§18τὰς μὲν ἐργασίας αὐτοῖς καθίστη κερδαλέας, τὰς δὲ πραγματείας ἐπιζημίους, ἵνα τὰς μὲν φεύγωσι, πρὸς δὲ τὰς προθυμότερον ἔχωσιν.
Establish their business activities as profitable to them, but their disputes as harmful, so that they may avoid the latter and pursue the former more eagerly.
τὰς κρίσεις ποιοῦ περὶ ὧν ἂν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀμφισβητῶσι, μὴ πρὸς χάριν μηδʼ ἐναντίας ἀλλήλαις, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ ταὐτὰ περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν γίγνωσκε· καὶ γὰρ πρέπει καὶ συμφέρει τὴν τῶν βασιλέων γνώμην ἀκινήτως ἔχειν περὶ τῶν δικαίων, ὥσπερ τοὺς νόμους τοὺς καλῶς κειμένους.
Render your judgments on the matters about which they dispute with one another, not with favor nor in contradiction with one another, but always make the same decisions about the same matters; for indeed it is both fitting and beneficial for the judgment of kings to remain unmoved regarding what is just, like well-established laws.
οἴκει τὴν πόλιν ὁμοίως ὥσπερ τὸν πατρῷον οἶκον, §19ταῖς μὲν κατασκευαῖς λαμπρῶς καὶ βασιλικῶς, ταῖς δὲ πράξεσιν ἀκριβῶς, ἵνʼ εὐδοκιμῇς ἅμα καὶ διαρκῇς.
Administer the city in the same way as your ancestral house, magnificently and regally in its furnishings, but strictly in its activities, so that you may both be reputable and self-sufficient.
τὴν μεγαλοπρέπειαν ἐπιδείκνυσο μηδʼ ἐν μιᾷ τῶν πολυτελειῶν τῶν εὐθὺς ἀφανιζομένων, ἀλλʼ ἔν τε τοῖς προειρημένοις καὶ τῷ κάλλει τῶν κτημάτων καὶ ταῖς τῶν φίλων εὐεργεσίαις· τὰ γὰρ τοιαῦτα τῶν ἀναλωμάτων αὐτῷ τε σοὶ παραμενεῖ, καὶ τοῖς ἐπιγιγνομένοις πλείονος ἄξια τῶν δεδαπανημένων καταλείψεις.
Display your magnificence not in any of the extravagances that immediately disappear, but in the things mentioned before, in the beauty of your possessions, and in your benefits to your friends; for expenditures of this kind will remain with you yourself, and you will leave behind to posterity things of more value than what was spent.
§20τὰ μὲν πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς ποίει μὲν ὡς οἱ πρόγονοι κατέδειξαν, ἡγοῦ δὲ θῦμα τοῦτο κάλλιστον εἶναι καὶ θεραπείαν μεγίστην, ἂν ὡς βέλτιστον καὶ δικαιότατον σαυτὸν παρέχῃς· μᾶλλον γὰρ ἐλπὶς τοὺς τοιούτους ἢ τοὺς ἱερεῖα πολλὰ καταβάλλοντας πράξειν τι παρὰ τῶν θεῶν ἀγαθόν.
Perform duties toward the gods as your ancestors demonstrated, and deem this to be the finest sacrifice and the greatest worship: if you present yourself as best and most just; for there is more hope that such people, rather than those who slaughter many victims, will fare well in some good thing from the gods.
τίμα ταῖς μὲν ἀρχαῖς τῶν φίλων τοὺς οἰκειοτάτους, ταῖς δʼ ἀληθείαις αὐταῖς τοὺς εὐνουστάτους.
Honor among your friends the closest in your public offices, but the most well-disposed in truth itself.
§21φυλακὴν ἀσφαλεστάτην ἡγοῦ τοῦ σώματος εἶναι τήν τε τῶν φίλων ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν τῶν πολιτῶν εὔνοιαν καὶ τὴν σαυτοῦ φρόνησιν· διὰ γὰρ τούτων καὶ κτᾶσθαι καὶ σώζειν τὰς τυραννίδας μάλιστʼ ἄν τις δύναιτο.
Deem the safest protection of your body to be the virtue of your friends, the goodwill of your citizens, and your own wisdom; for through these, one would be best able both to acquire and to preserve sovereign powers.
κήδου τῶν οἴκων τῶν πολιτικῶν, καὶ νόμιζε καὶ τοὺς δαπανῶντας ἀπὸ τῶν σῶν ἀναλίσκειν καὶ τοὺς ἐργαζομένους τὰ σὰ πλείω ποιεῖν· ἅπαντα γὰρ τὰ τῶν οἰκούντων τὴν πόλιν οἰκεῖα τῶν καλῶς βασιλευόντων ἐστί.
Take care of the households of the citizens, and consider both that those who spend are consuming from your own resources and that those who work are making your own resources greater; for all the property of those who inhabit the city belongs to those who rule well.
§22διὰ παντὸς τοῦ χρόνου τὴν ἀλήθειαν οὕτω φαίνου προτιμῶν, ὥστε πιστοτέρους εἶναι τοὺς σοὺς λόγους μᾶλλον ἢ τοὺς τῶν ἄλλων ὅρκους.
Show yourself throughout all time to value the truth so much that your words are more trustworthy than the oaths of others.
ἅπασι μὲν τοῖς ξένοις ἀσφαλῆ τὴν πόλιν πάρεχε καὶ πρὸς τὰ συμβόλαια νόμιμον, περὶ πλείστου δὲ ποιοῦ τῶν ἀφικνουμένων μὴ τοὺς σοὶ δωρεὰς ἄγοντας, ἀλλὰ τοὺς παρὰ σοῦ λαμβάνειν ἀξιοῦντας· τιμῶν γὰρ τοὺς τοιούτους μᾶλλον παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις εὐδοκιμήσεις.
Provide a safe city for all foreigners and one that is law-abiding regarding contracts, and make it of the highest importance among those who arrive not those who bring gifts to you, but those who deserve to receive from you; for by honoring such people, you will have a better reputation among others.
§23τοὺς πολλοὺς φόβους ἐξαίρει τῶν πολιτῶν, καὶ μὴ βούλου περιδεεῖς εἶναι τοὺς μηδὲν ἀδικοῦντας· ὅπως γὰρ ἂν τοὺς ἄλλους πρὸς σαυτὸν διαθῇς, οὕτω καὶ σὺ πρὸς ἐκείνους ἕξεις.
Remove the many fears of the citizens, and do not wish those who do no wrong to be terrified; for in whatever way you dispose others toward yourself, so you also will feel toward them.
ποίει μὲν μηδὲν μετʼ ὀργῆς, δόκει δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὅταν σοι καιρὸς ᾖ.
Do nothing with anger, but appear so to others when it is opportune for you.
δεινὸς μὲν φαίνου τῷ μηδέν σε λανθάνειν τῶν γιγνομένων, πρᾶος δὲ τῷ τὰς τιμωρίας ἐλάττους ποιεῖσθαι τῶν ἁμαρτανομένων.
Show yourself formidable by having nothing that happens escape you, but mild by making punishments less than the offenses.
§24ἀρχικὸς εἶναι βούλου μὴ χαλεπότητι μηδὲ τῷ σφόδρα κολάζειν, ἀλλὰ τῷ πάντας ἡττᾶσθαι τῆς σῆς διανοίας καὶ νομίζειν ὑπὲρ τῆς αὑτῶν σωτηρίας ἄμεινον ἑαυτῶν σὲ βουλεύεσθαι.
Wish to be fit to rule, not by harshness nor by punishing severely, but by having all yield to your intellect and believe that you deliberate better for their own safety than they do themselves.
πολεμικὸς μὲν ἴσθι ταῖς ἐπιστήμαις καὶ ταῖς παρασκευαῖς, εἰρηνικὸς δὲ τῷ μηδὲν παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον πλεονεκτεῖν.
Be warlike in your knowledge and preparations, but peaceful by taking no unfair advantage contrary to justice.
οὕτως ὁμίλει τῶν πόλεων πρὸς τὰς ἥττους, ὥσπερ ἂν τὰς κρείττους πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἀξιώσειας.
Deal with weaker cities in the same way as you would expect stronger ones to deal with you.
§25φιλονείκει μὴ περὶ πάντων, ἀλλὰ περὶ ὧν ἂν κρατήσαντί σοι μέλλῃ συνοίσειν.
Be contentious not about all things, but about those things which, when you have prevailed, are going to be of benefit to you.
φαύλους ἡγοῦ μὴ τοὺς συμφερόντως ἡττωμένους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μετὰ βλάβης περιγιγνομένους.
Deem those who are defeated to their own advantage not to be base, but those who prevail with harm.
μεγαλόφρονας νόμιζε μὴ τοὺς μείζω περιβαλλομένους ὧν οἷοί τʼ εἰσὶ κατασχεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς καλῶν μὲν ἐφιεμένους, ἐξεργάζεσθαι δὲ δυναμένους οἷς ἂν ἐπιχειρῶσιν.
Consider those to be high-minded not who take on greater things than they are able to hold, but those who aspire to honorable things and are able to accomplish whatever they attempt.
§26ζήλου μὴ τοὺς μεγίστην ἀρχὴν κτησαμένους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἄριστα τῇ παρούσῃ χρησαμένους, καὶ νόμιζε τελέως εὐδαιμονήσειν οὐκ ἐὰν πάντων ἀνθρώπων μετὰ φόβων καὶ κινδύνων καὶ κακίας ἄρξῃς, ἀλλʼ ἂν τοιοῦτος ὢν οἷον χρὴ καὶ πράττων ὥσπερ ἐν τῷ παρόντι μετρίων ἐπιθυμῇς καὶ μηδενὸς τούτων ἀτυχῇς.
Emulate not those who have acquired the greatest empire, but those who have made the best use of what they have, and consider that you will be perfectly happy not if you rule over all men with fears, dangers, and wickedness, but if, being such as you ought to be and acting as you do at present, you desire moderate things and fail to obtain none of them.