§2.1270bβουλόμενος γὰρ ὁ νομοθέτης ὡς πλείστους εἶναι τοὺς Σπαρτιάτας, προάγεται τοὺς πολίτας ὅτι πλείστους ποιεῖσθαι παῖδας· ἔστι γὰρ αὐτοῖς νόμος τὸν μὲν γεννήσαντα τρεῖς υἱοὺς ἄφρουρον εἶναι, τὸν δὲ τέτταρας ἀτελῆ πάντων.
For the legislator, wishing the Spartans to be as numerous as possible, encourages the citizens to produce as many children as possible; for they have a law that the father of three sons is exempt from military service, and the father of four is exempt from all taxes.
καίτοι φανερὸν ὅτι πολλῶν γινομένων, τῆς δὲ χώρας οὕτω διῃρημένης, ἀναγκαῖον πολλοὺς γίνεσθαι πένητας.
And yet it is clear that if many children are born and the land is divided in this way, many must of necessity become poor.
ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ τὰ περὶ τὴν ἐφορείαν ἔχει φαύλως.
Furthermore, the matters concerning the ephorate are also in a bad state.
ἡ γὰρ ἀρχὴ κυρία μὲν αὐτὴ τῶν μεγίστων αὐτοῖς ἐστιν, γίνονται δʼ ἐκ τοῦ δήμου παντός, ὥστε πολλάκις ἐμπίπτουσιν ἄνθρωποι σφόδρα πένητες εἰς τὸ ἀρχεῖον, οἳ διὰ τὴν ἀπορίαν ὤνιοι ἦσαν.
For this office is itself supreme over their most important affairs, but they are chosen from the whole people, so that often very poor men get into the office, who because of their poverty were open to bribery.
ἐδήλωσαν δὲ πολλάκις μὲν καὶ πρότερον, καὶ νῦν δὲ ἐν τοῖς Ἀνδρίοις· διαφθαρέντες γὰρ ἀργυρίῳ τινές, ὅσον ἐφʼ ἑαυτοῖς, ὅλην τὴν πόλιν ἀπώλεσαν, καὶ διὰ τὸ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἶναι λίαν μεγάλην καὶ ἰσοτύραννον δημαγωγεῖν ἠναγκάζοντο καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς, ὥστε καὶ ταύτῃ συνεπιβλάπτεσθαι τὴν πολιτείαν· δημοκρατία γὰρ ἐξ ἀριστοκρατίας συνέβαινεν.
This they made clear many times before, and recently in the affair of the Andrians; for certain men, having been corrupted by money, ruined the whole city as far as lay in their power. And because the office was too great and equal to a tyranny, even the kings were forced to court the people, so that in this way also the constitution was damaged along with it; for a democracy arose out of an aristocracy.
συνέχει μὲν οὖν τὴν πολιτείαν τὸ ἀρχεῖον τοῦτο—ἡσυχάζει γὰρ ὁ δῆμος διὰ τὸ μετέχειν τῆς μεγίστης ἀρχῆς, ὥστʼ εἴτε διὰ τὸν νομοθέτην εἴτε διὰ τύχην τοῦτο συμπέπτωκεν, συμφερόντως ἔχει τοῖς πράγμασιν· δεῖ γὰρ τὴν πολιτείαν τὴν μέλλουσαν σῴζεσθαι πάντα βούλεσθαι τὰ μέρη τῆς πόλεως εἶναι καὶ διαμένειν κατὰ ταὐτά·
To be sure, this office holds the constitution together—for the people remain quiet because they share in the greatest office, so that whether this has come about through the legislator or through fortune, it is advantageous for the affairs; for a constitution that is to be preserved must wish all parts of the city to exist and to remain in the same state.
οἱ μὲν οὖν βασιλεῖς διὰ τὴν αὑτῶν τιμὴν οὕτως ἔχουσιν, οἱ δὲ καλοὶ κἀγαθοὶ διὰ τὴν γερουσίαν (ἆθλον γὰρ ἡ ἀρχὴ αὕτη τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐστιν), ὁ δὲ δῆμος διὰ τὴν ἐφορείαν (καθίσταται γὰρ ἐξ ἁπάντων)—ἀλλʼ αἱρετὴν ἔδει τὴν ἀρχὴν εἶναι ταύτην ἐξ ἁπάντων μέν, μὴ τὸν τρόπον δὲ τοῦτον ὃν νῦν (παιδαριώδης γάρ ἐστι λίαν).
Now, the kings are thus disposed because of their own honor, the gentlemen because of the senate (for this office is a prize of virtue), and the people because of the ephorate (for it is established from all). But this office, while it ought to be chosen from all, should not be chosen in this manner which is now used (for it is too childish).
ἔτι δὲ καὶ κρίσεών εἰσι μεγάλων κύριοι, ὄντες οἱ τυχόντες, διόπερ οὐκ αὐτογνώμονας βέλτιον κρίνειν ἀλλὰ κατὰ γράμματα καὶ τοὺς νόμους.
Furthermore, they are supreme over great judgments, although they are ordinary men, wherefore it is better for them to judge not according to their own opinion but according to written rules and the laws.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἡ δίαιτα τῶν ἐφόρων οὐχ ὁμολογουμένη τῷ βουλήματι τῆς πόλεως· αὐτὴ μὲν γὰρ ἀνειμένη λίαν ἐστίν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις μᾶλλον ὑπερβάλλει ἐπὶ τὸ σκληρόν, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι καρτερεῖν ἀλλὰ λάθρᾳ τὸν νόμον ἀποδιδράσκοντας ἀπολαύειν τῶν σωματικῶν ἡδονῶν.
Also, the lifestyle of the ephors is not in harmony with the intention of the city; for it is itself too relaxed, while in other respects it errs rather on the side of severity, so that they cannot endure it, but secretly run away from the law to enjoy bodily pleasures.
ἔχει δὲ καὶ τὰ περὶ τὴν τῶν γερόντων ἀρχὴν οὐ καλῶς αὐτοῖς.
The matters concerning the office of the elders are also not in a good state for them.
ἐπιεικῶν μὲν γὰρ ὄντων καὶ πεπαιδευμένων ἱκανῶς πρὸς ἀνδραγαθίαν τάχʼ ἂν εἴπειέ τις συμφέρειν τῇ πόλει, καίτοι τό γε διὰ βίου κυρίους εἶναι κρίσεων μεγάλων ἀμφισβητήσιμον (ἕστι γάρ, ὥσπερ καὶ σώματος, καὶ διανοίας γῆρας)·
For if they were good men and sufficiently trained in manly virtue, one might perhaps say that it is advantageous to the city, and yet their being supreme over great judgments for life is disputable; for there is an old age of the mind, just as there is of the body.