Βασιλεία
kingship, sovereignty
Translated by Catharine Roth20 Dec 2000Vetting: high3 revisions
Translation
Kingship [is] a possession of things held in common, but the people's things [are] not kingship's possession. Therefore the forcible and violent collection of taxes should be hated as tyrannical insolence, but the reasoned and benevolent requests for contributions should be honored as concern for the public welfare.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Βασιλεία· ὅτι ἡ βασιλεία κτῆμα τῶν κοινῶν, ἀλλ' οὐ τὰ δημόσια τῆς βασιλείας κτήματα. διὸ τὰς ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ μεθ' ὕβρεως εἰσπράξεις ὥσπερ τυραννικὰς ἀκολασίας μισεῖν δεῖ, τὰς δὲ σὺν λόγῳ καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τῶν εἰσφορῶν ἀπαιτήσεις ὥσπερ κηδεμονίαν τιμᾶν.