§9πρῶτον μὲν οὖν σκεπτέον τί τῶν βασιλευόντων ἔργον ἐστίν·
, then, we must consider what the task of those who rule is.
ἂν γὰρ ἐν κεφαλαίοις τὴν δύναμιν ὅλου τοῦ πράγματος καλῶς περιλάβωμεν, ἐνταῦθʼ ἀποβλέποντες ἄμεινον καὶ περὶ τῶν μερῶν ἐροῦμεν.
For if we properly grasp the essence of the whole matter in outline, by looking to this we shall also speak better about its parts.
οἶμαι δὴ πάντας ἂν ὁμολογῆσαι προσήκειν αὐτοῖς πόλιν δυστυχοῦσαν παῦσαι καὶ καλῶς πράττουσαν διαφυλάξαι καὶ μεγάλην ἐκ μικρᾶς ποιῆσαι· τὰ γὰρ ἄλλα τὰ συμπίπτοντα κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἑκάστην τούτων ἕνεκα πρακτέον ἐστί.
Indeed, I think all would agree that it is fitting for them to bring to an end the misfortunes of a city in distress, to preserve one that is faring well, and to make a great city out of a small one; for the other things that happen day by day must be done for the sake of these.
§10καὶ μὴν ἐκεῖνό γε φανερόν, ὅτι δεῖ τοὺς ταῦτα δυνησομένους καὶ περὶ τηλικούτων βουλευομένους μὴ ῥᾳθυμεῖν μηδʼ ἀμελεῖν, ἀλλὰ σκοπεῖν ὅπως φρονιμώτερον διακείσονται τῶν ἄλλων· δέδεικται γὰρ ὅτι τοιαύτας τὰς βασιλείας ἕξουσιν, οἵας ἂν τὰς ἑαυτῶν γνώμας παρασκευάσωσιν.
furthermore, this is indeed clear, that those who will have this power and who deliberate about such great matters must not be idle or negligent, but must see to it that they are more wisely disposed than others; for it has been shown that they will have their kingdoms in such a state as they prepare their own minds to be.
§11ὥστε οὐδενὶ τῶν ἀσκητῶν οὕτω προσήκει τὸ σῶμα γυμνάζειν, ὡς τοῖς βασιλεῦσι τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἑαυτῶν· ἅπασαι γὰρ αἱ πανηγύρεις οὐδὲν μέρος τιθέασιν τούτων τῶν ἄθλων, περὶ ὧν ὑμεῖς καθʼ ἑκάστην τὴν ἡμέραν ἀγωνίζεσθε.
, it is not so fitting for any of the athletes to train their body as it is for kings to train their own soul; for all the public festivals offer no prize that is any part of those contests for which you contend day by day.
ὧν ἐνθυμούμενον χρὴ προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν, ὅπως ὅσον περ ταῖς τιμαῖς τῶν ἄλλων προέχεις, τοσοῦτον καὶ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς αὐτῶν διοίσεις.
Bearing these things in mind, you must pay attention so that, just as much as you surpass others in honors, by so much also you will excel them in virtues.
§12καὶ μὴ νόμιζε τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἄλλοις πράγμασι χρησίμην εἶναι, πρὸς δὲ τὸ βελτίους ἡμᾶς καὶ φρονιμωτέρους γίγνεσθαι μηδεμίαν δύναμιν ἔχειν· μηδὲ καταγνῷς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοσαύτην δυστυχίαν, ὡς περὶ μὲν τὰ θηρία τέχνας εὑρήκαμεν αἷς αὐτῶν τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμεροῦμεν καὶ πλείονος ἀξίας ποιοῦμεν, ἡμᾶς δʼ αὐτοὺς οὐδὲν ἂν πρὸς ἀρετὴν ὠφελήσαιμεν.
do not think that, while diligence is useful in other matters, it has no power toward making us better and wiser; nor condemn mankind to so great a misfortune, as though we have discovered arts for beasts by which we tame their spirits and make them of more value, yet we ourselves would benefit nothing toward virtue.
ἀλλʼ ὡς καὶ τῆς παιδεύσεως καὶ τῆς ἐπιμελείας μάλιστα δυναμένης τὴν ἡμετέραν φύσιν εὐεργετεῖν, οὕτω διάκεισο τὴν γνώμην, §13καὶ τῶν τε παρόντων τοῖς φρονιμωτάτοις πλησίαζε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων οὓς ἂν δύνῃ μεταπέμπου, καὶ μήτε τῶν ποιητῶν τῶν εὐδοκιμούντων μήτε τῶν σοφιστῶν μηδενὸς οἴου δεῖν ἀπείρως ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ τῶν μὲν ἀκροατὴς γίγνου τῶν δὲ μαθητής, καὶ παρασκεύαζε σεαυτὸν τῶν μὲν ἐλαττόνων κριτὴν τῶν δὲ μειζόνων ἀγωνιστήν· διὰ γὰρ τούτων τῶν γυμνασίων τάχιστʼ ἂν γένοιο τοιοῦτος, οἷον ὑπεθέμεθα δεῖν εἶναι τὸν ὀρθῶς βασιλεύσοντα καὶ τὴν πόλιν ὡς χρὴ διοικήσοντα.
But be of this mind, that both education and diligence are most of all able to benefit our nature; associate with the wisest of those who are present, and send for any of the others whom you can, and do not think you should be inexperienced in any of the reputable poets or the sophists, but of the former become a listener, and of the latter a disciple, and prepare yourself to be a judge of lesser matters, and a competitor in greater ones; for through these exercises you would most quickly become such a person as we assumed him who is to rule rightly and administer the city properly must be.
μάλιστα δʼ ἂν αὐτὸς ὑπὸ σαυτοῦ παρακληθείης, §14εἰ δεινὸν ἡγήσαιο τοὺς χείρους τῶν βελτιόνων ἄρχειν καὶ τοὺς ἀνοητοτέρους τοῖς φρονιμωτέροις προστάττειν· ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν ἐρρωμενεστέρως τὴν τῶν ἄλλων ἄνοιαν ἀτιμάσῃς, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον τὴν αὑτοῦ διάνοιαν ἀσκήσεις.
And you would be most of all exhorted by yourself, you should deem it monstrous that the worse rule over the better, and the more foolish command the wiser; for the more vigorously you hold in contempt the folly of others, the more you will train your own intellect.
§15ἄρχεσθαι μὲν οὖν ἐντεῦθεν χρὴ τοὺς μέλλοντάς τι τῶν δεόντων ποιήσειν, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις φιλάνθρωπον εἶναι δεῖ καὶ φιλόπολιν· οὔτε γὰρ ἵππων οὔτε κυνῶν οὔτʼ ἄλλου πράγματος οὐδενὸς οἷόν τε καλῶς ἄρχειν, ἂν μή τις χαίρῃ τούτοις ὧν αὐτὸν δεῖ ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν.
, then, those who are going to do any of their duties must begin from here; and in addition to these things, one must be a lover of humanity and a lover of one's city; for it is not possible to rule well over horses or dogs or any other thing, unless one takes pleasure in those things of which he must take care.
μελέτω σοι τοῦ πλήθους, καὶ περὶ παντὸς ποιοῦ κεχαρισμένως αὐτοῖς ἄρχειν, §16γιγνώσκων ὅτι καὶ τῶν ὀλιγαρχιῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πολιτειῶν αὗται πλεῖτον χρόνον διαμένουσιν, αἵ τινες ἂν ἄριστα τὸ πλῆθος θεραπεύωσιν.
Let the multitude be your care, and make it of chief importance to rule in a way pleasing to them, that both of oligarchies and of the other constitutions, those remain for the longest time which best serve the multitude.
καλῶς δὲ δημαγωγήσεις, ἔαν μήθʼ ὑβρίζειν τὸν ὄχλον ἐᾷς μήθʼ ὑβριζόμενον περιορᾷς, ἀλλὰ σκοπῇς ὅπως οἱ βέλτιστοι μὲν τὰς τιμὰς ἕξουσιν, οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι μηδὲν ἀδικήσονται· ταῦτα γὰρ στοιχεῖα πρῶτα καὶ μέγιστα χρηστῆς πολιτείας ἐστίν.
And you will lead the people well, if you neither permit the crowd to be insolent, nor allow them to be insulted, but see to it that while the best have the honors, the others are in no way wronged; for these are the first and greatest elements of a good constitution.
§17τῶν προσταγμάτων καὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων κίνει καὶ μετατίθει τὰ μὴ καλῶς καθεστῶτα, καὶ μάλιστα μὲν εὑρετὴς γίγνου τῶν βελτίστων, εἰ δὲ μή, μιμοῦ τὰ παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὀρθῶς ἔχοντα.
the ordinances and activities, alter and change those that are not well established, and preferably, become an inventor of the best things, but if not, imitate those things that are right among other peoples.
ζήτει νόμους τὸ μὲν σύμπαν δικαίους καὶ συμφέροντας καὶ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ὁμολογουμένους, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις οἵ τινες τὰς μὲν ἀμφισβητήσεις ὡς ἐλαχίστας τὰς δὲ διαλύσεις ὡς οἷόν τε ταχίστας τοῖς πολίταις ποιοῦσι· ταῦτα γὰρ ἅπαντα προσεῖναι δεῖ τοῖς καλῶς κειμένοις νόμοις.
Seek laws that are, on the whole, just, beneficial, and consistent with themselves, and in addition to these, such as make disputes as few as possible and settlements as swift as possible for the citizens; for all these qualities ought to belong to well-established laws.