1. Many of you are wondering, I suppose, what in the world my purpose is in coming forward to address you on The Public Safety, as if Athens were in danger or her affairs on an uncertain footing, when in fact she possesses more than two hundred ships-of-war, enjoys peace throughout her territory, maintains her empire on the sea, and has, furthermore, many allies who, in case of any need, will readily come to her aid, and many more allies who are paying their contributions and obeying her commands.
1. πολλοὺς ὑμῶν οἶμαι θαυμάζειν ἥντινά ποτε γνώμην ἔχων περὶ σωτηρίας τὴν πρόσοδον ἐποιησάμην, ὥσπερ τῆς πόλεως ἐν κινδύνοις οὔσης ἢ σφαλερῶς αὐτῇ τῶν πραγμάτων καθεστηκότων, ἀλλʼ οὐ πλείους μὲν τριήρεις ἢ διακοσίας κεκτημένης, εἰρήνην δὲ καὶ τὰ περὶ τὴν χώραν ἀγούσης, καὶ τῶν κατὰ θάλατταν ἀρχούσης, ἔτι δὲ συμμάχους ἐχούσης πολλοὺς μὲν τοὺς ἑτοίμως ἡμῖν, ἤν τι δέῃ, βοηθήσοντας, πολὺ δὲ πλείους τοὺς τὰς συντάξεις ὑποτελοῦντας καὶ τὸ προσταττόμενον ποιοῦντας·
2. With these resources, one might argue that we have every reason to feel secure, as being far removed from danger, while our enemies may well be anxious and take thought for their own safety.
2. ὧν ὑπαρχόντων ἡμᾶς μὲν ἄν τις φήσειεν ἐικὸς εἶναι θαρρεῖν ὡς πόρρω τῶν κινδύνων ὄντας, τοῖς δʼ ἐχθροῖς τοῖς ἡμετέροις προσήκειν δεδιέναι καὶ βουλεύεσθαι περὶ τῆς αὑτῶν σωτηρίας.
3. Now you, I know, following this reasoning, disdain my coming forward, and are confident that with this power you will hold all Hellas under your control. But as for myself, it is because of these very things that I am anxious; for I observe that those cities which think they are in the best circumstances are wont to adopt the worst policies, and that those which feel the most secure are most often involved in danger. The cause of this is that nothing of either good or of evil visits mankind unmixed, but that riches and power are attended and followed by folly, and folly in turn by licence; whereas poverty and lowliness are attended by sobriety and great moderation;
3. ὑμεῖς μὲν οὖν οἶδʼ ὅτι τούτῳ χρώμενοι τῷ λογισμῷ καὶ τῆς ἐμῆς προσόδου καταφθονεῖτε, καὶ πᾶσαν ἐλπίζετε τὴν Ἑλλάδα ταύτῃ τῇ δυνάμει κατασχήσειν· ἐγὼ δὲ διʼ αὐτὰ ταῦτα τυγχάνω δεδιώς. ὁρῶ γὰρ τῶν πόλεων τὰς ἄριστα πράττειν οἰομένας κάκιστα βουλευομένας καὶ τὰς μάλιστα θαρρούσας εἰς πλείστους κινδύνους καθισταμένας. αἴτιον δὲ τούτων ἐστίν, ὅτι τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ τῶν κακῶν οὐδὲν αὐτὸ καθʼ αὑτὸ παραγίγνεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλὰ συντέτακται καὶ συνακολουθεῖ τοῖς μὲν πλούτοις καὶ ταῖς δυναστείαις ἄνοια καὶ μετὰ ταύτης ἀκολασία, ταῖς δʼ ἐνδείαις καὶ ταῖς ταπεινότησι σωφροσύνη καὶ πολλὴ μετριότης,
5. so that it is hard to decide which of these lots one should prefer to bequeath to one’s own children. For we shall find that from a lot which seems to be inferior men’s fortunes generally advance to a better condition, whereas from one which appears to be superior they are wont to change to a worse.
5. ὥστε χαλεπὸν εἶναι διαγνῶναι ποτέραν ἄν τις δέξαιτο τῶν μερίδων τούτων τοῖς παισὶ τοῖς αὑτοῦ καταλιπεῖν. ἴδοιμεν γὰρ ἂν ἐκ μὲν τῆς φαυλοτέρας εἶναι δοκούσης ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ τὰς πράξεις ἐπιδιδούσας, ἐκ δὲ τῆς κρείττονος φαινομένης ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον εἰθισμένας μεταπίπτειν.
6. Of this truth I might cite examples without number from the lives of individual men, since these are subject to the most frequent vicissitudes; but instances which are more important and better known to my hearers may be drawn from the experiences of our city and of the Lacedaemonians. As for the Athenians, after our city had been laid waste by the barbarians, we became, because we were anxious about the future and gave attention to our affairs, the foremost of the Hellenes; whereas, when we imagined that our power was invincible, we barely escaped being enslaved.
6. καὶ τούτων ἐνεγκεῖν ἔχω παραδείγματα πλεῖστα μὲν ἐκ τῶν ἰδιωτικῶν πραγμάτων, πυκνοτάτας γὰρ ταῦτα λαμβάνει τὰς μεταβολάς, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ μείζω γε καὶ φανερώτερα τοῖς ἀκούουσιν ἐκ τῶν ἡμῖν καὶ Λακεδαιμονίοις συμβάντων. ἡμεῖς τε γὰρ ἀναστάτου μὲν τῆς πόλεως ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων γεγενημένης διὰ τὸ δεδιέναι καὶ προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐπρωτεύσαμεν τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ἐπειδὴ δʼ ἀνυπέρβλητον ᾠήθημεν τὴν δύναμιν ἔχειν, παρὰ μικρὸν ἤλθομεν ἐξανδραποδισθῆναι·
7. Likewise the Lacedaemonians, after having set out in ancient times from obscure and humble cities, made themselves, because they lived temperately and under military discipline, masters of the Peloponnesus; whereas later, when they grew overweening and seized the empire both of the sea and of the land, they fell into the same dangers as ourselves.
7. Λακεδαιμόνιοί τε τὸ μὲν παλαιὸν ἐκ φαύλων καὶ ταπεινῶν πόλεων ὁρμηθέντες διὰ τὸ σωφρόνως ζῆν καὶ στρατιωτικῶς κατέσχον Πελοπόννησον, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα μεῖζον φρονήσαντες τοῦ δέοντος, καὶ λαβόντες καὶ τὴν κατὰ γῆν καὶ τὴν κατὰ θάλατταν ἀρχήν, εἰς τοὺς αὐτοὺς κινδύνους κατέστησαν ἡμῖν.
8. Whoever, therefore, knowing that such great vicissitudes have taken place and that such mighty powers have been so quickly brought to naught, yet trusts in our present circumstances, is all too foolish, especially since Athens is now in a much less favorable condition than she was at that time, while the hatred of us among the Hellenes and the enmity of the great King, which then brought disaster to our arms, have been again revived.
8. ὅστις οὖν εἰδὼς τοσαύτας μεταβολὰς γεγενημένας καὶ τηλικαύτας δυνάμεις οὕτω ταχέως ἀναιρεθείσας πιστεύει τοῖς παροῦσι, λίαν ἀνόητός ἐστιν, ἄλλως τε καὶ τῆς μὲν πόλεως ἡμῶν πολὺ καταδεέστερον νῦν πραττούσης ἢ κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον, τοῦ δὲ μίσους τοῦ τῶν Ἑλλήνων καὶ τῆς ἔχθρας τῆς πρὸς βασιλέα πάλιν ἀνακεκαινισμένης, ἃ τότε κατεπολέμησεν ἡμᾶς.
9. I am in doubt whether to suppose that you care nothing for the public welfare or that you are concerned about it, but have become so obtuse that you fail to see into what utter confusion our city has fallen. For you resemble men in that state of mind—you who have lost all the cities in Thrace, squandered to no purpose more than a thousand talents on mercenary troops, provoked the ill-will of the Hellenes and the hostility of the barbarians, and, as if this were not enough, have been compelled to save the friends of the Thebans at the cost of losing our own allies; and yet to celebrate the good news of such accomplishments we have twice now offered grateful sacrifices to the gods, and we deliberate about our affairs more complaisantly than men whose actions leave nothing to be desired!
9. ἀπορῶ δὲ πότερον ὑπολάβω μηδὲν μέλειν ὑμῖν τῶν κοινῶν πραγμάτων ἢ φροντίζειν μὲν αὐτῶν, εἰς τοῦτο δʼ ἀναισθησίας ἥκειν ὥστε λανθάνειν ὑμᾶς εἰς ὅσην ταραχὴν ἡ πόλις καθέστηκεν. ἐοίκατε γὰρ οὕτω διακειμένοις ἀνθρώποις, οἵτινες ἁπάσας μὲν τὰς πόλεις τὰς ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης ἀπολωλεκότες, πλείω δʼ ἢ χίλια τάλαντα μάτην εἰς τοὺς ξένους ἀνηλωκότες, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς Ἕλληνας διαβεβλημένοι καὶ τῷ βαρβάρῳ πολέμιοι γεγονότες, ἔτι δὲ τοὺς μὲν Θηβαίων φίλους σώζειν ἠναγκασμένοι, τοὺς δʼ ἡμετέρους αὐτῶν συμμάχους ἀπολωλεκότες, ἐπὶ τοιαύταις πράξεσιν εὐαγγέλια μὲν δὶς ἤδη τεθύκαμεν, ῥᾳθυμότερον δὲ περὶ αὐτῶν ἐκκλησιάζομεν τῶν πάντα τὰ δέοντα πραττόντων.
11. And it is to be expected that acting as we do we should fare as we do; for nothing can turn out well for those who neglect to adopt a sound policy for the conduct of their government as a whole. On the contrary, even if they do succeed in their enterprises now and then, either through chance or through the genius of some man, they soon after find themselves in the same difficulties as before, as anyone may see from what happened in our own history.
11. καὶ ταῦτʼ εἰκότως καὶ ποιοῦμεν καὶ πάσχομεν· οὐδὲν γὰρ οἷόν τε γίγνεσθαι κατὰ τρόπον τοῖς μὴ καλῶς περὶ ὅλης τῆς διοικήσεως βεβουλευμένοις, ἀλλʼ ἐὰν καὶ κατορθώσωσι περί τινας τῶν πράξεων ἢ διὰ τύχην ἢ διʼ ἀνδρὸς ἀρετήν, μικρὸν διαλιπόντες πάλιν εἰς τὰς αὐτὰς ἀπορίας κατέστησαν. καὶ ταῦτα γνοίη τις ἂν ἐκ τῶν περὶ ἡμᾶς γεγενημένων·
12. For when all Hellas fell under the power of Athens, after the naval victory of Conon and the campaign of Timotheus, we were not able to hold our good fortune any time at all, but quickly dissipated and destroyed it. For we neither possess nor do we honestly seek to obtain a polity which can properly deal with our affairs.
12. ἁπάσης γὰρ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ὑπὸ τὴν πόλιν ἡμῶν ὑποπεσούσης καὶ μετὰ τὴν Κόνωνος ναυμαχίαν καὶ μετὰ τὴν Τιμοθέου στρατηγίαν, οὐδένα χρόνον τὰς εὐτυχίας κατασχεῖν ἠδυνήθημεν, ἀλλὰ ταχέως διεσκαριφησάμεθα καὶ διελύσαμεν αὐτάς. πολιτείαν γὰρ τὴν ὀρθῶς ἂν τοῖς πράγμασι χρησαμένην οὔτʼ ἔχομεν οὔτε καλῶς ζητοῦμεν.
13. And yet we all know that success does not visit and abide with those who have built around themselves the finest and the strongest walls, nor with those who have collected the greatest population in one place, but rather with those who most nobly and wisely govern their state.
13. καίτοι τὰς εὐπραγίας ἅπαντες ἴσμεν καὶ παραγιγνομένας καὶ παραμενούσας οὐ τοῖς τὰ τείχη κάλλιστα καὶ μέγιστα περιβεβλημένοις, οὐδὲ τοῖς μετὰ πλείστων ἀνθρώπων εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν τόπον συνηθροισμένοις, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἄριστα καὶ σωφρονέστατα τὴν αὑτῶν πόλιν διοικοῦσιν.
14. For the soul of a state is nothing else than its polity, having as much power over it as does the mind over the body; for it is this which deliberates upon all questions, seeking to preserve what is good and to ward off what is disastrous; and it is this which of necessity assimilates to its own nature the laws, the public orators and the private citizens; and all the members of the state must fare well or ill according to the kind of polity under which they live.
14. ἔστι γὰρ ψυχὴ πόλεως οὐδὲν ἔτερον ἢ πολιτεία, τοσαύτην ἔχουσα δύναμιν ὅσην περ ἐν σώματι φρόνησις. αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ βουλευομένη περὶ ἁπάντων, καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀγαθὰ διαφυλάττουσα, τὰς δὲ συμφορὰς διαφεύγουσα. ταύτῃ καὶ τοὺς νόμους καὶ τοὺς ῥήτορας καὶ τοὺς ἰδιώτας ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστιν ὁμοιοῦσθαι, καὶ πράττειν οὕτως ἑκάστους οἵαν περ ἂν ταύτην ἔχωσιν.
15. And yet we are quite indifferent to the fact that our polity has been corrupted, nor do we even consider how we may redeem it. It is true that we sit around in our shops denouncing the present order and complaining that never under a democracy have we been worse governed, but in our actions and in the sentiments which we hold regarding it we show that we are better satisfied with our present democracy than with that which was handed down to us by our forefathers. It is in favor of the democracy of our forefathers that I intend to speak, and this is the subject on which I gave notice that I would address you.
15. ἧς ἡμεῖς διεφθαρμένης οὐδὲν φροντίζομεν, οὐδὲ σκοποῦμεν ὅπως ἐπανορθώσομεν αὐτήν· ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ἐργαστηρίων καθίζοντες κατηγοροῦμεν τῶν καθεστώτων, καὶ λέγομεν ὡς οὐδέποτʼ ἐν δημοκρατίᾳ κάκιον ἐπολιτεύθημεν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς πράγμασι καὶ ταῖς διανοίαις αἷς ἔχομεν μᾶλλον αὐτὴν ἀγαπῶμεν τῆς ὑπὸ τῶν προγόνων καταλειφθείσης. ὑπὲρ ἧς ἐγὼ καὶ τοὺς λόγους μέλλω ποιεῖσθαι καὶ τὴν πρόσοδον ἀπεγραψάμην.
16. For I find that the one way—the only possible way—which can avert future perils from us and deliver us from our present ills is that we should be willing to restore that earlier democracy which was instituted by Solon, who proved himself above all others the friend of the people, and which was re-established by Cleisthenes, who drove out the tyrants and brought the people back into power— a government than which we could find none more favorable to the populace or more advantageous to the whole city.
16. εὑρίσκω γὰρ ταύτην μόνην ἂν γενομένην καὶ τῶν μελλόντων κινδύνων ἀποτροπὴν καὶ τῶν παρόντων κακῶν ἀπαλλαγήν, ἢν ἐθελήσωμεν ἐκείνην τὴν δημοκρατίαν ἀναλαβεῖν, ἢν Σόλων μὲν ὁ δημοτικώτατος γενόμενος ἐνομοθέτησε, Κλεισθένης δὲ ὁ τοὺς τυράννους ἐκβαλὼν καὶ τὸν δῆμον καταγαγὼν πάλιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς κατέστησεν.
17. The strongest proof of this is that those who enjoyed this constitution wrought many noble deeds, won the admiration of all mankind, and took their place, by the common consent of the Hellenes, as the leading power of Hellas; whereas those who were enamored of the present constitution made themselves hated of all men, suffered many indignities, and barely escaped falling into the worst of all disasters.
17. ἧς οὐκ ἂν εὕροιμεν οὔτε δημοτικωτέραν οὔτε τῇ πόλει μᾶλλον συμφέρουσαν. τεκμήριον δὲ μέγιστον· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐκείνῃ χρώμενοι, πολλὰ καὶ καλὰ διαπραξάμενοι καὶ παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκιμήσαντες, παρʼ ἑκόντων τῶν Ἑλλήνων τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἔλαβον, οἱ δὲ τῆς νῦν παρούσης ἐπιθυμήσαντες, ὑπὸ πάντων μισηθέντες καὶ πολλὰ καὶ δεινὰ παθόντες, μικρὸν ἀπέλιπον τοῦ μὴ ταῖς ἐσχάταις συμφοραῖς περιπεσεῖν.
18. And yet how can we praise or tolerate a government which has in the past been the cause of so many evils and which is now year by year ever drifting on from bad to worse? And how can we escape the fear that if we continue to progress after this fashion we may finally run aground on rocks more perilous than those which at that time loomed before us?
18. καίτοι πῶς χρὴ ταύτην τὴν πολιτείαν ἐπαινεῖν ἢ στέργειν τὴν τοσούτων μὲν κακῶν αἰτίαν πρότερον γενομένην, νῦν δὲ καθʼ ἕκαστον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον φερομένην; πῶς δʼ οὐ χρὴ δεδιέναι μὴ τοιαύτης ἐπιδόσεως γιγνομένης τελευτῶντες εἰς τραχύτερα πράγματα τῶν τότε γενομένων ἐξοκείλωμεν;
19. But in order that you may make a choice and come to a decision between the two constitutions, not from the summary statement you just heard, but from exact knowledge, it behoves you, for your part, to render yourselves attentive to what I say, while I, for my part, shall try to explain them both to you as briefly as I can.
19. ἵνα δὲ μὴ συλλήβδην μόνον ἀκηκοότες, ἀλλʼ ἀκριβῶς εἰδότες ποιῆσθε καὶ τὴν αἵρεσιν καὶ τὴν κρίσιν αὐτῶν, ὑμέτερον μὲν ἔργον ἐστὶ παρασχεῖν ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς προσέχοντας τὸν νοῦν τοῖς ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ λεγομένοις, ἐγὼ δʼ ὡς ἂν δύνωμαι συντομώτατα περὶ ἀμφοτέρων τούτων πειράσομαι διελθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς.
20. For those who directed the state in the time of Solon and Cleisthenes did not establish a polity which in name merely was hailed as the most impartial and the mildest of governments, while in practice showing itself the opposite to those who lived under it, nor one which trained the citizens in such fashion that they looked upon insolence as democracy, lawlessness as liberty, impudence of speech as equality, and licence to do what they pleased as happiness, but rather a polity which detested and punished such men and by so doing made all the citizens better and wiser.
20. οἱ γὰρ κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον τὴν πόλιν διοικοῦντες κατεστήσαντο πολιτείαν οὐκ ὀνόματι μὲν τῷ κοινοτάτῳ καὶ πραοτάτῳ προσαγορευομένην, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν πράξεων οὐ τοιαύτην τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι φαινομένην, οὐδʼ ἣ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐπαίδευε τοὺς πολίτας ὥσθʼ ἡγεῖσθαι τὴν μὲν ἀκολασίαν δημοκρατίαν, τὴν δὲ παρανομίαν ἐλευθερίαν, τὴν δὲ παρρησίαν ἰσονομίαν, τὴν δʼ ἐξουσίαν τοῦ πάντα ποιεῖν εὐδαιμονίαν, ἀλλὰ μισοῦσα καὶ κολάζουσα τοὺς τοιούτους βελτίους καὶ σωφρονεστέρους ἅπαντας τοὺς πολίτας ἐποίησεν.
21. But what contributed most to their good government of the state was that of the two recognized kinds of equality—that which makes the same award to all alike and that which gives to each man his due —they did not fail to grasp which was the more serviceable; but, rejecting as unjust that which holds that the good and the bad are worthy of the same honors, and preferring rather that which rewards and punishes every man according to his deserts, they governed the city on this principle, not filling the offices by lot from all the citizens, but selecting the best and the ablest for each function of the state; for they believed that the rest of the people would reflect the character of those who were placed in charge of their affairs.
21. μέγιστον δʼ αὐτοῖς συνεβάλετο πρὸς τὸ καλῶς οἰκεῖν τὴν πόλιν, ὅτι δυοῖν ἰσοτήτοιν νομιζομέναιν εἶναι, καὶ τῆς μὲν ταὐτὸν ἅπασιν ἀπονεμούσης τῆς δὲ τὸ προσῆκον ἑκάστοις, οὐκ ἠγνόουν τὴν χρησιμωτέραν, ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν τῶν αὐτῶν ἀξιοῦσαν τοὺς χρηστοὺς καὶ τοὺς πονηροὺς ἀπεδοκίμαζον ὡς οὐ δικαίαν οὖσαν, τὴν δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἕκαστον τιμῶσαν καὶ κολάζουσαν προῃροῦντο, καὶ διὰ ταύτης ᾤκουν τὴν πόλιν, οὐκ ἐξ ἁπάντων τὰς ἀρχὰς κληροῦντες, ἀλλὰ τοὺς βελτίστους καὶ τοὺς ἱκανωτάτους ἐφʼ ἕκαστον τῶν ἔργων προκρίνοντες. τοιούτους γὰρ ἤλπιζον ἔσεσθαι καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους, οἷοί περ ἂν ὦσιν οἱ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπιστατοῦντες.
23. Furthermore they considered that this way of appointing magistrates was also more democratic than the casting of lots, since under the plan of election by lot chance would decide the issue and the partizans of oligarchy would often get the offices; whereas under the plan of selecting the worthiest men, the people would have in their hands the power to choose those who were most attached to the existing constitution.
23. ἔπειτα καὶ δημοτικωτέραν ἐνόμιζον εἶναι ταύτην τὴν κατάστασιν ἢ τὴν διὰ τοῦ λαγχάνειν γιγνομένην ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῇ κληρώσει τὴν τύχην βραβεύσειν, καὶ πολλάκις λήψεσθαι τὰς ἀρχὰς τοὺς ὀλιγαρχίας ἐπιθυμοῦντας, ἐν δὲ τῷ προκρίνειν τοὺς ἐπιεικεστάτους τὸν δῆμον ἔσεσθαι κύριον ἑλέσθαι τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας μάλιστα τὴν καθεστῶσαν πολιτείαν.
24. The reason why this plan was agreeable to the majority and why they did not fight over the offices was because they had been schooled to be industrious and frugal, and not to neglect their own possessions and conspire against the possessions of others, and not to repair their own fortunes out of the public funds, but rather to help out the commonwealth, should the need arise, from their private resources, and not to know more accurately the incomes derived from the public offices than those which accrued to them from their own estates.
24. αἴτιον δʼ ἦν τοῦ ταῦτα τοῖς πολλοῖς ἀρέσκειν καὶ μὴ περιμαχήτους εἶναι τὰς ἀρχάς, ὅτι μεμαθηκότες ἦσαν ἐργάζεσθαι καὶ φείδεσθαι, καὶ μὴ τῶν μὲν οἰκείων ἀμελεῖν τοῖς δʼ ἀλλοτρίοις ἐπιβουλεύειν, μηδʼ ἐκ τῶν δημοσίων τὰ σφέτερʼ αὐτῶν διοικεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἐκ τῶν ἑκάστοις ὑπαρχόντων, εἴ ποτε δεήσειε, τοῖς κοινοῖς ἐπαρκεῖν, μηδʼ ἀκριβέστερον εἰδέναι τὰς ἐκ τῶν ἀρχείων προσόδους ἢ τὰς ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων γιγνομένας αὑτοῖς. οὕτω δʼ ἀπείχοντο σφόδρα τῶν τῆς πόλεως, ὥστε χαλεπώτερον ἦν ἐν ἐκείνοις τοῖς χρόνοις εὑρεῖν τοὺς βουλομένους ἄρχειν ἢ νῦν τοὺς μηδὲν δεομένους·
25. So severely did they abstain from what belonged to the state that it was harder in those days to find men who were willing to hold office than it is now to find men who are not begging for the privilege; for they did not regard a charge over public affairs as a chance for private gain but as a service to the state; neither did they from their first day in office seek to discover whether their predecessors had overlooked any source of profit, but much rather whether they had neglected any business of the state which pressed for settlement.
25. οὐ γὰρ ἐμπορίαν ἀλλὰ λειτουργίαν ἐνόμιζον εἶναι τὴν τῶν κοινῶν ἐπιμέλειαν, οὐδʼ ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης ἡμέρας ἐσκόπουν ἐλθόντες εἴ τι λῆμμα παραλελοίπασιν οἱ πρότερον ἄρχοντες, ἀλλὰ πολὺ μᾶλλον εἴ τινος πράγματος κατημελήκασι τῶν τέλος ἔχειν κατεπειγόντων.
26. In a word, our forefathers had resolved that the people as the supreme master of the state, should appoint the magistrates, call to account those who failed in their duty, and judge in cases of dispute; while those citizens who could afford the time and possessed sufficient means should devote themselves to the care of the commonwealth, as servants of the people, entitled to receive commendation if they proved faithful to their trust, and contenting themselves with this honor, but condemned, on the other hand, if they governed badly, to meet with no mercy, but to suffer the severest punishment.
26. ὡς δὲ συντόμως εἰπεῖν, ἐκεῖνοι διεγνωκότες ἦσαν ὅτι δεῖ τὸν μὲν δῆμον ὥσπερ τύραννον καθιστάναι τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ κολάζειν τοὺς ἐξαμαρτάνοντας καὶ κρίνειν περὶ τῶν ἀμφισβητουμένων, τοὺς δὲ σχολὴν ἄγειν δυναμένους καὶ βίον ἱκανὸν κεκτημένους ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῶν κοινῶν ὥσπερ οἰκέτας, καὶ δικαίους μὲν γενομένους ἐπαινεῖσθαι καὶ στέργειν ταύτῃ τῇ τιμῇ, κακῶς δὲ διοικήσαντας μηδεμιᾶς συγγνώμης τυγχάνειν ἀλλὰ ταῖς μεγίσταις ζημίαις περιπίπτειν.
27. And how, pray, could one find a democracy more stable or more just than this, which appointed the most capable men to have charge of its affairs but gave to the people authority over their rulers?
27. καίτοι πῶς ἄν τις εὕροι ταύτης βεβαιοτέραν ἢ δικαιοτέραν δημοκρατίαν, τῆς τοὺς μὲν δυνατωτάτους ἐπὶ τὰς πράξεις καθιστάσης, αὐτῶν δὲ τούτων τὸν δῆμον κύριον ποιούσης;
28. Such was the constitution of their polity, and from this it is easy to see that also in their conduct day by day they never failed to act with propriety and justice; for when people have laid sound foundations for the conduct of the whole state it follows that in the details of their lives they must reflect the character of their government.
28. τὸ μὲν οὖν σύνταγμα τῆς πολιτείας τοιοῦτον ἦν αὐτοῖς· ῥᾴδιον δʼ ἐκ τούτων καταμαθεῖν ὡς καὶ τὰ καθʼ ἡμέραν ἑκάστην ὀρθῶς καὶ νομίμως πράττοντες διετέλεσαν. ἀνάγκη γὰρ τοῖς περὶ ὅλων τῶν πραγμάτων καλὰς τὰς ὑποθέσεις πεποιημένοις καὶ τὰ μέρη τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ἔχειν ἐκείνοις.
29. First of all as to their conduct towards the gods—for it is right to begin with them —they were not erratic or irregular in their worship of them or in the celebration of their rites; they did not, for example, drive three hundred oxen in procession to the altar, when it entered their heads to do so, while omitting, when the caprice seized them, the sacrifices instituted by their fathers; neither did they observe on a grand scale the festivals imported from abroad, whenever these were attended by a feast, while contracting with the lowest bidder for the sacrifices demanded by the holiest rites of their religion.
29. καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τὰ περὶ τοὺς θεούς, ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ ἄρχεσθαι δίκαιον, οὐκ ἀνωμάλως οὐδʼ ἀτάκτως οὔτʼ ἐθεράπευον οὔτʼ ὠργίαζον· οὐδʼ ὁπότε μὲν δόξειεν αὐτοῖς, τριακοσίους βοῦς ἔπεμπον, ὁπότε δὲ τύχοιεν, τὰς πατρίους θυσίας ἐξέλειπον· οὐδὲ τὰς μὲν ἐπιθέτους ἑορτάς, αἷς ἑστίασίς τις προσείη, μεγαλοπρεπῶς ἦγον, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἁγιωτάτοις τῶν ἱερῶν ἀπὸ μισθωμάτων ἔθυον·
30. For their only care was not to destroy any institution of their fathers and to introduce nothing which was not approved by custom, believing that reverence consists, not in extravagant expenditures, but in disturbing none of the rites which their ancestors had handed on to them. And so also the gifts of the gods were visited upon them, not fitfully or capriciously, but seasonably both for the ploughing of the land and for the ingathering of its fruits.
30. ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνο μόνον ἐτήρουν, ὅπως μηδὲν μήτε τῶν πατρίων καταλύσουσι μήτʼ ἔξω τῶν νομιζομένων προσθήσουσιν· οὐ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς πολυτελείαις ἐνόμιζον εἶναι τὴν εὐσέβειαν, ἀλλʼ ἐν τῷ μηδὲν κινεῖν ὧν αὐτοῖς οἱ πρόγονοι παρέδοσαν. καὶ γάρ τοι καὶ τὰ παρὰ τῶν θεῶν οὐκ ἐμπλήκτως οὐδὲ ταραχωδῶς αὐτοῖς συνέβαινεν, ἀλλʼ εὐκαίρως καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐργασίαν τῆς χώρας καὶ πρὸς τὴν συγκομιδὴν τῶν καρπῶν.
31. In the same manner also they governed their relations with each other. For not only were they of the same mind regarding public affairs, but in their private life as well they showed that degree of consideration for each other which is due from men who are rightminded and partners in a common fatherland.
31. παραπλησίως δὲ τοῖς εἰρημένοις καὶ τὰ πρὸς σφᾶς αὐτοὺς διῴκουν. οὐ γὰρ μόνον μερὶ τῶν κοινῶν ὡμονόουν, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τὸν ἴδιον βίον τοσαύτην ἐποιοῦντο πρόνοιαν ἀλλήλων, ὅσην περ χρὴ τοὺς εὖ φρονοῦντας καὶ πατρίδος κοινωνοῦντας. οἵ τε γὰρ πενέστεροι τῶν πολιτῶν τοσοῦτον ἀπεῖχον τοῦ φθονεῖν τοῖς πλείω κεκτημένοις, ὥσθʼ ὁμοίως ἐκήδοντο τῶν οἴκων τῶν μεγάλων ὥσπερ τῶν σφετέρων αὐτῶν, ἡγούμενοι τὴν ἐκείνων εὐδαιμονίαν αὑτοῖς εὐπορίαν ὑπάρχειν·
32. The less well-to-do among the citizens were so far from envying those of greater means that they were as solicitous for the great estates as for their own, considering that the prosperity of the rich was a guarantee of their own well-being. Those who possessed wealth, on the other hand, did not look down upon those in humbler circumstances, but, regarding poverty among their fellow-citizens as their own disgrace, came to the rescue of the distresses of the poor, handing over lands to some at moderate rentals, sending out some to engage in commerce, and furnishing means to others to enter upon various occupations;
32. οἵ τε τὰς οὐσίας ἔχοντες οὐχ ὅπως ὑπερεώρων τοὺς καταδεέστερον πράττοντας, ἀλλʼ ὑπολαμβάνοντες αἰσχύνην αὑτοῖς εἶναι τὴν τῶν πολιτῶν ἀπορίαν ἐπήμυνον ταῖς ἐνδείαις, τοῖς μὲν γεωργίας ἐπὶ μετρίαις μισθώσεσι παραδιδόντες, τοὺς δὲ κατʼ ἐμπορίαν ἐκπέμποντες, τοῖς δʼ εἰς τὰς ἄλλας ἐργασίας ἀφορμὴν παρέχοντες.
33. for they had no fear that they might suffer one of two things—that they might lose their whole investment or recover, after much trouble, only a mere fraction of their venture; on the contrary, they felt as secure about the money which was lent out as about that which was stored in their own coffers. For they saw that in cases of contract the judges were not in the habit of indulging their sense of equity but were strictly faithful to the laws;
33. οὐ γὰρ ἐδεδίεσαν μὴ δυοῖν θάτερον πάθοιεν, ἢ πάντων στερηθεῖεν, ἢ πολλὰ πράγματα σχόντες μέρος τι κομίσαιντο τῶν προεθέντων· ἀλλʼ ὁμοίως ἐθάρρουν περὶ τῶν ἔξω δεδομένων ὥσπερ περὶ τῶν ἔνδον κειμένων. ἑώρων γὰρ τοὺς περὶ τῶν συμβολαίων κρίνοντας οὐ ταῖς ἐπιεικείαις χρωμένους, ἀλλὰ τοῖς νόμοις πειθομένους, οὐδʼ ἐν τοῖς τῶν ἄλλων ἀγῶσιν αὑτοῖς ἀδικεῖν ἐξουσίαν παρασκευάζοντας, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ὀργιζομένους τοῖς ἀποστεροῦσιν αὐτῶν τῶν ἀδικουμένων, καὶ νομίζοντας διὰ τοὺς ἄπιστα τὰ συμβόλαια ποιοῦντας μείζω βλάπτεσθαι τοὺς πένητας τῶν πολλὰ κεκτημένων·
34. and that they did not in trying others seek to make it safe for themselves to disobey the law, but were indeed more severe on defaulters than were the injured themselves, since they believed that those who break down confidence in contracts do a greater injury to the poor than to the rich; for if the rich were to stop lending, they would be deprived of only a slight revenue, whereas if the poor should lack the help of their supporters they would be reduced to desperate straits. And so because of this confidence no one tried to conceal his wealth nor hesitated to lend it out, but, on the contrary, the wealthy were better pleased to see men borrowing money than paying it back; for they thus experienced the double satisfaction—which should appeal to all right-minded men—of helping their fellow-citizens and at the same time making their own property productive for themselves. In fine, the result of their dealing honorably with each other was that the ownership of property was secured to those to whom it rightfully belonged, while the enjoyment of property was shared by all the citizens who needed it.
34. τοὺς μὲν γάρ, ἢν παύσωνται προϊέμενοι, μικρῶν προσόδων ἀποστερηθήσεσθαι, τοὺς δʼ, ἢν ἀπορήσωσι τῶν ἐπαρκούντων, εἰς τὴν ἐσχάτην ἔνδειαν καταστήσεσθαι. καὶ γάρ τοι διὰ τὴν γνώμην ταύτην οὐδεὶς οὔτʼ ἀπεκρύπτετο τὴν οὐσίαν οὔτʼ ὤκνει συμβάλλειν, ἀλλʼ ἥδιον ἑώρων τοὺς δανειζομένους ἢ τοὺς ἀποδιδόντας. ἀμφότερα γὰρ αὐτοῖς συνέβαινεν, ἅπερ ἂν βουληθεῖεν ἄνθρωποι νοῦν ἔχοντες· ἅμα γὰρ τούς τε πολίτας ὠφέλουν καὶ τὰ σφέτερʼ αὐτῶν ἐνεργὰ καθίστασαν. κεφάλαιον δὲ τοῦ καλῶς ἀλλήλοις ὁμιλεῖν· αἱ μὲν γὰρ κτήσεις ἀσφαλεῖς ἦσαν, οἷσπερ κατὰ τὸ δίκαιον ὑπῆρχον, αἱ δὲ χρήσεις κοιναὶ πᾶσι τοῖς δεομένοις τῶν πολιτῶν.
36. But perhaps some might object to what I have said on the ground that I praise the conditions of life as they were in those days, but neglect to explain the reasons why our forefathers managed so well both in their relations with each other and in their government of the state. Well, I have already touched upon that question, but in spite of that I shall now try to discuss it even more fully and more clearly.
36. ἴσως ἂν οὖν τις ἐπιτιμήσειε τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ὅτι τὰς μὲν πράξεις ἐπαινῶ τὰς ἐν ἐκείνοις τοῖς χρόνοις γεγενημένας, τὰς δʼ αἰτίας οὐ φράζω, διʼ ἃς οὕτω καλῶς καὶ τὰ πρὸς σφᾶς αὐτοὺς εἶχον καὶ τὴν πόλιν διῴκουν. ἐγὼ δʼ οἶμαι μὲν εἰρηκέναι τι καὶ τοιοῦτον, οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἔτι πλείω καὶ σαφέστερον πειράσομαι διαλεχθῆναι περὶ αὐτῶν.
37. The Athenians of that day were not watched over by many preceptors during their boyhood only to be allowed to do what they liked when they attained to manhood; on the contrary, they were subjected to greater supervision in the very prime of their vigor than when they were boys. For our forefathers placed such strong emphasis upon sobriety that they put the supervision of decorum in charge of the Council of the Areopagus—a body which was composed exclusively of men who were of noble birth and had exemplified in their lives exceptional virtue and sobriety, and which, therefore, naturally excelled all the other councils of Hellas.
37. ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ οὐκ ἐν μὲν ταῖς παιδείαις πολλοὺς τοὺς ἐπιστατοῦντας εἶχον, ἐπειδὴ δʼ εἰς ἄνδρας δοκιμασθεῖεν, ἐξῆν αὐτοῖς ποιεῖν ὅ τι βουληθεῖεν, ἀλλʼ ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς ἀκμαῖς πλέονος ἐπιμελείας ἐτύγχανον ἢ παῖδες ὄντες. οὕτω γὰρ ἡμῶν οἱ πρόγονοι σφόδρα περὶ τὴν σωφροσύνην ἐσπούδαζον, ὥστε τὴν ἐξ Ἀρείου πάγου βουλὴν ἐπέστησαν ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῆς εὐκοσμίας, ἧς οὐχ οἷόν τʼ ἦν μετασχεῖν πλὴν τοῖς καλῶς γεγονόσι καὶ πολλὴν ἀρετὴν ἐν τῷ βίω καὶ σωφροσύνην ἐνδεδειγμένοις, ὥστʼ εἰκότως αὐτὴν διενεγκεῖν τῶν ἐν τοῖς Ἕλλησι συνεδρίων.
38. And we may judge what this institution was at that time even by what happens at the present day; for even now, when everything connected with the election and the examination of magistrates has fallen into neglect, we shall find that those who in all else that they do are insufferable, yet when they enter the Areopagus hesitate to indulge their true nature, being governed rather by its traditions than by their own evil instincts. So great was the fear which its members inspired in the depraved and such was the memorial of their own virtue and sobriety which they left behind them in the place of their assembly.
38. σημείοις δʼ ἄν τις χρήσαιτο περὶ τῶν τότε καθεστώτων καὶ τοῖς ἐν τῷ παρόντι γιγνομένοις· ἔτι γὰρ καὶ νῦν ἁπάντων τῶν περὶ τὴν αἵρεσιν καὶ τὴν δοκιμασίαν κατημελημένων ἴδοιμεν ἂν τοὺς ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις πράγμασιν οὐκ ἀνεκτοὺς ὄντας, ἐπειδὰν εἰς Ἄρειον πάγον ἀναβῶσιν, ὀκνοῦντας τῇ φύσει χρῆσθαι καὶ μᾶλλον τοῖς ἐκεῖ νομίμοις ἢ ταῖς αὑτῶν κακίαις ἐμμένοντας. τοσοῦτον φόβον ἐκεῖνοι τοῖς πονηροῖς ἐνειργάσαντο, καὶ τοιοῦτο μνημεῖον ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τῆς αὑτῶν ἀρετῆς καὶ σωφροσύνης ἐγκατέλιπον.
39. Such, then, as I have described, was the nature of the Council which our forefathers charged with the supervision of moral discipline—a council which considered that those who believed that the best citizens are produced in a state where the laws are prescribed with the greatest exactness were blind to the truth; for in that case there would be no reason why all of the Hellenes should not be on the same level, at any rate in so far as it is easy to borrow written codes from each other.
39. τὴν δὴ τοιαύτην, ὥσπερ εἶπον, κυρίαν ἐποίησαν τῆς εὐταξίας ἐπιμελεῖσθαι, ἣ τοὺς μὲν οἰομένους ἐνταῦθα βελτίστους ἄνδρας γίγνεσθαι, παρʼ οἷς οἱ νόμοι μετὰ πλείστης ἀκριβείας κείμενοι τυγχάνουσιν, ἀγνοεῖν ἐνόμιζεν· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἂν κωλύειν ὁμοίους ἅπαντας εἶναι τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἕνεκά γε τοῦ ῥᾴδιον εἶναι τὰ γράμματα λαβεῖν παρʼ ἀλλήλων.
40. But in fact, they thought, virtue is not advanced by written laws but by the habits of every-day life; for the majority of men tend to assimilate the manners and morals amid which they have been reared. Furthermore, they held that where there is a multitude of specific laws, it is a sign that the state is badly governed; for it is in the attempt to build up dikes against the spread of crime that men in such a state feel constrained to multiply the laws.
40. ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐκ ἐκ τούτων τὴν ἐπίδοσιν εἶναι τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἀλλʼ ἐκ τῶν καθʼ ἑκάστην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐπιτηδευμάτων· τοὺς γὰρ πολλοὺς ὁμοίους τοῖς ἤθεσιν ἀποβαίνειν, ἐν οἷς ἂν ἕκαστοι παιδευθῶσιν. ἔπειτα τά γε πλήθη καὶ τὰς ἀκριβείας τῶν νόμων σημεῖον εἶναι τοῦ κακῶς οἰκεῖσθαι τὴν πόλιν ταύτην· ἐμφράγματα γὰρ αὐτοὺς ποιουμένους τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων πολλοὺς τίθεσθαι τοὺς νόμους ἀναγκάζεσθαι.
41. Those who are rightly governed, on the other hand, do not need to fill their porticoes with written statutes, but only to cherish justice in their souls; for it is not by legislation, but by morals, that states are well directed, since men who are badly reared will venture to transgress even laws which are drawn up with minute exactness, whereas those who are well brought up will be willing to respect even a simple code.
41. δεῖν δὲ τοὺς ὀρθῶς πολιτευομένους οὐ τὰς στοὰς ἐμπιπλάναι γραμμάτων, ἀλλʼ ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἔχειν τὸ δίκαιον· οὐ γὰρ τοῖς ψηφίσμασιν ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἤθεσι καλῶς οἰκεῖσθαι τὰς πόλεις, καὶ τοὺς μὲν κακῶς τεθραμμένους καὶ τοὺς ἀκριβῶς τῶν νόμων ἀναγεγραμμένους τολμήσειν παραβαίνειν, τοὺς δὲ καλῶς πεπαιδευμένους καὶ τοῖς ἁπλῶς κειμένοις ἐθελήσειν ἐμμένειν.
42. Therefore, being of this mind, our forefathers did not seek to discover first how they should penalize men who were lawless, but how they should produce citizens who would refrain from any punishable act; for they thought that this was their duty, while it was proper for private enemies alone to be zealous in the avenging of crime.
42. ταῦτα διανοηθέντες οὐ τοῦτο πρῶτον ἐσκόπουν, διʼ ὧν κολάσουσι τοὺς ἀκοσμοῦντας, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ὧν παρασκευάσουσι μηδὲν αὐτοὺς ἄξιον ζημίας ἐξαμαρτάνειν· ἡγοῦντο γὰρ τοῦτο μὲν αὑτῶν ἔργον εἶναι, τὸ δὲ περὶ τὰς τιμωρίας σπουδάζειν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς προσήκειν.
43. Now our forefathers exercised care over all the citizens, but most of all over the young. They saw that at this age men are most unruly of temper and filled with a multitude of desires, and that their spirits are most in need of being curbed by devotion to noble pursuits and by congenial labor; for only such occupations can attract and hold men who have been educated liberally and trained in high-minded ways.
43. ἁπάντων μὲν οὖν ἐφρόντιζον τῶν πολιτῶν, μάλιστα δὲ τῶν νεωτέρων. ἑώρων γὰρ τοὺς τηλικούτους ταραχωδέστατα διακειμένους καὶ πλείστων γέμοντας ἐπιθυμιῶν, καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν μάλιστα δαμασθῆναι δεομένας ἐπιμελείαις καλῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων καὶ πόνοις ἡδονὰς ἔχουσιν· ἐν μόνοις γὰρ ἂν τούτοις ἐμμεῖναι τοὺς ἐλευθέρως τεθραμμένους καὶ μεγαλοφρονεῖν εἰθισμένους.
44. However, since it was not possible to direct all into the same occupations, because of differences in their circumstances, they assigned to each one a vocation which was in keeping with his means; for they turned the needier towards farming and trade, knowing that poverty comes about through idleness, and evil-doing through poverty.
44. ἅπαντας μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ τὰς αὐτὰς ἄγειν διατριβὰς οὐχ οἷόν τʼ ἦν, ἀνωμάλως τὰ περὶ τὸν βίον ἔχοντας· ὡς δὲ πρὸς τὴν οὐσίαν ἥρμοττεν, οὕτως ἑκάστοις προσέταττον. τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ὑποδεέστερον πράττοντας ἐπὶ τὰς γεωργίας καὶ τὰς ἐμπορίας ἔτρεπον, εἰδότες τὰς ἀπορίας μὲν διὰ τὰς ἀργίας γιγνομένας, τὰς δὲ κακουργίας διὰ τὰς ἀπορίας·