§3.1284aκαθʼ ἑκάστην δὲ πολιτείαν ἕτερος, πρὸς δὲ τὴν ἀρίστην ὁ δυνάμενος καὶ προαιρούμενος ἄρχεσθαι καὶ ἄρχειν πρὸς τὸν βίον τὸν κατʼ ἀρετήν.
but under each constitution he is different, while with a view to the best constitution he is one who is able and chooses to be ruled and to rule with a view to the life in accordance with virtue.
εἰ δέ τις ἔστιν εἷς τοσοῦτον διαφέρων κατʼ ἀρετῆς ὑπερβολήν, ἢ πλείους μὲν ἑνὸς μὴ μέντοι δυνατοὶ πλήρωμα παρασχέσθαι πόλεως, ὥστε μὴ συμβλητὴν εἶναι τὴν τῶν ἄλλων ἀρετὴν πάντων μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῶν τὴν πολιτικὴν πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνων, εἰ πλείους, εἰ δʼ εἷς, τὴν ἐκείνου μόνον, οὐκέτι θετέον τούτους μέρος πόλεως·
But if there is some one person so outstanding in his excess of virtue, or more than one but not able to provide the full complement of a city, so that the virtue of all the others and their political power is not comparable to theirs, if there are more, or if there is one, to his alone, such persons must no longer be considered a part of the city.
ἀδικήσονται γὰρ ἀξιούμενοι τῶν ἴσων, ἄνισοι τοσοῦτον κατʼ ἀρετὴν ὄντες καὶ τὴν πολιτικὴν δύναμιν· ὥσπερ γὰρ θεὸν ἐν ἀνθρώποις εἰκὸς εἶναι τὸν τοιοῦτον.
For they will be wronged if they are deemed worthy of equal things, being so unequal in virtue and political power; for it is likely that such a person is like a god among men.
ὅθεν δῆλον ὅτι καὶ τὴν νομοθεσίαν ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι περὶ τοὺς ἴσους καὶ τῷ γένει καὶ τῇ δυνάμει, κατὰ δὲ τῶν τοιούτων οὐκ ἔστι νόμος· αὐτοὶ γάρ εἰσι νόμος.
Hence it is clear that legislation also must necessarily be concerned with those who are equal both in birth and in power, while there is no law against such persons; for they themselves are law.
καὶ γὰρ γελοῖος ἂν εἴη νομοθετεῖν τις πειρώμενος κατʼ αὐτῶν.
For indeed, anyone who attempted to legislate against them would be ridiculous.
λέγοιεν γὰρ ἂν ἴσως ἅπερ Ἀντισθένης ἔφη τοὺς λέοντας δημηγορούντων τῶν δασυπόδων καὶ τὸ ἴσον ἀξιούντων πάντας ἔχειν.
For they would perhaps say what Antisthenes said the lions said when the hares were making public speeches and claiming that all should have equal shares.
διὸ καὶ τίθενται τὸν ὀστρακισμὸν αἱ δημοκρατούμεναι πόλεις, διὰ τὴν τοιαύτην αἰτίαν· αὗται γὰρ δὴ δοκοῦσι διώκειν τὴν ἰσότητα μάλιστα πάντων, ὥστε τοὺς δοκοῦντας ὑπερέχειν δυνάμει διὰ πλοῦτον ἢ πολυφιλίαν ἤ τινα ἄλλην πολιτικὴν ἰσχὺν ὠστράκιζον καὶ μεθίστασαν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως χρόνους ὡρισμένους.
For this reason also, democratically governed cities establish ostracism, on account of such a cause; for these indeed seem to pursue equality most of all, so that those who seemed to excel in power on account of wealth or abundance of friends or any other political strength they would ostracize and remove from the city for definite periods.
μυθολογεῖται δὲ καὶ τοὺς Ἀργοναύτας τὸν Ἡρακλέα καταλιπεῖν διὰ τοιαύτην αἰτίαν· οὐ γὰρ ἐθέλειν αὐτὸν ἄγειν τὴν Ἀργὼ μετὰ τῶν πλωτήρων τῶν ἄλλων, ὡς ὑπερβάλλοντα πολύ.
And it is told in myth that the Argonauts also left Heracles behind for such a cause; for the Argo was not willing to carry him along with the other sailors, on the ground that he excelled too much.
διὸ καὶ τοὺς ψέγοντας τὴν τυραννίδα καὶ τὴν Περιάνδρου Θρασυβούλῳ συμβουλίαν οὐχ ἁπλῶς οἰητέον ὀρθῶς ἐπιτιμᾶν (φασὶ γὰρ τὸν Περίανδρον εἰπεῖν μὲν οὐδὲν πρὸς τὸν πεμφθέντα κήρυκα περὶ τῆς συμβουλίας, ἀφαιροῦντα δὲ τοὺς ὑπερέχοντας τῶν σταχύων ὁμαλῦναι τὴν ἄρουραν· ὅθεν ἀγνοοῦντος μὲν τοῦ κήρυκος τοῦ γιγνομένου τὴν αἰτίαν, ἀπαγγείλαντος δὲ τὸ συμπεσόν, συννοῆσαι τὸν Θρασύβουλον ὅτι δεῖ τοὺς ὑπερέχοντας ἄνδρας ἀναιρεῖν).
For this reason also, those who censure tyranny and the advice of Periander to Thrasybulus must not be thought to criticize simply correctly (for they say that Periander said nothing to the messenger sent to him concerning the advice, but by cutting off the outstanding ears of corn made the field level; whence, though the messenger was ignorant of the cause of what was happening, when he reported what had occurred, Thrasybulus understood that he must destroy the outstanding men).
τοῦτο γὰρ οὐ μόνον συμφέρει τοῖς τυράννοις, οὐδὲ μόνον οἱ τύραννοι ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλʼ ὁμοίως ἔχει καὶ περὶ τὰς ὀλιγαρχίας καὶ τὰς δημοκρατίας· ὁ γὰρ ὀστρακισμὸς τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει δύναμιν τρόπον τινὰ τῷ κολούειν τοὺς ὑπερέχοντας καὶ φυγαδεύειν.
For this is not only advantageous to tyrants, nor is it only tyrants who do it, but it is similarly the case also with regard to oligarchies and democracies; for ostracism has the same effect in a certain way as lopping off the outstanding and exiling them.
τὸ δʼ αὐτὸ καὶ περὶ τὰς πόλεις καὶ τὰ ἔθνη ποιοῦσιν οἱ κύριοι τῆς δυνάμεως, οἷον Ἀθηναῖοι μὲν περὶ Σαμίους καὶ Χίους καὶ Λεσβίους (ἐπεὶ γὰρ θᾶττον ἐγκρατῶς ἔσχον τὴν ἀρχήν, ἐταπείνωσαν αὐτοὺς παρὰ τὰς συνθήκας),
And the masters of power do the very same thing also concerning cities and nations, as for instance the Athenians did concerning the Samians, Chians, and Lesbians (for as soon as they held their empire securely, they humbled them contrary to the treaties),