§2.1ὅλως δὲ φαίνονται πρὸς τὴν αὐτάρκειαν ἀμφότεροι καὶ σωφροσύνην ὁμοίως ἄγοντες τὰ πλήθη, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων ἀρετῶν ὁ μὲν τὴν ἀνδρείαν μᾶλλον, ὁ δὲ τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἠγαπηκώς· εἰ μὴ νὴ Δία διὰ τὴν ὑποκειμένην τῶν πολιτευμάτων ἑκατέρου φύσιν ἢ συνήθειαν, οὐχ ὁμοίαν οὖσαν, ἀνομοίας ἔδει παρασκευῆς.
On the whole, both appear to have led their peoples equally toward self-sufficiency and self-control, though of the other virtues, the one loved courage more, and the other justice; unless indeed, because of the underlying nature or custom of each of their constitutions, which was not similar, there was need of a different preparation.
§2.2οὔτε γὰρ Νομᾶς διὰ δειλίαν κατέλυσε τὸ πολεμεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ ἀδικεῖν, οὔτε Λυκοῦργος εἰς ἀδικίαν κατεσκεύασε πολεμικούς, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ἀδικεῖσθαι.
For Numa did not, because of cowardice, abolish war, but to avoid doing injustice; nor did Lycurgus make his people warlike for the purpose of doing injustice, but to prevent them from suffering injustice.
τὰς οὖν ὑπερβολὰς ἀφαιροῦντες ἀμφότεροι καὶ τὰς ἐνδείας ἀναπληροῦντες τῶν ὑπαρχόντων περὶ τοὺς πολίτας, ἠναγκάζοντο μεγάλαις χρῆσθαι μεταβολαῖς.
Therefore, by removing excesses and filling up deficiencies in what was present among their citizens, both were compelled to employ great changes.
§2.3καὶ μὴν τῆς τε διατάξεως καὶ τῆς διαιρέσεως τῶν πολιτευμάτων ὀχλικὴ μὲν ἀκράτως ἡ τὸν Νομᾶ καὶ θεραπευτικὴ τὸν πλήθους, ἐκ χρυσοχόων καὶ αὐλητῶν καὶ σκυτοτόμων συμμιγῆ τινα καὶ παμποίκιλον ἀποφαίνοντος δῆμον, αὐστηρὰ δὲ ἡ Λυκούργειος καὶ ἀριστοκρατική, τὰς μὲν βαναύσους ἀποκαθαίρουσα τέχνας εἰς οἰκετῶν καὶ μετοίκων χεῖρας αὐτοὺς δὲ τοὺς πολίτας εἰς τὴν ἀσπίδα καὶ τὸ δόρυ συνάγουσα, πολέμου χειροτέχνας καὶ θεράποντας Ἄρεως ὄντας, ἄλλο δὲ οὐδὲν εἰδότας οὐδὲ μελετῶντας ἢ πείθεσθαι τοῖς ἄρχουσι καὶ κρατεῖν τῶν πολεμίων.
Moreover, as for the organization and division of their constitutions, Numa's was completely populist and catering to the multitude, showing a mixed and highly diverse common people made of goldsmiths, flute-players, and shoemakers; whereas Lycurgus' was austere and aristocratic, purging the vulgar crafts into the hands of servants and resident aliens, and bringing the citizens themselves together to the shield and the spear, making them artisans of war and servants of Ares, knowing and practicing nothing else than to obey their rulers and prevail over their enemies.
§2.4οὐδὲ γὰρ χρηματίζεσθαι τοῖς ἐλευθέροις ἐξῆν, ἵνα ἐλεύθεροι παντελῶς καὶ καθάπαξ ὦσιν, ἀλλʼ ἦν ἡ περὶ τὰ χρήματα κατασκευὴ δεδομένη δούλοις καὶ Εἵλωσιν, ὥσπερ ἡ περὶ τὸ δεῖπνον καὶ ὄψον διακονία.
For indeed, it was not permitted for free men to make money, so that they might be entirely and once for all free, but the arrangement concerning money was left to slaves and Helots, just like the service of dinners and side dishes.
Νομᾶς δὲ οὐδὲν διέκρινε τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ τὰς μὲν στρατιωτικὰς ἔπαυσε πλεονεξίας, τὸν δὲ ἄλλον οὐκ ἐκώλυσε χρηματισμόν, οὐδὲ τὴν τοιαύτην κατεστόρεσεν ἀνωμαλίαν, §2.5ἀλλὰ καὶ πλούτῳ προϊέναι μέχρι παντὸς ἐφῆκε, καὶ πενίας πολλῆς ἀθροιζομένης καὶ ὑπορρεούσης εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἠμέλησε, δέον εὐθὺς ἐν ἀρχῇ, μηδέπω πολλῆς μηδὲ μεγάλης ἀνισότητος οὔσης, ἀλλʼ ἔτι τοῖς βίοις ὁμαλῶν καὶ παραπλησίων ὄντων, ἐνστῆναι πρὸς τὴν πλεονεξίαν, ὥσπερ Λυκοῦργος, καὶ φυλάξασθαι τὰς ἀπʼ αὐτῆς βλάβας, οὐ μικρὰς γενομένας, ἀλλὰ τῶν πλείστων καὶ μεγίστων κακῶν, ὅσα συνηνέχθη, σπέρμα καὶ ἀρχὴν παρασχούσας.
Numa, however, made no such distinction, but though he put an end to military greed, he did not forbid other ways of making money, nor did he level out such inequality, but even allowed wealth to advance without limit, and neglected the great poverty that was accumulating and creeping into the city, whereas he ought, right at the beginning, when there was not yet much or great inequality, but their lives were still even and similar, to have stood up against greed like Lycurgus, and guarded against the damages coming from it, which turned out to be not small, but provided the seed and origin of the most and greatest evils that occurred.
§2.6ὁ δὲ τῆς γῆς ἀναδασμὸς οὔτε τὸν Λυκοῦργον, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν, ποιεῖ ψεκτὸν γενόμενος οὔτε τὸν Νομᾶν μὴ γενόμενος, τῷ μὲν γὰρ ἕδραν καὶ κρηπῖδα τῆς πολιτείας ἡ ἰσότης αὕτη παρέσχε, τὸν δὲ προσφάτου τῆς κληρουχίας οὔσης οὐδὲν ἤπειγεν ἄλλον ἐμβαλεῖν ἀναδασμὸν οὐδὲ κινεῖν τὴν πρώτην νέμησιν, ὡς εἰκός ἐστι, κατὰ χώραν μένουσαν.
But the redistribution of land, in my opinion, makes neither Lycurgus blameworthy for having done it, nor Numa for not having done it; for to the one this equality provided the foundation and pedestal of his constitution, while for the other, since the allotment of land was recent, there was no urgency to introduce another redistribution or to move the first division, which, as is likely, remained in place.