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Aristotle · Politics §2.1268a

Hippodamus's Laws and Critique of His Civic Classes

Passage 30 of 155 · Greek

Summary

Following the introduction of Hippodamus's proposals on judicial, honorary, and public welfare systems, the text critically analyzes the inconsistency of his civic division, noting the virtual enslavement of unarmed citizens and the irrational position of farmers.

§2.1268aτὰς δὲ κρίσεις ἐν τοῖς δικαστηρίοις οὐ διὰ ψηφοφορίας ᾤετο γίγνεσθαι δεῖν, ἀλλὰ φέρειν ἕκαστον πινάκιον, ἐν ᾧ γράφειν, εἰ καταδικάζοι ἁπλῶς, τὴν δίκην, εἰ δʼ ἀπολύοι ἁπλῶς, κενόν, εἰ δὲ τὸ μὲν τὸ δὲ μή, τοῦτο διορίζειν.
And he thought that judgments in the courts should not take place by voting, but that each person should bring a tablet, on which he should write, if he should condemn unconditionally, the verdict, but if he should acquit unconditionally, leave it blank, and if he should condemn in part and acquit in part, he should specify this.
νῦν γὰρ οὐκ ᾤετο νενομοθετῆσθαι καλῶς· ἀναγκάζειν γὰρ ἐπιορκεῖν ἢ ταῦτα ἢ ταῦτα δικάζοντας.
For he thought that the current legislation was not well enacted; for it forces those who judge either this or that to violate their oath.
ἔτι δὲ νόμον ἐτίθει περὶ τῶν εὑρισκόντων τι τῇ πόλει συμφέρον, ὅπως τυγχάνωσι τιμῆς, καὶ τοῖς παισὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ τελευτώντων ἐκ δημοσίου γίνεσθαι τὴν τροφήν, ὡς οὔπω τοῦτο παρʼ ἄλλοις νενομοθετημένον (ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἐν Ἀθήναις οὗτος ὁ νόμος νῦν καὶ ἐν ἑτέραις τῶν πόλεων)· τοὺς δʼ ἄρχοντας αἱρετοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου εἶναι πάντας.
Furthermore, he proposed a law concerning those who discover something advantageous to the city, so that they might receive honor, and that the maintenance of the children of those who die in war should come from the public treasury, as if this had not yet been legislated among others (though this law exists now both in Athens and in other of the cities); and that the rulers should all be elected by the people.
δῆμον δʼ ἐποίει τὰ τρία μέρη τῆς πόλεως· τοὺς δʼ αἱρεθέντας ἐπιμελεῖσθαι κοινῶν καὶ ξενικῶν καὶ ὀρφανικῶν.
And he made the three parts of the city the people; and those who were elected should take care of public, foreign, and orphan affairs.
τὰ μὲν οὖν πλεῖστα καὶ τὰ μάλιστα ἀξιόλογα τῆς Ἱπποδάμου τάξεως ταῦτʼ ἐστίν·
These, then, are the most numerous and the most noteworthy features of the system of Hippodamus.
ἀπορήσειε δʼ ἄν τις πρῶτον μὲν τὴν διαίρεσιν τοῦ πλήθους τῶν πολιτῶν.
But one might raise a difficulty first, indeed, concerning the division of the multitude of citizens.
οἵ τε γὰρ τεχνῖται καὶ οἱ γεωργοὶ καὶ οἱ τὰ ὅπλα ἔχοντες κοινωνοῦσι τῆς πολιτείας πάντες, οἱ μὲν γεωργοὶ οὐκ ἔχοντες ὅπλα, οἱ δὲ τεχνῖται οὔτε γῆν οὔτε ὅπλα, ὥστε γίνονται σχεδὸν δοῦλοι τῶν τὰ ὅπλα κεκτημένων.
For both the artisans and the farmers and those who possess weapons all share in the constitution, but the farmers do not possess weapons, and the artisans possess neither land nor weapons, so that they become almost slaves of those who have acquired weapons.
μετέχειν μὲν οὖν πασῶν τῶν τιμῶν ἀδύνατον (ἀνάγκη γὰρ ἐκ τῶν τὰ ὅπλα ἐχόντων καθίστασθαι καὶ στρατηγοὺς καὶ πολιτοφύλακας καὶ τὰς κυριωτάτας ἀρχὰς ὡς εἰπεῖν)· μὴ μετέχοντας δὲ τῆς πολιτείας πῶς οἷόν τε φιλικῶς ἔχειν πρὸς τὴν πολιτείαν;
Therefore, it is impossible for them to share in all the honors (for it is necessary that both generals and guardians of the state and, so to speak, the most authoritative offices be established from those who possess weapons); but not sharing in the constitution, how is it possible for them to be friendly disposed toward the constitution?
"ἀλλὰ δεῖ καὶ κρείττους εἶναι τοὺς τὰ ὅπλα γε κεκτημένους ἀμφοτέρων τῶν μερῶν" . τοῦτο δʼ οὐ ῥᾴδιον μὴ πολλοὺς ὄντας· εἰ δὲ τοῦτʼ ἔσται, τί δεῖ τοὺς ἄλλους μετέχειν τῆς πολιτείας καὶ κυρίους εἶναι τῆς τῶν ἀρχόντων καταστάσεως;
'But those who have acquired weapons must also be stronger than both parts.' But this is not easy unless they are numerous; and if this is to be the case, why is it necessary for the others to share in the constitution and to have authority over the appointment of the rulers?
ἔτι οἱ γεωργοὶ τί χρήσιμοι τῇ πόλει;
Furthermore, of what use are the farmers to the city?
τεχνίτας μὲν γὰρ ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι (πᾶσα γὰρ δεῖται πόλις τεχνιτῶν), καὶ δύνανται διαγίγνεσθαι καθάπερ ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις πόλεσιν ἀπὸ τῆς τέχνης· οἱ δὲ γεωργοὶ πορίζοντες μὲν τοῖς τὰ ὅπλα κεκτημένοις τὴν τροφὴν εὐλόγως ἂν ἦσάν τι τῆς πόλεως μέρος, νῦν δʼ ἰδίαν ἔχουσιν καὶ ταύτην ἰδίᾳ γεωργήσουσιν.
For while it is necessary that there be artisans (for every city needs artisans), and they are able to survive, just as in other cities, by their craft; but the farmers, if they provided maintenance for those who have acquired weapons, would reasonably be some part of the city, but as it is, they have private land and will farm this privately.
ἔτι δὲ τὴν κοινήν, ἀφʼ ἧς οἱ προπολεμοῦντες ἕξουσι τὴν τροφήν, εἰ μὲν αὐτοὶ γεωργήσουσιν, οὐκ ἂν εἴη τὸ μάχιμον ἕτερον καὶ τὸ γεωργοῦν, βούλεται δʼ ὁ νομοθέτης· εἰ δʼ ἕτεροί τινες ἔσονται τῶν τε τὰ ἴδια γεωργούντων καὶ τῶν μαχίμων, τέταρτον αὖ μόριον ἔσται τοῦτο τῆς πόλεως, οὐδενὸς μετέχον, ἀλλὰ ἀλλότριον τῆς πολιτείας· ἀλλὰ μὴν εἴ τις τοὺς αὐτοὺς θήσει τούς τε τὴν ἰδίαν καὶ τοὺς τὴν κοινὴν γεωργοῦντας, τό τε πλῆθος ἄπορον ἔσται τῶν καρπῶν ἐξ ὧν ἕκαστος γεωργήσει δύο οἰκίαις,
Furthermore, as for the common land, from which those who fight in defense will have their maintenance, if they themselves are to farm it, the fighting class and the farming class would not be different, yet the legislator wishes them to be; and if there are to be some others, distinct from both those who farm private lands and those who fight, this will be in turn a fourth part of the city, sharing in nothing but alienated from the constitution; but indeed, if one makes the same persons farm both the private and the common land, the quantity of crops from which each will farm for two households will be problematic,

Notes

  1. 1268aεἰ δὲ τὸ μὲν τὸ δὲ μή, τοῦτο διορίζειν — The phrase εἰ δὲ τὸ μὲν τὸ δὲ μή represents "if one part (should be condemned) and the other not," indicating a partial condemnation. διορίζειν (to specify/distinguish) is an infinitive depending on ᾤετο δεῖν.
  2. 1268aἀναγκάζειν γὰρ ἐπιορκεῖν ἢ ταῦτα ἢ ταῦτα δικάζοντας — The subject of ἀναγκάζειν is the current legislation. The subject accusative of ἐπιορκεῖν (to violate one's oath) is the accusative participle δικάζοντας (those who judge). ἢ ταῦτα ἢ ταῦτα refers to the forced simple choice between absolute condemnation or absolute acquittal.
  3. 1268aὡς οὔπω τοῦτο παρʼ ἄλλοις νενομοθετημένον — This is an accusative absolute construction with ὡς and the perfect passive participle νενομοθετημένον, expressing Hippodamus's subjective belief that "this had not yet been legislated among others."
  4. 1268aεὐλόγως ἂν ἦσάν τι τῆς πόλεως μέρος — The verb phrase ἂν ἦσαν expresses a potential or hypothetical conclusion, with the participle πορίζοντες functioning as the protasis ("if they provided..."). τι is an indefinite adjective modifying the noun μέρος, meaning "some part" of the city.
  5. 1268aτό τε πλῆθος ἄπορον ἔσται τῶν καρπῶν ἐξ ὧν ἕκαστος γεωργήσει δύο οἰκίαις — The subject is τό τε πλῆθος τῶν καρπῶν (the quantity of crops), and the predicate is ἄπορον ἔσται (will be problematic/insufficient). The relative clause ἐξ ὧν... refers back to τῶν καρπῶν as its antecedent, and δύο οἰκίαις is a dative of advantage ("for two households").

Cite this passage

Aristotle, Politics §2.1268a. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg035.humanitext-grc2:2.1268a

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