§5.1302aταῦτα δʼ ἐν πλείοσιν· εὐγενεῖς γὰρ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ οὐδαμοῦ ἑκατόν, εὔποροι δὲ πολλαχοῦ.
while these belong to a larger number; for nowhere are there a hundred men of noble birth and virtue, but rich men are in many places.
τὸ δὲ ἁπλῶς πάντῃ καθʼ ἑκατέραν τετάχθαι τὴν ἰσότητα φαῦλον.
But to be organized absolutely and entirely according to either form of equality is bad.
φανερὸν δʼ ἐκ τοῦ συμβαίνοντος· οὐδεμία γὰρ μόνιμος ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων πολιτειῶν.
This is clear from what happens; for none of such constitutions is permanent.
τούτου δʼ αἴτιον ὅτι ἀδύνατον ἀπὸ τοῦ πρώτου καὶ τοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ ἡμαρτημένου μὴ ἀπαντᾶν εἰς τὸ τέλος κακόν τι.
And the cause of this is that it is impossible, starting from a first error committed at the beginning, not to meet with some evil in the end.
διὸ δεῖ τὰ μὲν ἀριθμητικῇ ἰσότητι χρῆσθαι, τὰ δὲ τῇ κατʼ ἀξίαν.
Therefore, one must use numerical equality in some things, and equality according to merit in others.
ὅμως δὲ ἀσφαλεστέρα καὶ ἀστασίαστος μᾶλλον ἡ δημοκρατία τῆς ὀλιγαρχίας.
Nevertheless, democracy is safer and more free from faction than oligarchy.
ἐν μὲν γὰρ ταῖς ὀλιγαρχίαις ἐγγίνονται δύο, ἥ τε πρὸς ἀλλήλους στάσις καὶ ἔτι ἡ πρὸς τὸν δῆμον, ἐν δὲ ταῖς δημοκρατίαις ἡ πρὸς τὴν ὀλιγαρχίαν μόνον, αὐτῷ δὲ πρὸς αὑτόν, ὅ τι καὶ ἄξιον εἰπεῖν, οὐκ ἐγγίνεται τῷ δήμῳ στάσις·
For in oligarchies two kinds of faction arise, both that of the oligarchs against one another and further that against the people, whereas in democracies there is only the faction against the oligarchy, while faction of the people against itself, which is indeed worth mentioning, does not arise.
ἔτι δὲ ἡ ἐκ τῶν μέσων πολιτεία ἐγγυτέρω τοῦ δήμου ἢ τῶν ὀλίγων· ἥπερ ἐστὶν ἀσφαλεστάτη τῶν τοιούτων πολιτειῶν.
Further, the constitution based on the middle class is closer to the people than to the few, which is the safest of such constitutions.
ἐπεὶ δὲ σκοποῦμεν ἐκ τίνων αἵ τε στάσεις γίνονται καὶ αἱ μεταβολαὶ περὶ τὰς πολιτείας, ληπτέον καθόλου πρῶτον τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς αἰτίας αὐτῶν.
Since we are examining from what causes factions and changes in constitutions arise, we must first grasp their starting points and causes in general.
εἰσὶ δὴ σχεδὸν ὡς εἰπεῖν τρεῖς τὸν ἀριθμόν, ἃς διοριστέον καθʼ αὑτὰς τύπῳ πρῶτον.
They are, so to speak, nearly three in number, which we must first define by themselves in outline.
δεῖ γὰρ λαβεῖν πῶς τε ἔχοντες στασιάζουσι καὶ τίνων ἕνεκεν, καὶ τρίτον τίνες ἀρχαὶ γίνονται τῶν πολιτικῶν ταραχῶν καὶ τῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους στάσεων.
For we must grasp in what state of mind men rebel, and for what purposes, and thirdly, what are the starting points of political disturbances and of factions against one another.
τοῦ μὲν οὖν αὐτοὺς ἔχειν πως πρὸς τὴν μεταβολὴν αἰτίαν καθόλου μάλιστα θετέον περὶ ἧς ἤδη τυγχάνομεν εἰρηκότες.
Now, as the general cause of their being in a certain state of mind toward change, we must chiefly set down the one we happen to have already spoken of.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἰσότητος ἐφιέμενοι στασιάζουσιν ἂν νομίζωσιν ἔλαττον ἔχειν ὄντες ἴσοι τοῖς πλεονεκτοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ τῆς ἀνισότητος καὶ τῆς ὑπεροχῆς ἂν ὑπολαμβάνωσιν ὄντες ἄνισοι μὴ πλέον ἔχειν ἀλλʼ ἴσον ἢ ἔλαττον (τούτων δʼ ἔστι μὲν ὀρέγεσθαι δικαίως, ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἀδίκως)·
For those who aim at equality rebel if they think they have less although they are equal to those who have more; and those who aim at inequality and superiority rebel if they assume that, being unequal, they do not have more but only equal or less (and of these things it is possible to reach out for justly, but also unjustly).
ἐλάττους τε γὰρ ὄντες ὅπως ἴσοι ὦσι στασιάζουσι, καὶ ἴσοι ὄντες ὅπως μείζους.
For being less, they rebel in order that they may be equal, and being equal, in order that they may be greater.
πῶς μὲν οὖν ἔχοντες στασιάζουσιν, εἴρηται·
In what state of mind they rebel, then, has been said.
περὶ ὧν δὲ στασιάζουσιν ἐστὶ κέρδος καὶ τιμὴ καὶ τἀναντία τούτοις.
The things about which they rebel are gain and honor, and their opposites.
καὶ γὰρ ἀτιμίαν φεύγοντες καὶ ζημίαν, ἢ ὑπὲρ αὑτῶν ἢ τῶν φίλων, στασιάζουσιν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν.
For they also rebel in the cities to avoid dishonor and loss, either on their own behalf or for their friends.
αἱ δʼ αἰτίαι καὶ ἀρχαὶ τῶν κινήσεων, ὅθεν αὐτοί τε διατίθενται τὸν εἰρημένον τρόπον καὶ περὶ τῶν λεχθέντων, ἔστι μὲν ὡς τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἑπτὰ τυγχάνουσιν οὖσαι, ἔστι δʼ ὡς πλείους.
But the causes and starting points of the movements, which make them disposed in the way said and about the things mentioned, happen to be seven in number in one way, but more in another.
ὧν δύο μέν ἐστι ταὐτὰ τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὡσαύτως· διὰ κέρδος γὰρ καὶ διὰ τιμὴν καὶ παροξύνονται πρὸς ἀλλήλους οὐχ ἵνα κτήσωνται σφίσιν αὐτοῖς, ὥσπερ εἴρηται πρότερον,
Of these, two are the same as those mentioned, but not in the same way; for it is because of gain and honor that they are also provoked against one another, not in order to acquire them for themselves, as was said before,