§4.1τά γε μὴν ἀργύρεια εἰ κατασκευασθείη ὡς δεῖ, πάμπολλα ἂν νομίζω χρήματα ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ ἄνευ τῶν ἄλλων προσόδων προσιέναι.
If the silver mines were to be developed as they should be, I think that very large sums of money would come in from them, even apart from the other revenues.
βούλομαι δὲ καὶ τοῖς μὴ εἰδόσι τὴν τούτων δύναμιν δηλῶσαι. ταύτην γὰρ γνόντες καὶ ὅπως χρῆσθαι δεῖ αὐτοῖς ἄμεινον ἂν βουλεύοισθε.
And I wish to explain their capacity also to those who do not know it; for once you understand this and how they ought to be used, you would deliberate better.
§4.2οὐκοῦν ὅτι μὲν πάνυ πάλαι ἐνεργά ἐστι, πᾶσι σαφές· οὐδεὶς γοῦν οὐδὲ πειρᾶται λέγειν ἀπὸ ποίου χρόνου ἐπεχειρήθη·
Now, that they have been worked from very ancient times is clear to everyone; at least, no one even attempts to say from what period they were first undertaken.
οὕτω δὲ πάλαι ὀρυττομένης τε καὶ ἐκφορουμένης τῆς ἀργυρίτιδος κατανοήσατε τί μέρος οἱ ἐκβεβλημένοι σωροὶ τῶν αὐτοφυῶν τε καὶ ὑπαργύρων λόφων.
Yet, though the silver-bearing ore has been dug and carried out for so long, consider what a small fraction the excavated heaps are of the natural and silver-bearing hills.
§4.3οὐδὲ μὴν ὁ ἀργυρώδης τόπος εἰς μεῖόν τι συστελλόμενος, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ ἐπὶ πλέον ἐκτεινόμενος φανερός ἐστιν.
Moreover, the silver-bearing region is clearly not shrinking into a smaller space, but is always extending further.
ἐν ᾧ γε μὴν χρόνῳ οἱ πλεῖστοι ἄνθρωποι ἐγένοντο ἐν αὐτοῖς, οὐδεὶς πώποτε ἔργου ἠπόρησεν, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν ἐργαζομένων περιῆν.
And indeed, at the time when the greatest number of men were employed in them, no one ever lacked work, but there was always more work than the laborers could do.
§4.4καὶ νῦν δὲ οἱ κεκτημένοι ἐν τοῖς μετάλλοις ἀνδράποδα οὐδεὶς τοῦ πλήθους ἀφαιρεῖ, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ προσκτᾶται ὁπόσα ἂν πλεῖστα δύνηται.
And even now, of those who own slaves in the mines, no one reduces their number, but always acquires as many more as possible.
καὶ γὰρ δὴ ὅταν μὲν ὀλίγοι ὀρύττωσι καὶ ζητῶσιν, ὀλίγα οἶμαι καὶ τὰ χρήματα εὑρίσκεται· ὅταν δὲ πολλοί, πολλαπλασία ἡ ἀργυρῖτις ἀναφαίνεται.
For indeed, when few dig and search, I think little wealth is found; but when many dig, many times more silver-bearing ore is revealed.
§4.5ὥστε ἐν μόνῳ τούτῳ ὧν ἐγὼ οἶδα ἔργων οὐδὲ φθονεῖ οὐδεὶς τοῖς ἐπικατασκευαζομένοις.
So, in this alone of all the undertakings I know, no one envies those who make further developments.
ἔτι δὲ οἱ μὲν ἀγροὺς κεκτημένοι πάντες ἔχοιεν ἂν εἰπεῖν ὁπόσα ζεύγη ἀρκεῖ εἰς τὸ χωρίον καὶ ὁπόσοι ἐργάται· ἢν δʼ ἐπὶ πλέον τῶν ἱκανῶν ἐμβάλλῃ τις, ζημίαν λογίζονται·
Furthermore, those who own land could all tell how many teams of beasts and how many laborers are sufficient for the estate; and if anyone puts in more than the required number, they reckon it a loss.
ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἀργυρείοις ἔργοις πάντες δή φασιν ἐνδεῖσθαι ἐργατῶν.
But in the silver mine works, everyone says they are in need of laborers.
§4.6καὶ γὰρ οὐδʼ ὥσπερ ὅταν πολλοὶ χαλκοτύποι γένωνται, ἀξίων γενομένων τῶν χαλκευτικῶν ἔργων, καταλύονται οἱ χαλκοτύποι, καὶ οἱ σιδηρεῖς γε ὡσαύτως· καὶ ὅταν γε πολὺς σῖτος καὶ οἶνος γένηται, ἀξίων ὄντων τῶν καρπῶν, ἀλυσιτελεῖς αἱ γεωργίαι γίγνονται, ὥστε πολλοὶ ἀφέμενοι τοῦ τὴν γῆν ἐργάζεσθαι ἐπʼ ἐμπορίας καὶ καπηλείας καὶ τοκισμοὺς τρέπονται· ἀργυρῖτις δὲ ὅσῳ ἂν πλείων φαίνηται καὶ ἀργύριον πλέον γίγνηται, τοσούτῳ πλείονες ἐπὶ τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο ἔρχονται.
For it is not as when there are many coppersmiths, and copper works becoming cheap, the coppersmiths are ruined, and likewise the ironsmiths; and when there is much grain and wine, and the crops become cheap, farming becomes unprofitable, so that many, leaving off tilling the soil, turn to trading, retailing, and usury; whereas, the more silver-bearing ore is found and the more silver is produced, so many more people turn to this work.
§4.7καὶ γὰρ δὴ ἔπιπλα μέν, ἐπειδὰν ἱκανά τις κτήσηται τῇ οἰκίᾳ, οὐ μάλα ἔτι προσωνοῦνται· ἀργύριον δὲ οὐδείς πω οὕτω πολὺ ἐκτήσατο ὥστε μηκέτι προσδεῖσθαι·
Indeed, when people have acquired sufficient furniture for their house, they do not buy much more; but no one has ever yet acquired so much silver as not to need more.
ἀλλʼ ἤν τισι γένηται παμπληθές, τὸ περιττεῦον κατορύττοντες οὐδὲν ἧττον ἥδονται ἢ χρώμενοι αὐτῷ.
On the contrary, if some obtain a vast amount, they take no less pleasure in burying the surplus than in using it.
§4.8καὶ μὴν ὅταν γε εὖ πράττωσιν αἱ πόλεις, ἰσχυρῶς οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀργυρίου δέονται.
And indeed, when cities are prosperous, people have a strong need for silver.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄνδρες ἀμφὶ ὅπλα τε καλὰ καὶ ἵππους ἀγαθοὺς καὶ οἰκίας καὶ κατασκευὰς μεγαλοπρεπεῖς βούλονται δαπανᾶν, αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες εἰς ἐσθῆτα πολυτελῆ καὶ χρυσοῦν κόσμον τρέπονται.
For the men wish to spend on fine armor, good horses, and magnificent houses and furniture, while the women turn to expensive clothing and gold ornaments.
§4.9ὅταν τε αὖ νοσήσωσιν αἱ πόλεις ἢ ἀφορίαις καρπῶν ἢ πολέμῳ, ἔτι καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον, ἀργοῦ τῆς γῆς γιγνομένης, καὶ εἰς ἐπιτήδεια καὶ εἰς ἐπικούρους νομίσματος δέονται.
On the other hand, when cities are distressed either by crop failures or by war, they need money even far more for food and for mercenaries, since the land lies uncultivated.
§4.10εἰ δέ τις φήσειε καὶ χρυσίον μηδὲν ἧττον χρήσιμον εἶναι ἢ ἀργύριον, τούτῳ μὲν οὐκ ἀντιλέγω, ἐκεῖνο μέντοι οἶδα, ὅτι καὶ χρυσίον ὅταν πολὺ παραφανῇ, αὐτὸ μὲν ἀτιμότερον γίγνεται, τὸ δὲ ἀργύριον τιμιώτερον ποιεῖ.
And if anyone should say that gold is no less useful than silver, I do not contradict him; yet this I know, that when gold too appears in abundance, it becomes less valuable itself, but makes silver more valuable.
§4.11ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐδήλωσα τούτου ἕνεκα, ὅπως θαρροῦντες μὲν ὅτι πλείστους ἀνθρώπους ἐπὶ τὰ ἀργύρεια ἄγωμεν, θαρροῦντες δὲ κατασκευαζώμεθα ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὡς οὔτε ἐπιλειψούσης ποτὲ τῆς ἀργυρίτιδος οὔτε τοῦ ἀργυρίου ἀτίμου ποτὲ ἐσομένου.
Now, I have explained these things for this reason, so that with confidence we may bring as many men as possible to the silver mines, and with confidence develop them, on the assurance that the silver-bearing ore will never fail, nor will silver ever become valueless.
§4.12δοκεῖ δέ μοι καὶ ἡ πόλις προτέρα ἐμοῦ ταῦτʼ ἐγνωκέναι· παρέχει γοῦν ἐπὶ ἰσοτελείᾳ καὶ τῶν ξένων τῷ βουλομένῳ ἐργάζεσθαι ἐν τοῖς μετάλλοις.
And the city seems to me to have recognized this even before I did; at least, it grants to any of the foreigners who wish, on equal tax terms, the right to work in the mines.