§2.1266bτοῦτο δὲ κατοικιζομέναις μὲν εὐθὺς οὐ χαλεπὸν ᾤετο ποιεῖν, τὰς δʼ ἤδη κατοικουμένας ἐργωδέστερον μέν, ὅμως δὲ τάχιστʼ ἂν ὁμαλισθῆναι τῷ τὰς προῖκας τοὺς μὲν πλουσίους διδόναι μὲν λαμβάνειν δὲ μή, τοὺς δὲ πένητας μὴ διδόναι μὲν λαμβάνειν δέ.
He thought that to do this was not difficult for cities that were immediately being founded, but for those already inhabited it was indeed more laborious, yet they could be equalized most quickly by the rich giving dowries but not receiving them, and the poor not giving them but receiving them.
Πλάτων δὲ τοὺς Νόμους γράφων μέχρι μέν τινος ᾤετο δεῖν ἐᾶν, πλεῖον δὲ τοῦ πενταπλασίαν εἶναι τῆς ἐλαχίστης μηδενὶ τῶν πολιτῶν ἐξουσίαν εἶναι κτήσασθαι, καθάπερ εἴρηται καὶ πρότερον.
Plato, on the other hand, writing the Laws, thought that up to a certain point inequality should be allowed, but that no citizen should have the authority to possess more than five times the minimum, just as has been said before.
δεῖ δὲ μηδὲ τοῦτο λανθάνειν τοὺς οὕτω νομοθετοῦντας, ὃ λανθάνει νῦν, ὅτι τὸ τῆς οὐσίας τάττοντας πλῆθος προσήκει καὶ τῶν τέκνων τὸ πλῆθος τάττειν·
But those who legislate in this way must not overlook this point, which is currently overlooked: that when determining the quantity of property, it is also fitting to determine the number of children.
ἐὰν γὰρ ὑπεραίρῃ τῆς οὐσίας τὸ μέγεθος ὁ τῶν τέκνων ἀριθμός, ἀνάγκη τόν γε νόμον λύεσθαι, καὶ χωρὶς τῆς λύσεως φαῦλον τὸ πολλοὺς ἐκ πλουσίων γίνεσθαι πένητας· ἔργον γὰρ μὴ νεωτεροποιοὺς εἶναι τοὺς τοιούτους.
For if the number of children exceeds the size of the property, the law must inevitably be dissolved; and apart from this dissolution, it is a bad thing for many people to become poor from being rich, for it is difficult for such persons not to be revolutionaries.
διότι μὲν οὖν ἔχει τινὰ δύναμιν εἰς τὴν πολιτικὴν κοινωνίαν ἡ τῆς οὐσίας ὁμαλότης, καὶ τῶν πάλαι τινὲς φαίνονται διεγνωκότες, οἷον καὶ Σόλων ἐνομοθέτησεν, καὶ παρʼ ἄλλοις ἔστι νόμος ὃς κωλύει κτᾶσθαι γῆν ὁπόσην ἂν βούληταί τις, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὴν οὐσίαν πωλεῖν οἱ νόμοι κωλύουσιν, ὥσπερ ἐν Λοκροῖς νόμος ἐστὶ μὴ πωλεῖν ἐὰν μὴ φανερὰν ἀτυχίαν δείξῃ συμβεβηκυῖαν, ἔτι δὲ τοὺς παλαιοὺς κλήρους διασῴζειν (τοῦτο δὲ λυθὲν καὶ περὶ Λευκάδα δημοτικὴν ἐποίησε λίαν τὴν πολιτείαν αὐτῶν· οὐ γὰρ ἔτι συνέβαινεν ἀπὸ τῶν ὡρισμένων τιμημάτων εἰς τὰς ἀρχὰς βαδίζειν)·
That, therefore, the equalization of property possesses some influence upon the political community is something that even some of the ancients appear to have recognized; for instance, Solon legislated in this way, and among others there is a law that prevents anyone from acquiring as much land as they wish. Likewise, the laws also prevent the selling of property, just as in Locri there is a law not to sell unless one can show that a clear misfortune has occurred; and furthermore, there is a law to preserve the ancient allotments (and this being dissolved in Leucas also made their constitution excessively democratic, for it no longer happened that they proceeded to offices on the basis of the designated property-ratings).
ἀλλʼ ἔστι τὴν ἰσότητα μὲν ὑπάρχειν τῆς οὐσίας, ταύτην δʼ ἢ λίαν εἶναι πολλήν, ὥστε τρυφᾶν, ἢ λίαν ὀλίγην, ὥστε ζῆν γλίσχρως.
But it is possible that while equality of property exists, this property is either excessively large, so that they live in luxury, or excessively small, so that they live penuriously.
δῆλον οὖν ὡς οὐχ ἱκανὸν τὸ τὰς οὐσίας ἴσας ποιῆσαι τὸν νομοθέτην, ἀλλὰ τοῦ μέσου στοχαστέον.
It is clear, therefore, that it is not sufficient for the legislator to make properties equal, but he must aim at the mean.
ἔτι δʼ εἴ τις καὶ τὴν μετρίαν τάξειεν οὐσίαν πᾶσιν, οὐδὲν ὄφελος· μᾶλλον γὰρ δεῖ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας ὁμαλίζειν ἢ τὰς οὐσίας, τοῦτο δʼ οὐκ ἔστι μὴ παιδευομένοις ἱκανῶς ὑπὸ τῶν νόμων.
And further, even if someone should set a moderate property for all, it is of no use; for one must equalize desires rather than properties, and this is not possible for those who are not adequately educated by the laws.
ἀλλʼ ἴσως ἂν εἴπειεν ὁ Φαλέας ὅτι ταῦτα τυγχάνει λέγων αὐτός· οἴεται γὰρ δυοῖν τούτοιν ἰσότητα δεῖν ὑπάρχειν ταῖς πόλεσιν, κτήσεως καὶ παιδείας.
But perhaps Phaleas would say that he himself happens to mean these very things; for he thinks that equality in these two things must belong to cities: possession and education.
ἀλλὰ τήν παιδείαν ἥτις ἔσται δεῖ λέγειν, καὶ τὸ μίαν εἶναι καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν οὐδὲν ὄφελος· ἔστι γὰρ τὴν αὐτὴν μὲν εἶναι καὶ μίαν, ἀλλὰ ταύτην εἶναι τοιαύτην ἐξ ἧς ἔσονται προαιρετικοὶ τοῦ πλεονεκτεῖν ἢ χρημάτων ἢ τιμῆς ἢ συναμφοτέρων.
But one must state what this education will be, and its being one and the same is of no use; for it is possible for it to be one and the same, yet of such a kind that from it they will be disposed to choose to take more than their share of either money or honor or both together.
ἔτι στασιάζουσιν οὐ μόνον διὰ τὴν ἀνισότητα τῆς κτήσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὴν τῶν τιμῶν, τοὐναντίον δὲ περὶ ἑκάτερον· οἱ μὲν γὰρ πολλοὶ διὰ τὸ περὶ τὰς κτήσεις ἄνισον,
Furthermore, they engage in factional strife not only because of the inequality of possessions, but also because of that of honors, and indeed in opposite ways concerning each; for the multitude do so because of the inequality concerning possessions,