§7.1333bμᾶλλον δʼ εἰρήνην ἄγειν καὶ σχολάζειν, καὶ τἀναγκαῖα καὶ τὰ χρήσιμα δὲ πράττειν, τὰ δὲ καλὰ δεῖ μᾶλλον.
but rather to be at peace and to have leisure, and one must do necessary and useful things, but honorable things rather.
ὥστε πρὸς τούτους τοὺς σκοποὺς καὶ παῖδας ἔτι ὄντας παιδευτέον καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἡλικίας, ὅσαι δέονται παιδείας.
Therefore, looking to these goals, they must be educated while they are still children and in the other ages that need education.
οἱ δὲ νῦν ἄριστα δοκοῦντες πολιτεύεσθαι τῶν Ἑλλήνων, καὶ τῶν νομοθετῶν οἱ ταύτας καταστήσαντες τὰς πολιτείας, οὔτε πρὸς τὸ βέλτιστον τέλος φαίνονται συντάξαντες τὰ περὶ τὰς πολιτείας οὔτε πρὸς πάσας τὰς ἀρετὰς τοὺς νόμους καὶ τὴν παιδείαν, ἀλλὰ φορτικῶς ἀπέκλιναν πρὸς τὰς χρησίμους εἶναι δοκούσας καὶ πλεονεκτικωτέρας.
And those of the Greeks who are now thought to govern themselves best, and those of the legislators who established these constitutions, do not appear to have framed their constitutions with a view to the best end, nor their laws and education with a view to all the virtues, but they vulgarly leaned toward those virtues which are thought to be useful and more acquisitive.
παραπλησίως δὲ τούτοις καὶ τῶν ὕστερόν τινες γραψάντων ἀπεφήναντο τὴν αὐτὴν δόξαν· ἐπαινοῦντες γὰρ τὴν Λακεδαιμονίων πολιτείαν ἄγανται τοῦ νομοθέτου τὸν σκοπόν, ὅτι πάντα πρὸς τὸ κρατεῖν καὶ πρὸς πόλεμον ἐνομοθέτησεν.
And similarly to these, some of the later writers also declared the same opinion; for in praising the constitution of the Lacedaemonians, they admire the goal of the legislator, because he legislated everything with a view to conquest and to war.
ἃ καὶ κατὰ τὸν λόγον ἐστὶν εὐέλεγκτα καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις ἐξελήλεγκται νῦν.
Which things are easily refuted by argument and have now been refuted by facts.
ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων ζηλοῦσι τὸ πολλῶν δεσπόζειν, ὅτι πολλὴ χορηγία γίγνεται τῶν εὐτυχημάτων, οὕτω καὶ Θίβρων ἀγάμενος φαίνεται τὸν τῶν Λακώνων νομοθέτην, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἕκαστος τῶν γραφόντων περὶ τῆς πολιτείας αὐτῶν, ὅτι διὰ τὸ γεγυμνάσθαι πρὸς τοὺς κινδύνους πολλῶν ἦρχον·
For just as most of mankind aspire to rule over many because a great supply of good fortunes arises from it, so Thibron also clearly admires the legislator of the Laconians, and each of the others who write about their constitution, because by being trained for dangers they ruled over many.
καίτοι δῆλον ὡς ἐπειδὴ νῦν γε οὐκέτι ὑπάρχει τοῖς Λάκωσι τὸ ἄρχειν, οὐκ εὐδαίμονες, οὐδʼ ὁ νομοθέτης ἀγαθός.
And yet it is clear that since now at least ruling no longer belongs to the Laconians, they are not happy, nor was their legislator good.
ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο γελοῖον, εἰ μένοντες ἐν τοῖς νόμοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ μηδενὸς ἐμποδίζοντος πρὸς τὸ χρῆσθαι τοῖς νόμοις, ἀποβεβλήκασι τὸ ζῆν καλῶς.
And this is ridiculous, if, while remaining in his laws and with no one preventing them from using the laws, they have lost the beautiful life.
οὐκ ὀρθῶς δʼ ὑπολαμβάνουσιν οὐδὲ περὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἣν δεῖ τιμῶντα φαίνεσθαι τὸν νομοθέτην· τοῦ γὰρ δεσποτικῶς ἄρχειν ἡ τῶν ἐλευθέρων ἀρχὴ καλλίων καὶ μᾶλλον μετʼ ἀρετῆς.
And they do not conceive correctly either about the rule which the legislator must appear to honor; for the rule over free men is more honorable and more accompanied by virtue than ruling despotically.
ἔτι δὲ οὐ διὰ τοῦτο δεῖ τὴν πόλιν εὐδαίμονα νομίζειν καὶ τὸν νομοθέτην ἐπαινεῖν, ὅτι κρατεῖν ἤσκησεν ἐπὶ τὸ τῶν πέλας ἄρχειν· ταῦτα γὰρ μεγάλην ἔχει βλάβην.
Moreover, one must not think a city happy for this reason, nor praise the legislator, because he trained them to conquer for the sake of ruling over their neighbors; for these things involve great harm.
δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι καὶ τῶν πολιτῶν τῷ δυναμένῳ τοῦτο πειρατέον διώκειν, ὅπως δύνηται τῆς οἰκείας πόλεως ἄρχειν· ὅπερ ἐγκαλοῦσιν οἱ Λάκωνες Παυσανίᾳ τῷ βασιλεῖ, καίπερ ἔχοντι τηλικαύτην τιμήν.
For it is clear that any citizen who is able must try to pursue this, so that he may be able to rule his own city; which is what the Laconians charge their king Pausanias with, although he held such great honor.
οὔτε δὴ πολιτικὸς τῶν τοιούτων λόγων καὶ νόμων οὐθεὶς οὔτε ὠφέλιμος οὔτε ἀληθής ἐστιν.
Therefore, none of such arguments and laws is statesmanlike, nor useful, nor true.
ταὐτὰ γὰρ ἄριστα καὶ ἰδίᾳ καὶ κοινῇ, τόν τε νομοθέτην ἐμποιεῖν δεῖ ταῦτα ταῖς ψυχαῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων· τήν τε τῶν πολεμικῶν ἄσκησιν οὐ τούτου χάριν δεῖ μελετᾶν, ἵνα καταδουλώσωνται τοὺς ἀναξίους, ἀλλʼ ἵνα πρῶτον μὲν αὐτοὶ μὴ δουλεύσωσιν ἑτέροις, ἔπειτα ὅπως ζητῶσι τὴν ἡγεμονίαν τῆς ὠφελείας ἕνεκα τῶν ἀρχομένων, §7.1334aἀλλὰ μὴ πάντων δεσποτείας· τρίτον δὲ τὸ δεσπόζειν τῶν ἀξίων δουλεύειν.
For the same things are best both privately and publicly, and the legislator must implant these in the souls of men; and they must not practice the training for war for this purpose, namely to enslave those who are unworthy of it, but first, so that they themselves may not be enslaved by others, and second, so that they may seek leadership for the sake of the benefit of the ruled, but not for the despotic rule over all; and third, to rule despotically over those who deserve to be slaves.
ὅτι δὲ δεῖ τὸν νομοθέτην μᾶλλον σπουδάζειν ὅπως καὶ τὴν περὶ τὰ πολεμικὰ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην νομοθεσίαν τοῦ σχολάζειν ἕνεκεν τάξῃ καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης, μαρτυρεῖ τὰ γιγνόμενα τοῖς λόγοις.
And that the legislator must rather be diligent to order both the legislation concerning war and the other legislation for the sake of leisure and peace, is witnessed by what actually happens in accordance with the arguments.
αἱ γὰρ πλεῖσται τῶν τοιούτων πόλεων πολεμοῦσαι μὲν σῴζονται, κατακτησάμεναι δὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀπόλλυνται.
For most of such cities are saved while they are at war, but having acquired their rule they perish.
τὴν γὰρ βαφὴν ἀνιᾶσιν, ὥσπερ ὁ σίδηρος, εἰρήνην ἄγοντες.
For they lose their temper, like iron, when they are at peace.
αἴτιος δʼ ὁ νομοθέτης οὐ παιδεύσας δύνασθαι σχολάζειν.
And the legislator is to blame for not having educated them to be able to have leisure.
ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ τέλος εἶναι φαίνεται καὶ κοινῇ καὶ ἰδίᾳ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ὅρον ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι τῷ τε ἀρίστῳ ἀνδρὶ καὶ τῇ ἀρίστῃ πολιτείᾳ, φανερὸν ὅτι δεῖ τὰς εἰς τὴν σχολὴν ἀρετὰς ὑπάρχειν· τέλος γάρ, ὥσπερ εἴρηται πολλάκις, εἰρήνη μὲν πολέμου σχολὴ δʼ ἀσχολίας.
And since the same end appears to exist both publicly and privately for men, and the same definition must be necessary for both the best man and the best constitution, it is manifest that the virtues directed toward leisure must be present; for the end, as has been said many times, is peace of war and leisure of business.
χρήσιμοι δὲ τῶν ἀρετῶν εἰσι πρὸς τὴν σχολὴν καὶ διαγωγὴν ὧν τε ἐν τῇ σχολῇ τὸ ἔργον καὶ ὧν ἐν τῇ ἀσχολίᾳ.
And those of the virtues are useful for leisure and lifestyle whose work is in leisure and whose work is in business.
δεῖ γὰρ πολλὰ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ὑπάρχειν ὅπως ἐξῇ σχολάζειν· διὸ σώφρονα τὴν πόλιν εἶναι προσήκει καὶ ἀνδρείαν καὶ καρτερικήν· κατὰ γὰρ τὴν παροιμίαν, οὐ σχολὴ δούλοις, οἱ δὲ μὴ δυνάμενοι κινδυνεύειν ἀνδρείως δοῦλοι τῶν ἐπιόντων εἰσίν.
For there must be many necessary things present so that it may be permitted to have leisure; wherefore it behooves the city to be temperate and courageous and resilient; for according to the proverb, 'there is no leisure for slaves,' and those who are not able to face danger courageously are slaves of those who attack them.
ἀνδρείας μὲν οὖν καὶ καρτερίας δεῖ πρὸς τὴν ἀσχολίαν, φιλοσοφίας δὲ πρὸς τὴν σχολήν, σωφροσύνης δὲ καὶ δικαιοσύνης ἐν ἀμφοτέροις τοῖς χρόνοις, καὶ μᾶλλον εἰρήνην ἄγουσι καὶ σχολάζουσιν· ὁ μὲν γὰρ πόλεμος ἀναγκάζει δικαίους εἶναι καὶ σωφρονεῖν, ἡ δὲ τῆς εὐτυχίας ἀπόλαυσις καὶ τὸ σχολάζειν μετʼ εἰρήνης ὑβριστὰς ποιεῖ μᾶλλον.
Courage and resilience, therefore, are needed for business, philosophy for leisure, and temperance and justice in both times, and more so for those who are at peace and have leisure; for war forces men to be just and to be temperate, but the enjoyment of good fortune and having leisure with peace makes them rather arrogant.
πολλῆς οὖν δεῖ δικαιοσύνης καὶ πολλῆς σωφροσύνης τοὺς ἄριστα δοκοῦντας πράττειν καὶ πάντων τῶν μακαριζομένων ἀπολαύοντας, οἷον εἴ τινές εἰσιν, ὥσπερ οἱ ποιηταί φασιν, ἐν μακάρων νήσοις· μάλιστα γὰρ οὗτοι δεήσονται φιλοσοφίας καὶ σωφροσύνης καὶ δικαιοσύνης, ὅσῳ μᾶλλον σχολάζουσιν ἐν ἀφθονίᾳ τῶν τοιούτων ἀγαθῶν.
Therefore, much justice and much temperance are needed for those who are thought to fare best and who enjoy all the things that are called blessed, if there are any, as the poets say, in the islands of the blessed; for these especially will need philosophy, temperance, and justice, the more they have leisure in an abundance of such goods.
διότι μὲν οὖν τὴν μέλλουσαν εὐδαιμονήσειν καὶ σπουδαίαν ἔσεσθαι πόλιν τούτων δεῖ τῶν ἀρετῶν μετέχειν, φανερόν.
Why, therefore, the city that is to be happy and good must participate in these virtues, is manifest.
αἰσχροῦ γὰρ ὄντος μὴ δύνασθαι χρῆσθαι τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς, ἔτι μᾶλλον τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι ἐν τῷ σχολάζειν χρῆσθαι, ἀλλʼ ἀσχολοῦντας μὲν καὶ πολεμοῦντας φαίνεσθαι ἀγαθούς, εἰρήνην δʼ ἄγοντας καὶ σχολάζοντας ἀνδραποδώδεις.
For while it is disgraceful not to be able to use good things, it is still more disgraceful not to be able to use them in leisure, but to appear good while being busy and making war, but to be slavish while being at peace and having leisure.
διὸ δεῖ μὴ καθάπερ ἡ Λακεδαιμονίων πόλις τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀσκεῖν.
Therefore, one must not practice virtue in the manner of the city of the Lacedaemonians.