§7.1330aἀλλὰ τῇ χρήσει φιλικῶς γινομένῃ κοινήν, οὔτʼ ἀπορεῖν οὐθένα τῶν πολιτῶν τροφῆς.
common in its use, which is made friendly, and that none of the citizens should be in want of food.
περὶ συσσιτίων τε συνδοκεῖ πᾶσι χρήσιμον εἶναι ταῖς εὖ κατεσκευασμέναις πόλεσιν ὑπάρχειν· διʼ ἣν δʼ αἰτίαν συνδοκεῖ καὶ ἡμῖν, ὕστερον ἐροῦμεν.
Concerning common meals, all agree that it is useful for well-ordered states to have them; and for what reason it is agreed also by us, we will state later.
δεῖ δὲ τούτων κοινωνεῖν πάντας τοὺς πολίτας, οὐ ῥᾴδιον δὲ τοὺς ἀπόρους ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων τε εἰσφέρειν τὸ συντεταγμένον καὶ διοικεῖν τὴν ἄλλην οἰκίαν.
All the citizens must share in these, but it is not easy for the needy to contribute the prescribed amount from their private property and at the same time to manage the rest of their household.
ἔτι δὲ τὰ πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς δαπανήματα κοινὰ πάσης τῆς πόλεώς ἐστιν.
Moreover, the expenses for the gods are common to the whole state.
ἀναγκαῖον τοίνυν εἰς δύο μέρη διῃρῆσθαι τὴν χώραν, καὶ τὴν μὲν εἶναι κοινὴν τὴν δὲ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν, καὶ τούτων ἑκατέραν διῃρῆσθαι δίχα πάλιν, τῆς μὲν κοινῆς τὸ μὲν ἕτερον μέρος εἰς τὰς πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς λειτουργίας τὸ δὲ ἕτερον εἰς τὴν τῶν συσσιτίων δαπάνην, τῆς δὲ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν τὸ ἕτερον μέρος τὸ πρὸς τὰς ἐσχατιάς, τὸ δὲ ἕτερον πρὸς πόλιν, ἵνα δύο κλήρων ἑκάστῳ νεμηθέντων ἀμφοτέρων τῶν τόπων πάντες μετέχωσιν.
It is necessary, therefore, that the territory be divided into two parts, and that one part be common and the other belong to private individuals, and each of these two parts be divided again into two. Of the common land, one part should be for the services to the gods, and the other for the expenses of the common meals; of the private land, one part should be toward the frontiers, and the other toward the city, so that, two allotments being distributed to each, all may share in both locations.
τό τε γὰρ ἴσον οὕτως ἔχει καὶ τὸ δίκαιον καὶ τὸ πρὸς τοὺς ἀστυγείτονας πολέμους ὁμονοητικώτερον.
For this holds equality and justice, and a greater harmony in regard to wars with neighboring states.
ὅπου γὰρ μὴ τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον, οἱ μὲν ὀλιγωροῦσι τῆς πρὸς τοὺς ὁμόρους ἔχθρας, οἱ δὲ λίαν φροντίζουσι καὶ παρὰ τὸ καλόν.
For where it is not this way, some disregard enmity with their neighbors, while others care too much and even contrary to what is noble.
διὸ παρʼ ἐνίοις νόμος ἐστὶ τοὺς γειτνιῶντας τοῖς ὁμόροις μὴ συμμετέχειν βουλῆς τῶν πρὸς αὐτοὺς πολέμων, ὡς διὰ τὸ ἴδιον οὐκ ἂν δυναμένους βουλεύσασθαι καλῶς.
Wherefore in some states there is a law that those who neighbor the border should not join in the council concerning wars against them, on the ground that they cannot, because of their private interest, deliberate well.
τὴν μὲν οὖν χώραν ἀνάγκη διῃρῆσθαι τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον διὰ τὰς προειρημένας αἰτίας· τοὺς δὲ γεωργήσοντας μάλιστα μέν, εἰ δεῖ κατʼ εὐχήν, δούλους εἶναι, μήτε ὁμοφύλων πάντων μήτε θυμοειδῶν (οὕτω γὰρ ἂν πρός τε τὴν ἐργασίαν εἶεν χρήσιμοι καὶ πρὸς τὸ μηδὲν νεωτερίζειν ἀσφαλεῖς), δεύτερον δὲ βαρβάρους περιοίκους παραπλησίους τοῖς εἰρημένοις τὴν φύσιν, τούτων δὲ τοὺς μὲν ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις εἶναι τῶν κεκτημένων τὰς οὐσίας, τοὺς δʼ ἐπὶ τῇ κοινῇ γῇ κοινούς.
The territory, then, must be divided in this way for the aforementioned reasons; and those who are to farm it should, ideally, if we can choose, be slaves, neither all of the same race nor high-spirited (for thus they would be both useful for work and safe against making revolutions), and secondly, barbarian serfs of a nature similar to those mentioned. Of these, some should belong to private owners on their private estates, and others should be common on the common land.
τίνα δὲ δεῖ τρόπον χρῆσθαι δούλοις, καὶ διότι βέλτιον πᾶσι τοῖς δούλοις ἆθλον προκεῖσθαι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν, ὕστερον ἐροῦμεν.
But in what way slaves ought to be treated, and why it is better to propose freedom as a prize to all slaves, we will state later.
τὴν δὲ πόλιν ὅτι μὲν δεῖ κοινὴν εἶναι τῆς ἠπείρου τε καὶ τῆς θαλάττης καὶ τῆς χώρας ἁπάσης ὁμοίως ἐκ τῶν ἐνδεχομένων, εἴρηται πρότερον· αὐτῆς δὲ προσάντη τὴν θέσιν εὔχεσθαι δεῖ κατατυγχάνειν πρὸς τέτταρα βλέποντας, πρῶτον μὲν ὡς ἀναγκαῖον πρὸς ὑγίειαν (αἵ τε γὰρ πρὸς ἕω τὴν ἔγκλισιν ἔχουσαι καὶ πρὸς τὰ πνεύματα τὰ πνέοντα ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνατολῆς ὑγιεινότεραι, δεύτερον δʼ αἱ κατὰ βορέαν· εὐχείμεροι γὰρ αὗται μᾶλλον)·
As for the city, that it ought to be common to both the mainland and the sea and the whole territory alike as far as possible, has been said before; but as for its actual site, we must pray to obtain a sloping position looking toward four things: first, as a necessity, toward health (for those that have their slope toward the east and toward the winds that blow from the sunrise are healthier, and secondly, those toward the north, for these are better in winter).