§6.9.1μασιν.
[misfor]tunes.
ἐπειδὰν γάρ τις συνθεασάμενος τὸν φθόνον καὶ τὸ μῖσος κατʼ αὐτῶν τὸ παρὰ τοῖς πολίταις ὑπάρχον, κἄπειτα θαρρήσῃ λέγειν ἢ πράττειν τι κατὰ τῶν προεστώτων, πᾶν ἕτοιμον καὶ συνεργὸν λαμβάνει τὸ πλῆθος.
For when someone, having observed the envy and hatred existing among the citizens against them, and then dares to say or do something against those in power, he finds the entire multitude ready and cooperative.
§6.9.2λοιπὸν οὓς μὲν φονεύσαντες, οὓς δὲ φυγαδεύσαντες, οὔτε βασιλέα προΐστασθαι τολμῶσιν, ἔτι δεδιότες τὴν τῶν πρότερον ἀδικίαν, οὔτε πλείοσιν ἐπιτρέπειν τὰ κοινὰ θαρροῦσι, παρὰ πόδας αὐτοῖς οὔσης τῆς πρότερον ἀγνοίας, §6.9.3μόνης δὲ σφίσι καταλειπομένης ἐλπίδος ἀκεραίου τῆς ἐν αὑτοῖς ἐπὶ ταύτην καταφέρονται, καὶ τὴν μὲν πολιτείαν ἐξ ὀλιγαρχικῆς δημοκρατίαν ἐποίησαν, τὴν δὲ τῶν κοινῶν πρόνοιαν καὶ πίστιν εἰς σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἀνέλαβον.
Consequently, having put some to death and banished others, they neither dare to set up a king over themselves, still fearing the injustice of the previous rulers, nor do they have the courage to entrust public affairs to a larger number, as the previous ignorance was fresh before their eyes, but since the only hope left to them was that which they had in themselves, and which was untarnished, they turned to this, and changed the state from an oligarchy to a democracy, and took upon themselves the care and trust of public affairs.
§6.9.4καὶ μέχρι μὲν ἂν ἔτι σῴζωνταί τινες τῶν ὑπεροχῆς καὶ δυναστείας πεῖραν εἰληφότων, ἀσμενίζοντες τῇ παρούσῃ καταστάσει περὶ πλείστου ποιοῦνται τὴν ἰσηγορίαν καὶ τὴν παρρησίαν·
And as long as any of those who have had experience of superiority and power survive, being pleased with the present state of things, they value equality and freedom of speech above all.
§6.9.5ὅταν δʼ ἐπιγένωνται νέοι καὶ παισὶ παίδων πάλιν ἡ δημοκρατία παραδοθῇ, τότʼ οὐκέτι διὰ τὸ σύνηθες ἐν μεγάλῳ τιθέμενοι τὸ τῆς ἰσηγορίας καὶ παρρησίας ζητοῦσι πλέον ἔχειν τῶν πολλῶν· μάλιστα δʼ εἰς τοῦτʼ ἐμπίπτουσιν οἱ ταῖς οὐσίαις ὑπερέχοντες.
But when new generations arise and the democracy is handed down in turn to their children's children, then, no longer valuing equality and freedom of speech because of their familiarity with them, they seek to have more than the multitude; and those who excel in wealth fall most into this.
§6.9.6λοιπὸν ὅταν ὁρμήσωσιν ἐπὶ τὸ φιλαρχεῖν καὶ μὴ δύνωνται διʼ αὑτῶν καὶ διὰ τῆς ἰδίας ἀρετῆς τυγχάνειν τούτων, διαφθείρουσι τὰς οὐσίας, δελεάζοντες καὶ λυμαινόμενοι τὰ πλήθη κατὰ πάντα τρόπον.
Consequently, when they turn to a desire for power and are unable to obtain it by themselves and through their own virtue, they waste their fortunes, baiting and corrupting the multitudes in every possible way.
§6.9.7ἐξ ὧν ὅταν ἅπαξ δωροδόκους καὶ δωροφάγους κατασκευάσωσι τοὺς πολλοὺς διὰ τὴν ἄφρονα δοξοφαγίαν, τότʼ ἤδη πάλιν τὸ μὲν τῆς δημοκρατίας καταλύεται, μεθίσταται δʼ εἰς βίαν καὶ χειροκρατίαν ἡ δημοκρατία.
When once, through their foolish thirst for fame, they have made the people greedy for bribes and devourers of gifts, then at last the democracy is dissolved, and democracy is transformed into violence and the rule of the strong hand.
§6.9.8συνειθισμένον γὰρ τὸ πλῆθος ἐσθίειν τὰ ἀλλότρια καὶ τὰς ἐλπίδας ἔχειν τοῦ ζῆν ἐπὶ τοῖς τῶν πέλας, ὅταν λάβῃ προστάτην μεγαλόφρονα καὶ τολμηρόν, ἐκκλειόμενον δὲ διὰ πενίαν τῶν ἐν τῇ πολιτείᾳ τιμίων, τότε δὴ χειροκρατίαν ἀποτελεῖ, §6.9.9καὶ τότε συναθροιζόμενον ποιεῖ σφαγάς, φυγάς, γῆς ἀναδασμούς, ἕως ἂν ἀποτεθηριωμένον πάλιν εὕρῃ δεσπότην καὶ μόναρχον.
For the multitude, having become accustomed to feed on the property of others and to have their hopes of livelihood in the possessions of their neighbors, when they find a high-spirited and daring leader, but one who is excluded from the honors of the state because of poverty, then they establish the rule of the strong hand, and then, gathering together, they commit massacres, banishments, and redivisions of land, until, having become utterly brutalized, they find once more a master and monarch.
αὕτη πολιτειῶν ἀνακύκλωσις, §6.9.10αὕτη φύσεως οἰκονομία, καθʼ ἣν μεταβάλλει καὶ μεθίσταται καὶ πάλιν εἰς αὑτὰ καταντᾷ τὰ κατὰ τὰς πολιτείας.
This is the cycle of constitutions, this is the economy of nature, according to which the affairs of constitutions change and undergo transition, and return once more to the same state.
§6.9.11ταῦτά τις σαφῶς ἐπεγνωκὼς χρόνοις μὲν ἴσως διαμαρτήσεται λέγων ὑπὲρ τοῦ μέλλοντος περὶ πολιτείας, τὸ δὲ ποῦ τῆς αὐξήσεως ἕκαστόν ἐστιν ἢ τῆς φθορᾶς ἢ ποῦ μεταστήσεται σπανίως ἂν διασφάλλοιτο, χωρὶς ὀργῆς ἢ φθόνου ποιούμενος τὴν ἀπόφασιν.
He who has clearly recognized this may perhaps be mistaken as to the time when speaking about the future of a constitution, but as to where each is in its growth or decay, or where it will transition, he would rarely go wrong, if he makes his declaration free from anger or envy.
§6.9.12καὶ μὴν περί γε τῆς Ῥωμαίων πολιτείας κατὰ ταύτην τὴν ἐπίστασιν μάλιστʼ ἂν ἔλθοιμεν εἰς γνῶσιν καὶ τῆς συστάσεως καὶ τῆς αὐξήσεως καὶ τῆς ἀκμῆς, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῆς εἰς τοὔμπαλιν ἐσομένης ἐκ τούτων μεταβολῆς· §6.9.13εἰ γάρ τινα καὶ ἑτέραν πολιτείαν, ὡς ἀρτίως εἶπα, καὶ ταύτην συμβαίνει, κατὰ φύσιν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἔχουσαν τὴν σύστασιν καὶ τὴν αὔξησιν, κατὰ φύσιν ἕξειν καὶ τὴν εἰς τἀναντία μεταβολήν.
And indeed, regarding the constitution of the Romans, it is by this method of observation that we may best arrive at a knowledge of its establishment, its growth, and its prime, and likewise of the change to the contrary which will happen to it from these; for if any other constitution, as I said just now, this one too, having its establishment and growth from the beginning according to nature, will also have its change to the contrary according to nature.
§6.9.14σκοπεῖν δʼ ἐξέσται διὰ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα ῥηθησομένων.
And this will be possible to observe through what will be said hereafter.