§1.1258bτῆς δὲ μεταβλητικῆς ψεγομένης δικαίως (οὐ γὰρ κατὰ φύσιν ἀλλʼ ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων ἐστίν), εὐλογώτατα μισεῖται ἡ ὀβολοστατικὴ διὰ τὸ ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ νομίσματος εἶναι τὴν κτῆσιν καὶ οὐκ ἐφʼ ὅπερ ἐπορίσθη.
While the art of exchange is justly blamed (for it is not according to nature but from one another), usury is most reasonably hated because the acquisition is from money itself and not for the purpose for which it was provided.
μεταβολῆς γὰρ ἐγένετο χάριν, ὁ δὲ τόκος αὐτὸ ποιεῖ πλέον (ὅθεν καὶ τοὔνομα τοῦτʼ εἴληφεν· ὅμοια γὰρ τὰ τικτόμενα τοῖς γεννῶσιν αὐτά ἐστιν, ὁ δὲ τόκος γίνεται νόμισμα ἐκ νομίσματος)· ὥστε καὶ μάλιστα παρὰ φύσιν οὗτος τῶν χρηματισμῶν ἐστιν.
For it came into being for the sake of exchange, but interest makes it more (whence it has also received this name; for offspring are similar to those that generate them, and interest is money from money); so that this of all forms of money-making is most contrary to nature.
ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰ πρὸς τὴν γνῶσιν διωρίκαμεν ἱκανῶς, τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρῆσιν δεῖ διελθεῖν.
But since we have sufficiently defined the things that concern knowledge, we must discuss the things that concern use.
πάντα δὲ τὰ τοιαῦτα τὴν μὲν θεωρίαν ἐλευθέραν ἔχει, τὴν δʼ ἐμπειρίαν ἀναγκαίαν.
All such things have a theory that is free, but an experience that is necessary.
ἔστι δὲ χρηματιστικῆς μέρη χρήσιμα· τὸ περὶ τὰ κτήματα ἔμπειρον εἶναι, ποῖα λυσιτελέστατα καὶ ποῦ καὶ πῶς, οἷον ἵππων κτῆσις ποία τις ἢ βοῶν ἢ προβάτων, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ζῴων (δεῖ γὰρ ἔμπειρον εἶναι πρὸς ἄλληλά τε τούτων τίνα λυσιτελέστατα, καὶ ποῖα ἐν ποίοις τόποις· ἄλλα γὰρ ἐν ἄλλαις εὐθηνεῖ χώραις), εἶτα περὶ γεωργίας, καὶ ταύτης ἤδη ψιλῆς τε καὶ πεφυτευμένης, καὶ μελιττουργίας, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων τῶν πλωτῶν ἢ πτηνῶν, ἀφʼ ὅσων ἔστι τυγχάνειν βοηθείας.
The useful parts of the art of finance are: to be experienced in acquisitions, which ones are most profitable, and where, and how; for example, what kind of acquisition of horses, or of cattle, or of sheep, and likewise of the other animals (for one must be experienced as to which of these are most profitable in comparison with one another, and which kinds in which places; for different animals flourish in different countries); then concerning agriculture, and this already both bare and planted, and beekeeping, and of the other animals, whether aquatic or winged, from which it is possible to obtain benefit.
τῆς μὲν οὖν οἰκειοτάτης χρηματιστικῆς ταῦτα μόρια καὶ πρῶτα· τῆς δὲ μεταβλητικῆς μέγιστον μὲν ἐμπορία (καὶ ταύτης μέρη τρία, ναυκληρία φορτηγία παράστασις· διαφέρει δὲ τούτων ἕτερα ἑτέρων τῷ τὰ μὲν ἀσφαλέστερα εἶναι, τὰ δὲ πλείω πορίζειν τὴν ἐπικαρπίαν), δεύτερον δὲ τοκισμός, τρίτον δὲ μισθαρνία (ταύτης δʼ ἡ μὲν τῶν βαναύσων τεχνῶν, ἡ δὲ τῶν ἀτέχνων καὶ τῷ σώματι μόνῳ χρησίμων)· τρίτον δὲ εἶδος χρηματιστικῆς μεταξὺ ταύτης καὶ τῆς πρώτης (ἔχει γὰρ καὶ τῆς κατὰ φύσιν τι μέρος καὶ τῆς μεταβλητικῆς), ὅσα ἀπὸ γῆς καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ γῆς γιγνομένων, ἀκάρπων μὲν χρησίμων δέ, οἷον ὑλοτομία τε καὶ πᾶσα μεταλλευτική.
Of the most proper art of finance, then, these are the parts and the first ones; but of the exchange art, the greatest is commerce (and of this there are three parts: ship-owning, transport, and marketing; and these differ from one another in that some are safer, while others provide a greater harvest), second is lending at interest, and third is wage labor (and of this, one is of the vulgar arts, the other of the unskilled who are useful by body alone); and there is a third species of the art of finance between this and the first one (for it has a certain part both of the natural kind and of the exchange kind), which includes all things from the earth and things arising from the earth, which are fruitless but useful, such as timber-cutting and all mining.
αὕτη δὲ πολλὰ ἤδη περιείληφε γένη· πολλὰ γὰρ εἴδη τῶν ἐκ γῆς μεταλλευομένων ἔστιν.
And this already embraces many classes; for there are many species of things mined from the earth.
εἰσὶ δὲ τεχνικώταται μὲν τῶν ἐργασιῶν ὅπου ἐλάχιστον τῆς τύχης, βαναυσόταται δʼ ἐν αἷς τὰ σώματα λωβῶνται μάλιστα, δουλικώταται δὲ ὅπου τοῦ σώματος πλεῖσται χρήσεις, ἀγεννέσταται δὲ ὅπου ἐλάχιστον προσδεῖ ἀρετῆς.
And the most artistic of the occupations are those where there is least chance, the most vulgar are those in which bodies are most damaged, the most slavish are those where there is the most use of the body, and the most ignoble are those where there is the least need for virtue.
περὶ ἑκάστου δὲ τούτων καθόλου μὲν εἴρηται καὶ νῦν, τὸ δὲ κατὰ μέρος ἀκριβολογεῖσθαι χρήσιμον μὲν πρὸς τὰς ἐργασίας, φορτικὸν δὲ τὸ ἐνδιατρίβειν.
Concerning each of these, then, it has been discussed in general terms now, but to treat them in detail, though useful for occupations, is tedious to spend time on.
ἐπεὶ δʼ ἔστιν ἐνίοις γεγραμμένα περὶ τούτων, §1.1259aοἷον Χαρητίδῃ τῷ Παρίῳ καὶ Ἀπολλοδώρῳ τῷ Λημνίῳ περὶ γεωργίας καὶ ψιλῆς καὶ πεφυτευμένης, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἄλλοις περὶ ἄλλων, ταῦτα μὲν ἐκ τούτων θεωρείτω ὅτῳ ἐπιμελές·
But since there are writings on these subjects by some authors, for example, by Charetides of Paros and Apollodorus of Lemnos on agriculture, both bare and planted, and likewise by others on other subjects; let anyone who cares about them study these things from those writings.
ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὰ λεγόμενα σποράδην, διʼ ὧν ἐπιτετυχήκασιν ἔνιοι χρηματιζόμενοι, δεῖ συλλέγειν. πάντα γὰρ ὠφέλιμα ταῦτʼ ἐστὶ τοῖς τιμῶσι τὴν χρηματιστικήν, οἷον καὶ τὸ Θάλεω τοῦ Μιλησίου·
Moreover, one must also collect the scattered stories by which some have succeeded in making money; for all these are useful to those who value the art of finance.
τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι κατανόημά τι χρηματιστικόν, ἀλλʼ ἐκείνῳ μὲν διὰ τὴν σοφίαν προσάπτουσι, τυγχάνει δὲ καθόλου τι ὄν.
For example, there is also the story of Thales of Miletus; for this is a kind of financial device, which is attributed to him because of his wisdom, but it happens to be something of universal application.
ὀνειδιζόντων γὰρ αὐτῷ διὰ τὴν πενίαν ὡς ἀνωφελοῦς τῆς φιλοσοφίας οὔσης, κατανοήσαντά φασιν αὐτὸν ἐλαιῶν φορὰν ἐσομένην ἐκ τῆς ἀστρολογίας, ἔτι χειμῶνος ὄντος εὐπορήσαντα χρημάτων ὀλίγων ἀρραβῶνας διαδοῦναι τῶν ἐλαιουργίων τῶν τʼ ἐν Μιλήτῳ καὶ Χίῳ πάντων, ὀλίγου μισθωσάμενον ἅτʼ οὐθενὸς ἐπιβάλλοντος·
For when people reproached him for his poverty, as if philosophy were useless, they say that he, having perceived from astronomy that there would be a large crop of olives, while it was still winter, and having raised a small sum of money, paid deposits on all the olive presses in Miletus and Chios, hiring them cheaply since no one bid against him.
ἐπειδὴ δʼ ὁ καιρὸς ἧκε, πολλῶν ζητουμένων ἅμα καὶ ἐξαίφνης, ἐκμισθοῦντα ὃν τρόπον ἠβούλετο, πολλὰ χρήματα συλλέξαντα ἐπιδεῖξαι ὅτι ῥᾴδιόν ἐστι πλουτεῖν τοῖς φιλοσόφοις, ἂν βούλωνται, ἀλλʼ οὐ τοῦτʼ ἐστὶ περὶ ὃ σπουδάζουσιν.
And when the season came, and many were seeking them at once and suddenly, he let them out on his own terms, and having collected much money, he demonstrated that it is easy for philosophers to be rich if they wish, but this is not what they are zealous about.
Θαλῆς μὲν οὖν λέγεται τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐπίδειξιν ποιήσασθαι τῆς σοφίας·
Thales, then, is said to have made an exhibition of his wisdom in this way.
ἔστι δʼ, ὥσπερ εἴπομεν, καθόλου τὸ τοιοῦτον χρηματιστικόν, ἐάν τις δύνηται μονοπωλίαν αὑτῷ κατασκευάζειν.
But, as we said, such a device is of universal application in finance, if one is able to secure a monopoly for oneself.
διὸ καὶ τῶν πόλεων ἔνιαι τοῦτον ποιοῦνται τὸν πόρον, ὅταν ἀπορῶσι χρημάτων· μονοπωλίαν γὰρ τῶν ὠνίων ποιοῦσιν.
Therefore, some cities also make this their resource when they lack money; for they establish a monopoly of commodities.
ἐν Σικελίᾳ δέ τις τεθέντος παρʼ αὐτῷ νομίσματος συνεπρίατο πάντα τὸν σίδηρον ἐκ τῶν σιδηρείων, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ὡς ἀφίκοντο ἐκ τῶν ἐμπορίων οἱ ἔμποροι, ἐπώλει μόνος, οὐ πολλὴν ποιήσας ὑπερβολὴν τῆς τιμῆς· ἀλλʼ ὅμως ἐπὶ τοῖς πεντήκοντα ταλάντοις ἐπέλαβεν ἑκατόν.
In Sicily, a certain person, when money had been deposited with him, bought up all the iron from the ironworks, and afterwards, when the merchants came from the markets, he was the sole seller, not making a great excess in the price; but nevertheless, he gained a hundred talents on his fifty talents.
τοῦτο μὲν οὖν Διονύσιος αἰσθόμενος τὰ μὲν χρήματα ἐκέλευσεν ἐκκομίσασθαι, μὴ μέντοι γε ἔτι μένειν ἐν Συρακούσαις, ὡς πόρους εὑρίσκοντα τοῖς αὑτοῦ πράγμασιν ἀσυμφόρους·
Now Dionysius, when he perceived this, ordered him to take away his money, but not to remain any longer in Syracuse, since he found resources that were disadvantageous to Dionysius's own affairs.
τὸ μέντοι ὅραμα Θάλεω καὶ τοῦτο ταὐτόν ἐστιν· ἀμφότεροι γὰρ ἑαυτοῖς ἐτέχνασαν γενέσθαι μονοπωλίαν.
However, the vision of Thales and this one are the same; for both of them engineered a monopoly for themselves.
χρήσιμον δὲ γνωρίζειν ταῦτα καὶ τοῖς πολιτικοῖς. πολλαῖς γὰρ πόλεσι δεῖ χρηματισμοῦ καὶ τοιούτων πόρων, ὥσπερ οἰκίᾳ, μᾶλλον δέ· διόπερ τινὲς καὶ πολιτεύονται τῶν πολιτευομένων ταῦτα μόνον.
And it is useful for politicians also to know these things; for many cities need finance and such resources even more than a household; which is why some of those who engage in politics do so only for this.
ἐπεὶ δὲ τρία μέρη τῆς οἰκονομικῆς ἦν, ἓν μὲν δεσποτική, περὶ ἧς εἴρηται πρότερον, ἓν δὲ πατρική, τρίτον δὲ γαμική (καὶ γὰρ γυναικὸς ἄρχει καὶ τέκνων, ὡς ἐλευθέρων μὲν ἀμφοῖν, οὐ τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ τρόπον τῆς ἀρχῆς,
Since, then, there were three parts of household management—one being the rule of a master, of which we have spoken before, one the rule of a father, and third the rule of a husband (for he rules his wife and children, both indeed as free, but not in the same manner of rule...