§310ΞΕ. τοῖς δʼ εὐγενέσι γενομένοις τε ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἤθεσι θρεφθεῖσί τε κατὰ φύσιν μόνοις διὰ νόμων ἐμφύεσθαι, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις δὴ τοῦτʼ εἶναι τέχνῃ φάρμακον, καὶ καθάπερ εἴπομεν τοῦτον θειότερον εἶναι τὸν σύνδεσμον ἀρετῆς μερῶν φύσεως ἀνομοίων καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἐναντία φερομένων.
STRANGER: And that this is implanted through laws only in those characters which were from the beginning of a noble nature and have been nurtured according to nature, and that for these, indeed, this is a remedy by art, and that, as we said, this is the more divine bond of parts of virtue which are unlike in nature and tend in opposite directions.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ἀληθέστατα.
YOUNG SOCRATES: Most true.
ΞΕ. τοὺς μὴν λοιπούς, ὄντας ἀνθρωπίνους δεσμούς, ὑπάρχοντος τούτου τοῦ θείου σχεδὸν οὐδὲν χαλεπὸν οὔτε ἐννοεῖν οὔτε ἐννοήσαντα ἀποτελεῖν.
STRANGER: But as for the rest, which are human bonds, if this divine bond exists, it is indeed not at all difficult either to conceive them or, having conceived them, to bring them to completion.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πῶς δή, καὶ τίνας;
YOUNG SOCRATES: How indeed, and what bonds?
ΞΕ. τοὺς τῶν ἐπιγαμιῶν καὶ παίδων κοινωνήσεων καὶ τῶν περὶ τὰς ἰδίας ἐκδόσεις καὶ γάμους.
STRANGER: Those of intermarriages and sharing of children, and those concerning private giving away of daughters and marriages.
οἱ γὰρ πολλοὶ τὰ περὶ ταῦτα οὐκ ὀρθῶς συνδοῦνται πρὸς τὴν τῶν παίδων γέννησιν.
For the majority bind themselves together in these matters not rightly with a view to the procreation of children.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. τί δή;
YOUNG SOCRATES: Why indeed?
ΞΕ. τὰ μὲν πλούτου καὶ δυνάμεων ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις διώγματα τί καί τις ἂν ὡς ἄξια λόγου σπουδάζοι μεμφόμενος;
STRANGER: As for the pursuits of wealth and power in such matters, why indeed should anyone seriously criticize them as if they were worthy of mention?
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. οὐδέν.
YOUNG SOCRATES: Not at all.
ΞΕ. μᾶλλον δέ γε δίκαιον τῶν περὶ τὰ γένη ποιουμένων ἐπιμέλειαν τούτων πέρι λέγειν, εἴ τι μὴ κατὰ τρόπον πράττουσιν.
STRANGER: But rather it is just to speak concerning those who pay attention to the families, if they do anything in an improper manner.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. εἰκὸς γὰρ οὖν.
YOUNG SOCRATES: That is likely indeed.
ΞΕ. πράττουσι μὲν δὴ οὐδʼ ἐξ ἑνὸς ὀρθοῦ λόγου, τὴν ἐν τῷ παραχρῆμα διώκοντες ῥᾳστώνην καὶ τῷ τοὺς μὲν προσομοίους αὐτοῖς ἀσπάζεσθαι, τοὺς δʼ ἀνομοίους μὴ στέργειν, πλεῖστον τῇ δυσχερείᾳ μέρος ἀπονέμοντες.
STRANGER: Indeed, they act on not a single right reason, pursuing immediate ease and by welcoming those who are similar to themselves and not liking those who are dissimilar, assigning the greatest part to dislike.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πῶς;
YOUNG SOCRATES: How?
ΞΕ. οἱ μέν που κόσμιοι τὸ σφέτερον αὐτῶν ἦθος ζητοῦσι, καὶ κατὰ δύναμιν γαμοῦσί τε παρὰ τούτων καὶ τὰς ἐκδιδομένας παρʼ αὑτῶν εἰς τούτους ἐκπέμπουσι πάλιν· ὡς δʼ αὕτως τὸ περὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν γένος δρᾷ, τὴν αὑτοῦ μεταδιῶκον φύσιν, δέον ποιεῖν ἀμφότερα τὰ γένη τούτων τοὐναντίον ἅπαν.
STRANGER: The orderly, I suppose, seek after their own character, and as far as they can, they marry from these and send away those given in marriage from themselves back to these; and in the same way the class concerning courage does, pursuing its own nature, whereas both classes ought to do the entirely opposite of these things.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πῶς, καὶ διὰ τί;
YOUNG SOCRATES: How, and why?
ΞΕ. διότι πέφυκεν ἀνδρεία τε ἐν πολλαῖς γενέσεσιν ἄμεικτος γεννωμένη σώφρονι φύσει κατὰ μὲν ἀρχὰς ἀκμάζειν ῥώμῃ, τελευτῶσα δὲ ἐξανθεῖν παντάπασι μανίαις.
STRANGER: Because courage, generated without mixture with a temperate nature over many generations, at first flourishes in strength, but in the end bursts forth entirely into madness.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. εἰκός.
YOUNG SOCRATES: Likely.
ΞΕ. ἡ δὲ αἰδοῦς γε αὖ λίαν πλήρης ψυχὴ καὶ ἀκέραστος τόλμης ἀνδρείας, ἐπὶ δὲ γενεὰς πολλὰς οὕτω γεννηθεῖσα, νωθεστέρα φύεσθαι τοῦ καιροῦ καὶ ἀποτελευτῶσα δὴ παντάπασιν ἀναπηροῦσθαι.
STRANGER: While the soul, in turn, that is too full of reverence and unmixed with courageous daring, being generated in this way for many generations, is born more sluggish than is fitting and in the end becomes entirely crippled.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. καὶ τοῦτʼ εἰκὸς οὕτω συμβαίνειν.
YOUNG SOCRATES: This too is likely to turn out so.
§311ΞΕ. τούτους δὴ τοὺς δεσμοὺς ἔλεγον ὅτι χαλεπὸν οὐδὲν συνδεῖν ὑπάρξαντος τοῦ περὶ τὰ καλὰ κἀγαθὰ μίαν ἔχειν ἀμφότερα τὰ γένη δόξαν.
STRANGER: It was these bonds that I was saying are not at all difficult to bind together, if there exists a single opinion concerning beautiful and good things held by both classes.
τοῦτο γὰρ ἓν καὶ ὅλον ἐστὶ βασιλικῆς συνυφάνσεως ἔργον, μηδέποτε ἐᾶν ἀφίστασθαι σώφρονα ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνδρείων ἤθη, συγκερκίζοντα δὲ ὁμοδοξίαις καὶ τιμαῖς καὶ ἀτιμίαις καὶ δόξαις καὶ ὁμηρειῶν ἐκδόσεσιν εἰς ἀλλήλους, λεῖον καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον εὐήτριον ὕφασμα συνάγοντα ἐξ αὐτῶν, τὰς ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ἀρχὰς ἀεὶ κοινῇ τούτοις ἐπιτρέπειν.
For this is the one and whole work of the kingly weaving: never to allow temperate characters to stand apart from courageous ones, but, weaving them together by common opinions, honors, dishonors, reputations, and the giving of hostages to one another, and drawing together from them a smooth and, as the saying goes, well-woven fabric, to entrust the offices in the cities always in common to these.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πῶς;
YOUNG SOCRATES: How?
ΞΕ. οὗ μὲν ἂν ἑνὸς ἄρχοντος χρεία συμβαίνῃ, τὸν ταῦτα ἀμφότερα ἔχοντα αἱρούμενον ἐπιστάτην· οὗ δʼ ἂν πλειόνων, τούτων μέρος ἑκατέρων συμμειγνύντα.
STRANGER: Where there happens to be a need for a single ruler, choosing as director one who possesses both of these; but where there is need for more, mixing a portion of each of these.
τὰ μὲν γὰρ σωφρόνων ἀρχόντων ἤθη σφόδρα μὲν εὐλαβῆ καὶ δίκαια καὶ σωτήρια, δριμύτητος δὲ καί τινος ἰταμότητος ὀξείας καὶ πρακτικῆς ἐνδεῖται.
For the characters of temperate rulers are exceedingly cautious, just, and preserving, but they lack sharpness and a certain swift, practical boldness.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. δοκεῖ γοῦν δὴ καὶ τάδε.
YOUNG SOCRATES: At any rate, this too seems so.
ΞΕ. τὰ δʼ ἀνδρεῖά γε αὖ πρὸς μὲν τὸ δίκαιον καὶ εὐλαβὲς ἐκείνων ἐπιδεέστερα, τὸ δὲ ἐν ταῖς πράξεσι ἰταμὸν διαφερόντως ἴσχει.
STRANGER: While the courageous ones, in turn, are more deficient in respect to the justice and caution of the former, but possess boldness in actions to an outstanding degree.
πάντα δὲ καλῶς γίγνεσθαι τὰ περὶ τὰς πόλεις ἰδίᾳ καὶ δημοσίᾳ τούτοιν μὴ παραγενομένοιν ἀμφοῖν ἀδύνατον.
But it is impossible for all things in cities, privately and publicly, to turn out well if both of these are not present.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πῶς γὰρ οὔ;
YOUNG SOCRATES: For how indeed could it not be so?
ΞΕ. τοῦτο δὴ τέλος ὑφάσματος εὐθυπλοκίᾳ συμπλακὲν γίγνεσθαι φῶμεν πολιτικῆς πράξεως τὸ τῶν ἀνδρείων καὶ σωφρόνων ἀνθρώπων ἦθος, ὁπόταν ὁμονοίᾳ καὶ φιλίᾳ κοινὸν συναγαγοῦσα αὐτῶν τὸν βίον ἡ βασιλικὴ τέχνη, πάντων μεγαλοπρεπέστατον ὑφασμάτων καὶ ἄριστον ἀποτελέσασα τούς τʼ ἄλλους ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι πάντας δούλους καὶ ἐλευθέρους ἀμπίσχουσα, συνέχῃ τούτῳ τῷ πλέγματι, καὶ καθʼ ὅσον εὐδαίμονι προσήκει γίγνεσθαι πόλει τούτου μηδαμῇ μηδὲν ἐλλείπουσα ἄρχῃ τε καὶ ἐπιστατῇ.
STRANGER: Let us then declare that this is the completed fabric of political action, woven together by straight weaving, namely the character of courageous and temperate men, whenever the kingly art, drawing together their life into a common one by concord and friendship, completing the most magnificent and best of all fabrics, and enveloping all the others in the cities, both slaves and free men, holds them together by this weave, and, in so far as it belongs to a happy city to become so, lacking nothing of this in any way, rules and directs them.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. κάλλιστα αὖ τὸν βασιλικὸν ἀπετέλεσας ἄνδρα ἡμῖν, ὦ ξένε, καὶ τὸν πολιτικόν.
YOUNG SOCRATES: Most beautifully, in turn, Stranger, have you completed for us the portrait of the kingly man, namely the statesman.