§6.777ΑΘ. οὐκοῦν καὶ τοὐναντίον, ὡς ὑγιὲς οὐδὲν ψυχῆς δούλης, οὐδὲ πιστεύειν οὐδέποτʼ οὐδὲν τῷ γένει δεῖ τὸν νοῦν κεκτημένον;
ATH.: Therefore, is not also the opposite said, that there is nothing healthy in a slave's soul, and that a man who possesses reason should never trust their race in anything?
ὁ δὲ σοφώτατος ἡμῖν τῶν ποιητῶν καὶ ἀπεφήνατο, ὑπὲρ τοῦ Διὸς ἀγορεύων, ὡς—
"
ἥμισυ γάρ τε νόου
"
, φησίν,
"
ἀπαμείρεται εὐρύοπα Ζεύς
ἀνδρῶν, οὓς ἂν δὴ κατὰ δούλιον ἦμαρ ἕλῃσι. "
ταῦτα δὴ διαλαβόντες ἕκαστοι τοῖς διανοήμασιν οἱ μὲν πιστεύουσί τε οὐδὲν γένει οἰκετῶν, κατὰ δὲ θηρίων φύσιν κέντροις καὶ μάστιξιν οὐ τρὶς μόνον ἀλλὰ πολλάκις ἀπεργάζονται δούλας τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν οἰκετῶν·
And the wisest of our poets also declared, speaking on behalf of Zeus, that— "For far-seeing Zeus," he says, "takes away half of the mind of men, whomever the day of slavery seizes." Having divided these thoughts in their minds, some people trust nothing in the race of domestic servants, and, treating them according to the nature of wild beasts, with goads and whips make the souls of the servants slave-like not just three times but many times over; whereas others do all things contrary to this.
οἱ δʼ αὖ τἀναντία τούτων δρῶσι πάντα.
MEG.: Indeed.
ΜΕ. τί μήν;
CLE.: What then ought we to do, stranger, since these views differ so much, concerning our own country in turn, both as to the acquisition and at the same time the punishment of slaves?
ΚΛ. τί οὖν δὴ χρὴ ποιεῖν, τούτων, ὦ ξένε, διαφερομένων οὕτω, περὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας αὖ χώρας ἡμᾶς, τῆς τε κτήσεως ἅμα καὶ κολάσεως τῶν δούλων πέρι;
ATH.: What else, Cleinias?
ΑΘ. τί δʼ, ὦ Κλεινία; δῆλον ὡς ἐπειδὴ δύσκολόν ἐστι τὸ θρέμμα ἄνθρωπος, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀναγκαίαν διόρισιν, τὸ δοῦλόν τε ἔργῳ διορίζεσθαι καὶ ἐλεύθερον καὶ δεσπότην, οὐδαμῶς εὔχρηστον ἐθέλειν εἶναί τε καὶ γίγνεσθαι φαίνεται, χαλεπὸν δὴ τὸ κτῆμα·
It is clear that, since man is a troublesome creature, and with respect to the necessary distinction—distinguishing in practice slave, free man, and master—he seems to be by no means willing to be or to become easy to manage, it is indeed a difficult possession.
ἔργῳ γὰρ πολλάκις ἐπιδέδεικται περὶ τὰς Μεσσηνίων συχνὰς εἰωθυίας ἀποστάσεις γίγνεσθαι, καὶ περί γε τὰς τῶν ἐκ μιᾶς φωνῆς πολλοὺς οἰκέτας κτωμένων πόλεις, ὅσα κακὰ συμβαίνει, καὶ ἔτι τὰ τῶν λεγομένων περιδίνων τῶν περὶ τὴν Ἰταλίαν γιγνομένων παντοδαπὰ κλωπῶν ἔργα τε καὶ παθήματα.
For it has been demonstrated in practice many times by the frequent customary revolts of the Messenians, and indeed by all the evils that occur in cities that acquire many servants speaking one language, and furthermore by the various deeds and sufferings of robbers—the so-called "rovers" around Italy.
πρὸς ἅ τις ἂν πάντα βλέψας διαπορήσειε τί χρὴ δρᾶν περὶ ἁπάντων τῶν τοιούτων.
Looking at all these things, one would be at a loss as to what ought to be done about all such matters.
δύο δὴ λείπεσθον μόνω μηχανά, μήτε πατριώτας ἀλλήλων εἶναι τοὺς μέλλοντας ῥᾷον δουλεύσειν, ἀσυμφώνους τε εἰς δύναμιν ὅτι μάλιστα, τρέφειν δʼ αὐτοὺς ὀρθῶς, μὴ μόνον ἐκείνων ἕνεκα, πλέον δὲ αὑτῶν προτιμῶντας·
There remain only two devices: first, that those who are to submit to slavery more easily should not be fellow countrymen of one another, and should be as discordant in speech as possible; and second, to rear them rightly, not only for their sake, but even more out of respect for ourselves.
ἡ δὲ τροφὴ τῶν τοιούτων μήτε τινὰ ὕβριν ὑβρίζειν εἰς τοὺς οἰκέτας, ἧττον δέ, εἰ δυνατόν, ἀδικεῖν ἢ τοὺς ἐξ ἴσου.
And the proper way of rearing such persons is to offer no insolence to the servants, and, if possible, to treat them unjustly even less than one's equals.
διάδηλος γὰρ ὁ φύσει καὶ μὴ πλαστῶς σέβων τὴν δίκην, μισῶν δὲ ὄντως τὸ ἄδικον, ἐν τούτοις τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐν οἷς αὐτῷ ῥᾴδιον ἀδικεῖν·
For he who naturally and not feignedly respects justice, and genuinely hates injustice, becomes clearly manifest in those persons whom it is easy for him to treat unjustly.
ὁ περὶ τὰ τῶν δούλων οὖν ἤθη καὶ πράξεις γιγνόμενός τις ἀμίαντος τοῦ τε ἀνοσίου πέρι καὶ ἀδίκου, σπείρειν εἰς ἀρετῆς ἔκφυσιν ἱκανώτατος ἂν εἴη, ταὐτὸν δʼ ἔστʼ εἰπεῖν τοῦτο ὀρθῶς ἅμα λέγοντα ἐπί τε δεσπότῃ καὶ τυράννῳ καὶ πᾶσαν δυναστείαν δυναστεύοντι πρὸς ἀσθενέστερον ἑαυτοῦ.
Therefore, anyone who, in dealing with the characters and actions of slaves, remains undefiled by unholiness and injustice, would be most capable of sowing seed for the growth of virtue; and one may correctly say that this same principle applies to a master, a tyrant, and anyone exercising any kind of absolute power over someone weaker than himself.
§6.778ΑΘ. κολάζειν γε μὴν ἐν δίκῃ δούλους δεῖ, καὶ μὴ νουθετοῦντας ὡς ἐλευθέρους θρύπτεσθαι ποιεῖν·
ATH.: Indeed, one must punish slaves justly, and not, by admonishing them as though they were free, make them pampered.
τὴν δὲ οἰκέτου πρόσρησιν χρὴ σχεδὸν ἐπίταξιν πᾶσαν γίγνεσθαι, μὴ προσπαίζοντας μηδαμῇ μηδαμῶς οἰκέταις, μήτʼ οὖν θηλείαις μήτε ἄρρεσιν, ἃ δὴ πρὸς δούλους φιλοῦσι πολλοὶ σφόδρα ἀνοήτως θρύπτοντες χαλεπώτερον ἀπεργάζεσθαι τὸν βίον ἐκείνοις τε ἄρχεσθαι καὶ ἑαυτοῖς ἄρχειν.
And address to a servant should, as a rule, be entirely a command, not playing at all with servants in any way, whether female or male—which indeed many do toward their slaves, very foolishly pampering them and making life more difficult both for them to be ruled and for themselves to rule.
ΚΛ. ὀρθῶς λέγεις.
CLE.: You say well.
ΑΘ. οὐκοῦν ὅτε τις οἰκέταις κατεσκευασμένος εἰς δύναμιν εἴη πλήθει καὶ ἐπιτηδειότητι πρὸς ἑκάστας τὰς τῶν ἔργων παραβοηθείας, τὸ δὴ μετὰ τοῦτο οἰκήσεις χρὴ διαγράφειν τῷ λόγῳ;
ATH.: Then, when one is equipped with servants as far as possible, in number and fitness for assistance in each of the tasks, must we next outline the dwellings in our argument?
ΚΛ. πάνυ μὲν οὖν.
CLE.: By all means.
ΑΘ. καὶ συμπάσης γε ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν ἔοικεν τῆς οἰκοδομικῆς πέρι τήν γε δὴ νέαν καὶ ἀοίκητον ἐν τῷ πρόσθεν πόλιν ἐπιμελητέον εἶναι, τίνα τρόπον ἕκαστα ἕξει τούτων περί τε ἱερὰ καὶ τείχη.
ATH.: And indeed, regarding almost the whole matter of building, it seems we must take care for the new and as yet uninhabited city mentioned before, in what manner each of these things will be, concerning both temples and walls.
γάμων δʼ ἦν ἔμπροσθεν ταῦτα, ὦ Κλεινία, νῦν δʼ ἔπειπερ λόγῳ γίγνεται, καὶ μάλʼ ἐγχωρεῖ ταύτῃ γίγνεσθαι τὰ νῦν· ἔργῳ μὴν ὅταν γίγνηται, ταῦτʼ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν γάμων, ἐὰν θεὸς ἐθέλῃ, ποιήσαντες, ἐκεῖνα ἤδη τότε ἐπὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἀποτελοῦμεν.
These things, Cleinias, were before marriages, but now since it is being done in argument, it is very permissible that it happens this way now; but in practice, when it happens, we shall do these things before marriages, if God wills, and only then perform those things upon all such matters.
νῦν δὲ μόνον ὅσον τινὰ τύπον αὐτῶν διʼ ὀλίγων ἐπεξέλθωμεν.
For now, let us only go through a certain outline of them briefly.
ΚΛ. πάνυ μὲν οὖν.
CLE.: By all means.
ΑΘ. τὰ μὲν τοίνυν ἱερὰ πᾶσαν πέριξ τήν τε ἀγορὰν χρὴ κατασκευάζειν, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ὅλην ἐν κύκλῳ πρὸς τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς τῶν τόπων, εὐερκείας τε καὶ καθαρότητος χάριν·
ATH.: Now, the temples must be constructed all around the marketplace, and around the whole city in a circle upon the high places, for the sake of safety and cleanliness.
πρὸς δὲ αὐτοῖς οἰκήσεις τε ἀρχόντων καὶ δικαστηρίων, ἐν οἷς τὰς δίκας ὡς ἱερωτάτοις οὖσιν λήψονταί τε καὶ δώσουσι, τὰ μὲν ὡς ὁσίων πέρι, τὰ δὲ καὶ τοιούτων θεῶν ἱδρύματα, καὶ ἐν τούτοις δικαστήρια, ἐν οἷς αἵ τε τῶν φόνων πρέπουσαι δίκαι γίγνοιντʼ ἂν καὶ ὅσα θανάτων ἄξια ἀδικήματα.
And next to them, the buildings for the officials and the law courts, in which they will receive and give judgments as in most sacred places, some concerning holy things, others being shrines of such gods, and in these, the law courts, in which the appropriate trials for murder and whatever offenses are worthy of death would take place.
περὶ δὲ τειχῶν, ὦ Μέγιλλε, ἔγωγʼ ἂν τῇ Σπάρτῃ συμφεροίμην τὸ καθεύδειν ἐᾶν ἐν τῇ γῇ κατακείμενα τὰ τείχη καὶ μὴ ἐπανιστάναι, τῶνδε εἵνεκα.
Concerning walls, Megillus, I would agree with Sparta to let the walls lie sleeping in the ground and not to raise them up, for the following reasons.
καλῶς μὲν καὶ ὁ ποιητικὸς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν λόγος ὑμνεῖται, τὸ χαλκᾶ καὶ σιδηρᾶ δεῖν εἶναι τὰ τείχη μᾶλλον ἢ γήινα·
The poetic saying is indeed beautifully sung about them, that the walls ought to be bronze and iron rather than of earth...