§2.3.1ἐπεὶ οὖν ἥ τε τάφρος αὐτοῖς ἐξείργαστο καὶ τὸ ἔρυμα τέλος εἶχεν αἵ τε οἰκήσεις τὰς ἀναγκαίους κατασκευὰς ἀπειλήφεσαν, ἀπῄτει δʼ ὁ καιρὸς καὶ περὶ κόσμου πολιτείας ᾧ χρήσονται σκοπεῖν, ἀγορὰν ποιησάμενος αὐτῶν ὁ Ῥωμύλος ὑποθεμένου τοῦ μητροπάτορος καὶ διδάξαντος ἃ χρὴ λέγειν, τὴν μὲν πόλιν ἔφη ταῖς τε δημοσίαις καὶ ταῖς ἰδίαις κατασκευαῖς ὡς νεόκτιστον ἀποχρώντως κεκοσμῆσθαι· ἠξίου δʼ ἐνθυμεῖσθαι πάντας ὡς οὐ ταῦτʼ ἐστι τὰ πλείστου ἄξια ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν.
When, therefore, the ditch had been finished by them, the fortification was completed, and the dwellings had received their necessary furnishings, and the occasion demanded that they should consider also concerning the order of the government which they would use, Romulus, having held an assembly of them after his maternal grandfather had suggested and instructed him what he ought to say, said that the city, for one newly founded, was sufficiently adorned with both public and private structures; but he asked them all to bear in mind that these are not the things of greatest value in cities.
§2.3.2οὔτε γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ὀθνείοις πολέμοις τὰς βαθείας τάφρους καὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ ἐρύματα ἱκανὰ εἶναι τοῖς ἔνδον ἀπράγμονα σωτηρίας ὑπόληψιν παρασχεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἕν τι μόνον ἐγγυᾶσθαι τὸ μηθὲν ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς κακὸν ὑπʼ ἐχθρῶν παθεῖν προκαταληφθέντας, οὔθʼ ὅταν ἐμφύλιοι ταραχαὶ τὸ κοινὸν κατάσχωσι, τῶν ἰδίων οἴκων καὶ ἐνδιαιτημάτων τὰς καταφυγὰς ὑπάρχειν τινὶ ἀκινδύνους.
For neither in foreign wars were deep ditches and high fortifications sufficient to afford those within an easy assurance of safety, but they guaranteed only one thing, that they should suffer no harm from an enemy's inroad by being taken by surprise; nor, when civil dissensions seize the state, were the refuges of private houses and dwellings safe for anyone.
§2.3.3σχολῆς γὰρ ἀνθρώποις ταῦτα καὶ ῥᾳστώνης βίων εὑρῆσθαι παραμύθια, μεθʼ ὧν οὔτε τὸ ἐπιβουλεῦον τῶν πέλας κωλύεσθαι μὴ οὐ πονηρὸν εἶναι οὔτʼ ἐν τῷ ἀκινδύνῳ βεβηκέναι θαρρεῖν τὸ ἐπιβουλευόμενον, πόλιν τε οὐδεμίαν πω τούτοις ἐκλαμπρυνθεῖσαν ἐπὶ μήκιστον εὐδαίμονα γενέσθαι καὶ μεγάλην, οὐδʼ αὖ παρὰ τὸ μὴ τυχεῖν τινὰ κατασκευῆς ἰδίας τε καὶ δημοσίας πολυτελοῦς κεκωλῦσθαι μεγάλην γενέσθαι καὶ εὐδαίμονα· ἀλλʼ ἕτερα εἶναι τὰ σώζοντα καὶ ποιοῦντα μεγάλας ἐκ μικρῶν τὰς πόλεις·
For these had been invented as consolations for men's leisure and ease of life, with which neither those who plot against their neighbors are prevented from being wicked, nor those who are plotted against can be confident that they walk in safety; and no city yet that was made splendid by these had become happy and great for the longest time, nor, on the other hand, by failing to obtain a sumptuous private and public structure had any been prevented from becoming great and happy; but there were other things that preserve cities and make them great from small beginnings.
§2.3.4ἐν μὲν τοῖς ὀθνείοις πολέμοις τὸ διὰ τῶν ὅπλων κράτος, τοῦτο δὲ τόλμῃ παραγίνεσθαι καὶ μελέτῃ, ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἐμφυλίοις ταραχαῖς τὴν τῶν πολιτευομένων ὁμοφροσύνην, ταύτην δὲ τὸν σώφρονα καὶ δίκαιον ἑκάστου βίον ἀπέφηνεν ἱκανώτατον ὄντα τῷ κοινῷ παρασχεῖν.
In foreign wars, indeed, it is the power of arms, and this is acquired by courage and training; and in civil dissensions, the harmony of the citizens, and this, he showed, the sober and just life of each individual was most capable of affording to the state.
§2.3.5τοὺς δὴ τὰ πολέμιά τε ἀσκοῦντας καὶ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν κρατοῦντας ἄριστα κοσμεῖν τὰς ἑαυτῶν πατρίδας τείχη τε ἀνάλωτα τῷ κοινῷ καὶ καταγωγὰς τοῖς ἑαυτῶν βίοις ἀσφαλεῖς τούτους εἶναι τοὺς παρασκευαζομένους· μαχητὰς δέ γε καὶ δικαίους ἄνδρας καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἀρετὰς ἐπιτηδεύοντας τὸ τῆς πολιτείας σχῆμα ποιεῖν τοῖς φρονίμως αὐτὸ καταστησαμένοις, μαλθακούς τε αὖ καὶ πλεονέκτας καὶ δούλους αἰσχρῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν τὰ πονηρὰ §2.3.6ἐπιτηδεύματα ἐπιτελεῖν.
Those, therefore, who practice military affairs and master their desires best adorn their own countries, and these are the ones who prepare walls impregnable for the public and safe retreats for their own lives; and the form of government produces brave and just men and those who practice the other virtues for those who have wisely established it, whereas, on the other hand, it makes the soft and avaricious and slaves of shameful desires perform evil practices.
ἔφη τε παρὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ διὰ πολλῆς ἱστορίας ἐληλυθότων ἀκούειν, ὅτι πολλαὶ μὲν ἀποικίαι μεγάλαι καὶ εἰς εὐδαίμονας ἀφικόμεναι τόπους, αἱ μὲν αὐτίκα διεφθάρησαν εἰς στάσεις ἐμπεσοῦσαι, αἱ δʼ ὀλίγον ἀντισχοῦσαι χρόνον ὑπήκοοι τοῖς πλησιοχώροις ἠναγκάσθησαν γενέσθαι καὶ ἀντὶ κρείττονος χώρας, ἣν κατέσχον, τὴν χείρονα τύχην διαλλάξασθαι δοῦλαι ἐξ ἐλευθέρων γενόμεναι· ἕτεραι δʼ ὀλιγάνθρωποι καὶ εἰς χωρία οὐ πάνυ σπουδαῖα παραγενόμεναι ἐλεύθεραι μὲν πρῶτον, ἔπειτα δʼ ἑτέρων ἄρχουσαι διετέλεσαν· καὶ οὔτε ταῖς εὐπραγίαις τῶν ὀλίγων οὔτε ταῖς δυστυχίαις τῶν πολλῶν ἕτερόν τι ἢ τὸ τῆς πολιτείας σχῆμα ὑπάρχειν αἴτιον.
And he said he heard from his elders and those who had gone through much history, that many great colonies that had come to prosperous places were either immediately destroyed by falling into factions, or, having held out for a short time, were forced to become subject to their neighbors and, instead of the excellent land they occupied, to exchange it for a worse fortune, becoming slaves from being free; while others, small in population and coming to places not at all remarkable, continued first free and then ruling over others; and that for the successes of the few and the misfortunes of the many, no other cause existed than the form of government.
§2.3.7εἰ μὲν οὖν μία τις ἦν παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις βίου τάξις ἡ ποιοῦσα εὐδαίμονας τὰς πόλεις, οὐ χαλεπὴν ἂν γενέσθαι σφίσι τὴν αἵρεσιν αὐτῆς· νῦν δʼ ἔφη πολλὰς πυνθάνεσθαι τὰς κατασκευὰς παρʼ Ἕλλησί τε καὶ βαρβάροις ὑπαρχούσας, τρεῖς δʼ ἐξ ἁπασῶν ἐπαινουμένας μάλιστα ὑπὸ τῶν χρωμένων ἀκούειν, καὶ τούτων οὐδεμίαν εἶναι τῶν πολιτειῶν εἰλικρινῆ, προσεῖναι δέ τινας ἑκάστῃ κῆρας συμφύτους, ὥστε χαλεπὴν αὐτῶν εἶναι τὴν αἵρεσιν.
If, then, there were some one order of life among all men that made cities happy, their choice of it would not be difficult; but as it was, he said he learned that many systems existed among both Greeks and barbarians, and he heard that three of them all were most praised by those who used them, and that none of these governments was pure, but some inherent pests were attached to each, so that their choice was difficult.
ἠξίου τε αὐτοὺς βουλευσαμένους ἐπὶ σχολῆς εἰπεῖν εἴτε ὑφʼ ἑνὸς ἄρχεσθαι θέλουσιν ἀνδρὸς εἴτε ὑπʼ ὀλίγων εἴτε νόμους καταστησάμενοι πᾶσιν ἀποδοῦναι τὴν τῶν κοινῶν προστασίαν.
And he asked them, after deliberating at leisure, to say whether they wished to be ruled by one man, or by a few, or, having established laws, to commit the protection of the common weal to all.
§2.3.8ἐγὼ δʼ ὑμῖν, ἔφη, πρὸς ἣν ἂν καταστήσησθε πολιτείαν εὐτρεπὴς καὶ οὔτε ἄρχειν ἀπαξιῶ οὔτε ἄρχεσθαι ἀναίνομαι.
"And I," he said, "am ready for whatever government you may establish, and I neither disdain to rule nor refuse to be ruled.
τιμῶν δέ, ἅς μοι προσεθήκατε ἡγεμόνα με πρῶτον ἀποδείξαντες τῆς ἀποικίας, ἔπειτα καὶ τῇ πόλει τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν ἐπʼ ἐμοῦ θέντες, ἅλις ἔχω.
As for the honors which you have bestowed upon me, first by appointing me leader of the colony and then by giving my name to the city, I have enough.
ταύτας γὰρ οὔτε πόλεμος ὑπερόριος οὔτε στάσις ἐμφύλιος οὔτε ὁ πάντα μαραίνων τὰ καλὰ χρόνος ἀφαιρήσεταί με οὔτε ἄλλη τύχη παλίγκοτος οὐδεμία· ἀλλὰ καὶ ζῶντι καὶ τὸν βίον ἐκλιπόντι τούτων ὑπάρξει μοι τῶν τιμῶν παρὰ πάντα τὸν λοιπὸν αἰῶνα τυγχάνειν.
For these neither a foreign war nor a civil dissension nor time, which withereth all beautiful things, shall take from me, nor any other adverse fortune; but both while living and when I have left this life, it shall be mine to enjoy these honors through all the remaining time."