§2.1269aοἷον ἐν Κύμῃ περὶ τὰ φονικὰ νόμος ἔστιν, ἂν πλῆθός τι παράσχηται μαρτύρων ὁ διώκων τὸν φόνον τῶν αὑτοῦ συγγενῶν, ἔνοχον εἶναι τῷ φόνῳ τὸν φεύγοντα.
For instance, in Cyme there is a law concerning homicide, that if the prosecutor of the murder of his own relatives provides a certain number of witnesses, the defendant is guilty of the murder.
ζητοῦσι δʼ ὅλως οὐ τὸ πάτριον ἀλλὰ τἀγαθὸν πάντες·
In general, everyone seeks not what is ancestral, but what is good.
εἰκός τε τοὺς πρώτους, εἴτε γηγενεῖς ἦσαν εἴτʼ ἐκ φθορᾶς τινος ἐσώθησαν, ὁμοίους εἶναι καὶ τοὺς τυχόντας καὶ τοὺς ἀνοήτους, ὥσπερ καὶ λέγεται κατὰ τῶν γηγενῶν, ὥστε ἄτοπον τὸ μένειν ἐν τοῖς τούτων δόγμασιν.
And it is likely that the first men, whether they were earth-born or were saved from some destruction, were similar to ordinary and foolish people, just as is indeed said of the earth-born, so that it is absurd to remain in the decrees of these people.
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις οὐδὲ τοὺς γεγραμμένους ἐᾶν ἀκινήτους βέλτιον.
In addition to these things, neither is it better to leave the written laws unchanged.
ὥσπερ γὰρ καὶ περὶ τὰς ἄλλας τέχνας, καὶ τὴν πολιτικὴν τάξιν ἀδύνατον ἀκριβῶς πάντα γραφῆναι· καθόλου γὰρ ἀναγκαῖον γράφειν, αἱ δὲ πράξεις περὶ τῶν καθʼ ἕκαστόν εἰσιν.
For just as in the other arts, so concerning the political order, it is impossible for everything to be written down precisely; for it is necessary to write in universal terms, but actions are concerned with particulars.
ἐκ μὲν οὖν τούτων φανερὸν ὅτι κινητέοι καὶ τινὲς καὶ ποτὲ τῶν νόμων εἰσίν· ἄλλον δὲ τρόπον ἐπισκοποῦσιν εὐλαβείας ἂν δόξειεν εἶναι πολλῆς.
From these things, then, it is clear that some of the laws must be changed, and at some times; but looking at it in another way, it would seem to require great caution.
ὅταν γὰρ ᾖ τὸ μὲν βέλτιον μικρόν, τὸ δʼ ἐθίζειν εὐχερῶς λύειν τοὺς νόμους φαῦλον, φανερὸν ὡς ἐατέον ἐνίας ἁμαρτίας καὶ τῶν νομοθετῶν καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων· οὐ γὰρ τοσοῦτον ὠφελήσεται κινήσας ὅσον βλαβήσεται τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἀπειθεῖν ἐθισθείς.
For when the improvement is small, while the habit of easily dissolving the laws is an evil, it is clear that some errors both of the legislators and of the rulers should be tolerated; for the one who changes them will not benefit as much as he will be harmed by being accustomed to disobey the rulers.
ψεῦδος δὲ καὶ τὸ παράδειγμα τὸ περὶ τῶν τεχνῶν· οὐ γὰρ ὅμοιον τὸ κινεῖν τέχνην καὶ νόμον·
And the example concerning the arts is also false; for changing an art is not similar to changing a law.
ὁ γὰρ νόμος ἰσχὺν οὐδεμίαν ἔχει πρὸς τὸ πείθεσθαι παρὰ τὸ ἔθος, τοῦτο δʼ οὐ γίνεται εἰ μὴ διὰ χρόνου πλῆθος, ὥστε τὸ ῥᾳδίως μεταβάλλειν ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων νόμων εἰς ἑτέρους νόμους καινοὺς ἀσθενῆ ποιεῖν ἐστι τὴν τοῦ νόμου δύναμιν.
For the law has no power to secure obedience except habit, and this does not arise except through a lapse of much time, so that easily changing from the existing laws to other new laws is to make the power of the law weak.
ἔτι δʼ εἰ καὶ κινητέοι, πότερον πάντες καὶ ἐν πάσῃ πολιτείᾳ, ἢ οὔ;
Furthermore, if they are indeed to be changed, are all of them to be changed, and in every constitution, or not?
καὶ πότερον τῷ τυχόντι ἢ τισίν;
And by anyone, or by certain people?
ταῦτα γὰρ ἔχει μεγάλην διαφοράν.
For these things have a great difference.
διὸ νῦν μὲν ἀφῶμεν ταύτην τὴν σκέψιν· ἄλλων γάρ ἐστι καιρῶν.
Therefore let us dismiss this inquiry for now; for it belongs to other occasions.
περὶ δὲ τῆς Λακεδαιμονίων πολιτείας καὶ τῆς Κρητικῆς, σχεδὸν δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων πολιτειῶν, δύο εἰσὶν αἱ σκέψεις, μία μὲν εἴ τι καλῶς ἢ μὴ καλῶς πρὸς τὴν ἀρίστην νενομοθέτηται τάξιν, ἑτέρα δʼ εἴ τι πρὸς τὴν ὑπόθεσιν καὶ τὸν τρόπον ὑπεναντίως τῆς προκειμένης αὐτοῖς πολιτείας.
Concerning the constitution of the Lacedaemonians and that of the Cretans, and virtually concerning the other constitutions as well, there are two inquiries: one, whether anything has been legislated well or not well with respect to the best order; the other, whether anything is contrary to the assumption and the character of the constitution proposed for them.
ὅτι μὲν οὖν δεῖ τῇ μελλούσῃ καλῶς πολιτεύεσθαι τὴν τῶν ἀναγκαίων ὑπάρχειν σχολήν, ὁμολογούμενόν ἐστιν· τίνα δὲ τρόπον ὑπάρχειν, οὐ ῥᾴδιον λαβεῖν.
Now, that there must belong leisure from necessary tasks to a city that is to be well-governed is agreed; but in what manner this should belong is not easy to grasp.
ἥ τε γὰρ Θετταλῶν πενεστεία πολλάκις ἐπέθετο τοῖς Θετταλοῖς, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τοῖς Λάκωσιν οἱ εἵλωτες (ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐφεδρεύοντες τοῖς ἀτυχήμασι διατελοῦσιν)· περὶ δὲ τοὺς Κρῆτας οὐδέν πω τοιοῦτον συμβέβηκεν.
For the Thessalian Penestae often attacked the Thessalians, and likewise the Helots did the Lacedaemonians (for they continually lie in wait, as it were, for their misfortunes); but concerning the Cretans nothing of the sort has yet happened.
αἴτιον δʼ ἴσως τὸ τὰς γειτνιώσας πόλεις,
And the cause is perhaps that the neighboring cities