§1.8.1μέγιστον δὲ καὶ κυριώτατον ἁπάντων πρὸς τὸ δύνασθαι πείθειν καὶ καλῶς συμβουλεύειν τὸ τὰς πολιτείας ἁπάσας λαβεῖν καὶ τὰ ἑκάστης ἤθη καὶ νόμιμα καὶ συμφέροντα διελεῖν.
But the greatest and most decisive of all things for being able to persuade and advise well is to grasp all forms of constitution and to distinguish the characters, customs, and interests of each.
§1.8.2πείθονται γὰρ ἅπαντες τῷ συμφέροντι, συμφέρει δὲ τὸ σῶζον τὴν πολιτείαν.
For everyone is persuaded by what is advantageous, and what preserves the constitution is advantageous.
ἔτι δὲ κυρία μέν ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ κυρίου ἀπόφανσις, τὰ δὲ κύρια διῄρηται κατὰ τὰς πολιτείας· ὅσαι γὰρ αἱ πολιτεῖαι, τοσαῦτα καὶ τὰ κύριά ἐστιν.
Furthermore, the decision of the sovereign authority is sovereign, and the sovereign authorities are divided according to the constitutions; for as many as the constitutions are, so many also are the sovereign authorities.
§1.8.3εἰσὶν δὲ πολιτεῖαι τέτταρες, δημοκρατία, ὀλιγαρχία, ἀριστοκρατία, μοναρχία, ὥστε τὸ μὲν κύριον καὶ τὸ κρῖνον τούτων τι ἂν εἴη μόριον ἢ ὅλον τούτων.
And there are four constitutions: democracy, oligarchy, aristocracy, and monarchy, so that the sovereign and judging element would be some part or the whole of these.
§1.8.4ἔστιν δὲ δημοκρατία μὲν πολιτεία ἐν ᾗ κλήρῳ διανέμονται τὰς ἀρχάς, ὀλιγαρχία δὲ ἐν ᾗ οἱ ἀπὸ τιμημάτων, ἀριστοκρατία δὲ ἐν ᾗ κατὰ τὴν παιδείαν· παιδείαν δὲ λέγω τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου κειμένην.
And democracy is a constitution in which they distribute offices by lot, oligarchy one in which those from property-assessments [rule], aristocracy one in which they [rule] according to education; and by education I mean that which is established by law.
οἱ γὰρ ἐμμεμενηκότες ἐν τοῖς νομίμοις ἐν τῇ ἀριστοκρατίᾳ ἄρχουσιν.
For those who have remained steadfast in the customs rule in the aristocracy.
ἀνάγκη δὲ τούτους φαίνεσθαι ἀρίστους, ὅθεν καὶ τοὔνομα εἴληφεν τοῦτο.
And it is necessary that these appear to be the best, whence also this name has been taken.
μοναρχία δʼ ἐστὶν κατὰ τοὔνομα ἐν ᾗ εἷς ἁπάντων κύριός ἐστιν· τούτων δὲ ἡ μὲν κατὰ τάξιν τινὰ βασιλεία, ἡ δʼ ἀόριστος τυραννίς.
And monarchy is, according to its name, that in which one person is sovereign of all; of these, that which is according to some order is kingship, and the indefinite is tyranny.
§1.8.5τὸ δὴ τέλος ἑκάστης πολιτείας οὐ δεῖ λανθάνειν· αἱροῦνται γὰρ τὰ πρὸς τὸ τέλος.
The end of each constitution, then, must not be overlooked; for they choose what is directed toward the end.
ἔστι δὲ δημοκρατίας μὲν τέλος ἐλευθερία, ὀλιγαρχίας δὲ πλοῦτος, ἀριστοκρατίας δὲ τὰ περὶ παιδείαν καὶ τὰ νόμιμα, τυραννίδος δὲ φυλακή.
And the end of democracy is freedom, of oligarchy wealth, of aristocracy things concerning education and customs, and of tyranny self-preservation.
δῆλον οὖν ὅτι τὰ πρὸς τὸ τέλος ἑκάστης ἤθη καὶ νόμιμα καὶ συμφέροντα διαιρετέον, εἴπερ αἱροῦνται πρὸς τοῦτο ἐπαναφέροντες.
It is clear, then, that one must distinguish the characters, customs, and interests directed toward the end of each, since they choose by referring to this.
§1.8.6ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐ μόνον αἱ πίστεις γίνονται διʼ ἀποδεικτικοῦ λόγου, ἀλλὰ καὶ διʼ ἠθικοῦ (τῷ γὰρ ποιόν τινα φαίνεσθαι τὸν λέγοντα πιστεύομεν, τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶν ἂν ἀγαθὸς φαίνηται ἢ εὔνους ἢ ἄμφω), δέοι ἂν τὰ ἤθη τῶν πολιτειῶν ἑκάστης ἔχειν ἡμᾶς· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἑκάστης ἦθος πιθανώτατον ἀνάγκη πρὸς ἑκάστην εἶναι.
And since proofs are produced not only through demonstrative speech, but also through ethical speech (for we trust the speaker because he appears to be of a certain character, and this is the case if he appears good or well-disposed or both), we would need to have the characters of each of the constitutions; for the character of each must be most persuasive to each.
ταῦτα δὲ ληφθήσεται διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν· τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἤθη φανερὰ κατὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν, ἡ δὲ προαίρεσις ἀναφέρεται πρὸς τὸ τέλος.
And these will be grasped through the same means; for characters are made clear through deliberate choice, and deliberate choice is referred to the end.
§1.8.7ὧν μὲν οὖν δεῖ ὀρέγεσθαι προτρέποντας ὡς ἐσομένων ἢ ὄντων, καὶ ἐκ τίνων δεῖ τὰς περὶ τοῦ συμφέροντος πίστεις λαμβάνειν, ἔτι δὲ τῶν περὶ τὰς πολιτείας ἠθῶν καὶ νομίμων διὰ τίνων τε καὶ πῶς εὐπορήσομεν, ἐφʼ ὅσον ἦν τῷ παρόντι καιρῷ σύμμετρον, εἴρηται· διηκρίβωται γὰρ ἐν τοῖς Πολιτικοῖς περὶ τούτων.
Concerning, then, what things one must aim at when exhorting as being future or present, and from what sources one must take proofs concerning the advantageous, and furthermore, through what means and how we shall obtain abundance of the characters and customs concerning the constitutions, it has been stated to the extent that was appropriate for the present occasion; for these things have been treated in detail in the Politics.