§7.56.1ἐὰν οὖν κοινωνήσητε καὶ τῷ δήμῳ τῶν πολιτευμάτων, οὐθὲν ὑμῖν ἐνθάδε φύσεται κακόν, ἀλλʼ ὁ πλέον ἔχειν τῶν ἄλλων ἀξιῶν καὶ τῆς βουλῆς προσεταιρισάμενος τὸν βουλόμενον συννοσεῖν καὶ συναδικεῖν· πάντα γὰρ τὰ εἰκότα χρὴ περὶ πόλεως βουλευομένους προνοεῖν· κληθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν δημάρχων εἰς τὸ πλῆθος ὁ μέγας ἐκεῖνος καὶ σεμνὸς ἀποδώσει τῷ δήμῳ τῷ φαύλῳ καὶ ταπεινῷ λόγον ὧν πράττει τε καὶ διανοεῖται, κἂν ἀδικῶν φαίνηται δίκης, ἧς ἂν ἄξιος ᾖ, τεύξεται.
Therefore, if you share the government with the people as well, no evil will arise for you here. Rather, even that great and majestic man, who thinks himself worthy to have more than others and has associated with himself from the senate anyone who wishes to share in his disease and injustice—for those who deliberate about the city must foresee all likely outcomes—when summoned by the tribunes before the multitude, will render to the common and humble people an account of what he does and intends, and if he appears to do wrong, he will meet with the punishment of which he is worthy.
§7.56.2αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν δῆμον, ἵνα μὴ τρυφᾷ τηλικαύτης ἔξουσίας γενόμενος κύριος, μηδʼ ὑπὸ τῶν κακίστων ἐκδημαγωγούμενος τοῖς κρατίστοις πολεμῇ· καὶ γὰρ ἐν ὄχλῳ φιλεῖ γίνεσθαι τυραννίς· φυλάξει τε καὶ οὐδὲν ἐάσει παρανομεῖν ὁ διαφέρων φρονήσει ἀνὴρ δικτάτωρ ὑφʼ ὑμῶν αἱρεθείς, ὃς αὐτοκράτορι καὶ ἀνυπευθύνῳ χρώμενος ἐξουσίᾳ τό τε νοσοῦν ἐξελεῖ τῆς πόλεως μέρος, καὶ τὸ μήπω διεφθαρμένον οὐκ ἐάσει κακωθῆναι, ἔθη τε καὶ νόμιμα καὶ ζηλώματα βίων τὰ κράτιστα μεθαρμοσάμενος ἀρχάς τʼ ἀποδείξας ἃς ἂν ἡγῆται σωφρονέστατα τῶν κοινῶν ἐπιτροπεύσειν· καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐντὸς ἓξ μηνῶν διοικησάμενος ἰδιώτης αὖθις ἔσται τὸ τιμᾶσθαι μόνον ἐκ τούτων λαβών, ἄλλο δʼ οὐθέν.
But the people themselves, so that they may not grow insolent by becoming masters of such great authority, nor, being led by the worst demagogues, make war on the best men—for indeed a tyranny is accustomed to arise in a crowd—will be guarded and permitted to commit no lawlessness by that man preeminent in prudence who is chosen by you as dictator. He, employing an absolute and unaccountable power, will both remove the diseased part of the city and not permit that which is not yet corrupted to be harmed, having reformed the customs, laws, and pursuits of life to the best, and having appointed those offices which he thinks will most prudently administer the public affairs; and having managed these things within six months, he will again become a private citizen, receiving from these deeds only honor, and nothing else.
§7.56.3ταῦτʼ οὖν ἐνθυμηθέντες καὶ τὸ σχῆμα τῆς πολιτείας τοῦθʼ ἡγησάμενοι κράτιστον εἶναι μηθενὸς ἀπελαύνετε τὸν δῆμον, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἀρχὰς ἀποδεικνύναι τὰς καθʼ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν ἡγησομένας τῆς πόλεως, καὶ νόμους τοὺς μὲν ἐπικυροῦν, τοὺς δʼ ἀναιρεῖν, καὶ περὶ πολέμου καὶ εἰρήνης διαγιγνώσκειν, ἃ μέγιστα καὶ κυριώτατά ἐστι τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει διαπραττομένων, μεταδεδώκατε αὐτῷ καὶ οὐθενὸς τούτων αὐτοκράτορα πεποιήκατε τὴν βουλήν· οὕτως καὶ τῶν δικαστηρίων μεταδίδοτε, καὶ μάλισθʼ ὑπὲρ ὧν ἄν τις αἰτίαν ἔχῃ τὴν πόλιν ἀδικεῖν στάσιν εἰσάγων ἢ τυραννίδα κατασκευαζόμενος ἢ περὶ προδοσίας τοῖς πολεμίοις διαλεγόμενος ἢ τοιοῦτό τι ἄλλο κακὸν ἐπιχειρῶν πράττειν.
Therefore, considering these things and holding this form of government to be the best, exclude the people from nothing, but just as you have shared with them the appointment of the offices that are to lead the city each year, and the ratification of some laws and the abolition of others, and the deciding about war and peace—which are the greatest and most sovereign of the things transacted in the city—and have made the senate absolute over none of these things; so also share with them the courts of justice, and especially concerning those cases where anyone is accused of injuring the city by introducing faction, or establishing a tyranny, or treating with the enemy about treason, or attempting to do some other such evil.
§7.56.4ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν φοβερώτερον κατασκευάσητε τὸ παραβαίνειν τοὺς νόμους καὶ τὰ ἔθη κινεῖν τοῖς ὑβρισταῖς καὶ πλεονέκταις, πολλοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ φύλακας αὐτῶν ἀποδείξαντες, τοσούτῳ κρεῖττον ὑμῖν ἕξει τὰ κοινά.
For by how much more fearful you make it for the insolent and greedy to transgress the laws and to disturb the customs, having appointed many eyes and guardians over them, by so much better will public affairs be for you.