The　Polity　of　the　Athenians　and　the　Lacedaemonians
  by　Xenophon
  Translation　by　H。　G。　Dakyns
  Xenophon　the　Athenian　was　born　431　B。C。　He　was　a　pupil　of　Socrates。　He　marched　with　the　Spartans；　and　was　exiled　from　Athens。　Sparta　gave　him　land　and　property　in　Scillus；　where　he　lived　for　many　years　before　having　to　move　once　more；　to　settle　in　Corinth。　He　died　in　354　B。C。
  The　Polity　of　the　Lacedaemonians　talks　about　the　laws　and　institutions　created　by　Lycurgus；　which　train　and　develop　Spartan　citizens　from　birth　to　old　age。
  The　Polity　of　the　Lacedaemonians　talks　about　the　laws　and　institutions　created　by　Lycurgus；　which　train　and　develop　Spartan　citizens　from　birth　to　old　age。
  THE　POLITY　OF　THE　ATHENIANS
  I
  Now；　as　concerning　the　Polity　of　the　Athenians；＇1＇　and　the　type　or　manner　of　constitution　which　they　have　chosen；＇2＇　I　praise　it　not；　in　so　far　as　the　very　choice　involves　the　welfare　of　the　baser　folk　as　opposed　to　that　of　the　better　class。　I　repeat；　I　withhold　my　praise　so　far；　but；　given　the　fact　that　this　is　the　type　agreed　upon；　I　propose　to　show　that　they　set　about　its　preservation　in　the　right　way；　and　that　those　other　transactions　in　connection　with　it；　which　are　looked　upon　as　blunders　by　the　rest　of　the　Hellenic　world；　are　the　reverse。
  ＇1＇　See　Grote；　〃H。　G。〃　vi。　p。　47　foll。；　Thuc。　i。　76；　77；　viii。　48；　　　　　Boeckh；　〃P。　E。　A。〃　passim；　Hartman；　〃An。　Xen。　N。〃　cap。　viii。；　　　　　Roquette；　〃Xen。　Vit。〃　S。　26；　Newman；　〃Pol。　Arist。〃　i。　538；　and　　　　　〃Xenophontis　qui　fertur　libellus　de　Republica　Atheniensium；〃　ed。　　　　　A。　Kirchhoff　（MDCCCLXXIV）；　whose　text　I　have　chiefly　followed。
  ＇2＇　Lit。　〃I　do　not　praise　their　choice　of　the　（particular）　type；　in　so　　　　　far　as　。　。　。〃
  In　the　first　place；　I　maintain；　it　is　only　just　that　the　poorer　classes＇3＇　and　the　People　of　Athens　should　be　better　off　than　the　men　of　birth　and　wealth；　seeing　that　it　is　the　people　who　man　the　fleet；＇4＇　and　put　round　the　city　her　girdle　of　power。　The　steersman；＇5＇　the　boatswain；　the　lieutenant；＇6＇　the　look…out…man　at　the　prow；　the　shiprightthese　are　the　people　who　engird　the　city　with　power　far　rather　than　her　heavy　infantry＇7＇　and　men　of　birth　of　quality。　This　being　the　case；　it　seems　only　just　that　offices　of　state　should　be　thrown　open　to　every　one　both　in　the　ballot＇8＇　and　the　show　of　hands；　and　that　the　right　of　speech　should　belong　to　any　one　who　likes；　without　restriction。　For；　observe；＇9＇　there　are　many　of　these　offices　which；　according　as　they　are　in　good　or　in　bad　hands；　are　a　source　of　safety　or　of　danger　to　the　People；　and　in　these　the　People　prudently　abstains　from　sharing；　as；　for　instance；　it　does　not　think　it　incumbent　on　itself　to　share　in　the　functions　of　the　general　or　of　the　commander　of　cavalry。＇10＇　The　sovereign　People　recognises　the　fact　that　in　forgoing　the　personal　exercise　of　these　offices；　and　leaving　them　to　the　control　of　the　more　powerful＇11＇　citizens；　it　secures　the　balance　of　advantage　to　itself。　It　is　only　those　departments　of　government　which　bring　emolument＇12＇　and　assist　the　private　estate　that　the　People　cares　to　keep　in　its　own　hands。
  ＇3＇　Cf。　〃Mem。〃　I。　ii。　58　foll。
  ＇4＇　Lit。　〃ply　the　oar　and　propel　the　galleys。〃
  ＇5＇　See　〃Econ。〃　viii。　14；　Pollux；　i。　96；　Arist。　〃Knights；〃　543　foll。；　　　　　Plat。　〃Laws；〃　v。　707　A；　Jowett；　〃Plat。〃　v。　278　foll。；　Boeckh；　〃P。　　　　　E。　A。〃　bk。　ii。　ch。　xxi。
  ＇6＇　Lit。　〃pentecontarch；〃　see　Dem。　〃In　Pol。〃　1212。
  ＇7＇　Aristot。　〃Pol。〃　vi。　7；　Jowett；　〃The　Politics　of　Aristotle；〃　vol。　　　　　i。　p。　109。
  ＇8＇　｛klerotoi｝；　｛airetoi｝。
  ＇9＇　Reading　with　Kirchhoff；　｛epeo　tou｝；　or　if　｛epeita｝；　〃in　the　next　　　　　place。〃
  ＇10＇　Hipparch。
  ＇11＇　Cf。　〃Hipparch。〃　i。　9；　〃Econ。〃　ii。　8。
  ＇12＇　E。g。　the　｛dikasteria｝。
  In　the　next　place；　in　regard　to　what　some　people　are　puzzled　to　explainthe　fact　that　everywhere　greater　consideration　is　shown　to　the　base；　to　poor　people　and　to　common　folk；　than　to　persons　of　good　qualityso　far　from　being　a　matter　of　surprise；　this；　as　can　be　shown；　is　the　keystone　of　the　preservation　of　the　democracy。　It　is　these　poor　people；　this　common　folk；　this　riff…raff；＇13＇　whose　prosperity；　combined　with　the　growth　of　their　numbers；　enhances　the　democracy。　Whereas；　a　shifting　of　fortune　to　the　advantage　of　the　wealthy　and　the　better　classes　implies　the　establishment　on　the　part　of　the　commonalty　of　a　strong　power　in　opposition　to　itself。　In　fact；　all　the　world　over；　the　cream　of　society　is　in　opposition　to　the　democracy。　Naturally；　since　the　smallest　amount　of　intemperance　and　injustice；　together　with　the　highest　scrupulousness　in　the　pursuit　of　excellence；　is　to　be　found　in　the　ranks　of　the　better　class；　while　within　the　ranks　of　the　People　will　be　found　the　greatest　amount　of　ignorance；　disorderliness；　rascalitypoverty　acting　as　a　stronger　incentive　to　base　conduct；　not　to　speak　of　lack　of　education　and　ignorance；　traceable　to　the　lack　of　means　which　afflicts　the　average　of　mankind。＇14＇
  ＇13＇　Or；　〃these　inferiors；〃　〃these　good…for…nothings。〃
  ＇14＇　Or；　〃some　of　these　folk。〃　The　passage　is　corrupt。
  The　objection　may　be　raised　that　it　was　a　mistake　to　allow　the　universal　right　of　speech＇15＇　and　a　seat　in　council。　These　should　have　been　reserved　for　the　cleverest；　the　flower　of　the　community。　But　here；　again；　it　will　be　found　that　they　are　acting　with　wise　deliberation　in　granting　to＇16＇　even　the　baser　sort　the　right　of　speech；　for　supposing　only　the　better　people　might　speak；　or　sit　in　council；　blessings　would　fall　to　the　lot　of　those　like　themselves；　but　to　the　commonalty　the　reverse　of　blessings。　Whereas　now；　any　one　who　likes；　any　base　fellow；　may　get　up　and　discover　something　to　the　advantage　of　himself　and　his　equals。　It　may　be　retorted：　〃And　what　sort　of　advantage　either　for　himself　or　for　the　People　can　such　a　fellow　be　expected　to　hit　upon？〃　The　answer　to　which　is；　that　in　their　judgment　the　ignorance　and　baseness　of　this　fellow；　together　with　his　goodwill；　are　worth　a　great　deal　more　to　them　than　your　superior　person's　virtue　and　wisdom；　coupled　with　animosity。　What　it　comes　to；　therefore；　is　that　a　state　founded　upon　such　institutions　will　not　be　the　best　state；＇17＇　but；　given　a　democracy；　these　are　the　right　means　to　procure　its　preservation。　The　People；　it　must　be　borne　in　mind；　does　not　demand　that　the　city　should　be　well　governed　and　itself　a　slave。　It　desires　to　be　free　and　to　be　master。＇18＇　As　to　bad　legislation　it　does　not　concern　itself　about　that。＇19＇　In　fact；　what　you　believe　to　be　bad　legislation　is　the　very　source　of　the　People's　strength　and　freedom。　But　if　you　seek　for　good　legislation；　in　the　first　place　you　will　see　the　cleverest　members　of　the　community　laying　down　the　laws　for　the　rest。　And　in　the　next　place；　the　better　class　will　curb　and　chastise　the　lower　orders；　the　better　class　will　deliberate　in　behalf　of　the　state；　and　not　suffer　crack…brained　fellows　to　sit　in　council；　or　to　speak　or　vote　in　Parliament。＇20＇　No　doubt；　but　under　the　weight　of　such　blessings　the　People　will　in　a　very　short　time　be　reduced　to　slavery。
  ＇15＇　Lit。　〃everybody　to　speak　in　turn。〃
  ＇16＇　Or；　〃it　is　a　counsel　of　perfection　on　their　part　to　grant　to；〃　　　　　etc。
  ＇17＇　Or；　〃the　ideal　state。〃
  ＇18＇　Or；　〃and　to　govern　and　hold　office。〃
  ＇19＇　Or；　〃it　will　take　the　risk　of　that。〃
  ＇20＇　See　Grote；　〃H。　G。〃　v。　p。　510　note。
  Another　point　is　the　extraordinary　amount　of　license＇21＇　granted　to　slaves　and　resident　aliens　at　Athens；　where　a　blow　is　illegal；　and　a　slave　will　not　step　aside　to　let　you　pass　him　in　the　street。　I　will　explain　the　reason　of　this　peculiar　custom。　Supposing　it　were　legal　for　a　slave　to　be　beaten　by　a　free　citizen；　or　for　a　resident　alien　or　freedman　to　be　beaten　by　a　citizen；　it　would　frequently　happen　that　an　Athenian　might　be　mistaken　for　a　slave　or　an　alien　and　receive　a　beating；　since　the　Athenian　People　is　no　better　clothed　than　the　slave　or　alien；　nor　in　personal　appearance　is　there　any　superiority。　Or　if　the　fact　itself　that　slaves　in　Athens　are　allowed　to　indulge　in　luxury；　and　indeed　in　some　cases　to　live　magnificently；　be　found　astonishing；　this　too；　it　can　be　shown；　is　done　of　set　purpose。　Where　you　have　a　naval　power＇22＇　dependent　upon　wealth＇23＇　we　must　perforce　be　slaves　to　our　slaves；　in　order　that　we　may　get　in　our　slave…　rents；＇24＇　and　let　the　real　slave　go　free。　Where　you　have　wealthy　slaves　it　ceases　to　be　advantageous　that　my　slave　should　stand　in　awe　of　you。　In　Lacedaemon　my　slave　stands　in　awe　of　you。＇25＇　But　if　your　slave　is　in　awe　of　me　there　will　be　a　risk　of　his　giving　away　his　own　moneys　to　avoid　running　a　risk　in　his　own　person。　It　is　for　this　reason　then　that　we　have　established　an　equality　between　our　slaves　and　free　men；　and　again　between　our　resident　aliens　and　full　citizens；＇26＇　because　the　city　stands　in　need　of　her　resident　aliens　to　meet　the　requirements　of　such　a　multiplicity　of　arts　and　for　the　purposes　of　her　navy。　That　is；　I　repeat；　the　justification　for　the　equality　conferred　upon　our　resident　aliens。
  ＇21＇　See　Aristot。　〃Pol。〃　v。　11　and　vi。　4；　Jowett；　op。　cit。　vol。　i。　pp。　　　　　179；　196；　Welldon；　〃The　Politics　of　Aristotle；〃　pp。　394　323；　Dem。　　　　　〃Phil。〃　III。　iii。　10；　Plaut。　〃Stich。〃　III。　i。　37。
  ＇22＇　See　Diod。　xi。　43。
  ＇23＇　Reading；　｛apo　khrematon；　anagke｝；　or　（reading；　｛apo　kh