§11.913ΑΘ. τὸ δὴ μετὰ ταῦτʼ εἴη συμβολαίων ἂν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἡμῖν δεόμενα προσηκούσης τάξεως.
**ATH.**: "What comes after this would be our mutual contracts, requiring a proper order.
ἁπλοῦν δέ γέ ἐστίν που τό γε τοιοῦτον· μήτε οὖν τις τῶν ἐμῶν χρημάτων ἅπτοιτο εἰς δύναμιν, μηδʼ αὖ κινήσειεν μηδὲ τὸ βραχύτατον ἐμὲ μηδαμῇ μηδαμῶς πείθων· κατὰ ταὐτὰ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ περὶ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐγὼ δρῴην, νοῦν ἔχων ἔμφρονα.
Such a principle is simple enough, I suppose: let no one, as far as possible, touch my property, nor move it in the slightest degree without persuading me in some way or other; and let me act in this very same way regarding the property of others, having a sensible mind.
θησαυρὸν δὴ λέγωμεν πρῶτον τῶν τοιούτων ὅν τις αὑτῷ καὶ τοῖς αὑτοῦ κειμήλιον ἔθετο, μὴ τῶν ἐμῶν ὢν πατέρων·
First of these, let us speak of a treasure which someone has laid up as a store for himself and his family, not being one of my ancestors'.
μήθʼ εὑρεῖν ποτε θεοῖς εὐξαίμην μήθʼ εὑρὼν κινήσαιμι, μηδʼ αὖ τοῖς λεγομένοις μάντεσιν ἀνακοινώσαιμι τοῖς ἁμῶς γέ πώς μοι συμβουλεύουσιν ἀνελεῖν τὴν γῇ παρακαταθήκην.
Never may I pray to the gods to find such a thing, nor, if I find it, may I move it, nor again may I consult the so-called diviners who advise me in some way or other to take up the deposit entrusted to the earth.
οὐ γάρ ποτε τοσοῦτον εἰς χρημάτων ὠφεληθείην ἂν κτῆσιν ἀνελών, ὅσον εἰς ὄγκον πρὸς ἀρετὴν ψυχῆς καὶ τὸ δίκαιον ἐπιδιδοίην μὴ ἀνελόμενος, κτῆμα ἀντὶ κτήματος ἄμεινον ἐν ἀμείνονι κτησάμενος, δίκην ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ πλούτου προτιμήσας ἐν οὐσίᾳ κεκτῆσθαι πρότερον·
For I should never benefit so much in the acquisition of money by taking it up, as I should increase in progress toward virtue of soul and justice by not taking it up, having acquired a better possession in a better thing instead of a possession, having preferred to possess justice in the soul rather than wealth in one's estate.
ἐπὶ πολλοῖς γὰρ δὴ λεγόμενον εὖ τὸ μὴ κινεῖν τὰ ἀκίνητα καὶ περὶ τούτου λέγοιτʼ ἂν ὡς ἑνὸς ἐκείνων ὄντος.
For the saying, 'do not move what is unmoved,' which is well said in many connections, might also be said in regard to this as being one of them.
πείθεσθαι δὲ χρὴ καὶ τοῖς περὶ ταῦτα λεγομένοις μύθοις, ὡς εἰς παίδων γενεὰν οὐ σύμφορα τὰ τοιαῦτα·
And one must also believe the stories told about these things, that such actions are not beneficial for the generation of children.
ὃς δʼ ἂν παίδων τε ἀκηδὴς γένηται καί, τοῦ θέντος τὸν νόμον ἀμελήσας, ἃ μήτε αὐτὸς κατέθετο μήτε αὖ πατέρων τις πατήρ, μὴ πείσας τὸν θέμενον ἀνέληται, κάλλιστον νόμων διαφθείρων, ἁπλούστατον καὶ οὐδαμῇ ἀγεννοῦς ἀνδρὸς νομοθέτημα, ὃς εἶπεν· ἃ μὴ κατέθου, μὴ ἀνέλῃ—τούτοιν τοῖν δυοῖν νομοθέταιν καταφρονήσαντα καὶ ἀνελόμενον, οὔτι σμικρόν, ὃ μὴ κατέθετο αὐτός, πλῆθος δʼ ἔστιν ὅτε θησαυροῦ παμμέγεθες, τί χρὴ πάσχειν; §11.914ΑΘ. ὑπὸ μὲν δὴ θεῶν, ὁ θεὸς οἶδεν·
But whoever, being careless of his children, and neglecting the lawgiver, takes up what neither he himself nor any of his ancestors laid down, without persuading the depositor, thereby destroying the most beautiful of laws—the simplest legislation of a man who was by no means ignoble, who said: 'what you did not lay down, do not take up'—despising these two legislators and taking up what he himself did not lay down, which is no small matter, but sometimes a vast quantity of treasure—what ought he to suffer?" **ATH.**: "What he should suffer from the gods, the god knows.
ὁ δὲ κατιδὼν πρῶτος ἀγγελλέτω, ἐὰν μὲν ἐν ἄστει γίγνηται τὸ τοιοῦτον, τοῖς ἀστυνόμοις, ἐὰν δὲ τῆς πόλεως ἐν ἀγορᾷ που, τοῖσιν ἀγορανόμοις, ἐὰν δὲ τῆς ἄλλης χώρας, ἀγρονόμοις τε καὶ τοῖς τούτων ἄρχουσι δηλωσάτω.
But let the first person who observes it report it: if such a thing happens in the city, to the city-wardens; if in the market-place of the city, to the market-wardens; and if in any other part of the country, let him make it known to the land-wardens and their officers.
δηλωθέντων δέ, ἡ πόλις εἰς Δελφοὺς πεμπέτω· ὅτι δʼ ἂν ὁ θεὸς ἀναιρῇ περί τε τῶν χρημάτων καὶ τοῦ κινήσαντος, τοῦτο ἡ πόλις ὑπηρετοῦσα ταῖς μαντείαις δράτω τοῦ θεοῦ.
And when it is made known, let the city send to Delphi; and whatever the god shall decree concerning the property and the person who moved it, let the city do this, serving the oracles of the god.
καὶ ἐὰν μὲν ἐλεύθερος ὁ μηνύσας ᾖ, δόξαν ἀρετῆς κεκτήσθω, μὴ μηνύσας δέ, κακίας· δοῦλος δʼ ἐὰν ᾖ, μηνύσας μὲν ἐλεύθερος ὑπὸ τῆς πόλεως ὀρθῶς γίγνοιτʼ ἂν ἀποδιδούσης τῷ δεσπότῃ τὴν τιμήν, μὴ μηνύων δὲ θανάτῳ ζημιούσθω.
And if the informer be a free man, let him acquire a reputation for virtue, but if he does not inform, for vice; but if he be a slave, if he informs, he would rightly be made free by the city, which shall pay his price to his master, but if he does not inform, let him be punished with death.
τούτῳ δʼ ἑπόμενον ἑξῆς ἂν γίγνοιτο τὸ περὶ σμικρὰ καὶ μεγάλα ταὐτὸν τοῦτο νόμιμον συνακολουθεῖν.
Following next upon this, the very same regulation should apply to both small and great things.
ἄν τις τῶν αὑτοῦ τι καταλείπῃ που ἑκὼν εἴτʼ ἄκων, ὁ προστυγχάνων ἐάτω κεῖσθαι, νομίζων φυλάττειν ἐνοδίαν δαίμονα τὰ τοιαῦτα ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου τῇ θεῷ καθιερωμένα.
If anyone leaves any of his own property behind anywhere, whether willingly or unwillingly, let the person who happens upon it leave it lying there, considering that the goddess of the wayside guards such things as being consecrated to her by the law.
ἂν δὲ παρὰ ταῦτά τις ἀπειθῶν ἀναιρούμενος οἴκαδε φέρῃ, ἂν μὲν σμικρᾶς τιμῆς ἄξιον ὢν δοῦλος, ὑπὸ τοῦ προστυγχάνοντος μὴ ἔλαττον τριακονταέτους πολλὰς πληγὰς μαστιγούσθω· ἐὰν δέ τις ἐλεύθερος, πρὸς τῷ ἀνελεύθερος εἶναι δοκεῖν καὶ ἀκοινώνητος νόμων, δεκαπλάσιον τῆς τιμῆς τοῦ κινηθέντος ἀποτινέτω τῷ καταλιπόντι.
But if anyone, disobeying this, takes it up and carries it home, if he be a slave and the thing be of small value, let him be scourged with many stripes by the person who meets him, provided that person is not less than thirty years of age; but if he be a free man, besides being deemed ungenerous and a stranger to the laws, let him pay tenfold the value of the thing moved to the person who left it.
ἐὰν δέ τις ἐπαιτιᾶται τῶν αὑτοῦ χρημάτων ἔχειν τινὰ πλέον ἢ καὶ σμικρότερον, ὁ δὲ ὁμολογῇ μὲν ἔχειν, μὴ τὸ ἐκείνου δέ, ἂν μὲν ἀπογεγραμμένον ᾖ παρὰ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν τὸ κτῆμα κατὰ νόμον, τὸν ἔχοντα καλείσθω πρὸς τὴν ἀρχήν, ὁ δὲ καθιστάτω.
And if anyone charges that another person has some of his property, whether more or less, and the other admits he has it but denies it is the claimant's, if the property is registered with the magistrates in accordance with the law, let the possessor be summoned to the magistrate, and let him produce it.
γενομένου δὲ ἐμφανοῦς, ἐὰν ἐν τοῖς γράμμασιν ἀπογεγραμμένον φαίνηται ποτέρου τῶν ἀμφισβητούντων, ἔχων οὗτος ἀπίτω·
And when it is produced, if it appears in the register as belonging to either of the disputants, let him take it and depart.
ἐὰν δέ τινος ἄλλου τῶν μὴ παρόντων, ὁπότερος ἂν παράσχῃ τὸν ἐγγυητὴν ἀξιόχρεων, ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀπόντος ὡς παραδώσων ἐκείνῳ κατὰ τὴν ἐκείνου ἀφαίρεσιν ἀφαιρείσθω.
But if it belongs to some third person who is not present, whichever of the two provides a sufficient surety, let him take it away on behalf of the absent person, as one who will deliver it to him when he claims it.
ἐὰν δὲ παρὰ τοῖς ἄρχουσι τὸ ἀμφισβητούμενον μὴ ἀπογεγραμμένον ᾖ, κείσθω μὲν μέχρι δίκης παρὰ τρισὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῖς πρεσβυτάτοις, ἐὰν δὲ τὸ μεσεγγυωθὲν θρέμμα ᾖ, τὸν νικηθέντα περὶ αὐτοῦ δίκῃ τὴν τροφὴν ἐκτίνειν τοῖς ἄρχουσιν· τὴν δὲ κρίσιν διαδικάζειν ἐντὸς τριῶν ἡμερῶν τοὺς ἄρχοντας.
But if the disputed property is not registered with the magistrates, let it remain deposited with the three oldest magistrates until the trial; and if the sequestered object be an animal, let the party defeated in the lawsuit pay the cost of its maintenance to the magistrates; and let the magistrates decide the case within three days.
ἀγέτω τὸν ἑαυτοῦ δοῦλον ὁ βουλόμενος, ἐὰν ἔμφρων ᾖ, χρησόμενος ὅτι ἂν ἐθέλῃ τῶν ὁπόσα ὅσια· ἀγέτω δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ ἄλλου τῶν οἰκείων ἢ φίλων τὸν ἀφεστῶτα ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ.
Anyone who wishes, if he is of sound mind, may lead away his own slave, to use him as he pleases in any way that is lawful; and he may also lead away a runaway slave on behalf of any of his relatives or friends, for his safety.
ἐὰν δέ τις ἀφαιρῆταί τινα εἰς ἐλευθερίαν ὡς δοῦλον ἀγόμενον, μεθιέτω μὲν ὁ ἄγων, ὁ δὲ ἀφαιρούμενος ἐγγυητὰς τρεῖς ἀξιόχρεως καταστήσας, οὕτως ἀφαιρείσθω κατὰ ταῦτα, ἄλλως δὲ μή·
But if anyone rescues a person who is being led away as a slave, claiming him to be free, let the captor let him go; but let the rescuer, having produced three sufficient sureties, rescue him in this manner, and not otherwise."