Isocrates, Areopagiticus, George Norlin (Translator), 24

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[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,¹ but rather to help out the commonwealth, should the need arise, from their private resources,² and not to know more accurately the incomes derived from the public offices than those which accrued to them from their own estates.

Areopagiticus. Isocrates. George Norlin (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1928.

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Current edition Perseus

Areopagiticus (English) (Isocrates, Vol 2. Norlin, George, translator. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1929 (printing).)

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Ἀρεοπαγιτικός Perseus (Isocrates, Vol 2. Norlin, George, editor. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1929 (printing).) — 24 focus

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,

Notes on the current edition

Areopagiticus

1. He is thinking of pay, not only for the magistrates, but for attendance at the sessions of the jury courts, of the General Assembly, etc. See Isoc. 8.130 . Aristotle ( Aristot. Ath. Pol. 24 ) states that since the changes which were introduced by Aristides over twenty thousand Athenians earned their livelihood in public service of one sort or another. In the same work (62) he gives a brief sketch of the pay for such services.

2. For the public spirit of the old democracy see Isoc. 4.76 ; Isoc. 8.42 ff. ; Isoc. 12.145 ff.

Isocrates Areopagiticus 24

George Norlin (Translator)

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