and control it, or take it from him who has once possessed it. Indeed it
seems to me that this possession bears the same relation to the soul as
its light to the sun. For often men have stolen the votive offerings of
the Sun and destroyed his temples and gone their way, and some have been
punished, and others let alone as not worthy of the punishment that leads
to amendment. But his light no one ever takes from the sun, not even the
moon when in their conjunctions she oversteps his disc, or when she takes
his rays to herself, and often, as the saying is, turns midday into
night.(398) Nor is he deprived of his light when he illumines the moon in
her station opposite to himself and shares with her his own nature, nor
when he fills with light and day this great and wonderful universe. Just
so no good man who imparts his goodness to another was ever thought to
have less virtue by as much as he had bestowed. So divine and excellent is
that possession, and most true is the saying of the Athenian stranger,
whoever that inspired man may have been: “All the gold beneath the earth
and above ground is too little to give in exchange for virtue.”(399) Let
us therefore now boldly call its possessor wealthy, yes and I should say
well‐born also, and the only king among them all,(400) if anyone agree to
this. For as noble birth is better than a lowly pedigree, so virtue is
better than a character not in all respects admirable. And let no one say
that this statement is contentious and too strong, judging by the ordinary
use of words. For the multitude are wont to say that the sons of those who
have long been rich are well‐born. And yet is it not extraordinary that a
cook or cobbler, yes, by Zeus, or some potter who has got money together
by his craft, or by some other means, is not considered well‐born nor is
given that title by the many, whereas if this man’s son inherit his estate
and hand it on to his sons, they begin to give themselves airs and compete
on the score of noble birth with the Pelopids and the Heraclids? Nay, even
a man who is born of noble ancestors, but himself sinks down in the
opposite scale of life, could not justly claim kinship with those
ancestors, seeing that no one could be enrolled among the Pelopids who had
not on his shoulder the birth‐mark(401) of that family. And in Boeotia it
was said that there was the impression of a spear on the Sown‐men(402)
from the clod of earth that bore and reared them, and that hence the race
long preserved that distinguishing mark. And can we suppose that on men’s
souls no mark of that sort is engraved, which shall tell us accurately who
their fathers were and vindicate their birth as legitimate? They say that
the Celts also have a river(403) which is an incorruptible judge of
offspring, and neither can the mothers persuade that river by their
laments to hide and conceal their fault for them, nor the fathers who are
afraid for their wives and sons in this trial, but it is an arbiter that
never swerves or gives a false verdict. But we are corrupted by riches, by
physical strength in its prime, by powerful ancestors, an influence from
without that overshadows and does not permit us to see clearly or discern
the soul; for we are unlike all other living things in this, that by the
soul and by nothing else, we should with reason make our decision about
noble birth. And it seems to me that the ancients, employing a wondrous
sagacity of nature, since their wisdom was not like ours a thing acquired,
but they were philosophers by nature, not manufactured,(404) perceived the
truth of this, and so they called Heracles the son of Zeus, and Leda’s two
sons also, and Minos the law‐giver, and Rhadamanthus of Cnossus they
deemed worthy of the same distinction. And many others they proclaimed to
be the children of other gods, because they so surpassed their mortal
parents. For they looked at the soul alone and their actual deeds, and not
at wealth piled high and hoary with age, nor at the power that had come
down to them from some grandfather or great‐grandfather. And yet some of
them were the sons of fathers not wholly inglorious. But because of the
superabundance in them of that virtue which men honoured and cherished,
they were held to be the sons of the gods themselves. This is clear from
the following fact. In the case of certain others, though they did not
know those who were by nature their sires, they ascribed that title to a
divinity, to recompense the virtue of those men. And we ought not to say
that they were deceived, and that in ignorance they told lies about the
gods. For even if in the case of other gods or deities it was natural that
they should be so deceived, when they clothed them in human forms and
human shapes, though those deities possess a nature not to be perceived or
attained by the senses, but barely recognisable by means of pure
intelligence, by reason of their kinship with it; nevertheless in the case
of the visible gods it is not probable that they were deceived, for
instance, when they entitled Aeetes “son of Helios” and another(405) “son
of the Dawn,” and so on with others. But, as I said, we must in these
cases believe them, and make our enquiry about noble birth accordingly.
And when a man has virtuous parents and himself resembles them, we may
with confidence call him nobly born. But when, though his parents lack
virtue, he himself can claim to possess it, we must suppose that the
father who begat him is Zeus, and we must not pay less respect to him than
to those who are the sons of virtuous fathers and emulate their parents.
But when a bad man comes of good parents, we ought to enrol him among the
bastards, while as for those who come of a bad stock and resemble their
parents, never must we call them well‐born, not even though their wealth
amounts to ten thousand talents, not though they reckon among their
ancestors twenty rulers, or, by Zeus, twenty tyrants, not though they can
prove that the victories they won at Olympia or Pytho or in the encounters
of war—which are in every way more brilliant than victories in the
games—were more than the first Caesar’s, or can point to excavations in
Assyria(406) or to the walls of Babylon and the Egyptian pyramids besides,
and to all else that is a proof of wealth and great possessions and luxury
and a soul that is inflamed by ambition and, being at a loss how to use
money, lavishes on things of that sort all those abundant supplies of
wealth. For you are well aware that it is not wealth, either ancestral or
newly acquired and pouring in from some source or other, that makes a
king, nor his purple cloak nor his tiara and sceptre and diadem and
ancestral throne, nay nor numerous hoplites and ten thousand cavalry; not
though all men should gather together and acknowledge him for their king,
because virtue they cannot bestow on him, but only power, ill‐omened
indeed for him that receives it, but still more for those that bestow it.
For once he has received such power, a man of that sort is altogether
raised aloft in the clouds, and in nowise differs from the legend of
Phaethon and his fate. And there is no need of other instances to make us
believe this saying, for the whole of life is full of such disasters and
tales about them. And if it seems surprising to you that the title of
king, so honourable, so favoured by the gods, cannot justly be claimed by
men who, though they rule over a vast territory and nations without
number, nevertheless settle questions that arise by an autocratic
decision, without intelligence or wisdom or the virtues that go with
wisdom, believe me they are not even free men; I do not mean if they
merely possess what they have with none to hinder them and have their fill
of power, but even though they conquer all who make war against them, and,
when they lead an invading army, appear invincible and irresistible. And
if any of you doubt this statement, I have no lack of notable witnesses,
Greek and barbarian, who fought and won many mighty battles, and became
the masters of whole nations and compelled them to pay tribute, and yet
were themselves slaves in a still more shameful degree of pleasure, money
and wantonness, insolence and injustice. And no man of sense would call
them even powerful, not though greatness should shine upon and illumine
all that they achieved. For he alone is strong whose virtue aids him to be
brave and magnanimous. But he who is the slave of pleasure and cannot
control his temper and appetites of all sorts, but is compelled to succumb
to trivial things, is neither brave himself nor strong with a man’s
strength, though we may perhaps allow him to exult like a bull or lion or
leopard(407) in his brute force, if indeed he do not lose even this and,
like a drone, merely superintend the labours of others, himself a “feeble
warrior,”(408) and cowardly and dissolute. And if that be his character,
he is lacking not only in true riches, but in that wealth also which men
so highly honour and reverence and desire, on which hang the souls of men
of all sorts, so that they undergo countless toils and labours for the
sake of daily gain, and endure to sail the sea and to trade and rob and
grasp at tyrannies. For they live ever acquiring but ever in want, though
I do not say of necessary food and drink and clothes; for the limit of
this sort of property has been clearly defined by nature and none can be
deprived of it, neither birds nor fish nor wild beasts, much less prudent
men. But those who are tortured by the desire and fatal passion for money
must suffer a lifelong hunger,(409) and depart from life more miserably
than those who lack daily food. For these, once they have filled their
bellies, enjoy perfect peace and respite from their torment, but for those
others no day is sweet that does not bring them gain, nor does night with
her gift of sleep that relaxes the limbs and frees men from care(410)
bring for them any remission of their raging madness, but distracts and
agitates their souls as they reckon and count up their money. And not even
the wealth of Tantalus and Midas, should they possess it, frees those men
from their desire and their hard toil therewith, nay nor “Tyranny the
greatest and sternest of the gods,”(411) should they become possessed of
this also. For have you not heard that Darius, the ruler of Persia, a man
not wholly base, but insatiably and shamefully covetous of money, dug up
in his greed even the tombs of the dead(412) and exacted the most costly
tribute? And hence he acquired the title(413) that is famous among all
mankind. For the notables of Persia called him by the name that the
Athenians gave to Sarambos.(414))
Ἀλλ᾽ ἔοικε γὰρ ὁ λόγος, ὥσπερ ὁδοῦ τινος κατάντους ἐπιλαβόμενος, ἀφειδῶς
ἐμφορεῖσθαι τῆς καταρρήσεως καὶ πέρα τοῦ δέοντος κολάζειν τῶν ἀνδρῶν τοὺς
τρόπους, ὥστε οὐκ ἐπιτρεπτέον αὐτῷ περαιτέρω φοιτᾶν. [86] ἀπαιτητέον δὲ
εἰς δύναμιν τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἄνδρα καὶ βασιλικὸν καὶ μεγαλόφρονα. ἔστι δὲ πρῶτον
μὲν εὐσεβὴς καὶ οὐκ ὀλίγωρος θεραπείας θεῶν, εἶτα ἐς τοὺς τοκέας ζῶντάς τε
οἶμαι καὶ τελευτήσαντας ὅσιος καὶ ἐπιμελής, ἀδελφοῖς τε εὔνους, καὶ
ὁμογνίους θεοὺς αἰδούμενος, ἱκέταις καὶ ξένοις πρᾷος καὶ μείλιχος, τοῖς
μὲν ἀγαθοῖς τῶν πολιτῶν ἀρέσκειν ἐθέλων, τῶν πολλῶν δὲ ἐπιμελόμενος ἐν
δίκῃ καὶ ἐπ᾽ ὠφελείᾳ· ἀγαπᾷ δὲ πλοῦτον, [B] οὔτι τὸν χρυσῷ καὶ ἀργύρῳ
βριθόμενον, φίλων δὲ ἀληθοῦς εὐνοίας καὶ ἀκολακεύτου θεραπείας μεστόν·
ἀνδρεῖος μὲν φύσει καὶ μεγαλοπρεπής, πολέμῳ δὲ ἥκιστα χαίρων καὶ στάσιν
ἐμφύλιον ἀπεχθαίρων, τούς γε μὴν ἔκ τινος τύχης ἐπιφυομένους ἢ διὰ τὴν
σφῶν αὐτῶν μοχθηρίαν ἀνδρείως ὑφιστάμενος καὶ ἀμυνόμενος ἐγκρατῶς, τέλος
τε ἐπάγων τοῖς ἔργοις καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἀφιστάμενος, πρὶν ἂν ἐξέλῃ [C] τῶν
πολεμίων τὴν δύναμιν καὶ ὑποχείριον αὑτῷ ποιήσηται. κρατήσας δὲ μετὰ τῶν
ὅπλων ἔπαυσε τὸ ξίφος φόνων, μίασμα κρίνων τὸν οὐκ ἀμυνόμενον ἔτι κτείνειν
καὶ ἀναιρεῖν. φιλόπονος δὲ ὢν φύσει καὶ μεγαλόψυχος κοινωνεῖ μὲν ἅπασι τῶν
πόνων, καὶ ἔχειν ἐν αὐτοῖς τὸ πλέον ἀξιοῖ, μεταδίδωσι δὲ ἐκείνοις τῶν
κινδύνων τὰ ἔπαθλα, χαίρων καὶ γεγηθὼς οὔτι τῷ πλέον ἔχειν τῶν ἄλλων
χρυσίον καὶ ἀργύριον καὶ ἐπαύλεις κόσμῳ πολυτελεῖ κατεσκευασμένας, [D]
ἀλλὰ τῷ πολλοὺς μὲν εὖ ποιεῖν δύνασθαι, χαρίζεσθαι δὲ ἅπασιν ὅτου ἂν
τύχωσιν ἐνδεεῖς ὄντες· τούτων αὑτὸν ὅ γε ἀληθινὸς ἀξιοῖ βασιλεύς.
φιλόπολις(415) δὲ ὢν καὶ φιλοστρατιώτης τῶν μὲν καθάπερ νομεὺς ποιμνίων
ἐπιμελεῖται, προνοῶν ὅπως ἂν αὐτῷ θάλλῃ καὶ εὐθηνῆται τὰ θρέμματα δαψιλοῦς
καὶ ἀταράχου τῆς νομῆς ἐμπιμπλάμενα, τοὺς δὲ ἐφορᾷ καὶ συνέχει, πρὸς
ἀνδρείαν καὶ ῥώμην καὶ πρᾳότητα γυμνάζων καθάπερ σκύλακας εὐφυεῖς [87] καὶ
γενναίους τῆς ποίμνης φύλακας, ἔργων τε αὑτῷ κοινωνοὺς καὶ ἐπικούρους τῷ
πλήθει νομίζων, ἀλλ᾽ οὐχὶ ἁρπακτῆρας τινας οὐδὲ λυμεῶνας τῶν ποιμνίων
καθάπερ οἱ λύκοι καὶ κυνῶν οἱ φαυλότατοι, οἳ(416) τῆς αὑτῶν φύσεως καὶ
τροφῆς ἐπιλαθόμενοι ἀντὶ σωτήρων καὶ προαγωνιστῶν ἀνεφάνησαν αὐτοὶ
δηλήμονες· οὐδὲ μὴν ὑπνηλοὺς ἀνέξεται εἶναι καὶ ἀργοὺς καὶ ἀπολέμους, ὅπως
ἂν μὴ φυλάκων ἑτέρων οἱ φρουροὶ δέωνται, [B] ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ἀπειθεῖς τοῖς(417)
ἄρχουσιν, εἰδὼς ὅτι τοῦτο μάλιστα πάντων, ἔστι δὲ ὅπου καὶ μόνον ἀπόχρη
σωτήριον ἐπιτήδευμα πρὸς πόλεμον· πόνων δὲ ἁπάντων ἀδεεῖς(418) καὶ
ἀτεράμονας, οὔτι ῥᾳθύμους ἐργάσεται, ἐπιστάμενος ὅτι μὴ μέγα ὄφελος
φύλακος τὸν πόνον φεύγοντος καὶ οὐ δυναμένου καρτερεῖν οὐδὲ ἀντέχειν πρὸς
κάματον. ταῦτα δὲ οὐ παραινῶν μόνον οὐδὲ ἐπαινῶν τοῦς ἀγαθοὺς προθύμως καὶ
χαριζόμενος ἢ κολάζων ἐγκρατῶς [C] καὶ ἀπαραιτήτως ξυμπείθει καὶ βιάζεται,
ἀλλὰ πολὺ πρότερον αὑτὸν τοιοῦτον ἐπιδεικνύων, ἀπεχόμενος μὲν ἡδονῆς
ἁπάσης, χρημάτων δὲ οὐδὲν οὔτε σμικρὸν οὔτε μεῖζον ἐπιθυμῶν καὶ
ἀφαιρούμενος τῶν ὑπηκόων, ὕπνῳ τε εἴκων ὀλίγα καὶ τὴν ἀργίαν
ἀποστρεφόμενος, ἀληθῶς γὰρ οὐδεὶς οὐδενὸς εἰς οὐδὲν ἄξιος καθεύδων ἀνὴρ ἢ
καὶ ἐγρηγορὼς τοῖς καθεύδουσιν ἐμφερής. πειθομένους δὲ αὐτοὺς ἕξει καλῶς
αὑτῷ τε οἲμαι καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν, [D] εἰ τοῖς ἀρίστοις πειθόμενος νόμοις
καὶ τοῖς ὀρθοῖς ξυνεπόμενος διατάγμασι δῆλος εἴη, καὶ ὅλως τὴν ἡγεμονίαν
ἀποδοὺς τῷ φύσει βασιλικῷ καὶ ἡγεμονικῷ τῆς ψυχῆς μορίῳ, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τῷ
θυμοειδεῖ καὶ ἀκολάστῳ. καὶ καρτερεῖν δὲ καὶ ὑπομένειν τόν τε ἐπὶ στρατιᾶς
καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις κάματον ὁπόσα τε κατὰ τὴν εἰρήνην ἐξηυρέθη γυμνάσια
μελέτης ἕνεκα τῆς πρὸς τοὺς ὀθνείους ἀγῶνας, πῶς ἄν τις μάλιστα πείσας
εἴη,(419) ἢ δῆλον ὡς αὐτὸς ὁρώμενος καρτερὸς καὶ ἀδαμάντινος; [88] ἔστι
γὰρ ἀληθῶς ἥδιστον θέαμα στρατιώτῃ πονουμένῳ σώφρων αὐτοκράτωρ,
συνεφαπτόμενος ἔργων καὶ προθυμούμενος καὶ παρακαλῶν καὶ ἐν τοῖς δοκοῦσι
φοβεροῖς φαιδρὸς καὶ ἀδεὴς καὶ ὅπου λίαν θαρροῦσι σεμνὸς καὶ ἐμβριθής.
πέφυκε γὰρ ἐξομοιοῦσθαι πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα τὰ τῶν ὑπηκόων εὐλαβείας πέρι καὶ
θράσους. προνοητέον δὲ αὐτῷ τῶν εἰρημένων οὐ μεῖον ὅπως ἄφθονον τὴν τροφὴν
ἔχωσι καὶ οὐδενὸς τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐνδέωνται. [B] πολλάκις γὰρ οἱ πιστότατοι
τῶν ποιμνίων φρουροὶ καὶ φύλακες ὑπὸ τῆς ἐνδείας ἀναγκαζόμενοι ἄγριοι τέ
εἰσι τοῖς νομεῦσι καὶ αὐτοὺς πόρρωθεν ἰδόντες περιυλακτοῦσι καὶ οὐδὲ τῶν
προβάτων ἀπέσχοντο.
(But it seems that my argument, as though it had reached some steep
descent, is glutting itself with unsparing abuse, and is chastising the
manners of these men beyond what is fitting, so that I must not allow it
to travel further. But now I must demand from it an account, as far as is
possible, of the man who is good and kingly and great‐souled. In the first
place, then, he is devout and does not neglect the worship of the gods,
and secondly he is pious and ministers to his parents, both when they are
alive and after their death, and he is friendly to his brothers, and
reverences the gods who protect the family, while to suppliants and
strangers he is mild and gentle; and he is anxious to gratify good
citizens, and governs the masses with justice and for their benefit. And
wealth he loves, but not that which is heavy with gold and silver, but
that which is full of the true good‐will of his friends,(420) and service
without flattery. Though by nature he is brave and gallant, he takes no
pleasure in war, and detests civil discord, though when men do attack him,
whether from some chance, or by reason of their own wickedness, he resists
them bravely and defends himself with energy, and carries through his
enterprises to the end, not desisting till he has destroyed the power of
the foe and made it subject to himself. But after he has conquered by
force of arms, he makes his sword cease from slaughter, because he thinks
that for one who is no longer defending himself to go on killing and
laying waste is to incur pollution. And being by nature fond of work, and
great of soul, he shares in the labours of all; and claims the lion’s
share of those labours, then divides with the others the rewards for the
risks which he has run, and is glad and rejoices, not because he has more
gold and silver treasure than other men, and palaces adorned with costly
furniture, but because he is able to do good to many, and to bestow on all
men whatever they may chance to lack. This is what he who is truly a king
claims for himself. And since he loves both the city and the
soldiers,(421) he cares for the citizens as a shepherd for his flock,
planning how their young may flourish and thrive, eating their full of
abundant and undisturbed pasture; and his soldiers he oversees and keeps
together, training them in courage, strength and mercy, like well‐bred
dogs, noble guardians of the flock,(422) regarding them both as the
partners of his exploits and the protectors of the masses, and not as
spoilers and pillagers of the flock, like wolves and mongrel dogs which,
forgetting their own nature and nurture, turn out to be marauders instead
of preservers and defenders. Yet on the other hand, he will not suffer
them to be sluggish, slothful and unwarlike, lest the guardians should
themselves need others to watch them, nor disobedient to their officers,
because he knows that obedience above all else, and sometimes alone, is
the saving discipline in war. And he will train them to be hardy and not
afraid of any labour, and never indolent, for he knows that there is not
much use in a guardian who shirks his task and cannot hold out or endure
fatigue. And not only by exhorting, or by his readiness to praise the
deserving or by rewarding and punishing severely and inexorably, does he
win them over to this and coerce them; but far rather does he show that he
is himself what he would have them be, since he refrains from all
pleasure, and as for money desires it not at all, much or little, nor robs
his subjects of it; and since he abhors indolence he allows little time
for sleep, For in truth no one who is asleep is good for anything,(423)
nor if, when awake he resembles those who are asleep. And he will, I
think, succeed in keeping them wonderfully obedient to himself and to
their officers, since he himself will be seen to obey the wisest laws and
to live in accordance with right precepts, and in short to be under the
guidance of that part of the soul which is naturally kingly and worthy to
take the lead, and not of the emotional or undisciplined part. For how
could one better persuade men to endure and undergo fatigue, not only in a
campaign and under arms, but also in all those exercises that have been
invented in times of peace to give men practice for conflicts abroad, than
by being clearly seen to be oneself strong as adamant? For in truth the
most agreeable sight for a soldier, when he is fighting hard, is a prudent
commander who takes an active part in the work in hand, himself zealous
while exhorting his men, who is cheerful and calm in what seems to be a
dangerous situation, but on occasion stern and severe whenever they are
over confident. For in the matter of caution or boldness the subordinate
naturally imitates his leader. And he must plan as well, no less than for
what I have mentioned, that they may have abundant provisions and run
short of none of the necessaries of life. For often the most loyal
guardians and protectors of the flock are driven by want to become fierce
towards the shepherds, and when they see them from afar they bark at them
and do not even spare the sheep.(424))
Τοιοῦτος μὲν ἐπὶ στρατοπέδων ὁ γενναῖος, πόλει δὲ σωτὴρ καὶ κηδεμών, οὔτι
τοὺς ἔξωθεν μόνον ἀπείργων κινδύνους οὐδὲ ἀντιταττόμενος ἢ καὶ
ἐπιστρατεύων βαρβάροις γείτοσι· στάσιν δὲ ἐξαιρῶν καὶ ἔθη [C] μοχθηρὰ καὶ
τρυφὴν καὶ ἀκολασίαν τῶν μεγίστων κακῶν παρέξει ῥᾳστώνην. ὕβριν δὲ
ἐξείργων καὶ παρανομίαν καὶ ἀδικίαν καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν ἀμέτρου κτήσεως τὰς(425)
ἐκ τούτων ἀναφυομένας στάσεις καὶ ἔριδας εἰς οὐδὲν χρηστὸν τελευτώσας οὐδὲ
τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀνέξεται φῶναι, γενομένας δὲ ὡς ἔνι τάχιστα ἀφανιεῖ(426) καὶ
ἐξελάσει τῆς αὑτοῦ πόλεως. λήσεται δὲ αὐτὸν οὐδεὶς ὑπερβὰς τὸν νόμον καὶ
βιασάμενος, οὐ(427) μᾶλλον ἢ τῶν πολεμίων τις τὸν χάρακα. [D] φύλαξ δὲ ὢν
ἀγαθὸς τῶν νόμων, ἀμείνων ἔσται δημιουργός, εἴ ποτε καιρὸς καὶ τύχη
καλοίη· καὶ οὐδεμία μηχανὴ πείθει τὸν τοιοῦτον ψευδῆ καὶ κίβδηλον καὶ
νόθον τοῖς κειμένοις ἐπεισάγειν νόμον, οὐ μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς αὑτοῦ παισὶ
δούλειον καὶ ἀγεννὲς ἐπεισαγαγεῖν(428) σπέρμα. δίκης δὲ αὐτῷ μέλει καὶ
θέμιδος, καὶ οὔτε γονεῖς οὔτε ξυγγενεῖς καὶ φίλοι πείθουσι καταχαρίσασθαί
[89] σφιν καὶ προδοῦναι τὸ ἔνδικον. ὑπολαμβάνει γὰρ ἁπάντων εἶναι τὴν
πατρίδα κοινὴν ἑστίαν καὶ μητέρα, πρεσβυτέραν μὲν καὶ σεμνοτέραν τῶν(429)
πατέρων, φιλτέραν δὲ ἀδελφῶν καὶ ξένων καὶ φίλων· ἧς ἀποσυλῆσαι τὸν νόμον
καὶ βιάσασθαι μεῖζον ἀσέβημα κρίνει τῆς περὶ τὰ χρήματα τῶν θεῶν
παρανομίας. ἔστι γὰρ ὁ νόμος ἔκγονος(430) τῆς δίκης, ἱερὸν ἀνάθημα καὶ
θεῖον ἀληθῶς τοῦ μεγίστου θεοῦ, ὃν οὐδαμῶς ὅ γε ἔμφρων ἀνὴρ περὶ σμικροῦ
ποιήσεται οὐδὲ ἀτιμάσει· [B] ἀλλὰ ἐν δίκῃ πάντα δρῶν τοὺς μὲν ἀγαθοὺς
τιμήσει προθύμως, τοὺς μοχθηροὺς δὲ ἐς δύναμιν ἰᾶσθαι καθάπερ ἰατρὸς
ἀγαθὸς προθυμήσεται.
(Such then is the good king at the head of his legions, but to his city he
is a saviour and protector, not only when he is warding off dangers from
without or repelling barbarian neighbours or invading them; but also by
putting down civil discord, vicious morals, luxury and profligacy, he will
procure relief from the greatest evils. And by excluding insolence,
lawlessness, injustice and greed for boundless wealth, he will not permit
the feuds that arise from these causes and the dissensions that end in
disaster to show even the first sign of growth, and if they do arise he
will abolish them as quickly as possible and expel them from his city. And
no one who transgresses and violates the law will escape his notice, no
more than would an enemy in the act of scaling his defences. But though he
is a good guardian of the laws, he will be still better at framing them,
if ever occasion and chance call on him to do so. And no device can
persuade one of his character to add to the statutes a false and spurious
and bastard law, any more than he would introduce among his own sons a
servile and vulgar strain. For he cares for justice and the right, and
neither parents nor kinsfolk nor friends can persuade him to do them a
favour and betray the cause of justice. For he looks upon his fatherland
as the common hearth and mother of all, older and more reverend than his
parents, and more precious than brothers or friends or comrades; and to
defraud or do violence to her laws he regards as a greater impiety than
sacrilegious robbery of the money that belongs to the gods. For law is the
child of justice, the sacred and truly divine adjunct of the most mighty
god, and never will the man who is wise make light of it or set it at
naught. But since all that he does will have justice in view, he will be
eager to honour the good, and the vicious he will, like a good physician,
make every effort to cure.)
Διττῶν δὲ ὄντων τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ τῶν μὲν ὑποφαινόντων ἐλπίδας ἀμείνους
καὶ οὐ πάντη τὴν θεραπείαν ἀπεστραμμένων, τῶν δὲ ἀνίατα πλημμελούντων·
τούτοις δὲ οἱ νόμοι θάνατον λύσιν τῶν κακῶν ἐπενόησαν, οὐκ εἰς τὴν ἐκείνων
μᾶλλον, εἰς δὲ τὴν ἄλλων ὠφέλειαν· [C] διττὰς δ᾽ ἀνάγκη τὰς κρίσεις
γίγνεσθαι. οὐκοῦν τῶν μὲν ἰασίμων αὑτῷ προσήκειν ὑπολήψεται τήν τε
ἐπίγνωσιν καὶ τὴν θεραπείαν, ἀφέξεται δὲ τῶν ἄλλων μάλα ἐρρωμένως, καὶ οὐκ
ἄν ποτε ἑκὼν ἅψαιτο κρίσεως, ἐφ᾽ ᾗ θάνατος ἡ ζημία παρὰ τῶν νόμων τοῖς
ὠφληκόσι τὴν δίκην προηγόρευται.(431) νομοθετῶν δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν τοιούτων ὕβριν
μὲν καὶ χαλεπότητα καὶ πικρίαν τῶν τιμωριῶν ἀφαιρήσει, ἀποκληρώσει δὲ
αὐτοῖς ἀνδρῶν σωφρόνων καὶ [D] διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου βάσανον οὐ φαύλην τῆς
αὑτῶν ἀρετῆς παρασχομένων δικαστήριον,(432) οἳ μηδὲν αὐθαδῶς μηδὲ ὁρμῇ
τινι παντελῶς ἀλόγῳ χρώμενοι, ἐν ἡμέρας μορίῳ σμικρῷ βουλευσάμενοι, τυχὸν
δὲ οὐδὲ βουλῇ δόντες, ὑπὲρ ἀνδρὸς πολίτου τὴν μέλαιναν οἴσουσι ψῆφον. αὐτῷ
δὲ οὔτε ἐν τῇ χειρὶ ξίφος εἰς πολίτου, κἂν ἀδικῇ τὰ ἔσχατα, φόνον οὔτε ἐν
τῇ ψυχῇ κέντρον ὑπεῖναι χρή, ὅπου καὶ τὴν τῶν μελιττῶν ὁρῶμεν βασιλεύουσαν
καθαρὰν [90] ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως πλήκτρου γενομένην. ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ εἰς μελίττας
βλεπτέον, εἰς αὐτὸν δὲ οἶμαι τῶν θεῶν τὸν βασιλέα οὗπερ εἶναι χρὴ τὸν
ἀληθῶς ἄρχοντα προφήτην καὶ ὑπηρέτην. οὐκοῦν ὅσα μὲν ἀγαθὰ γέγονε παντελῶς
τῆς ἐναντίας ἄμικτα φύσεως καὶ ἐπ᾽ ὠφελείᾳ κοινῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τοῦ
παντὸς κόσμου, τούτων δὲ αὐτὸς ἦν τε καὶ ἔστι δημιουργός· τὰ κακὰ δὲ οὔτ᾽
ἐγέννησεν οὔτ᾽ ἐπέταξεν εἶναι, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὰ μὲν ἐφυγάδευσεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, [B]
περὶ δὲ τὴν γῆν στρεφόμενα καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἀποικίαν σταλεῖσαν τῶν ψυχῶν
διαλαβόμενα κρίνειν ἐπέταξε καὶ διακαθαίρειν τοῖς αὑτοῦ παισὶ καὶ
ἐγγόνοις. τούτων δὲ οἱ μέν εἰσι σωτῆρες καὶ ἐπίκουροι τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης
φύσεως, ἄλλοι δὲ ἀπαραίτητοι κριταί, τῶν ἀδικημάτων ὀξεῖαν καὶ δεινὴν
ἐπάγοντες δίκην ζῶσί τε ἀνθρώποις καὶ ἀπολυθεῖσι τῶν σωμάτων, οἱ δὲ ὥσπερ
δήμιοι [C] τιμωροί τινες καὶ ἀποπληρωταὶ τῶν δικασθέντων, ἕτερον τῶν
φαύλων καὶ ἀνοήτων δαιμόνων τὸ φῦλον· ἃ δὴ μιμητέον τῷ γενναίῳ καὶ
θεοφιλεῖ, καὶ μεταδοτέον πολλοῖς μὲν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀρετῆς(433) διὰ φιλίας ἐς
ταύτην τὴν κοινωνίαν προσληφθεῖσιν.(434) ἀρχὰς δὲ ἐπιτρεπτέον οἰκείας
ἑκάστου τῇ φύσει καὶ προαιρέσει, τῷ μὲν ἀνδρώδει καὶ τολμηρῷ καὶ
μεγαλοθύμῳ μετὰ ξυνέσεως στρατιωτικάς, ἵν᾽ εἰς δέον ἔχῃ τῷ θυμῷ χρῆσθαι
καὶ τῇ ῥώμῃ, τῷ δικαίῳ δὲ καὶ πρᾴῳ καὶ [D] φιλανθρώπῳ καὶ πρὸς οἶκτον
εὐχερῶς ἐπικλωμένῳ τῶν πολιτικῶν τὰς ἀμφὶ τὰ συναλλάγματα, βοηθείας τοῖς
ἀσθενεστέροις καὶ ἁπλουστέροις μηχανώμενον καὶ πένησι πρὸς τοὺς ἰσχυροὺς
καὶ ἀπατεῶνας καὶ πανούργους καὶ ἐπαιρομένους τοῖς χρήμασιν ἐς τὸ
βιάζεσθαι καὶ ὑπερορᾶν τῆς δίκης, τῷ δὲ ἐξ ἀμφοῖν κεκραμένῳ μείζονα
ἐν(435) τῇ πόλει τιμὴν καὶ δύναμιν περιθετέον, καὶ αὐτῷ τὰς ὑπὲρ τῶν
ἁμαρτημάτων κρίσεις, [91] οἷς ἕπεται τιμωρία καὶ κόλασις ἔνδικος ἐπ᾽
ὠφελείᾳ τῶν ἀδικουμένων ἐπιτρέπων(436) ὀρθῶς ἂν καὶ ἐμφρόνως λογίζοιτο.
κρίνας γὰρ ὁ τοιοῦτος ἀδεκάστως ἅμα τοῖς συνέδροις παραδώσει τῷ δημίῳ τὰ
γνωσθέντα ἐπιτελεῖν, οὔτε διὰ θυμοῦ μέγεθος οὔτε διὰ μαλακίαν ψυχῆς
ἁμαρτάνων τοῦ φύσει διακαίου. κινδυνεύει δὲ ὁ κράτιστος ἐν πόλει τοιοῦτός
τις εἶναι, [B] τὰ μὲν ἐν ἀμφοτέροις ἔχων ἀγαθά, τὰς δὲ οἷον κῆρας ἐκ τοῦ
πλεονάζοντος ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν εἰρημένων ἐκφεύγων. ἐφορῶν δὲ αὐτὸς
ἅπαντα καὶ κατευθύνων καὶ ἄρχων ἀρχόντων τοὺς μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν μεγίστων ἔργων
καὶ διοικήσεων τεταγμένους καὶ αὐτῷ τῆς ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων βουλῆς κοινωνοῦντας
ἀγαθούς τε εἶναι καὶ ὅ,τι μάλιστα αὑτοῦ παραπλησίους εὔξεται γενέσθαι.
αἱρήσεται δὲ οὐχ ἁπλῶς οὐδὲ ὡς ἔτυχεν, οὐδ᾽ ἐθελήσει φαυλότερος εἶναι
κριτὴς τῶν λιθογνωμόνων [C] καὶ τῶν βασανιζόντων τὸ χρυσίον ἢ τὴν
πορφύραν. τούτοις γὰρ οὐ μία ὁδὸς ἐπὶ τὴν ἐξέτασιν ἀπόχρη, ἀλλὰ συνιέντες
οἶμαι τῶν πανουργεῖν ἐθελόντων ποικίλην καὶ πολύτροπον τὴν μοχθηρίαν καὶ
τὰ ἐπιτεχνήματα εἰς δύναμιν ἅπασιν ἀντετάξαντο, καὶ ἀντέστησαν ἐλέγχους
τοὺς ἐκ τῆς τέχνης. ὃ δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς περὶ τῆς κακίας ὑπολαμβάνων, ὡς ἐστὶ
ποικίλη καὶ ἀπατηλὴ καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι χαλεπώτατον τῶν ἐκείνης ἔργων, [D] ὅτι
δὴ ψεύδεται πολλάκις ἀρετὴν ὑποδυομένη καὶ ἐξαπατᾷ τοὺς οὐ δυναμένους
ὀξύτερον ὁρᾶν ἢ καὶ ἀποκάμνοντας τῷ μήκει τοῦ χρόνου πρὸς τὴν ἐξέτασιν, τὸ
παθεῖν τι τοιοῦτον ὀρθῶς φυλάξεται. ἑλόμενος δὲ ἅπαξ καὶ περὶ αὑτὸν τοὺς
ἀρίστους ἔχων τούτοις ἐπιτρέψει τὴν τῶν ἐλασσόνων ἀρχόντων αἵρεσιν.