the polity of the athenians and the lacedaemonians-第4节

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fer；　nothing　will　be　cut　down；　nothing　burnt；　lives　in　freedom　from　alarm；　without　fawning　at　the　enemy's　approach。　Besides　this；　there　is　another　fear　from　which　they　would　have　been　exempt　in　an　island　home　the　apprehension　of　the　city　being　at　any　time　betrayed　by　their　oligarchs＇18＇　and　the　gates　thrown　open；　and　an　enemy　bursting　suddenly　in。　How　could　incidents　like　these　have　taken　place　if　an　island　had　been　their　home？　Again；　had　they　inhabited　an　island　there　would　have　been　no　stirring　of　sedition　against　the　people；　whereas　at　present；　in　the　event　of　faction；　those　who　set　it　in　foot　base　their　hopes　of　success　on　the　introduction　of　an　enemy　by　land。　But　a　people　inhabiting　an　island　would　be　free　from　all　anxiety　on　that　score。　Since；　however；　they　did　not　chance　to　inhabit　an　island　from　the　first；　what　they　now　do　is　thisthey　deposit　their　property　in　the　islands；＇19＇　trusting　to　their　command　of　the　sea；　and　they　suffer　the　soil　of　Aticca　to　be　ravaged　without　a　sigh。　To　expend　pity　on　that；　they　know；　would　be　to　deprive　themselves　of　other　blessings　still　more　precious。＇20＇

＇16＇　See　Thuc。　i。　143。　Pericles　says：　〃Reflect；　if　we　were　islanders；　　　　　who　would　be　more　invulnerable？　Let　us　imagine　that　we　are。〃

＇17＇　Or；　〃are　the　more　ready　to　cringe。〃　See；　for　the　word　　　　　｛uperkhontai｝；　〃Pol。　Lac。〃　viii。　2；　Plat。　〃Crit。〃　53　E；　　　　　Rutherford；　〃New　Phrynichus；〃　p。　110。

＇18＇　Or；　〃by　the　minority〃；　or；　〃by　a　handful　of　people。〃

＇19＇　As　they　did　during　the　Peloponnesian　war；　and　earlier　still；　　　　　before　the　battle　of　Salamis；　in　the　case　of　that　one　island。

＇20＇　Or；　〃but　mean　the　forfeiture　of　others。〃

Further；　states　oligarchically　governed　are　forced　to　ratify　their　alliances　and　solemn　oaths；　and　if　they　fail　to　abide　by　their　contracts；　the　offence；　by　whomsoever　committed；＇21＇　lies　nominally　at　the　door　of　the　oligarchs　who　entered　upon　the　contract。　But　in　the　case　of　engagements　entered　into　by　a　democracy　it　is　open　to　the　People　to　throw　the　blame　on　the　single　individual　who　spoke　in　favour　of　some　measure；　or　put　it　to　the　vote；　and　to　maintain　to　the　rest　of　the　world；　〃I　was　not　present；　nor　do　I　approve　of　the　terms　of　the　agreement。〃　Inquiries　are　made　in　a　full　meeting　of　the　People；　and　should　any　of　these　things　be　disapproved　of；　it　can　at　once　discover　ten　thousand　excuses　to　avoid　doing　whatever　they　do　not　wish。　And　if　any　mischief　should　spring　out　of　any　resolutions　which　the　People　has　passed　in　council；　the　People　can　readily　shift　the　blame　from　its　own　shoulders。　〃A　handful　of　oligarchs＇22＇　acting　against　the　interests　of　the　People　have　ruined　us。〃　But　if　any　good　result　ensue；　they；　the　People；　at　once　take　the　credit　of　that　to　themselves。

＇21＇　Reading　｛uph　otououn　adikeitai　onomati　upo　ton　oligon｝；　which　I　　　　　suggest　as　a　less　violent　emendation　of　this　corrupt　passage　than　　　　　any　I　have　seen；　or；　reading　with　Sauppe；　｛uph　otou　adikei　　　　　anomeitai　apo　ton　oligon｝；　〃the　illegality　lies　at　the　door　of。〃

＇22＇　Or；　〃a　few　insignificant　fellows。〃

In　the　same　spirit　it　is　not　allowed　to　caricature　on　the　comic　stage＇23＇　or　otherwise　libel　the　People；　because＇24＇　they　do　not　care　to　hear　themselves　ill　spoken　of。　But　if　any　one　has　a　desire　to　satirise　his　neighbour　he　has　full　leave　to　do　so。　And　this　because　they　are　well　aware　that；　as　a　general　rule；　this　person　caricatured＇25＇　does　not　belong　to　the　People；　or　the　masses。　He　is　more　likely　to　be　some　wealthy　or　well…born　person；　or　man　of　means　and　influence。　In　fact；　but　few　poor　people　and　of　the　popular　stamp　incur　the　comic　lash；　or　if　they　do　they　have　brought　it　on　themselves　by　excessive　love　of　meddling　or　some　covetous　self…seeking　at　the　expense　of　the　People；　so　that　no　particular　annoyance　is　felt　at　seeing　such　folk　satirised。

＇23＇　See　Grote；　〃H。　G。〃　viii。　446；　especially　p。　449；　〃growth　and　　　　　development　of　comedy　at　Athens〃；　Curtius；　〃H。　G。〃　iii。　pp。　242；　　　　　243；　Thirlwall；　〃H。　G。〃　ch。　xviii。　vol。　iii。　p。　42。

＇24＇　Or；　more　lit。　〃it　would　not　do　for　the　People　to　hear；〃　etc。

＇25＇　Or；　〃the　butt　of　comedy。〃

What；　then；　I　venture　to　assert　is；　that　the　People　of　Athens　has　no　difficulty　in　recognising　which　of　its　citizens　are　of　the　better　sort　and　which　the　opposite。＇26＇　And　so　recognising　those　who　are　serviceable　and　advantageous＇27＇　to　itself；　even　though　they　be　base；　the　People　loves　them；　but　the　good　folk　they　are　disposed　rather　to　hate。　This　virtue　of　theirs；　the　People　holds；　is　not　engrained　in　their　nature　for　any　good　to　itself；　but　rather　for　its　injury。　In　direct　opposition　to　this；　there　are　some　persons　who；　being＇28＇　born　of　the　People；　are　yet　by　natural　instinct　not　commoners。　For　my　part　I　pardon　the　People　its　own　democracy；　as；　indeed；　it　is　pardonable　in　any　one　to　do　good　to　himself。＇29＇　But　the　man　who；　not　being　himself　one　of　the　People；　prefers　to　live　in　a　state　democratically　governed　rather　than　in　an　oligarchical　state　may　be　said　to　smooth　his　own　path　towards　iniquity。　He　knows　that　a　bad　man　has　a　better　chance　of　slipping　through　the　fingers　of　justice　in　a　democratic　than　in　an　oligarchical　state。

＇26＇　Or；　〃and　which　are　good　for　nothing。〃

＇27＇　Or；〃its　own　friends　and　supporters。〃

＇28＇　Reading　｛ontes｝　or　（if　｛gnontes｝）；　〃who；　recognising　the　nature　　　　　of　the　People；　have　no　popular　leaning。〃　Gutschmidt　conj。　｛enioi　　　　　egguoi　ontes｝；　i。e。　Pericles。

＇29＇　On　the　principle　that　〃the　knee　is　nearer　than　the　shin…bone；〃　　　　　｛gonu　knemes｝；　or；　as　we　say；　〃charity　begins　at　home。〃



III

I　repeat　that　my　position　concerning　the　polity　of　the　Athenians　is　this：　the　type＇1＇　of　polity　is　not　to　my　taste；　but　given　that　a　democratic　form　of　government　has　been　agreed　upon；　they　do　seem　to　me　to　go　the　right　way　to　preserve　the　democracy　by　the　adoption　of　the　particular　type＇2＇　which　I　have　set　forth。

＇1＇　Or；　〃manner。〃

＇2＇　Or；　〃manner。〃

But　there　are　other　objections　brought；　as　I　am　aware；　against　the　Athenians；　by　certain　people；　and　to　this　effect。　It　not　seldom　happens；　they　tell　us；　that　a　man　is　unable　to　transact　a　piece　of　business　with　the　senate　or　the　People；　even　if　he　sit　waiting　a　whole　year。　Now　this　does　happen　at　Athens；　and　for　no　other　reason　save　that；　owing　to　the　immense　mass　of　affairs　they　are　unable　to　work　off　all　the　business　on　hand；　and　dismiss　the　applicants。　And　how　in　the　world　should　they　be　able；　considering　in　the　first　place；　that　they；　the　Athenians；　have　more　festivals＇3＇　to　celebrate　than　any　other　state　throughout　the　length　and　breadth　of　Hellas？　＇During　these　festivals；　of　course；　the　transaction　of　any　sort　of　affairs　of　state　is　still　more　out　of　the　question。＇＇4＇　In　the　next　place；　only　consider　the　number　of　cases　they　have　to　decidewhat　with　private　suits　and　public　causes　and　scrutinies　of　accounts；　etc。；　more　than　the　whole　of　the　rest　of　mankind　put　together；　while　the　senate　has　multifarious　points　to　advise　upon　concerning　peace　and　war；＇5＇　concerning　ways　and　means；　concerning　the　framing　and　passing　of　laws；＇6＇　and　concerning　the　thousand　and　one　matters　affecting　the　state　perpetually　occurring；　and　endless　questions　touching　the　allies；　besides　the　receipt　of　the　tribute；　the　superintendence　of　dockyards　and　temples；　etc。　Can；　I　ask　again；　any　one　find　it　at　all　surprising　that；　with　all　these　affairs　on　their　hands；　they　are　unequal　to　doing　business　with　all　the　world？

＇3＇　See　Arist。　〃Wasps；〃　661。

＇4＇　This　sentence　is　perhaps　a　gloss。

＇5＇　Or；　〃about　the　war；〃　｛peri　tou　polemou｝。

＇6＇　See　Thirlwall；　ch。　xxxii。　vol。　iv。　p。　221；　note　3。

But　some　people　tell　us　that　if　the　applicant　will　only　address　himself　to　the　senate　or　the　People　with　a　fee　in　his　hand　he　will　do　a　good　stroke　of　business。　And　for　my　part　I　am　free　to　confess　to　these　gainsayers　that　a　good　many　things　may　be　done　at　Athens　by　dint　of　money；　and　I　will　add；　that　a　good　many　more　still　might　be　done；　if　the　money　flowed　still　more　freely　and　from　more　pockets。　One　thing；　however；　I　know　full　well；　that　as　to　transacting　with　every　one　of　these　applicants　all　he　wants；　the　state　could　not　do　it；　not　even　if　all　the　gold　and　silver　in　the　world　were　the　inducement　offered。

Here　are　some　of　the　cases　which　have　to　be　decided　on。　Some　one　fails　to　fit　out　a　ship：　judgement　must　be　given。　Another　puts　up　a　building　on　a　piece　of　public　land：　again　judgement　must　be　given。　Or；　to　take　another　class　of　cases：　adjudication　has　to　be　made　between　the　choragi　for　the　Dionysia；　the　Thargelia；　the　Panathenaea；　year　after　year。　＇＇7＇　And　again　in　behalf　of　the　gymnasiarchs　a　similar　adjudication　for　the　Panathenaea；　the　Prometheia；　and　the　Hephaestia；　also　year　after　year。＇　Also　as　between　the　trierarchs；　four　hundred　of　whom　are　appointed　each　year；　of　these；　too；　any　who　choose　must　have　their　cases　adjudicated　on；　year　after　year。　But　that　is　not　all。　There　are　various　magistrates　to　examine　and　approve＇8＇　and　decide　between；　there　are　orphans＇9＇　whose　status　must　be　examined；　and　guardians　of　prisoners　to　appoint。　These；　be　it　borne　in　mind；　are　all　matters　of　yearly　occurrence；　while　at　intervals　there　are　exemptions　and　abstentions　from　military　service＇10＇　which　call　for　adjudication；　or　in　connection