There are also certain other polities, some of which indeed have been proposed by private persons, but others by philosophers and politicians. All these, however, approach much nearer to the polities which are now established, than the two which are described by Plato. For no one of these has either introduced the novelty of a community of wives and children, nor of public tables for the women, but they rather begin from things that are necessary. For to some persons it appears to be a thing of the greatest consequence, that property should be well arranged; for they say that from this all seditions originate. Hence Phaleas, the Chalcedonian, introduced this as the first thing. For he says it is necessary that the possessions of the citizens should be equal; but he thought it was not difficult to effect this when a community was first formed; and that it was a work of greater difficulty when it had been established for some time, though it might then be accomplished, and an equality of property introduced, if the rich gave, but never received any marriage-portions, but the poor received and did not give them. Plato, however, in his Laws, thinks that a difference in property should be permitted to a certain extent; but that no citizen should be allowed to possess more than five times as much as the lowest census, as we have before observed. It is necessary, however, that legislators who adopt this mode, should not be ignorant of that which is at present concealed from them, that he who regulates the quantity of property, ought also to arrange the number of the children. For if the number of the children should exceed the quantity of property, the law must necessarily be dissolved, and without this dissolution it will be a bad thing, for many that have been rich to become poor; for it is difficult for innovators not to fall into such mistakes. That equality of property, therefore, possesses a certain power with respect to political communion, appears to have been known to some of the ancients. Thus, Solon established a law, as also did some other legislators, which forbids men from possessing as much land as they please. In a similar manner, also, there are laws which forbid property to be sold, as among the Locrians, unless it can be shown that some obvious misfortune has befallen the person who sold it. Again, there is a law that ancient property shall be preserved. But this law being dissolved by the Leucadians, made their polity to be very democratic; for then it became no longer necessary to possess certain property, in order to be qualified to be a magistrate. If however there is an equality of property, this may be either very much, so as to be attended with luxury; or very little, so as to oblige the people to live hard. It is evident, therefore, that it is not sufficient for the legislator to make property equal, but he should direct his attention to the medium. Farther still, if any one should arrange property in such a way, that there would be a moderate sufficiency for all, it would be of no use. For it is more necessary that there should be an equalization of desires than of property. But this cannot be accomplished, unless the citizens are sufficiently disciplined by the laws. Perhaps, however, Phaleas would say, that is what he himself has asserted; for he is of opinion that there should be an equality of these two things in cities, viz. of property and discipline. He ought, however, to have said what the discipline will be; for no advantage will be derived from its being one and the same. For it is possible that there may be one and the same discipline, but this may be of such a nature as to cause the citizens to deliberately aspire after more wealth or honour, or both, than is proper. Again, the citizens will be seditious, not only through the inequality of property, but also through an inequality of honours; but contrarily in each. For the vulgar will be seditious, through the inequality about property; but the more elegant about honours, if they are equal. Hence also it is said, “The good and bad do equal honours share.” But men not only act unjustly on account of necessaries, the remedy of which they think is an equality of property, as it would prevent them from stealing through cold or hunger; but also that they may enjoy the object of their desire, and not wish for it in vain. For if they have a greater desire of necessaries in order to procure a remedy for this desire, they act unjustly. They will injure others, therefore, not through this only, but likewise if they should desire to enjoy pleasures unaccompanied with pain. What is the remedy, then, for these three maladies? That persons of the first description have but small property, and labour for their living; that the second kind exercise temperance; and, in the third place, that those who wish to attain pleasure through themselves search for it only in philosophy; for other pleasures require the assistance of men. Since, then, the greatest injuries are committed through excesses, and not through necessaries; for no one acts the part of a tyrant, in order that he may not be cold; hence the greatest honours are conferred on him, who kills not a thief, but a tyrant. The mode of the polity, therefore, which Phaleas establishes is only an auxiliary against small crimes. He also wishes to ordain many things, from which the citizens will be governed well, so far as pertains to themselves; but it is also necessary that the same thing should be accomplished with respect to neighbouring and all foreign nations. It is necessary, therefore, that a polity should be co-arranged so as to possess warlike strength, about which he has said nothing. And in a similar manner with respect to property. For it is necessary not only that it should be sufficient for political purposes, but also for dangers that may happen external to the polity. Hence the multitude of which it consists ought neither to be so great, as to tempt those who are near and more powerful to invade it, while those who possess it are not able to vanquish the invaders; nor so small as not to be able to wage war with those who are equal and similar to itself. About this, therefore, he has determined nothing. It is necessary, however, not to be ignorant that great property is useful. Perhaps, therefore, the best boundary of this, is not to possess so much as to render it advantageous to more powerful states to attack the city, but to be so circumstanced, that they will gain nothing by an invasion. Thus Eubulus advised Autophradates, when he was about to besiege Atarneus, to consider what time it would require to take the city, and then to collect what the loss would be of this time; for that he would wish even now to leave Atarneus, though a less time than this should be consumed in the siege. But his saying this made Autophradates consider the affair more attentively, and relinquish the siege. There is therefore a certain advantage in the property of the citizens being equal, since it prevents them from being seditious with each other; yet the advantage is, as I may say, by no means great. For those who are superior to the vulgar will be indignant at being placed on a level with them, in consequence of deserving more than an equality of property. Hence they will frequently be seen exciting commotions and sedition. Farther still, the depravity of mankind is insatiable; and at first, indeed, only two oboli were sufficient; but when this now became peculiar to the country, more was always wanted, till the desire of gain became infinite; for the nature of desire is infinite, with a view to the gratification of which the multitude live. The principle therefore of things of this kind rather consists in rendering those who are naturally worthy so disposed as not to wish to have more than they ought, than in an equalization of property; and in preventing the depraved from being able to acquire it. And this may be accomplished, if they are kept in an inferior station, and are not suffered to be injured. Nor has he spoken well concerning the equality of property; for he only equalizes the possession of land. Wealth, however, not only consists in this, but also in the possession of slaves, and cattle, and money, and in all that variety of things which are called chattels. Either, therefore, an equality of all these things must be investigated, or a certain commensurate order, or all things must be neglected. It appears likewise from his laws, that he only intends to establish a small city, as all the artificers are to belong to the public, and add nothing to the complement of the city. But if all those who are to be employed in public works, are to be the servants of the public, it should be done in the same manner as it is at Epidamnum, and conformably to the regulation which was once made by Diophantus at Athens. From these particulars, therefore, any one may nearly survey what is well or ill established in the polity of Phaleas.
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