§5.1316aἐν δὲ τῇ Πολιτείᾳ λέγεται μὲν περὶ τῶν μεταβολῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωκράτους, οὐ μέντοι λέγεται καλῶς.
In the Republic, discussions about the changes of constitutions are made by Socrates, but they are not, however, made well.
τῆς τε γὰρ ἀρίστης πολιτείας καὶ πρώτης οὔσης οὐ λέγει τὴν μεταβολὴν ἰδίως.
For he does not state the change that is peculiar to the best and primary constitution.
φησὶ γὰρ αἴτιον εἶναι τὸ μὴ μένειν μηθὲν ἀλλʼ ἔν τινι περιόδῳ μεταβάλλειν, ἀρχὴν δʼ εἶναι τούτων
"ὧν ἐπίτριτος πυθμὴν πεμπάδι συζυγεὶς δύο ἁρμονίας παρέχεται"
, λέγων ὅταν ὁ τοῦ διαγράμματος ἀριθμὸς τούτου γένηται στερεός, ὡς τῆς φύσεώς ποτε φυούσης φαύλους καὶ κρείττους τῆς παιδείας, τοῦτο μὲν οὖν αὐτὸ λέγων ἴσως οὐ κακῶς (ἐνδέχεται γὰρ εἶναί τινας οὓς παιδευθῆναι καὶ γενέσθαι σπουδαίους ἄνδρας ἀδύνατον), ἀλλʼ αὕτη τί ἂν ἴδιος εἴη μεταβολὴ τῆς ὑπʼ ἐκείνου λεγομένης ἀρίστης πολιτείας μᾶλλον ἢ τῶν ἄλλων πασῶν καὶ τῶν γιγνομένων πάντων;
For he says that the cause is that nothing remains but changes in a certain period, and that the principle of these is "whose root in the ratio of four to three, when conjoined with the five, provides two harmonies," meaning when the number of this diagram becomes solid, on the ground that nature at some time produces inferior people who are superior to education. Now, saying this itself is perhaps not bad (for it is possible that there are some whom it is impossible to be educated and to become excellent men), but why would this change be more peculiar to the best constitution spoken of by him than to all other constitutions and to everything that comes into being?
καὶ διά γε τοῦ χρόνου, διʼ ὃν λέγει πάντα μεταβάλλειν, καὶ τὰ μὴ ἅμα ἀρξάμενα γίγνεσθαι ἅμα μεταβάλλει, οἷον εἰ τῇ προτέρᾳ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγένετο τῆς τροπῆς, ἅμα ἄρα μεταβάλλει;
And indeed, through the time because of which he says all things change, even things that did not begin to come into being at the same time change at the same time; for example, if something came into being on the day before the turn, does it then change at the same time?
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις διὰ τίνʼ αἰτίαν ἐκ ταύτης εἰς τὴν Λακωνικὴν μεταβάλλει;
In addition to these, for what cause does it change from this into the Laconian?
πλεονάκις γὰρ εἰς τὴν ἐναντίαν μεταβάλλουσι πᾶσαι αἱ πολιτεῖαι ἢ τὴν σύνεγγυς.
For all constitutions change more often into the opposite than into the adjacent one.
ὁ δʼ αὐτὸς λόγος καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων μεταβολῶν.
And the same argument holds also for the other changes.
ἐκ γὰρ τῆς Λακωνικῆς, φησί, μεταβάλλει εἰς τὴν ὀλιγαρχίαν, ἐκ δὲ ταύτης εἰς δημοκρατίαν, εἰς τυραννίδα δὲ ἐκ δημοκρατίας.
For from the Laconian, he says, it changes into oligarchy, and from this into democracy, and into tyranny from democracy.
καίτοι καὶ ἀνάπαλιν μεταβάλλουσιν, οἷον ἐκ δήμου εἰς ὀλιγαρχίαν, καὶ μᾶλλον ἢ εἰς μοναρχίαν.
And yet they also change in the reverse direction, for instance from democracy to oligarchy, and indeed more so than into monarchy.
ἔτι δὲ τυραννίδος οὐ λέγει οὔτʼ εἰ ἔσται μεταβολὴ οὔτʼ εἰ μὴ ἔσται, οὔτʼ εἰ ἔσται διὰ τίνʼ αἰτίαν καὶ εἰς ποίαν πολιτείαν, τούτου δʼ αἴτιον ὅτι οὐ ῥᾳδίως ἂν εἶχε λέγειν· ἀόριστον γάρ, ἐπεὶ κατʼ ἐκεῖνον δεῖ εἰς τὴν πρώτην καὶ τὴν ἀρίστην· οὕτω γὰρ ἂν ἐγίγνετο συνεχὲς καὶ κύκλος.
Furthermore, regarding tyranny, he does not state whether there will be a change or whether there will not be, nor, if there is to be, for what cause and into what kind of constitution, and the cause of this is that it would not have been easy for him to say; for it is indefinite, since according to him it ought to change into the first and best, for in this way it would become continuous and a cycle.
ἀλλὰ μεταβάλλει καὶ εἰς τυραννίδα τυραννίς, ὥσπερ ἡ Σικυῶνος ἐκ τῆς Μύρωνος εἰς τὴν Κλεισθένους, καὶ εἰς ὀλιγαρχίαν, ὥσπερ ἡ ἐν Χαλκίδι ἡ Ἀντιλέοντος, καὶ εἰς δημοκρατίαν, ὥσπερ ἡ τῶν Γέλωνος ἐν Συρακούσαις, καὶ εἰς ἀριστοκρατίαν, ὥσπερ ἡ Χαρίλλου ἐν Λακεδαίμονι,.
But tyranny also changes into tyranny, as that of Sicyon from that of Myron into that of Cleisthenes, and into oligarchy, as that of Antileon in Chalcis, and into democracy, as that of Gelon's family in Syracuse, and into aristocracy, as that of Charillus in Lacedaemon.
καὶ εἰς τυραννίδα μεταβάλλει ἐξ ὀλιγαρχίας, ὥσπερ ἐν Σικελίᾳ σχεδὸν αἱ πλεῖσται τῶν ἀρχαίων, ἐν Λεοντίνοις εἰς τὴν Παναιτίου τυραννίδα καὶ ἐν Γέλᾳ εἰς τὴν Κλεάνδρου καὶ ἐν Ῥηγίῳ εἰς τὴν Ἀναξιλάου καὶ ἐν ἄλλαις πολλαῖς πόλεσιν ὡσαύτως.
And it changes into tyranny from oligarchy, just as in Sicily almost most of the ancient ones did; in Leontini into the tyranny of Panaetius, and in Gela into that of Cleander, and in Rhegium into that of Anaxilaus, and in many other cities likewise.
ἄτοπον δὲ καὶ τὸ οἴεσθαι εἰς ὀλιγαρχίαν διὰ τοῦτο μεταβάλλειν ὅτι φιλοχρήματοι καὶ χρηματισταὶ οἱ ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς, §5.1316bἀλλʼ οὐχ ὅτι οἱ πολὺ ὑπερέχοντες ταῖς οὐσίαις οὐ δίκαιον οἴονται εἶναι ἴσον μετέχειν τῆς πόλεως τοὺς κεκτημένους μηθὲν τοῖς κεκτημένοις· ἐν πολλαῖς τε ὀλιγαρχίαις οὐκ ἔξεστι χρηματίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ νόμοι εἰσὶν οἱ κωλύοντες, ἐν Καρχηδόνι δὲ δημοκρατουμένῃ χρηματίζονται καὶ οὔπω μεταβεβλήκασιν.
And it is also absurd to think that it changes into oligarchy because of this, namely, that those in offices are money-loving and money-makers, rather than because those who greatly excel in property do not think it is just for those who possess nothing to share equally in the city with those who do possess; and in many oligarchies it is not permitted to make money, but there are laws that prevent it, whereas in Carthage, which is democratically governed, they make money and have not yet changed.
ἄτοπον δὲ καὶ τὸ φάναι δύο πόλεις εἶναι τὴν ὀλιγαρχικήν, πλουσίων καὶ πενήτων.
And it is also absurd to assert that the oligarchical city consists of two cities, that of the rich and that of the poor.
τί γὰρ αὕτη μᾶλλον τῆς Λακωνικῆς πέπονθεν ἢ ὁποιασοῦν ἄλλης, οὗ μὴ πάντες κέκτηνται ἴσα ἢ μὴ πάντες ὁμοίως εἰσὶν ἀγαθοὶ ἄνδρες;
For why has this constitution suffered this more than the Laconian, or any other whatsoever, where all do not possess equal property or all are not likewise good men?
οὐδενὸς δὲ πενεστέρου γενομένου ἢ πρότερον οὐδὲν ἧττον μεταβάλλουσιν εἰς δῆμον ἐξ ὀλιγαρχίας, ἂν γένωνται πλείους οἱ ἄποροι, καὶ ἐκ δήμου εἰς ὀλιγαρχίαν, ἐὰν κρεῖττον ᾖ τοῦ πλήθους τὸ εὔπορον καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀμελῶσιν οἱ δὲ προσέχωσι τὸν νοῦν.
And even if no one has become poorer than before, they change none the less from oligarchy to democracy if the needy become more numerous, and from democracy to oligarchy if the wealthy class is stronger than the multitude and the latter are neglectful while the former pay close attention.
πολλῶν τε οὐσῶν αἰτιῶν διʼ ὧν γίγνονται αἱ μεταβολαί, οὐ λέγει ἀλλʼ ἢ μίαν, ὅτι ἀσωτευόμενοι κατατοκιζόμενοι γίγνονται πένητες, ὡς ἐξ ἀρχῆς πλουσίων ὄντων πάντων ἢ τῶν πλείστων.
And although there are many causes through which changes come about, he states none other than one, namely, that by living wastefully and paying heavy interest they become poor, as if all or most people were rich from the beginning.
τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶ ψεῦδος· ἀλλʼ ὅταν μὲν τῶν ἡγεμόνων τινὲς ἀπολέσωσι τὰς οὐσίας, καινοτομοῦσιν, ὅταν δὲ τῶν ἄλλων, οὐθὲν γίγνεται δεινόν, καὶ μεταβάλλουσιν οὐθὲν μᾶλλον οὐδὲ τότε εἰς δῆμον ἢ εἰς ἄλλην πολιτείαν.
But this is false; rather, when some of the leaders lose their property they innovate, but when some of the others do so, nothing terrible happens, and they do not change any the more even then into democracy than into any other constitution.
ἔτι δὲ κἂν τιμῶν μὴ μετέχωσιν, κἂν ἀδικῶνται ἠ ὑβρίζωνται, στασιάζουσι καὶ μεταβάλλουσι τὰς πολιτείας, κἂν μὴ καταδαπανήσωσι τὴν οὐσίαν, διὰ τὸ ἐξεῖναι ὅ τι ἂν βούλωνται ποιεῖν· οὗ αἰτίαν τὴν ἄγαν ἐλευθερίαν εἶναί φησιν.
Furthermore, even if they do not share in honors, or if they are wronged or insulted, they revolt and change their constitutions, even if they have not spent their property, because of being permitted to do whatever they wish; the cause of which he says is excessive freedom.
πλειόνων δʼ οὐσῶν ὀλιγαρχιῶν καὶ δημοκρατιῶν, ὡς μιᾶς οὔσης ἑκατέρας λέγει τὰς μεταβολὰς ὁ Σωκράτης.
And although there are multiple oligarchies and democracies, Socrates speaks of their changes as if each of them were single.