning it into a lasting claim on others’ consciences. The line points to the paradox that suffering and apparent defeat may generate a more enduring influence than force. In a Kierkegaardian key, it resonates with the Christian idea that truth is “witnessed” through sacrifice, and that authentic authority can arise from inward conviction rather than external domination.