§2.1οὕτω μὲν ὁ Σόλων κεκόσμηκε τὸν Ποπλικόλαν, τὸν Σόλωνα δʼ αὖ πάλιν ἐκεῖνος ἐν τῇ πολιτείᾳ παραδειγμάτων κάλλιστον ἀνδρὶ κοσμοῦντι δημοκρατίαν θέμενος· τῆς μὲν γὰρ ἀρχῆς τὸν ὄγκον ἀφελών εὐμενῆ πᾶσι καὶ ἄλυπον κατέστησε, νόμοις δὲ πολλοῖς ἐχρήσατο τῶν ἐκείνου, καὶ γὰρ ἀρχόντων καταστάσεως κυρίους ἐποίησε τοὺς πολλούς, καὶ τοῖς φεύγουσι δίκην ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸν δῆμον, ὥσπερ ὁ Σόλων τοὺς δικαστάς, ἔδωκε.
Thus Solon adorned Publicola, and he in turn placed Solon in his constitution as the most beautiful pattern for a man adorning a democracy; for taking away the pomposity of his office, he made it kindly to all and free from vexation, and he used many of Solon's laws. For indeed he made the multitude masters of the appointment of rulers, and to those undergoing trial he gave the right to appeal to the people, just as Solon had given it to the jurors.
καὶ βουλὴν μὲν ἑτέραν οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ὥσπερ ὁ Σόλων, τὴν δʼ οὖσαν ηὔξησεν ἀριθμῷ μικροῦ διπλασιάσας.
And he did not make another senate, as Solon did, but increased the existing one in number, nearly doubling it.
§2.2ἥ τε τᾶν ταμιῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς χρήμασι κατάστασις ἐκεῖθεν ἦλθεν, ὅπως ὁ ἄρχων μήτʼ εἰ χρηστός ἐστιν ἀσχολίαν ἔχῃ πρὸς τὰ μείζω, μήτʼ εἰ φαῦλος ἀφορμὰς τοῦ ἀδικεῖν μᾶλλον, καὶ τῶν πράξεων καὶ τῶν χρημάτων κύριος γενόμενος.
And the appointment of the quaestors over the public money came from there, so that the ruler, if he were good, might not have distraction from greater matters, nor, if he were bad, have more opportunities for wrongdoing by becoming master of both affairs and money.
τὸ δὲ μισοτύραννον ἐν τῷ Ποπλικόλᾳ σφοδρότερον.
But the hatred of tyranny was more vehement in Publicola.
εἰ γάρ τις ἐπιχειροίη τυραννεῖν, ὁ μὲν ἁλόντι τὴν δίκην ἐπιτίθησιν, ὁ δὲ καὶ πρὸ τῆς κρίσεως ἀνελεῖν δίδωσι.
For if anyone should attempt to be tyrant, Solon imposes the penalty on the one who has been convicted, but Publicola allows killing him even before trial.
§2.3σεμνυνομένου δὲ τοῦ Σόλωνος ὀρθῶς καὶ δικαίως ὅτι καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτῷ διδόντων τυραννεῖν καὶ τῶν πολιτῶν οὐκ ἀκουσίως δεχομένων ἀπεῖπεν, οὐχ ἧττον ὑπάρχει καλὸν τῷ Ποπλικόλᾳ τὸ λαβόντα τυραννικὴν ἀρχὴν ποιῆσαι δημοτικωτέραν καὶ μηδʼ οἷς ἐξῆν ἔχοντα χρήσασθαι.
And while Solon rightly and justly prides himself that, even when circumstances offered him the tyranny and the citizens would have accepted it not unwillingly, he refused it, no less beautiful a thing belongs to Publicola, namely, that having received a tyrannical power he made it more democratic and did not even use the privileges which were permitted to him.
καὶ τοῦτο δʼ ἔοικε συνιδεῖν πρότερος ὁ Σόλων, ὅτι δῆμος
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ὧδʼ ἂν ἄριστα σὺν ἡγεμόνεσσιν ἕποιτο,
μήτε λίην ἀνεθεὶς μήτε πιεζόμενος.
And of this, Solon seems to have had a prior insight, namely, that the people "would thus best follow their leaders, being neither too much slackened nor oppressed.
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