§6.1318bἢ γὰρ ἀποκληρωτέον ἢ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον ποιητέον.
For either they must decide by lot or do some other such thing.
ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τοῦ ἴσου καὶ τοῦ δικαίου, κἂν ᾖ πάνυ χαλεπὸν εὑρεῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν περὶ αὐτῶν, ὅμως ῥᾷον τυχεῖν ἢ συμπεῖσαι τοὺς δυναμένους πλεονεκτεῖν·
But although to find the truth about equality and justice is very difficult, yet it is easier to attain it than to persuade those who are able to take more than their share.
ἀεὶ γὰρ ζητοῦσι τὸ ἴσον καὶ τὸ δίκαιον οἱ ἥττους, οἱ δὲ κρατοῦντες οὐδὲν φροντίζουσιν.
For the weaker always seek equality and justice, but those who are in power care nothing for it.
δημοκρατιῶν δʼ οὐσῶν τεττάρων βελτίστη μὲν ἡ πρώτη τάξει, καθάπερ ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τούτων ἐλέχθη λόγοις· ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἀρχαιοτάτη πασῶν αὕτη.
Of the four kinds of democracy, the first in order is the best, as was said in the previous discussions; and this is also the oldest of all.
λέγω δὲ πρώτην ὥσπερ ἄν τις διέλοι τοὺς δήμους.
I call it the first in the sense of how one would classify the populations (demes).
βέλτιστος γὰρ δῆμος ὁ γεωργικός ἐστιν, ὥστε καὶ ποιεῖν ἐνδέχεται δημοκρατίαν ὅπου ζῇ τὸ πλῆθος ἀπὸ γεωργίας ἢ νομῆς.
For the best common people are those who are agriculturalists, so that it is also possible to establish a democracy where the multitude lives by agriculture or pasturage.
διὰ μὲν γὰρ τὸ μὴ πολλὴν οὐσίαν ἔχειν ἄσχολος, ὥστε μὴ πολλάκις ἐκκλησιάζειν διὰ δὲ τὸ ἔχειν τἀναγκαῖα πρὸς τοῖς ἔργοις διατρίβουσι καὶ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων οὐκ ἐπιθυμοῦσιν, ἀλλʼ ἥδιον αὐτοῖς τὸ ἐργάζεσθαι τοῦ πολιτεύεσθαι καὶ ἄρχειν, ὅπου ἂν μὴ ᾖ λήμματα μεγάλα ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχῶν.
For because they do not possess much property they are busy, so that they do not often attend the assembly; and because they have the necessities of life they spend their time in their labors and do not covet the property of others, but to work is more pleasant to them than to engage in politics and to hold office, where there are no great spoils to be gained from the offices.
οἱ γὰρ πολλοὶ μᾶλλον ὀρέγονται τοῦ κέρδους ἢ τῆς τιμῆς.
For the majority desire profit more than honor.
σημεῖον δέ· καὶ γὰρ τὰς ἀρχαίας τυραννίδας ὑπέμενον καὶ τὰς ὀλιγαρχίας ὑπομένουσιν, ἐάν τις αὐτοὺς ἐργάζεσθαι μὴ κωλύῃ μηδʼ ἀφαιρῆται μηθέν· ταχέως γὰρ οἱ μὲν πλουτοῦσιν αὐτῶν οἱ δʼ οὐκ ἀποροῦσιν.
And here is a proof: they used to endure even the ancient tyrannies, and they still endure oligarchies, if only no one prevents them from working or deprives them of anything; for quickly some of them become rich and the others do not lack means.
ἔτι δὲ τὸ κυρίους εἶναι τοῦ ἑλέσθαι καὶ εὐθύνειν ἀναπληροῖ τὴν ἔνδειαν, εἴ τι φιλοτιμίας ἔχουσιν, ἐπεὶ παρʼ ἐνίοις δήμοις, κἂν μὴ μετέχωσι τῆς αἱρέσεως τῶν ἀρχῶν ἀλλά τινες αἱρετοὶ κατὰ μέρος ἐκ πάντων, ὥσπερ ἐν Μαντινείᾳ, τοῦ δὲ βουλεύεσθαι κύριοι ὦσιν, ἱκανῶς ἔχει τοῖς πολλοῖς· καὶ δεῖ νομίζειν καὶ τοῦτʼ εἶναι σχῆμά τι δημοκρατίας, ὥσπερ ἐν Μαντινείᾳ ποτʼ ἦν.
Furthermore, having the power to elect and to call to account fills the lack, if they have any desire for honor, since in some democracies, even if they do not share in the election of offices, but some elected individuals do so by turns from all the citizens, as was the case in Mantinea, yet if they have the power to deliberate, this is sufficient for the majority; and we must consider this also to be a form of democracy, just as it once was in Mantinea.
διὸ δὴ καὶ συμφέρον ἐστὶ τῇ πρότερον ῥηθείσῃ δημοκρατίᾳ καὶ ὑπάρχειν εἴωθεν, αἱρεῖσθαι μὲν τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ εὐθύνειν καὶ δικάζειν πάντας, ἄρχειν δὲ τὰς μεγίστας αἱρετοὺς καὶ ἀπὸ τιμημάτων, τὰς μείζους ἀπὸ μειζόνων, ἢ καὶ ἀπὸ τιμημάτων μὲν μηδεμίαν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς δυναμένους.
Therefore, it is both advantageous to the previously mentioned democracy and is customary for it to exist, that all should elect the offices, audit them, and act as jurors, but that the highest offices should be elective and filled according to property qualifications, the greater offices from greater qualifications, or even that no office should be based on property qualifications, but rather that those who are capable should rule.
ἀνάγκη δὲ πολιτευομένους οὕτω πολιτεύεσθαί καλῶς (αἱ τε γὰρ ἀρχαὶ ἀεὶ διὰ τῶν βελτίστων ἔσονται, τοῦ δήμου βουλομένου καὶ τοῖς ἐπιεικέσιν οὐ φθονοῦντος), καὶ τοῖς ἐπιεικέσι καὶ γνωρίμοις ἀρκοῦσαν εἶναι ταύτην τὴν τάξιν· ἄρξονται γὰρ οὐχ ὑπʼ ἄλλων χειρόνων, καὶ ἄρξουσι δικαίως διὰ τὸ τῶν εὐθυνῶν εἶναι κυρίους ἑτέρους.
And those who govern in this way must necessarily govern well (for the offices will always be held by the best citizens, since the people wish it and do not envy the respectable), and this arrangement will be satisfactory for the respectable and notable; for they will not be ruled by others who are inferior, and they will rule justly because others are sovereign over their audits.
τὸ γὰρ ἐπανακρέμασθαι, καὶ μὴ πᾶν ἐξεῖναι ποιεῖν ὅ τι ἂν δόξῃ, συμφέρον ἐστίν· ἡ γὰρ ἐξουσία τοῦ πράττειν ὅ τι ἂν ἐθέλῃ τις οὐ δύναται φυλάττειν τὸ ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων φαῦλον.
For to be dependent, and not to be allowed to do everything that seems good, is advantageous; for the liberty to do whatever one wishes cannot guard against the evil that is in each of human beings.