§4.1295bἐν ἁπάσαις δὴ ταῖς πόλεσιν ἔστι τρία μέρη τῆς πόλεως, οἱ μὲν εὔποροι σφόδρα, οἱ δὲ ἄποροι σφόδρα, οἱ δὲ τρίτοι οἱ μέσοι τούτων.
Indeed, in all cities there are three parts of the city: those who are extremely well-off, those who are extremely needy, and thirdly, those who are in the middle of these.
ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ὁμολογεῖται τὸ μέτριον ἄριστον καὶ τὸ μέσον, φανερὸν ὅτι καὶ τῶν εὐτυχημάτων ἡ κτῆσις ἡ μέση βελτίστη πάντων.
Since, therefore, it is agreed that what is moderate and in the middle is best, it is clear that also the possession of fortunate assets in a middle amount is best of all.
ῥᾴστη γὰρ τῷ λόγῳ πειθαρχεῖν, ὑπέρκαλον δὲ ἢ ὑπερίσχυρον ἢ ὑπερευγενῆ ἢ ὑπερπλούσιον ὄντα, ἢ τἀναντία τούτοις, ὑπέρπτωχον ἢ ὑπερασθενῆ ἢ σφόδρα ἄτιμον, χαλεπὸν τῷ λόγῳ ἀκολουθεῖν·
For this possession is easiest to obey reason. But for one who is exceedingly beautiful or exceedingly strong or exceedingly well-born or exceedingly rich, or the opposites of these, exceedingly poor or exceedingly weak or highly dishonored, it is difficult to follow reason.
γίγνονται γὰρ οἱ μὲν ὑβρισταὶ καὶ μεγαλοπόνηροι μᾶλλον, οἱ δὲ κακοῦργοι καὶ μικροπόνηροι λίαν, τῶν δʼ ἀδικημάτων τὰ μὲν γίγνεται διʼ ὕβριν τὰ δὲ διὰ κακουργίαν.
For the former become insolent and rather big-scale rogues, while the latter become wrongdoers and overly petty rogues, and of injustices some come about through insolence, others through wrongdoing.
ἔτι δὲ ἥκισθʼ οὗτοι φυγαρχοῦσι καὶ σπουδαρχοῦσιν, ταῦτα δʼ ἀμφότερα βλαβερὰ ταῖς πόλεσιν.
Moreover, these are least of all avoiders of office and seekers of office, both of which are harmful to cities.
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις οἱ μὲν ἐν ὑπεροχαῖς εὐτυχημάτων ὄντες, ἰσχύος καὶ πλούτου καὶ φίλων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τοιούτων, ἄρχεσθαι οὔτε βούλονται οὔτε ἐπίστανται (καὶ τοῦτʼ εὐθὺς οἴκοθεν ὑπάρχει παισὶν οὖσιν· διὰ γὰρ τὴν τρυφὴν οὐδʼ ἐν τοῖς διδασκαλείοις ἄρχεσθαι σύνηθες αὐτοῖς), οἱ δὲ καθʼ ὑπερβολὴν ἐν ἐνδείᾳ τούτων ταπεινοὶ λίαν.
In addition to these, those who are in excesses of fortunate assets—strength, wealth, friends, and other such things—neither wish to be ruled nor know how to be ruled (and this is present in them right from home when they are children; for because of luxury they are not accustomed to being ruled even in schools); while those who are in extreme deficiency of these are too degraded.
ὥσθʼ οἱ μὲν ἄρχειν οὐκ ἐπίστανται, ἀλλʼ ἄρχεσθαι δουλικὴν ἀρχήν, οἱ δʼ ἄρχεσθαι μὲν οὐδεμίαν ἀρχήν, ἄρχειν δὲ δεσποτικὴν ἀρχήν.
So that the latter do not know how to rule, but only how to be ruled with a slavish rule, while the former do not know how to submit to any rule, but only how to rule with a masterly rule.
γίνεται οὖν δούλων καὶ δεσποτῶν πόλις, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐλευθέρων, καὶ τῶν μὲν φθονούντων τῶν δὲ καταφρονούντων·
There comes about, then, a city of slaves and masters, but not of free men, with the ones envying and the others despising; things which are farthest removed from friendship and political community.
ἃ πλεῖστον ἀπέχει φιλίας καὶ κοινωνίας πολιτικῆς· ἡ γὰρ κοινωνία φιλικόν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁδοῦ βούλονται κοινωνεῖν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς.
For community is friendly; for people do not even wish to share a journey with enemies.
βούλεται δέ γε ἡ πόλις ἐξ ἴσων εἶναι καὶ ὁμοίων ὅτι μάλιστα, τοῦτο δʼ ὑπάρχει μάλιστα τοῖς μέσοις.
But the city wishes to consist as much as possible of equals and peers, and this is present most of all in those who are in the middle.
ὥστʼ ἀναγκαῖον ἄριστα πολιτεύεσθαι ταύτην τὴν πόλιν ἐστὶν ἐξ ὧν φαμὲν φύσει τὴν σύστασιν εἶναι τῆς πόλεως.
So that it is necessary for that city to be best governed which consists of those elements from which we say the constitution of the city is naturally formed.
καὶ σῴζονται δʼ ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν οὗτοι μάλιστα τῶν πολιτῶν.
And these citizens are preserved most of all in the cities.
οὔτε γὰρ αὐτοὶ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων, ὥσπερ οἱ πένητες, ἐπιθυμοῦσιν, οὔτε τῆς τούτων ἕτεροι, καθάπερ τῆς τῶν πλουσίων οἱ πένητες ἐπιθυμοῦσιν· καὶ διὰ τὸ μήτʼ ἐπιβουλεύεσθαι μήτʼ ἐπιβουλεύειν ἀκινδύνως διάγουσιν.
For neither do they themselves covet other people's property, as the poor do, nor do others covet theirs, as the poor covet that of the rich; and because they are neither plotted against nor plot against others, they pass their lives without danger.
διὰ τοῦτο καλῶς ηὔξατο Φωκυλίδης
"
πολλὰ μέσοισιν ἄριστα· μέσος θέλω ἐν πόλει εἶναι. "
δῆλον ἄρα ὅτι καὶ ἡ κοινωνία ἡ πολιτικὴ ἀρίστη ἡ διὰ τῶν μέσων, καὶ τὰς τοιαύτας ἐνδέχεται εὖ πολιτεύεσθαι πόλεις ἐν αἷς δὴ πολὺ τὸ μέσον καὶ κρεῖττον, μάλιστα μὲν ἀμφοῖν, εἰ δὲ μή, θατέρου μέρους· προστιθέμενον γὰρ ποιεῖ ῥοπὴν καὶ κωλύει γίνεσθαι τὰς ἐναντίας ὑπερβολάς.
Therefore Phocylides prayed well: "Many things are best for the middle; I wish to be in the middle in the city." It is clear then that the political community which is through the middle class is also best, and those cities are capable of being well governed in which the middle element is numerous and stronger, preferably than both of the other parts, but if not, than either one of them; for when it is added, it turns the scale and prevents the opposite excesses from coming about.
διόπερ εὐτυχία μεγίστη τοὺς πολιτευομένους οὐσίαν ἔχειν μέσην καὶ ἱκανήν,
Therefore, it is the greatest good fortune for those who live under a constitution to possess a middle and sufficient property...