Greek Text: τόνδε τὸν πάλον λαχοίην
English Text:
Greek Text: γὰρ ἴσον λάχον μέρος οἵ τ’ ἀγαθοὶ|ὅστις τε κακός
Greek Text: τολμᾶν χρὴ τὰ διδοῦσι θεοὶ θνητοῖσι βροτοῖσιν, ῥηϊδίως δὲ φέρειν ἀμφοτέρων τὸ λάχος.
Greek Text: κάδεα δὲ στοναχάς τ᾽ Ἀίδας ἔλαχε.
Greek Text: καὶ δῶρον ὅ οἱ κειμήλιον εἴη| εἴτε καὶ ἵπποισιν· ταῦτά κε πάντα λάχοι
Greek Text: τίμιον ἀνδρὶ λαχεῖν|τοῦ κλέος Ἑλλάδα πᾶσαν ἀφίξεται
Greek Text: τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς μὲν ἀτιμοτέρους, κακίους δὲ λαχόντας τιμῆς;
English Text: the good the unhonoured and the bad accorded honour?
Greek Text: Ὤνθρωπ᾽, εἰ γνώμης ἔλαχες μέρος ὥσπερ ἀνοιης
English Text: If thou hadst thy portion of judgment, man
Greek Text: καὶ σώφρων ἥμαρτε καὶ ἄφρονι πολλάκι δόξα ἕσπετο, καὶ τιμῆς καὶ κακὸς ὢν ἔλαχεν.
English Text: a poor man may very quickly become rich, and he that hath very great possessions lose them all suddenly in one night; the wise may err, and fame often cometh to the fool and honour to the bad
Greek Text: φροντίδες ἀνθρώπων ἔλαχον πτέρα ποικίλ᾽ ἔχουσαι, μυρόμεναι ψυχῆς εἵνεκα καὶ βιότου.
English Text: Cares of motley plumage have their portion in mankind
Greek Text: παύροις ἀνθρώπων ἀρετὴ καὶ κάλλος ὀπηδεῖ: ὄλβιος, ὃς τούτων ἀμφοτέρων ἔλαχεν.
English Text: Virtue230 and beauty fall to but few; happy he that hath share of both
Greek Text: Μαλὶς κονισκε, καί με δεσπότεω βεβροῦ λαχόντα λίσσομαί σε μὴ ῥαπίζεσθαι.
Greek Text: <Μ>έμψις παντὶ λαχόντι ἀρχικὸν θρόνον
Greek Text: τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐν τοῖς ἐκ πάντων λαχοῦσιν
Greek Text: Τρυφῶν ἄπειρος, ἣν λάχῃ τρυφήν ποτε,
Greek Text: μόροι γὰρ μέζονες μέζονας μοίρας λαγχάνουσι.
Greek Text: λαχεῖν γάμου ἱμερόεντος
Greek Text: ταύτην δ᾽ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τιμὴν ἔχει ἠδὲ λέλογχε μοῖραν ἐν ἀνθρώποισι καὶ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι,
English Text: This honor she has from the beginning, and this is the portion allotted to her amongst men and undying gods,
Greek Text: ὅσσ᾽ ἔλαχεν Τιτῆσι μετὰ προτέροισι θεοῖσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἔχει, ὡς τὸ πρῶτον ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς ἔπλετο δασμός
English Text: all that was her portion among the former Titan gods but she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning
Greek Text: [τέ]μενος λαχοισ[α |…|Ἀφρόδιτα
Greek Text: ὄφρ᾽ ἄλλων ὠνῇ κλῆρον, μὴ τὸν τεὸν ἄλλος.
English Text: and so you may buy another's holding and not another yours.
Greek Text: ἤδη μὲν γὰρ κλῆρον ἐδασσάμεθ᾽, ἀλλὰ τὰ πολλὰ ἁρπάζων ἐφόρεις
English Text: For we had already divided our inheritance, but you seized the greater share and carried it off,
Greek Text: πρὸς Θύμβρης δ᾽ ἔλαχον Λύκιοι Μυσοί τ᾽ ἀγέρωχοι
English Text: And towards Thymbre fell the lot of the Lycians and the lordly Mysians
Greek Text: ἤτοι ἐγὼν ἔλαχον πολιὴν ἅλα ναιέμεν αἰεὶ παλλομένων,
English Text: I verily, when the lots were shaken, won for my portion the grey sea to be my habitation for ever
Greek Text: Ζεὺς δ᾽ ἔλαχ᾽ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἐν αἰθέρι καὶ νεφέλῃσι:
English Text: while Zeus won the broad heaven amid the air and the clouds
Greek Text: οἳ δὲ καὶ εἰς Ἄργος Προῖ̣[το]ν̣ πά̣[ρα δῖον ἵκοντο, ἔνθά σφιν μετέδ̣ωκ̣[ε ἴ̣φ̣θ̣[ι]μ̣ος Προῖτο̣ς̣ κλῆρ̣ον.
Greek Text: γνωτοί τε γνωταί τε πυρὸς λελάχωσι θανόντα
English Text: kinsmen and kinswomen give him his due meed of fire in death
Greek Text: δαινύμενος ὥσπερ Λαμψακηνὸς εὐνοῦχος κατέφαγε δὴ τὸν κλῆρον
Greek Text: καὶ οἶκος καὶ κλῆρος ἀκήρατος,
English Text: and his house and his portion of land are unharmed,
Greek Text: Ἴλιον ἐκπέρσαντα, λαχόντα τε ληΐδος αἶσαν.
English Text: when I had sacked Ilios … with the share of the spoil that should fall to his lot
Greek Text: πυρός με Τρῶες καὶ Τρώων ἄλοχοι λελάχωσι θανόντα.
English Text: the Trojans and the Trojans' wives may give me my due meed of fire in my death
Greek Text: ἂν δ᾽ ἔβαν ἐς δίφρους, ἐν δὲ κλήρους ἐβάλοντο:
English Text: Then they mounted their cars, and cast in the lots;
Greek Text: πάλλ᾽ Ἀχιλεύς, ἐκ δὲ κλῆρος θόρε Νεστορίδαο Ἀντιλόχου
English Text: and Achilles shook them, and forth leapt the lot of Nestor's son, Antilochus
Greek Text: μετὰ τὸν δ᾽ ἔλαχε κρείων Εὔμηλος:
English Text: after him had the lord Eumelus a place
Greek Text: τῷ δ᾽ ἐπὶ Μηριόνης λάχ᾽ ἐλαυνέμεν
English Text: and next to him Meriones drew his place
Greek Text: ὕστατος αὖτε Τυδεΐδης ὄχ᾽ ἄριστος ἐὼν λάχ᾽ ἐλαυνέμεν ἵππους.
English Text: and last of all the son of Tydeus, albeit far the best, drew a place for his chariot
Greek Text: ἔτ᾽ αὖτις νίσομαι ἐξ Ἀΐδαο, ἐπήν με πυρὸς λελάχητε.
English Text: never more again shall I come back from out of Hades, when once ye have given me my due of fire.
Greek Text: ἀλλ᾽ ἐμὲ μὲν κὴρ ἀμφέχανε στυγερή, ἥ περ λάχε γιγνόμενόν περ:
English Text: but for me hath loathly fate opened its maw, the fate that was appointed me even from my birth
Greek Text: κλήρους δ᾽ ἐν κυνέῃ χαλκήρεϊ πάλλον ἑλόντες, Τεῦκρος δὲ πρῶτος κλήρῳ λάχεν
English Text: Then took they the lots and shook them in a helmet of bronze, and Teucer drew by lot the first place
Greek Text: ἓξ δέ οἱ υἷες ἔασιν, ἐγὼ δέ οἱ ἕβδομός εἰμι: τῶν μέτα παλλόμενος κλήρῳ λάχον ἐνθάδ᾽ ἕπεσθαι.
English Text: six sons hath he, and myself the seventh. From these by the casting of lots was I chosen to fare hitherward.
Greek Text: οὔ τι φίλων ἡμάρτανε δώρων. οὐ γάρ μοί ποτε βωμὸς ἐδεύετο δαιτὸς ἐΐσης λοιβῆς τε κνίσης τε:τὸ γὰρ λάχομεν γέρας ἡμεῖς.
English Text: nowise failed he of acceptable gifts. For never was my altar in lack of the equal feast, the drink-offiering and the savour of burnt-offering, even the worship that is our due.
Greek Text: ὥς κεν Ἀχιλλεὺς δώρων ἐκ Πριάμοιο λάχῃ ἀπό θ᾽ Ἕκτορα λύσῃ.
English Text: that Achilles may accept gifts from Priam, and give Hector back.
Greek Text: κλήρους ἐν κυνέῃ χαλκήρεϊ πάλλον ἑλόντες, ὁππότερος δὴ πρόσθεν ἀφείη χάλκεον ἔγχος
English Text: and thereafter took the lots and shook them in the bronze-wrought helmet, to know which of the twain should first let fly his spear of bronze.
Greek Text: Πάριος δὲ θοῶς ἐκ κλῆρος ὄρουσεν.
English Text: and straightway the lot of Paris leapt forth
Greek Text: οὐ γάρ μοί ποτε βωμὸς ἐδεύετο δαιτὸς ἐΐσης λοιβῆς τε κνίσης τε: τὸ γὰρ λάχομεν γέρας ἡμεῖς.
English Text: For never at any time was mine altar in lack of the equal feast, the drink-offering, and the savour of burnt-offering, even the worship that is our due.
Greek Text: κλήρῳ νῦν πεπάλασθε διαμπερὲς ὅς κε λάχῃσιν:
English Text: Cast ye the lot now from the first unto the last for him whoso shall be chosen
Greek Text: οἳ δὲ κλῆρον ἐσημήναντο ἕκαστος, ἐν δ᾽ ἔβαλον κυνέῃ Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρεΐδαο
English Text: and they marked each man his lot and cast them in the helmet of Agamemnon, son of Atreus;
Greek Text: Ζεῦ πάτερ ἢ Αἴαντα λαχεῖν, ἢ Τυδέος υἱόν
English Text: Father Zeus, grant that the lot fall of Aias or the son of Tydeus
Greek Text: κλαροπαληδὸν ὅς ἄν πρᾶτος λάχηι ἕκατι μοιρᾶν
Greek Text: πάλλεν δὲ Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ, ἐκ δ᾽ ἔθορε κλῆρος κυνέης ὃν ἄρ᾽ ἤθελον αὐτοὶ Αἴαντος
English Text: Nestor of Gerenia, shook the helmet, and forth therefrom leapt the lot that themselves desired, even the lot of Aias
Greek Text: τὸ γὰρ θέων ἰότατι ὔμμε λαχόντων †αφυτον θήσει γέρας
Greek Text: ἤτοι ὑπέσχεθε χεῖρ᾽, ὃ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔμβαλεν ἄγχι παραστάς, γνῶ δὲ κλήρου σῆμα ἰδών, γήθησε δὲ θυμῷ.
English Text: Aias held forth his hand, and the herald drew near and laid the lot therein; and Aias knew at a glance the token on the lot, and waxed glad at heart
Greek Text: τὸν μὲν πὰρ πόδ᾽ ἑὸν χαμάδις βάλε φώνησέν τε: ὦ φίλοι ἤτοι κλῆρος ἐμός
English Text: The lot then he cast upon the ground beside his foot, and spake:“My friends, of a surety the lot is mine
English Text: the Trojans and the Trojan wives may give me my due meed of fire in my death
Greek Text: ἄλλον δ᾽ ἐνθένδε χρυσὸν καὶ χαλκὸν ἐρυθρὸν ἠδὲ γυναῖκας ἐϋζώνους πολιόν τε σίδηρον ἄξομαι, ἅσσ᾽ ἔλαχόν γε
English Text: more shall I bring from hence, gold and ruddy bronze, and fair-girdled women and grey iron—all that fell to me by lot
Greek Text: †οἵεθεν† πάλως ἔπαλε δαίμονάς τ’ ἐδάσσατο·
Greek Text: κλήρους δ᾽ ἐν κυνέῃ χαλκήρεϊ πάλλομεν ὦκα:
English Text: Quickly then we shook lots in a brazen helmet
Greek Text: ἐκ δ᾽ ἔθορε κλῆρος μεγαλήτορος Εὐρυλόχοιο.
English Text: and out leapt the lot of great-hearted Eurylochus
Greek Text: τιμὴν δὲ λελόγχασιν ἶσα θεοῖσι.
English Text: and they have won honor like unto that of the gods
Greek Text: βουλοίμην κ᾽ ἐπάρουρος ἐὼν θητευέμεν ἄλλῳ, ἀνδρὶ παρ᾽ ἀκλήρῳ, ᾧ μὴ βίοτος πολὺς εἴη,
English Text: I should choose to serve as the hireling of another, of some portionless man whose livelihood was but small
Greek Text: Ἠέλιος μὲν γὰρ ἔλαχεν πόνον ἤματα πάντα
Greek Text: εἴ περ ἀπήμων ἦλθε, λαχὼν ἀπὸ ληΐδος αἶσαν.
English Text: if he had returned unscathed with his due share of the spoil.
Greek Text: τοὶ δὲ ζωὴν ἐδύσαντο παῖδες ὑπέρθυμοι καὶ ἐπὶ κλήρους ἐβάλοντο, αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ μάλα παῦρα δόσαν καὶ οἰκί᾽ ἔνειμαν.
English Text: his proud sons divided among them his substance, and cast lots therefor. To me they gave a very small portion, and allotted a dwelling
Greek Text: τῶν ἐξαιρεύμην μενοεικέα, πολλὰ δ᾽ ὀπίσσω λάγχανον:
English Text: Of this I would choose what pleased my mind, and much I afterwards obtained by lot.
Greek Text: ὅς κεν ἔμ᾽ ἐνδυκέως ἐφίλει καὶ κτῆσιν ὄπασσεν, οἶκόν τε κλῆρόν
English Text: would have given me possessions of my own, a house and a bit of land
Greek Text: μοίρας δασσάμενοι δαίνυντ᾽ ἐρικυδέα δαῖτα: πὰρ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ Ὀδυσσῆϊ μοῖραν θέσαν οἳ πονέοντοἴσην, ὡς αὐτοί περ ἐλάγχανον
English Text: they divided the portions and feasted a glorious feast. And by Odysseus those who served set a portion equal to that which they received themselves
Greek Text: τῷ κ᾽ ἔλαχον κτερέων,
English Text: Then should I have got funeral rites
Greek Text: εἴ περ ἀπήμων ἦλθε, λαχὼν ἀπὸ ληίδος αἶσαν.
English Text: if he had returned unscathed with his due share of the spoil
Greek Text: νῆες μέν μοι ἕποντο δυώδεκα, ἐς δὲ ἑκάστην ἐννέα λάγχανον αἶγες: ἐμοὶ δὲ δέκ᾽ ἔξελον οἴῳ.
English Text: The ships that followed me were twelve, and to each nine goats fell by lot, but for me alone they chose out ten.
Greek Text: κλῆ̣ρος καὶ ταφ[
Greek Text: αὐτὰρ τοὺς ἄλλους κλήρῳ πεπαλάσθαι ἄνωγον, ὅς τις τολμήσειεν ἐμοὶ σὺν μοχλὸν ἀείρας τρῖψαι ἐν ὀφθαλμῷ, ὅτε τὸν γλυκὺς ὕπνος ἱκάνοι.
English Text: And I bade my comrades cast lots among them, which of them should have the hardihood with me to lift the stake and grind it into his eye when sweet sleep should come upon him
Greek Text: οἱ δ᾽ ἔλαχον τοὺς ἄν κε καὶ ἤθελον αὐτὸς ἑλέσθαι
English Text: And the lot fell upon those whom I myself would fain have chosen
Greek Text: Ἀφθονίαν χρημάτων ἄνθρωπος λαχὼν
Greek Text: Εὐγένειαν ὁ λαχὼν τὴν τῆς φύσεως
Greek Text: Πλουσίῳ παντὶ δυστυχίαν λαχόντι Ἐπιτίθενται πένητες χαιρέκακοι.
Greek Text: εὐδαίμονες οἱ τότε γέννας|ἀφθίτου λαχόντες
Greek Text: πρὸς οὐδὲν ἐν μέρει τεκμήριον ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἕκαστος ἔσπασεν τύχης πάλον.
English Text: not faring according to rank, but as each man has drawn his lot by chance.
Greek Text: εὖ πραπίδων λαχόντα.
English Text: a sensible man
Greek Text: †οὐ λαχόντες† ἤματος μέρος;
English Text: at getting for our portion
Greek Text: μόριμον λάχος πιπλάντων
English Text: of those who have the power to assign the portion of death
Greek Text: λέξαι τε λάχη
English Text: to declare our allotted office
Greek Text: ἴτων πάλῳ λαχόντες, ὡς νομίζεται.
English Text: let them enter, in turn, by lot, as is the custom
Greek Text: τοῦτο γὰρ λάχος διανταία Μοῖρ᾽ ἐπέκλωσεν ἐμπέδως ἔχειν
English Text: For this is the office that relentless Fate spun for us to hold securely
Greek Text: γιγνομέναισι λάχη τάδ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἁμὶν ἐκράνθη
English Text: This office was ordained for us at birth
Greek Text: παλλεύκων δὲ πέπλων ἀπόμοιρος ἄκληρος ἐτύχθην
English Text: and I have neither lot nor portion of pure white ceremonial robes
Greek Text: διόμεναι λάχη
English Text: pursuing our allotted office
Greek Text: τῶν αἰχμαλώτων χρημάτων λάχος μέγα
English Text: a great portion of the spoil their spears had won
Greek Text: ἐν δὲ τῷ τρίτῳ λάχει, θελούσης, οὐδὲ πρὸς βίαν τινός
English Text: And in the third allotment, with Themis' consent and not by force
Greek Text: ἀλλ᾽ αἱματηρὰ πράγματ᾽ οὐ λαχὼν σέβεις, μαντεῖα δ᾽ οὐκέθ᾽ ἁγνὰ μαντεύσῃ νέμων.
English Text: Although it is not your office, you have respect for deeds of bloodshed. You will prophesy, dispensing prophecies that are no longer pure.
Greek Text: πάντα γὰρ αὗται τὰ κατ᾽ ἀνθρώπους ἔλαχον διέπειν.
English Text: For they have been appointed to arrange everything among mortals.
Greek Text: πάτραν δ᾽ ἔναιον ἡ μὲν Ἑλλάδα κλήρῳ λαχοῦσα γαῖαν, ἡ δὲ βάρβαρον.
English Text: to one had been assigned by lot the land of Hellas, to the other that of the barbarians
Greek Text: κἀγὼ πάλου τ᾽ ἔκυρσα τοῦπερ ἤθελον κἀπεστράτευσα πολλὰ σὺν πολλῷ στρατῷ:
English Text: And I in turn attained the lot I desired, and many a campaign I made with a valiant force
Greek Text: ἔμπας τις αὐτὴν ἄλλος ὤφελεν λαχεῖν.
English Text: Nevertheless, i wish it had fallen to another's lot!
Greek Text: προσίστανται πάλῳ λαχόντες.
English Text: take their stand each according to his lot.
Greek Text: ὥς τ᾽ ἐν πύλαις ἕκαστος εἴληχεν πάλον
English Text: how each man according to lot has been posted at the gates.
Greek Text: Καπανεὺς δ᾽ ἐπ᾽ Ἠλέκτραισιν εἴληχεν πύλαις,
English Text: Capaneus is stationed at the Electran gates
Greek Text: λέγ᾽ ἄλλον ἄλλαις ἐν πύλαις εἰληχότα.
English Text: Now tell me about another one allotted to other gates!
Greek Text: καὶ μὴν τὸν ἐντεῦθεν λαχόντα πρὸς πύλαις λέξω: τρίτῳ γὰρ Ἐτεόκλῳ τρίτος πάλος ἐξ ὑπτίου 'πήδησεν εὐχάλκου κράνους
English Text: Now I will tell you about the man who next drew station at the gates. The third lot leaped out of the upturned bronze helmet for Eteoclus
Greek Text: κληρουμένους δ᾽ ἔλειπον, ὡς πάλῳ λαχὼν ἕκαστος αὐτῶν πρὸς πύλας ἄγοι λόχον.
English Text: for I left them casting lots to decide how each commander, his post assigned by chance, would lead his regiment against the gates.
Greek Text: ἴτω κατ᾽ οὖρον κῦμα Κωκυτοῦ λαχὸν Φοίβῳ στυγηθὲν πᾶν τὸ Λαΐου γένος.
English Text: let the whole race of Laius, hated by Phoebus, be swept on the wind to Cocytus' destined flood!
Greek Text: ξένος δὲ κλήρους ἐπινωμᾷ,
English Text: A stranger distributes their inheritance
Greek Text: καί σφε σιδαρονόμῳ διὰ χερί ποτε λαχεῖν κτήματα:
English Text: that wielding iron in their hands they would one day divide his property. So now I tremble in fear that the swift-running E
Greek Text: οἱ δ᾽ ἐπιστάται, δισσὼ στρατηγώ, διέλαχον σφυρηλάτῳ Σκύθῃ σιδήρῳ κτημάτων παμπησίαν.
English Text: have divided the whole of their property with hammered Scythian steel
Greek Text: ἐμοιράσαντο δ᾽ ὀξυκάρδιοι κτήμαθ᾽, ὥστ᾽ ἴσον λαχεῖν.
English Text: In their haste to anger they apportioned their property so that each has an equal share
Greek Text: ἔχουσι μοῖραν λαχόντες οἱ μέλεοι διοδότων ἀχθέων:
English Text: They hold in misery their allotted portion of god-given sorrows.
Greek Text: τὸ πᾶν τ᾽ ἐκ δαιμόνων λάχοιεν.
English Text: and may they obtain all things from the heavenly powers.
Greek Text: ὡς ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστῃ διεκλήρωσεν Δαναὸς θεραποντίδα φερνήν.
English Text: as Danaus has allotted her duty of attendance unto each.
Greek Text: ἐπειδὴ χορηγὸς κατεστάθην εἰς Θαργήλια καὶ ἔλαχον1 Παντακλέα διδάσκαλον καὶ Κεκροπίδα φυλὴν πρὸς τῇ ἐμαυτοῦ
English Text: When I was appointed Choregus for the Thargelia,1 Pantacles2 falling to me as poet and the Cecropid as the tribe that went with mine
Greek Text: εὖ δὲ λαχὼν Χαρίτων
English Text: With a good share of the Graces
Greek Text: εἰ δ᾽ ὑγιείας θνατὸς ἐὼν ἔλαχεν
English Text: If a mortal has been granted health
Greek Text: ὅσσον ἂν ζώῃ λάχε τόνδε χρόνον τιμάν:
English Text: has honor only as long as he lives
Greek Text: ἢ γὰρ σοφὸς ἢ Χαρίτων τιμᾶν λελογχὼς
English Text: a man is skillful if he has a share of honor from the Graces
Greek Text: γᾶν πολύκριθον λαχόντας|Τίρυνθα τὸν ὁπλότερον|κτίζειν
English Text: since they had as their share a land rich in barley, the younger one should be the founder of Tiryns
Greek Text: Εὐνομία τε σαόφρων ἃ θαλίας τε λέλογχεν
English Text: Eunomia, to whom festivities belong
Greek Text: παρὰ Καλλιόπας λα|χοῖσαν ἔξοχον γέρας
English Text: since you have received an outstanding honor from Calliope
Greek Text: ὃς ἂν παρὰ Πιερίδων λάχῃσι δῶρα Μουσᾶν
English Text: one who has received gifts from the Pierian Muses
Greek Text: ὃ παρὰ Ζηνὸς λαχὼν|πλείσταρχον Ἑλλάνων γέρας
English Text: Zeus has granted him the honor of ruling most widely over the Greeks
Greek Text: inheritance
English Text: inheritance
Greek Text: λαγχάνειν ἄπο μοῖρα[ν ἐσ]θλῶν
English Text: and to be granted a share of every kind of noble deed
Greek Text: καὶ τὰ χρήματα αὐτοῦ διαλαγχάνουσι οἱ πρῶτοι τῶν μαντίων:
English Text: and his goods are divided among the first diviners;
Greek Text: ἀκέρδεια λέλογχεν θαμινὰ κακαγόρους.
English Text: Often the lot of evil-speakers is profitlessness
Greek Text: Λάχων Διὸς μεγίστου|λάχε φέρτατον
English Text: Lachon has won from greatest Zeus the best glory
Greek Text: τῶν δὲ διαφθαρεισέων νεῶν τοὺς ἄνδρας οἱ τε Καρχηδόνιοι καὶ οἱ Τυρσηνοὶ διέλαχον, τῶν δὲ Τυρσηνῶν οἱ Ἀγυλλαῖοι ἔλαχόν τε αὐτῶν πολλῷ πλείστους καὶ τούτους ἐξαγαγόντες κατέλευσαν.
English Text: As for the crews of the disabled ships, the Carthaginians and Tyrrhenians drew lots for them, and of the Tyrrhenians the Agyllaioi1 were allotted by far the majority and these they led out and stoned to death.
Greek Text: τίς δὴ ποταίνιον|ἔλαχε στέφανον|χείρεσσι ποσίν τε καὶ ἅρματι
English Text: Who won the first garland, with the skill of his hands or feet or chariot
Greek Text: ἐνθαῦτα ἐστρατοπεδεύετο φθείρων τῶν Συρίων τοὺς κλήρους:
English Text: where he encamped and devastated the farms of the Syrians
Greek Text: ἐπεὶ πλοῦτος ὁ λαχὼν ποιμένα|ἐπακτὸν ἀλλότριον,
English Text: since his wealth falling into the hands of a stranger who is master of another home
Greek Text: τὸν βασιλέα αὐτῶν δύο μοίρας διελόντα Λυδῶν πάντων κληρῶσαι τὴν μὲν ἐπὶ μόνῃ τὴν δὲ ἐπὶ ἐξόδῳ ἐκ τῆς χώρης, καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τῇ μένειν αὐτοῦ λαγχανούσῃ τῶν μοιρέων ἑωυτὸν τὸν βασιλέα προστάσσειν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ ἀπαλλασσομένῃ τὸν ἑωυτοῦ παῖδα, τῷ οὔνομα εἶναι Τυρσηνόν.
English Text: their king divided the people into two groups, and made them draw lots, so that the one group should remain and the other leave the country; he himself was to be the head of those who drew the lot to remain there, and his son, whose name was Tyrrhenus, of those who departed.
Greek Text: λάχε τ᾽ Ἀλφεὸν οἰκεῖν
English Text: had his allotted home on the Alpheus
Greek Text: λαχόντας δὲ αὐτῶν τοὺς ἑτέρους ἐξιέναι ἐκ τῆς χώρης
English Text: Then the one group, having drawn the lot, left the country
Greek Text: ἃν Θέμις θυγάτηρ τέ οἱ σώτειρα λέλογχεν|μεγαλόδοξος Εὐνομία
English Text: whom Themis and her glorious daughter, the savior Eunomia
Greek Text: κατανεῖμαι δὲ τὴν χώρην Αἰγυπτίοισι ἅπασι τοῦτον ἔλεγον τὸν βασιλέα, κλῆρον ἴσον ἑκάστῳ τετράγωνον διδόντα,
English Text: This king also (they said) divided the country among all the Egyptians by giving each an equal parcel of land
Greek Text: οὐ γὰρ φύσιν Ὠαριωνείαν ἔλαχεν:
English Text: For Melissus was not allotted the nature of Orion
Greek Text: εἰ δὲ τινὸς τοῦ κλήρου ὁ ποταμός τι παρέλοιτο, ἐλθὼν ἂν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐσήμαινε τὸ γεγενημένον: ὁ δὲ ἔπεμπε τοὺς ἐπισκεψομένους καὶ ἀναμετρήσοντας ὅσῳ ἐλάσσων ὁ χῶρος γέγονε, ὅκως τοῦ λοιποῦ κατὰ λόγον τῆς τεταγμένης ἀποφορῆς τελέοι.
English Text: And any man who was robbed by the river of part of his land could come to Sesostris and declare what had happened; then the king would send men to look into it and calculate the part by which the land was diminished, so that thereafter it should pay in proportion to the tax originally imposed.
Greek Text: ὃς Ἴσθμιον ἂν νάπος Δωρίων ἔλαχεν σελίνων
English Text: who won the garland of wild Dorian celery in the Isthmian valley
Greek Text: ἀποκληρῶσαι πέντε ἑωυτῶν ὀψομένους τὰ ἔρημα τῆς Λιβύης, καὶ εἴ τι πλέον ἴδοιεν τῶν τὰ μακρότατα ἰδομένων.
English Text: had chosen by lot five of their company to visit the deserts of Libya and see whether they could see any farther than those who had seen the farthest
Greek Text: λέλογχε δὲ μεμφομένοις ἐσλοὺς ὕδωρ καπνῷ φέρειν ἀντίον.
English Text: It is his lot to have noble friends to bring against his slanderers
Greek Text: Θησεὺς ὁ Αἰγέως|λαχὼν μετὰ τῶν ἠϊθέων εἰς Κρήτην πλεῖ
Greek Text: ὅτευ δὲ εἵνεκα φῶς ἔλαχε καὶ τιμὴν ἡ νὺξ αὕτη, ἔστι ἱρὸς περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγος λεγόμενος.
English Text: A sacred tale is told showing why this night is lit up thus and honored.
Greek Text: αὐτὸν μὰν ἐν εἰράνᾳ...ἁσυχίαν τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον ποινὰν λαχόντ᾽ ἐξαίρετον
English Text: But he himself will have allotted to him in peace...continuous peace for all time
Greek Text: αἱ δ᾽ ἐσχατιαί κως τῆς οἰκεομένης τὰ κάλλιστα ἔλαχον, κατά περ ἡ Ἑλλὰς τὰς ὥρας πολλόν τι κάλλιστα κεκρημένας ἔλαχε.
English Text: The most outlying nations of the world have somehow drawn the finest things as their lot, exactly as Greece has drawn the possession of far the best seasons.
Greek Text: τρὶς μὲν ἐν πόντοιο πύλαισι λαχών, τρὶς δὲ καὶ σεμνοῖς δαπέδοις
English Text: since he won three times at the gates of the sea, and three times on the sacred ground
Greek Text: Δαρεῖος μὲν ταῦτα ἐπειρώτα, τῷ δὲ ἄνδρες τριήκοντα ὑπέστησαν, αὐτὸς ἕκαστος ἐθέλων ποιέειν ταῦτα. ἐρίζοντας δὲ Δαρεῖος κατελάμβανε κελεύων πάλλεσθαι: παλλομένων δὲ λαγχάνει ἐκ πάντων Βαγαῖος ὁ Ἀρτόντεω:
English Text: Darius asked this and thirty men promised, each wanting to do it himself. Darius told them not argue but draw lots; they did, and the lot fell to Bagaeus, son of Artontes.
Greek Text: εἰ μὲν θάνατόν τε φυγὼν καὶ γῆρας ἀπεχθόμενον...ἔστι τοι τούτων λάχος
English Text: If you wish to escape death and hated old age...you can have this lot
Greek Text: λαχὼν δὲ ὁ Βαγαῖος ποιέει τάδε:
English Text: Bagaeus, having drawn the lot, did as follows
Greek Text: παῖ Ῥέας, ἅ τε πρυτανεῖα λέλογχας, Ἑστία,
English Text: Daughter of Rhea, you who have received the town hall under your protection, Hestia
Greek Text: Ἑλληνικοῖσι ἰήμασι χρεώμενος καὶ ἤπια μετὰ τὰ ἰσχυρὰ προσάγων ὕπνου τέ μιν λαγχάνειν ἐποίεε καὶ ἐν χρόνῳ ὀλίγῳ ὑγιέα μιν ἀπέδεξε
English Text: Democedes applied Greek remedies and used gentleness instead of the Egyptians' violence, he enabled him to sleep and in a short time had him well,
Greek Text: σέ τ᾽ ἐνόσφισε καὶ Πουλυτιμίδαν κλᾶρος προπετὴς ἄνθε᾽ Ὀλυμπιάδος.
English Text: you and Polytimidas were deprived of two Olympic garlands by a sudden drawing of lots
Greek Text: ἐκ δεκάδος γὰρ ἕνα σφέων αὐτῶν ἀποκληρώσαντες κατέφαγον.
English Text: taking by lot one man out of ten and eating him.
Greek Text: ἄνευ σέθεν οὐ φάος, οὐ μέλαιναν δρακέντες εὐφρόναν τεὰν ἀδελφεὰν ἐλάχομεν ἀγλαόγυιον Ἥβαν.
English Text: Without you we see neither the light nor the dark night before it is our lot to go to your sister, Hebe
Greek Text: πάλῳ μὲν ἀρχὰς ἄρχει, ὑπεύθυνον δὲ ἀρχὴν ἔχει
English Text: It (isonomia) determines offices by lot, and holds power accountable
Greek Text: φυᾷ δ᾽ ἕκαστος διαφέρομεν βιοτὰν λαχόντες, ὁ μὲν τά, τὰ δ᾽ ἄλλοι
English Text: Each of us differs in nature, for we were each allotted a different life
Greek Text: δεῖ ἕνα γε τινὰ ἡμέων βασιλέα γενέσθαι, ἤτοι κλήρῳ γε λαχόντα, ἢ ἐπιτρεψάντων τῷ Περσέων πλήθεϊ τὸν ἂν ἐκεῖνο ἕληται,
English Text: one of us must be made king (whether by lot, or entrusted with the office by the choice of the Persians
Greek Text: ἴστω λαχὼν πρὸς δαιμόνων θαυμαστὸν ὄλβον.
English Text: Let him know that he has received marvellous prosperity from the gods
Greek Text: ἐλθόντες παρὰ τοὺς τοκέας ἀπολάχετε τῶν κτημάτων τὸ μέρος
English Text: go to your parents and let them give you the allotted share of their possessions
Greek Text: Καφισίων ὑδάτων λαχοῖσαι
English Text: You who have your home by the waters of Cephisus
Greek Text: ἐπείτε δὲ ἀπολαχόντες τῶν κτημάτων τὸ ἐπιβάλλον
English Text: So when they had been given the allotted share of possessions that fell to them
Greek Text: ἀπεόντος δ᾽ οὔτις ἔνδειξεν λάχος Ἀελίου
English Text: Helios was absent, and no one marked out a share for him
Greek Text: δέεσθαι δὲ οἰκέειν ἅμα τούτοισι μοῖράν τε τιμέων μετέχοντες καὶ τῆς γῆς ἀπολαχόντες.
English Text: and their wish was to live with their fathers' people, sharing in their rights and receiving allotted pieces of land.
Greek Text: καί ῥά μιν χώρας ἀκλάρωτον λίπον
English Text: in fact they left him without any allotment of land
Greek Text: Θηραίοισι δὲ ἕαδε ἀδελφεόν τε ἀπ᾽ ἀδελφεοῦ πέμπειν πάλῳ λαγχάνοντα καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν χώρων ἁπάντων ἑπτὰ ἐόντων ἄνδρας
English Text: The Theraeans determined to send out men from their seven regions, taking by lot one of every pair of brothers
Greek Text: ὔμμε δ᾽ ἐκλάρωσεν πότμος Ζηνὶ γενεθλίῳ
English Text: fortune has allotted you and your brother to the care of your ancestor Zeus
Greek Text: ἀλλ᾽ ἡ μὲν πρώτη τῶν λαξίων Σαυροματέων ἐστί
English Text: the first of the districts belongs to the Sauromatae
Greek Text: τῶν δ᾽ ἐν Ἑλλάδι τερπνῶν λαχόντες οὐκ ὀλίγαν δόσιν
English Text: having received no small share of the delights of Greece
Greek Text: ὑπεροικέουσι δὲ τούτων δευτέρην λάξιν ἔχοντες Βουδῖνοι
English Text: Above these in the second district, the Budini inhabit a country
Greek Text: Ἥρας ὅτ᾽ ἐράσσατο, τὰν Διὸς εὐναὶ λάχον πολυγαθέες
English Text: he desired Hera, who was allotted to the joyful bed of Zeus.
Greek Text: διὰ πεντετηρίδος τε τὸν πάλῳ λαχόντα αἰεὶ σφέων αὐτῶν ἀποπέμπουσι ἄγγελον παρὰ τὸν Σάλμοξιν
English Text: Once every five years they choose one of their people by lot and send him as a messenger to Salmoxis
Greek Text: φρενῶν ἔλαχε καρπὸν ἀμώμητον,
English Text: his allotted portion was the blameless fruit of intelligence
Greek Text: τῶν σὺν Κάδμῳ ἀπικομένων Φοινίκων ἐς γῆν τὴν νῦν Βοιωτίην καλεομένην, οἴκεον δὲ τῆς χώρης ταύτης ἀπολαχόντες τὴν Ταναγρικὴν μοῖραν.
English Text: the Phoenicians who came with Cadmus to the country now called Boeotia. In that country the lands of Tanagra were allotted to them, and this is where they settled.
Greek Text: καί ῥά οἱ μάντις ὀρνίχεσσι καὶ κλάροισι θεοπροπέων ἱεροῖς Μόψος ἄμβασε στρατὸν πρόφρων
English Text: And then the prophet Mopsus, divining by birds and sacred sortilege
Greek Text: ἦν γὰρ ἑνδέκατος ψηφιδοφόρος ὁ τῷ κυάμῳ λαχὼν Ἀθηναίων πολεμαρχέειν
English Text: An eleventh man had a vote, chosen by lot to be polemarch of Athens
Greek Text: πόνων δ᾽ οὔ τις ἀπόκλαρός ἐστιν οὔτ᾽ ἔσεται
English Text: But no man is without a share of toils, or ever will be.
Greek Text: πάντων τῶν ἐπίπλων καὶ ἀνδραπόδων τὰ ἡμίσεα μεταλαβεῖν τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλι, τὰ δ᾽ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγρῶν πάντα Ἱπποκράτεα λαγχάνειν
English Text: Hippocrates should take for his share half of the movable goods and slaves in the city, and all that was in the country
Greek Text: ἄτερθε δὲ πρὸ δωμάτων ἕτεροι λαχόντες Ἀΐδαν βασιλέες ἱεροὶ ἐντί
English Text: and thereafter a hero worshipped by the people
Greek Text: οἱ δὲ Φοίνικες σοφίην ἔν τε τοῖσι ἄλλοισι ἔργοισι ἀποδείκνυνται καὶ δὴ καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῳ. ἀπολαχόντες γὰρ μόριον ὅσον αὐτοῖσι ἐπέβαλλε, ὤρυσσον
English Text: But the Phoenicians showed the same skill in this as in all else they do; taking in hand the portion that fell to them, they dug
Greek Text: ὁ δὲ καλόν τι νέον λαχὼν ἁβρότατος
English Text: But he who has gained some fine new thing in his great opulence
Greek Text: νῦν δὲ διαβαίνωμεν ἐπευξάμενοι τοῖσι θεοῖσι οἳ Πέρσας λελόγχασι
English Text: Let us now cross over, after praying to the gods who hold Persia for their allotted realm
Greek Text: ἐνθαῦτα δὲ κατεχόμενοι σιτία τε πλέω ἢ κατ᾽ ὁδὸν ἐλάγχανον,
English Text: Then by reason of their immoderate gorging and the change of the water which they drank
Greek Text: τῇ πολλοὶ πεσέονται ὑπὲρ λάχεσίν τε μόρον τε τοξοφόρων Μήδων
English Text: Many a Median archer, by death untimely overtaken will fall
Greek Text: κυαμόβολον δικαστήν
Greek Text: κόμης δὲ πένθος λαγχάνω πώλου δίκην
Greek Text: τῆς δὲ γῆς…|...εἴληχε Πάλλας
Greek Text: ὁ τῶν ὀνείρων ὑποκριτὴς ταύτης παρὰ τοῦ Ὕπνου λαχὼν τῆς τιμῆς
Greek Text: εὐθύπορον λά[χος ὄλβου.
Greek Text: τεκμηρίῳ χρήσεσθαι τούτου τῷ μεγέθει τῶν δικῶν ἃς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔλαχον
English Text: they will advance as a proof of this the large sum asked as damages in their original suit
Greek Text: Ἑρμῆς χαρμόφρων εἰρύσατο πίονα ἔργα λείῳ ἐπὶ πλαταμῶνι καὶ ἔσχισε δώδεκα μοίρας κληροπαλεῖς: τέλεον δὲ γέρας προσέθηκεν ἑκάστῃ.
English Text: glad-hearted Hermes dragged the rich meats he had prepared and put them on a smooth, flat stone, and divided them into twelve portions distributed by lot, making each portion wholly honorable
Greek Text: κληροῦν οὕτω τῇ θείᾳ τύχῃ ἀποδιδόντα, δοκιμάζειν δὲ τὸν ἀεὶ λαγχάνοντα πρῶτον μὲν ὁλόκληρον καὶ γνήσιον
English Text: we shall entrust it to the god himself to ensure his own good pleasure, by committing their appointment to the divine chance of the lot
Greek Text: ὄντες γὰρ δύο τέτταρας εἰλήχασι δίκας ἡμῖν
English Text: For there are two of them, and they have entered four suits against us
Greek Text: ὡς τὰ πρῶτα γένοντο καὶ ὡς λάχε μοῖραν ἕκαστος.
English Text: how at the first they came to be, and how each one received his portion.
Greek Text: δώδεκα μὲν ἡμῖν ἡ χώρα πᾶσα εἰς δύναμιν ἴσα μόρια νενέμηται, φυλὴ δὲ μία τῷ μορίῳ ἑκάστῳ ἐπικληρωθεῖσα
English Text: we have marked out the whole country as nearly as possible into twelve equal portions: to each portion one tribe shall be assigned by lot
Greek Text: Περίθους ὀνόματι καὶ τύχας εἴληχ’ ἴσας.
Greek Text: ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ μὲν τῶν δικῶν μέγεθος τῶν τότε ληχθεισῶν μεῖζον ἡγοῦμαι τεκμήριον ἡμῖν εἶναι ὡς ἐσυκοφαντεῖθ᾽ ὁ πατήρ
English Text: For my own part, I think that the large sum asked as damages in the suits then brought is a stronger proof for us, that our father was the victim of a malicious action
Greek Text: Μνημοσύνην μὲν πρῶτα θεῶν ἐγέραιρεν ἀοιδῇ, μητέρα Μουσάων: ἣ γὰρ λάχε Μαιάδος υἱόν:
English Text: First among the gods he honored Mnemosyne, mother of the Muses, in his song; for the son of Maia was of her following.
Greek Text: τούτοις δὲ διακληρωθήτω τὰ μόρια τῆς χώρας κατὰ μῆνα ἕκαστα ἑκάστοις
English Text: To these groups of twelve the twelve portions of the country shall be assigned, one to each in rotation for a month at a time
Greek Text: ψυχῆς φύσιν γὰρ ὧδε γενναίαν λαχὼν
Greek Text: ἢ ὡς εἰκοστῷ λαγχάνειν ἔτει δίκαιόν ἐστι
English Text: or that it is legal to bring an action after the lapse of twenty years
Greek Text: αἰδοίην, χρυσοστέφανον, καλὴν Ἀφροδίτην ᾁσομαι, ἣ πάσης Κύπρου κρήδεμνα λέλογχεν εἰναλίης
English Text: I will sing of stately Aphrodite, gold-crowned and beautiful, whose dominion is the walled cities of all sea-set Cyprus.
Greek Text: τούτων πέρι λαγχάνειν μὲν ἐν ταῖς κοιναῖς δίκαις τὸν ἀδικούμενον
English Text: in such cases the injured party must institute proceedings at the public courts
Greek Text: ὁ τῆς τύχης παῖς κλῆρος
Greek Text: ὅτι μὲν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ δίκας ἔλαχον τῆς ἐπιτροπῆς
English Text: That they entered suit, men of the jury, regarding the guardianship
Greek Text: οἷς ἂν πλεῖσται γίγνωνται, τοὺς τρεῖς ἀποκληρωσάντων οἷς τούτων ἐπιμελές
English Text: for whom most votes have been cast, then those whose duty it is shall select the three by lot
Greek Text: τὰς δίκας ἡμῖν ἔλαχον ταυτασί
English Text: they have instituted these suits against us
Greek Text: νυνὶ δὲ χρώμενος ἡμῖν καὶ περὶ πλείστου ποιούμενος ἁπάντων, μόνους ἐβουλήθη τοὺς ἀδελφιδοῦς, ὡς οὗτοί φασιν, ἀκλήρους ποιῆσαι τῶν ἑαυτοῦ.
English Text: he should have wished, as my opponents allege, to leave his nephews alone without any share in his property
Greek Text: τῶν μὲν ὡς ἄπειρος ὁ λαχών, τῶν δ᾽ ὡς ἔμπειρος: ὃς δ᾽ ἂν εἷς ἐκ προχειροτονηθέντων δέκα λάχῃ, δοκιμασθείς, τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν τῶν χορῶν ἀρχέτω κατὰ νόμον. κατὰ ταὐτὰ δὲ τούτοις καὶ ταύτῃ ὁ λαχὼν τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ἐκεῖνον τῶν ἀφικομένων εἰς κρίσιν μονῳδιῶν τε καὶ συναυλιῶν ἀρχέτω
English Text: on the one side, that the candidate is expert, on the other side, that he is not expert; and whichever of the ten who come first on votes is elected after the scrutiny shall be the officer for the year in charge of the choirs according to law. In the same way as these they shall appoint the officer elected to preside for the year over those who enter for competitions in solos and joint performances on the flute.
Greek Text: ἐπειδὴ δ᾽ ὅλην τὴν ἐπιτροπὴν ἐγκαλέσαντες οὗτοι καὶ δίκας λαχόντες χρήματ᾽ ἐπράξαντο
English Text: but since these men brought suit against our father in the matter of his general conduct as guardian and recovered damages
Greek Text: οὗτος μόνος ἐβούλετο ἡμᾶς ἀκλήρους εἶναι τῶν αὑτοῦ.
English Text: was the only person who wished that we should receive no share of his estate.
Greek Text: τοὺς κριτὰς ἀποδιδοὺς ὁ λαχὼν τὴν κρίσιν….τρεῖς δ᾽ ἔστωσαν οἱ λαχόντες, τῶν προχειροτονηθέντων μὲν εἴκοσι,
English Text: twenty having been first selected by show of hand, three out of the twenty shall be chosen by lot
Greek Text: τὴν δίκην ταύτην ἔλαχον Βοιωτῷ, οὐδ᾽ ἠγνόουν ὅτι πολλοῖς ἄτοπον δόξει τὸ δίκην ἐμὲ λαγχάνειν
English Text: I brought this suit against Boeotus, nor was I unaware that it will seem strange to many people that I should bring suit
Greek Text: ἀξιώσετε μόνους ἀκλήρους ποιῆσαι τῶν ἐκείνου.
English Text: alone are to be deprived of all share in his property.
Greek Text: δέ τις ἀποδοκιμασθῇ καθ᾽ ἡντιναοῦν ἀρχῆς λῆξιν καὶ κρίσιν
English Text: Should any candidate be disqualified in any voting or testing for office
Greek Text: ἂν δ᾽ ἀρχὴν ἡντινοῦν ἡ πόλις κληροῖ, οἷον βουλῆς, θεσμοθέτου, τῶν ἄλλων, τῷ δῆλος ὁ λαχὼν ἡμῶν ἔσται; πλὴν εἰ σημεῖον, ὥσπερ ἂν ἄλλῳ τινί, τῷ χαλκίῳ προσέσται
English Text: suppose the state is appointing to any office by lot, for example that of Senator,2 that of Thesmothet,3 or any of the rest; how will it be clear which one of us has been appointed?—unless some mark shall be attached to the tablet
Greek Text: διὰ ταῦτ᾽ οὖν δὴ καὶ κατὰ φυλὰς ἀναγκαῖον δικαστήριά τε γίγνεσθαι καὶ κλήρῳ δικαστὰς
English Text: e, and judges appointed by lot
Greek Text: τοῦ μὲν κοινοῦ καὶ ἴσου, τοῦ τὸν λαχόντ᾽ ἄρχειν, ἀποστερησόμεθα
English Text: we shall be cheated of the fair and equal right, that the one chosen by lot shall hold office
Greek Text: τιμῆς ἐὰν τῆς προσηκούσης αὐτῇ παρ᾽ ἑκάστου τῶν χρωμένων λαγχάνῃ.
English Text: provided that she receives the honor due to her from each one who approaches her
Greek Text: ἅτερος ἡμῶν πείσας τὸν ἕτερον, ἐὰν λάχῃ, παραδοῦναι αὑτῷ τὴν ἀρχήν, οὕτω κληρῶται, τὸ δυοῖν πινακίοιν τὸν ἕνα κληροῦσθαι τί ἄλλ᾽ ἐστίν;
English Text: one or the other of us persuades the other, in case he is chosen, to yield the office to him, and so obtains the appointment? What is this but one man drawing lots with two tablets?
Greek Text: τῷ κλήρῳ τὴν ἑτέραν οἷον νεοττῶν ἐγγέννησιν καὶ τροφήν, χωρισθέντα ἀπὸ πατρὸς καὶ μητρὸς τὸν γάμον ἐκεῖ ποιεῖσθαι καὶ τὴν οἴκησιν
English Text: in his allotment, to be, as it were, the nest and home of his chicks, and make therein his marriage and the dwelling
Greek Text: εἴ τις δίκην ἐξούλης αὐτῷ λαχὼν μηδὲν ἐμοὶ φαίη πρὸς αὑτὸν εἶναι
English Text: somebody should bring a suit for ejectment against him, and should state that he had nothing to do with me
Greek Text: ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένεσις ἢ τὸ παράπαν ἀρχὴν οὐδεμίαν εἴληχεν
English Text: the human race never had a beginning at all
Greek Text: τί δ᾽, εἴ τις ἄλλη περὶ τοὔνομα γίγνοιτ᾽ ἢ λῆξις δίκης
English Text: What if the name be involved in the filing of any other suit
Greek Text: τοὺς μὲν ὕπνου λαγχάνειν ποιεῖ
English Text: The children it puts to sleep
Greek Text: κἀγὼ ταξιαρχῶν τῆς φυλῆς ἠναγκαζόμην κατὰ τοὐνόματος τοῦ ἐμαυτοῦ πατρόθεν δέχεσθαι τὴν λῆξιν
English Text: and I, as taxiarch of our tribe, was compelled to receive the summons, since it was against my name, that of my father being added
Greek Text: τίνα τρόπον χρὴ τάξεως ἐννόμου λαγχάνειν
English Text: how they should be given legal regulation
Greek Text: νῦν δὲ λαχὼν δίκην τῷ πατρὶ τῷ ἐμῷ
English Text: he brought suit against my father
Greek Text: θαυμαστήν τινα δύναμιν εἴληχεν
English Text: has a surprising influence
Greek Text: ὁ Νίσος τὴν Μεγαρίδα λάχοι, καὶ κτίσαι τὴν Νίσαιαν
Greek Text: ἀλλ᾽ ἄτοπον δίκην μὲν λαγχάνειν τούτου, κωλύειν δὲ πάλιν.
English Text: But it would have been absurd to bring suit to force this and then afterwards to seek to prevent it.
Greek Text: λήξεών τε πέρι δικῶν
English Text: concerning written complaints
Greek Text: λαχὼν δὲ Πελασγὸς μὲν τὰ πρὸς Ἐρασῖνον ποταμὸν ἔκτισε Λάρισαν·
Greek Text: ἀλλὰ καὶ δίκας ἐμοὶ δύ᾽ ἢ τρεῖς εἴληχεν ἀργυρίου πρὸς αἷς καὶ πρότερόν μ᾽ ἐσυκοφάντει.
English Text: has actually entered two or three suits against me for money, in addition to the malicious and baseless actions which he brought against me before.
Greek Text: ἐν ᾗ δεῖ τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἀεὶ καὶ ἴσους ὄντας διατελεῖν κλήρους.
English Text: in which the allotments must remain always identical and equal in number
Greek Text: λαχόντας ἀπὸ κλήρου καὶ τὰς λαχούσας ἐκπέμπειν τὴν πόλιν, αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν Μίνω παραγινόμενον ἐκλέγεσθαι
Greek Text: λαχόντος γὰρ ἐμοῦ τὴν δίκην ταύτην Βοιωτῷ Μαντίου Θορικίῳ
English Text: For when I had entered this suit against Boeotus, son of Mantias
Greek Text: ὅπως ἂν τῶν κλήρων ἀργὸς μηδεὶς μηδέποτε γίγνηται δι᾽ ἀπορίαν χρημάτων
English Text: in order to prevent any allotment falling out of cultivation through lack of money
Greek Text: δικαίως καὶ ἀναγκαίως ἔλαχον τὴν δίκην
English Text: it was both just and necessary for me to bring suit
Greek Text: πλὴν ὅσον κατεσκευασμένου τοῦ κλήρου παντελῶς
English Text: excepting only the allotment with its full equipment
Greek Text: τὴν μὲν τῶν Παναθηναίων ἑορτὴν καὶ τὴν τῶν Διονυσίων ἀεὶ τοῦ καθήκοντος χρόνου γίγνεσθαι, ἄν τε δεινοὶ λάχωσιν ἄν τ᾽ ἰδιῶται οἱ τούτων ἑκατέρων ἐπιμελούμενοι
English Text: the Panathenaic festival and the Dionysia are always held at the right date, whether experts or laymen are chosen by lot to manage them
Greek Text: ἐὰν ὄφλῃ τις τὴν τοιαύτην δίκην καὶ ἱκανὴν ἔχῃ τὴν ἄλλην οὐσίαν ἀποτίνειν ὑπὲρ τὸν κλῆρον
English Text: if he loses his case and possesses enough property over and above his allotment wherewith to pay
Greek Text: οὗτοί τε ἐμοὶ δίκας ἔλαχον ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐνεκάλουν
English Text: these men brought action against me to establish their claims
Greek Text: μηδὲ αἰσχύνης τινὸς ἀπόρου καὶ ἀβίου μεταλαχών
English Text: nor by falling into some disgrace that is beyond remedy or endurance
Greek Text: οὔτε νῦν περὶ ἐκείνων εἴληχέ μοι δίκην οὐδεμίαν
English Text: and has not now entered any suit against me in regard to these matters
Greek Text: ὁ ἑκάστου δαίμων, ὅσπερ ζῶντα εἰλήχει
English Text: the tutelary genius of each person, to whom he had been allotted in life
Greek Text: οὕτω πάλιν τὴν αὐτὴν ταύτην δίκην λαχὼν
English Text: I instituted the same suit afresh
Greek Text: τῷ δὲ χιλιοστῷ ἀμφότεραι ἀφικνούμεναι ἐπὶ κλήρωσίν τε καὶ αἵρεσιν τοῦ δευτέρου βίου αἱροῦνται ὃν ἂν θέλῃ ἑκάστη
English Text: But in the thousandth year both come to draw lots and choose their second life, each choosing whatever it wishes
Greek Text: οὑτοσὶ δίκην λαχὼν ἄκοντα ἠνάγκασε ποιήσασθαι αὑτόν
English Text: by instituting proceedings forced my father against his will to acknowledge him these men
Greek Text: δοξάζειν δ᾽ ὄντως καὶ χαίρειν ἀμφότερα ὁμοίως εἴληχεν σκεπτέον
English Text: the holding of opinion and the feeling of pleasure are equally real
Greek Text: οὗτος δέ μοι περὶ προικὸς δίκην ταλάντου λαχών
English Text: this fellow, who had brought suit against me to recover a talent as the marriage-portion
Greek Text: ἡ δ᾽ ἀσθενὴς ἡμῖν τὴν τῶν γελοίων εἴληχε τάξιν τε καὶ φύσιν.
English Text: but ignorance in the weak appears to us as naturally ridiculous
Greek Text: κακά μοι παρέχων ἠνάγκασέ με λαχεῖν αὑτῷ δίκην περὶ τοῦ ὀνόματος
English Text: he gave me so much trouble that he compelled me to bring suit against him regarding the name
Greek Text: ἀνδρείαν δὲ ἢ σωφροσύνην ἢ νοῦν ἤ τι τῶν ἄλλων ὅσα ἀγαθὰ εἴληχε ψυχή
English Text: that courage and self-restraint and understanding and all the other good things of the soul are nothing of the sort
Greek Text: καὶ δίκην εἰληχέναι μοι
English Text: and has brought action against me;
Greek Text: εἴτε Διόνυσος εἴτε Ἥφαιστος εἴθ᾽ ὅστις θεῶν ταύτην τὴν τιμὴν εἴληχε τῆς συγκράσεως
English Text: Dionysus or Hephaestus, or whoever he be who presides over the mixing
Greek Text: καὶ δίκας ἐλάγχανε Πολυεύκτῳ καὶ τουτῳὶ Σπουδίᾳ
English Text: brought suit against Polyeuctus and Spudias here
Greek Text: τἀνθρώπινον ἡμῶν ἅμα γένος συνειληχὸς
English Text: Our human race shares the same lot
Greek Text: περὶ τοῦ κλήρου τοῦ Ἁγνίου
English Text: regarding the estate of Hagnias
Greek Text: ζῷον ὂν καὶ φρόνησιν εἰληχὸς ἐκ τοῦ συναρμόσαντος αὐτὸ κατ᾽ ἀρχάς
English Text: since it is a living creature and is endowed with intelligence by him who fashioned it in the beginning
Greek Text: υἱὸς ὢν Εὐβουλίδου ὁ παῖς οὑτοσὶ προσεκαλέσατο Μακάρτατον τοῦ κλήρου τοῦ Ἁγνίου εἰς διαδικασίαν, καὶ ἔλαχε πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα
English Text: the son of Eubulides, cited the defendant Macartatus for an adjudication of claims for the estate of Hagnias, and had a day appointed by the archon for the hearing
Greek Text: διὸ τὴν ἀνακύκλησιν εἴληχεν, ὅτι σμικροτάτην τῆς αὑτοῦ κινήσεως παράλλαξιν
English Text: and therefore it has acquired the reverse motion in a circle, because that involves the least deviation from its own motion
Greek Text: καί μοι ἀνάγνωθι τὸν νόμον, καθ᾽ ὃν ἡ πρόσκλησίς ἐστιν παρὰ τοῦ ἔχοντος τὸν κλῆρον
English Text: Please read the law which ordains that citation shall be made of the person possessing the inheritance
Greek Text: μέρη σώματος εἰς τὸ θεραπεῦσαί τινα δύναμιν εἴληχε
English Text: parts of the body, have any function of keeping it in health,
Greek Text: τῷ Ἁγνίᾳ, οὗ ἐστιν ὁ κλῆρος
English Text: Hagnias, whose estate is in question
Greek Text: διαρρήδην κελεύων τοῦ μέρους ἕκαστον λαγχάνειν καὶ τοῖς κατὰ ταὐτὸ ἀμφισβητοῦσι τιθεὶς ἕνα καδίσκον καὶ τὰς ἐπιδικασίας τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ποιῶν
English Text: it expressly ordains that each party shall bring an action for his own share
Greek Text: τῷ γὰρ λαχόντι βασιλεῖ φασιν τῇδε τὰ σεμνότατα καὶ μάλιστα πάτρια τῶν ἀρχαίων θυσιῶν ἀποδεδόσθαι
English Text: ancient sacrifices are performed by the man whom the lot has chosen to be the King
Greek Text: Ἁγνίᾳ, οὗ ἐστιν ὁ κλῆρος
Greek Text: τούτους τε τοίνυν τοὺς κληρωτοὺς βασιλέας ἅμα καὶ ἱερέας, καὶ ὑπηρέτας αὐτῶν...σκεπτέον
English Text: We must, then, examine these elected kings and priests and their assistants
Greek Text: ἔχειν τὸν κλῆρον τὸν Ἁγνίου
English Text: possess the estate of Hagnias
Greek Text: κατ᾽ ἐνιαυτὸν δέ γε ἄρχοντας καθίστασθαι τοῦ πλήθους, εἴτε ἐκ τῶν πλουσίων εἴτε ἐκ τοῦ δήμου παντός, ὃς ἂν κληρούμενος λαγχάνῃ
English Text: And suppose that rulers of the people are set up annually, whether from the rich or from the whole people, on the principle that whoever is chosen by lot should rule
Greek Text: ἐπεδικάσατο τοῦ κλήρου τοῦ Ἁγνίου
English Text: had the estate of Hagnias adjudged to her
Greek Text: δεήσει δικαστήρια καθίσαντας ἀνδρῶν, ἢ τῶν πλουσίων ἐκ προκρίσεως ἢ σύμπαντος αὖ τοῦ δήμου τοὺς λαχόντας
English Text: there will have to be sessions of courts in which the judges are chosen by lot either from a selected list of the rich or from the whole people
Greek Text: ἀφέλωνται τὴν γυναῖκα τὴν τουτουὶ μητέρα τοῦ παιδὸς τὸν κλῆρον
English Text: to rob the lady, the mother of this boy here, of the inheritance
Greek Text: τοῖς συγγράμμασιν ἡμῶν ἐπιστατεῖν τὸν χειροτονηθέντα ἢ λαχόντα ἐκ τύχης
English Text: the observance of our written rules be under the charge of the man who is elected or chosen by lot
Greek Text: οὔτ᾽ αὖ διὰ ταῦτα ἐκείνοις τοῖς ἔχουσι τοῦ κλήρου οὐκ ἐλάγχανον
English Text: Again, it was not because I agreed to give them a share that they failed to bring an action against the other parties who were in possession of the estate
Greek Text: οἷον πολεμίαν διαλαχούσας στάσιν ἰδέας
English Text: like two parties arrayed in hostility to each other
Greek Text: τάφων τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων μνημείων μέγιστα γέρα λαγχάνοντα
English Text: and in death the allotment of the supreme honors of burial-rites and other memorials
Greek Text: οὐκοῦν διὰ ταῦτ᾽ οὐκ ἐλάγχανεν
English Text: These, then, are the reasons why he did not bring an action
Greek Text: καὶ δικῶν λήξεως καὶ δικαστῶν καταστάσεως
English Text: the filing of declarations, the impanelling of juries
Greek Text: προσήκει ταύτης τῆς ἐπιστήμης μεταλαγχάνειν ἣν μόνην δεῖ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιστημῶν σοφίαν καλεῖσθαι
English Text: it pertains to partake of the knowledge which alone of all forms of knowledge deserves the name of wisdom
Greek Text: κλῆροι δή τινες οἶμαι ποιητέοι κομψοί, ὥστε τὸν φαῦλον ἐκεῖνον αἰτιᾶσθαι ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστης συνέρξεως τύχην ἀλλὰ μὴ τοὺς ἄρχοντας.
English Text: Certain ingenious lots, then, I suppose, must be devised so that the inferior man at each conjugation may blame chance and not the rulers
Greek Text: ἀδελφοὺς δὲ καὶ ἀδελφὰς δώσει ὁ νόμος συνοικεῖν, ἐὰν ὁ κλῆρος ταύτῃ συμπίπτῃ καὶ ἡ Πυθία προσαναιρῇ.
English Text: But the law will allow brothers and sisters to cohabit if the lot so falls out and the Delphic oracle approves
Greek Text: “ἐπάρουρον ἐόντα θητευέμεν ἄλλῳ ἀνδρὶ παρ᾽ ἀκλήρῳ”Hom. Od. 11.489
English Text: ‘greatly prefer while living on earth to be serf of another, a landless man,’”Hom. Od. 11.489
Greek Text: τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς ἐξ ἴσου μεταδῶσι πολιτείας τε καὶ ἀρχῶν, καὶ ὡς τὸ πολὺ ἀπὸ κλήρων αἱ ἀρχαὶ ἐν αὐτῇ γίγνονται.
English Text: grant the rest of the citizens an equal share in both citizenship and offices—and for the most part these offices are assigned by lot
Greek Text: ὥσπερ λαχούσῃ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀρχὴν
English Text: as if it had drawn the lot for that office
Greek Text: ἔπειτα λαβόντα ἐκ τῶν τῆς Λαχέσεως γονάτων κλήρους τε καὶ βίων παραδείγματα
English Text: thereupon took from the lap of Lachesis lots and patterns of lives
Greek Text: οὐχ ὑμᾶς δαίμων λήξεται, ἀλλ᾽ ὑμεῖς δαίμονα αἱρήσεσθε. πρῶτος δ᾽ ὁ λαχὼν πρῶτος αἱρείσθω βίον ᾧ συνέσται ἐξ ἀνάγκης.
English Text: No divinity shall cast lots for you, but you shall choose your own deity. Let him to whom falls the first lot first select a life to which he shall cleave of necessity.
Greek Text: ἐπειδὴ ἔλαχεν ὁ Εὐφίλητος τὴν δίκην τὴν προτέραν τῷ κοινῷ τῶν δημοτῶν καὶ τῷ τότε δημαρχοῦντι
English Text: when Euphiletus brought his former case against the community of the deme and the demarch then in office
Greek Text: τῷ δὲ ἀνελομένῳ δῆλον εἶναι ὁπόστος εἰλήχει
English Text: And whoever took up a lot saw plainly what number he had drawn.
Greek Text: εἰπόντος δὲ ταῦτα τὸν πρῶτον λαχόντα ἔφη εὐθὺς ἐπιόντα τὴν μεγίστην τυραννίδα ἑλέσθαι
English Text: When the prophet had thus spoken he said that the drawer of the first lot at once sprang to seize the greatest tyranny
Greek Text: τούτῳ δὲ λαγχάνει δίκην τῆς ἀπορρήσεως.
English Text: and he brought an action against his brother for restraining the sale
Greek Text: μεταβολὴν τῶν κακῶν καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ταῖς πολλαῖς τῶν ψυχῶν γίγνεσθαι καὶ διὰ τὴν τοῦ κλήρου τύχην
English Text: an interchange of good and evil for most of the souls, as well as because of the chances of the lot
Greek Text: καὶ ὁ κλῆρος αὐτῷ τῆς αἱρέσεως μὴ ἐν τελευταίοις πίπτοι...ταύτην γὰρ δὴ ἔφη τὴν θέαν ἀξίαν εἶναι ἰδεῖν, ὡς ἕκασται αἱ ψυχαὶ ᾑροῦντο τοὺς βίους
English Text: and the lot of his choice did not fall out among the last...For he said that it was a sight worth seeing to observe how the several souls selected their lives.
Greek Text: εἰκοστὴν δὲ λαχοῦσαν ψυχὴν ἑλέσθαι λέοντος βίον: εἶναι δὲ τὴν Αἴαντος τοῦ Τελαμωνίου
English Text: The soul that drew the twentieth lot chose the life of a lion; it was the soul of Ajax, the son of Telamon
Greek Text: κατὰ τύχην δὲ τὴν Ὀδυσσέως λαχοῦσαν πασῶν ὑστάτην αἱρησομένην ἰέναι
English Text: And it fell out that the soul of Odysseus drew the last lot of all and came to make its choice
Greek Text: καὶ εἰπεῖν ἰδοῦσαν ὅτι τὰ αὐτὰ ἂν ἔπραξεν καὶ πρώτη λαχοῦσα, καὶ ἁσμένην ἑλέσθαι.
English Text: and upon seeing it said that it would have done the same had it drawn the first lot, and chose it gladly.
Greek Text: ἐγὼ εὐθὺς ἔθηκα παράστασιν, καὶ ἔλαχον προτέρῳ μὲν Λεάγρῳ
English Text: I deposited a fee, and began by obtaining leave to proceed against Leagrus
Greek Text: πρῶτον μὲν ἄγειν αὐτὴν πρὸς τὴν Κλωθὼ ὑπὸ τὴν ἐκείνης χεῖρά τε καὶ ἐπιστροφὴν τῆς τοῦ ἀτράκτου δίνης, κυροῦντα ἣν λαχὼν εἵλετο μοῖραν
English Text: this divinity (daimon) led the soul first to Clotho, under her hand and her turning2 of the spindle to ratify the destiny of his lot and choice
Greek Text: γνοὺς ταῦτα Καλλίας λαγχάνει τῷ υἱεῖ τῷ ἑαυτοῦ τῆς ἐπικλήρου
English Text: As soon as Callias learned of this, he entered a claim for the girl in his son's nam
Greek Text: ἢ ἵνα καὶ τοῦ τῆς τήθης ὀνόματος τοῦ ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς τεθέντος ἄκληρον ὁ ἀνὴρ καταστήσειεν εἶναι τὴν αὑτοῦ γυναῖκα;
English Text: Did the husband wish to deprive his wife of any title to the name of her grandmother bestowed upon her by her father?
Greek Text: συμπάσας δυνάμεις ὅσαι σῶμα εἴτε ἔμψυχον εἴτε ἄψυχον εἰλήχασι καθαίρειν
English Text: all the activities whose function it is to purify the body, whether animate or inanimate
Greek Text: ᾧ λαχεῖν ἠξίωσε τῆς Ἐπιλύκου θυγατρός
English Text: to whom Callias tried to have the daughter of Epilycus awarded
Greek Text: ἃ δ᾽ οὖν ἑκάτερος εἴληχε πειρατέον εἰπεῖν
English Text: but none the less I must try to describe the faculties of each of these two
Greek Text: ἐπειδὴ δὲ βουλήν τε ἀπεκληρώσατε νομοθέτας τε εἵλεσθε
English Text: after you had chosen a Council by lot and elected Nomothetae
Greek Text: Ἄρτεμιν, ὅτι ἄλοχος οὖσα τὴν λοχείαν εἴληχε.
English Text: Artemis, because she, a childless goddess, has had childbirth allotted to her as her special province
Greek Text: ἄρχει χρόνος τοῦδε τοῦ ψηφίσματος ἡ βουλὴ οἱ πεντακόσιοι οἱ λαχόντες τῷ κυάμῳ
English Text: The date of this decree is the first sitting of the Council of Five Hundred, chosen by lot
Greek Text: ἐλάχομεν πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα τοῦ κλήρου:
English Text: we brought suit for the inheritance before the archon
Greek Text: τὴν δὲ μαιείαν ταύτην ἐγώ τε καὶ ἡ μήτηρ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐλάχομεν
English Text: This art, however, both my mother and I received from God
Greek Text: οὐ γὰρ ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς δικαστηρίοις οἱ λαχόντες κρίνουσιν,
English Text: because the judges are not appointed by lot as in courts of law
Greek Text: μηχανᾶσθαι κλήροις τισὶν ὅπως οἱ κακοὶ χωρὶς οἵ τ᾽ ἀγαθοὶ ταῖς ὁμοίαις ἑκάτεροι συλλήξονται, καὶ μή τις αὐτοῖς ἔχθρα διὰ ταῦτα γίγνηται, τύχην ἡγουμένοις αἰτίαν τῆς συλλήξεως;
English Text: the two classes of bad men and good shall each be mated by lot with women of a like nature, and that no enmity shall occur amongst them because of this, seeing that they will ascribe the allotment to chance
Greek Text: τῆς θεοῦ χάριν, ἣ τήν τε ὑμετέραν καὶ τήνδε ἔλαχεν καὶ ἔθρεψεν καὶ ἐπαίδευσεν
English Text: for the sake of the Goddess who has adopted for her own both your land and this of ours, and has nurtured and trained them,
Greek Text: τί ποτ᾽ Ἀνδρομέδα περίαλλα κακῶν μέρος ἐξέλαχον
English Text: Why is it necessary that Andromeda should have all the woes for her share?
Greek Text: καὶ τὸν ἱερὸν Ἑρμοῦ λεγόμενον εἰς τὸν τάχει μὲν ἰσόδρομον ἡλίῳ κύκλον ἰόντας, τὴν δὲ ἐναντίαν εἰληχότας αὐτῷ δύναμιν
English Text: the Star called Sacred to Hermes He placed in those circles which move in an orbit equal to the Sun in velocity, but endowed with a power contrary thereto
Greek Text: ἀγορανόμους δὲ τῆς ἀγορᾶς καθίσταμαι τρεῖς τοὺς λαχόντας τούσδ᾽ ἱμάντας ἐκ Λεπρῶν.
English Text: As market-inspectors I appoint these three whips of Leprean leather, chosen by lot.
Greek Text: οὐδὲ τεύξεσθε θανάτου μοίρας, τῆς ἐμῆς βουλήσεως μείζονος ἔτι δεσμοῦ καὶ κυριωτέρου λαχόντες ἐκείνων οἷς ὅτ᾽ ἐγίγνεσθε συνεδεῖσθε
English Text: nor incur the doom of death, seeing that in my will ye possess a bond greater and more sovereign than the bonds wherewith, at your birth, ye were bound together
Greek Text: ἐπίσκοπος ἥκω δεῦρο τῷ κυάμῳ λαχὼν ἐς τὰς Νεφελοκοκκυγίας.
English Text: I have been appointed by lot to come to Nephelococcygia as inspector.
Greek Text: τὰ μὲν οὖν τῶν ὀμμάτων συμμεταίτια πρὸς τὸ σχεῖν τὴν δύναμιν ἣν νῦν εἴληχεν
English Text: Now regarding the auxiliary causes which have helped the eyes to acquire the power which they now possess
Greek Text: κἂν λαχόντες ἀρχίδιον εἶθ᾽ ἁρπάσαι βούλησθέ τι,
English Text: if you hold some public post and want to do a little pilfering
Greek Text: τοῦτο τοίνυν ἔχοντες τὸ δίκαιον ἐλάχομεν τοῦ κλήρου πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα
English Text: Well then, having this just claim, we brought suit for the inheritance before the archon
Greek Text: τοῦτο ὃ δὴ νόησις εἴληχεν ἐπισκοπεῖν
English Text: it is the province of Reason to contemplate
Greek Text: μηδὲ τὸν κλῆρον γενέσθαι μηδὲν ἡμῖν αἴτιον, ὅτι προείληχ᾽:
English Text: If the lot has assigned my comedy to be played first of all, don't let that be a disadvantage to me
Greek Text: μετὰ τὴν τοῦ κλήρου λῆξιν πεποιήκασι
English Text: since the suit for the inheritance was instituted
Greek Text: ἀλλὰ μὴν κἀκεῖνό γε δηλοῖ, ὡς οὐχ ὁμολογοῦσι τὴν τοῦ Ἐνδίου ποίησιν ὑπὸ τοῦ Πύρρου γενέσθαι. οὐ γὰρ ἂν ὑπερβάντες τὸν τελευταῖον τοῦ οἴκου γεγενημένον κληρονόμον ὑπὲρ τῆς γυναικὸς τοῦ Πύρρου κλήρου λαχεῖν τὴν λῆξιν ἠξίωσαν οὗτοι.
English Text: Here is another proof that they do not admit that the adoption of Endius by Pyrrhus ever took place, namely, that they would never otherwise have thought of demanding the award of the inheritance to this woman, ignoring the long tenancy of the last heir.
Greek Text: τοῖν δὴ δυοῖν τριγώνοιν τὸ μὲν ἰσοσκελὲς μίαν εἴληχεν φύσιν
English Text: Now of the two triangles, the isosceles possesses one single nature
Greek Text: κληρώσω πάντας, ἕως ἂν εἰδὼς ὁ λαχὼν ἀπίῃ χαίρων ἐν ὁποίῳ γράμματι δειπνεῖ:
English Text: I shall draw a lot for each citizen, which by its letter will show the place where he must go to dine.
Greek Text: ἐλάχομεν πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα τοῦ κλήρου
Greek Text: εἴ τις ἐν τῷ τοῦ παντὸς τόπῳ καθ᾽ ὃν ἡ τοῦ πυρὸς εἴληχε μάλιστα φύσις
English Text: Suppose that a man were to take his stand in that region of the Universe in which the substance of fire has its special abode
Greek Text: ὅπως ἂν ὑμῖν ἡ τύχη κληρουμένοις φράσῃ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον ἄνδρ᾽ ὅποι δειπνήσετε:
English Text: The lot will teach each citizen where he is to dine
Greek Text: all creatures of the waters, which have for their portion the extremest of all abodes in requital for the extremity of their witlessness
English Text: ὅσα ἔνυδρα γέγονεν, δίκην ἀμαθίας ἐσχάτης ἐσχάτας οἰκήσεις εἰληχότων
Greek Text: μὰ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην ἥ μ᾽ ἔλαχε κληρουμένη
English Text: By Aphrodite, who has granted me this good chance
Greek Text: οἷ᾽ ἔργα δράσας οἷα λαγχάνει κακά
English Text: who had done such deeds and was allotted such bad fortune
Greek Text: ἐν δίκῃ γ᾽, ἐπεὶ τὰ κοινὰ πρὶν λαχεῖν κατεσθίεις,
English Text: And justly too; you devour the public funds that all should share in
Greek Text: ἡμεῖς μὲν ἂν τήνδ᾽ ἣν ὅδ᾽ εἴληχεν τύχην θανόντες ἂν προυκείμεθ᾽
English Text: we would have been allotted the fate which he now has, and we would be dead
Greek Text: ἐᾶτε πρώτην μ᾽ ὦ γυναῖκες ὀμνύναι. μὰ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην οὔκ, ἐάν γε μὴ λάχῃς.
English Text: Now, dears, if you will let me, I'll speak first. Only if you draw the lot, by Aphrodite!
Greek Text: ἐπειδὴ τάχιστα τὴν λῆξιν ἡμεῖς ἐποιησάμεθα
English Text: as soon as we commenced our suit
Greek Text: χὤτ᾽ αὖθις αὐτὸς Ἕκτορος μόνος μόνου λαχών τε κἀκέλευστος ἦλθ᾽ ἐναντίος
English Text: he confronted Hector in single combat according to the fall of the lots, and not at anyone's command?
Greek Text: ἀνθ᾽ ὧν λαχὼν Ὑπέρβολος τῆτες ἱερομνημονεῖν
English Text: For which reason Hyperbolus, having obtained the lot this year to be Hieromnemon
Greek Text: μηδεὶς οὖν ὑμῶν ἡγείσθω, εἰ ἐνόμιζε γνησίαν εἶναι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα Ξενοκλῆς, λαχεῖν ἂν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς τὴν λῆξιν τοῦ κλήρου τοῦ πατρῴου,
English Text: Let none of you, therefore, imagine that, if Xenocles had believed his wife to be a legitimate child, he would have brought a suit claiming her patrimony; no, the legitimate daughter would have entered into possession of her father's estate,
Greek Text: οὐ δραπέτην τὸν κλῆρον ἐς μέσον καθείς, ὑγρᾶς ἀρούρας βῶλον, ἀλλ᾽ ὃς εὐλόφου κυνῆς ἔμελλε πρῶτος ἅλμα κουφιεῖν
English Text: The lot which he cast in was not the kind to flee the challenge; it was no lump of moist earth, but one which would be the first to leap lightly from the crested helmet!
Greek Text: ἢ διακαυνιάσαι πότεροι κλαυσούμεθα μεῖζον, ἐξὸν σπεισαμένοις κοινῇ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἄρχειν;
English Text: to leave it to the decision of chance which of the two people should suffer the most, whereas by uniting under a treaty, we share the empire of Greece
Greek Text: εἶτα <τί> παρελθόντες τὸν τελευταῖον τοῦ οἴκου γεγενημένον κληρονόμον τοῦ Πύρρου κλήρου τὴν λῆξιν λαχεῖν ἠξίωσαν παρὰ τὸν νόμον.
English Text: And, secondly, why did they think fit to claim the succession to Pyrrhus's estate illegally, ignoring him who was its last tenant?
Greek Text: τὰ νυμφικὰ τέλη λαχὼν δείλαιος εἰν Ἅιδου δόμοις,
English Text: having won his marriage rites, poor boy, not here, but in Hades' palace
Greek Text: οὐκοῦν ἢν λάχω. Ἑρμῆς γὰρ ὢν κλήρῳ ποιήσεις οἶδ᾽ ὅτι.
English Text: Yes, if the lot had to decide my life, for Hermes would know how to turn the chance.
Greek Text: κἀμὲ τὸν δυσδαίμονα πάλος καθαιρεῖ τοῦτο τἀγαθὸν λαβεῖν
English Text: the lot doomed miserable me to win this prize.
Greek Text: ἐν τῇ σορῷ νυνὶ λαχὸν τὸ γράμμα σου δικάζειν,
English Text: It's in the tomb that it's your lot to judge.
Greek Text: κλῆρος ἐνθάδ᾽ οὐκ ἐπάλλετο, ἀλλ᾽ ἔστ᾽ ἐμὸν θοὔρμαιον, οὐκ ἄλλου, τόδε.
English Text: This time there was no casting of lots. No, this piece of luck has fallen to me, and me alone.
Greek Text: ἀλλ᾽ οὐ λαχοῦσ᾽ ἔπινες ἐν τῷ γράμματι;
English Text: Have you drunk up your money then?
Greek Text: ἡ λῆξις αὕτη τοῦ κλήρου ἐγένετο
English Text: when this suit for the inheritance was instituted
Greek Text: ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ ὁ χρηστὸς τῷ κακῷ λαχεῖν ἴσος.
English Text: But the good man craves a portion not equal to the evil's
Greek Text: οὐχ ἥδε χρυσῆς ἀξία τιμῆς λαχεῖν;
English Text: Does she not deserve to receive golden honor?
Greek Text: οὔθ᾽ ὑμεναίων ἔγκληρον
English Text: I have not had my due portion of the chant that brings the bride
Greek Text: οὔτε ξιφέων ἐπίχειρα λαχοῦσ᾽
English Text: nor having won the wages of the sword
Greek Text: τοῖς ἰσοθέοις σύγκληρα λαχεῖν. ζῶσαν καὶ ἔπειτα θανοῦσαν.
English Text: she shared the lot of the godlike in her life, and afterwards, in death.
Greek Text: δίκην μὲν οὐχ οἷός τ᾽ ἦν ἰδίαν λαχεῖν
English Text: I was unable to bring a private action
Greek Text: πρῶτον μὲν οὖν, ὦ ἄνδρες, περὶ τῆς τῶν ὀνομάτων ἐπιγραφῆς ἄξιόν ἐστιν ἐξετάσαι, καὶ σκέψασθαι ὁπότεροι ἁπλούστερον καὶ κατὰ φύσιν μᾶλλον τὰς λήξεις ἐποιήσαντο.
English Text: In the first place, gentlemen, it is proper that you should consider the different names attributed to the deceased and determine which of the two parties has laid his claim in the more straightforward and natural manner.
Greek Text: ἄλεκτρον, ἀνυμέναιον, οὔτε του γάμου μέρος λαχοῦσαν
English Text: I have enjoyed no marriage bed or bridal song and have not received any portion of marriage
Greek Text: αὐτοὺς καὶ περὶ ὧν ἔλαχον τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς δίκην, ἐρεῖν
English Text: they are going to speak about my original suit
Greek Text: τύμβου πατρῴου κοινὸν εἰληχὼς μέρος.
English Text: and had your share in the tomb of our father
Greek Text: δίκην ἠναγκάσθην αὐτῷ λαχεῖν
English Text: I was compelled to enter suit against him
Greek Text: στάντες δ᾽ ἵν᾽ αὐτοὺς οἱ τεταγμένοι βραβῆς κλήροις ἔπηλαν καὶ κατέστησαν δίφρους, χαλκῆς ὑπαὶ σάλπιγγος ᾖξαν
English Text: They took their stations where the appointed umpires placed them by lot and ranged the cars.
Greek Text: ταύτην δ᾽ ἀνάγκη τῇ τοῦ διώκοντος λήξει δηλοῦσθαι, ἣν ἐγὼ τούτῳ ψευδομαρτυρίων εἴληχα
English Text: The cause of action must be made clear by the complaint of the prosecutor, and this in my case is a suit against this man for false testimony
Greek Text: ὅπως πατρῴας τύμβον ἐκλάχῃ χθονός.
English Text: so that he may find due burial in his fatherland.
Greek Text: τό τε κατάμεμπτον ἐπιλέλογχε πύματον ἀκρατὲς ἀπροσόμιλον γῆρας ἄφιλον
English Text: Last of all falls to his lot old age, blamed, weak, unsociable, friendless, wherein dwells every misery among miseries
Greek Text: πείσαντα ὑμῶν τοὺς λαχόντας μετὰ τῶν νόμων
English Text: it was his duty to convince those of you who were drawn on the jury
Greek Text: ἄλλους δὲ θωπεύοντες οἰκοῦμεν σύ τε κἀγώ, τὸν αὐτὸν δαίμον᾽ ἐξειληχότες.
English Text: by paying court to others both you and I have a home, obtaining by lot the same fortune
Greek Text: μέγ᾽ ἄρα πέλαγος ἐλάχετόν τι.
English Text: Vast, then, is the sea of your troubles.
Greek Text: ἡ μὲν ἀρχὴ ἐπεκλήρωσεν καὶ παρέδωκε τοὺς ὀφείλοντας τὰ σκεύη τῇ πόλει
English Text: the magistrates chose by lot those who owed the ship's equipment to the state and handed over their names
Greek Text: ἀλλ᾽ οὔ τι μὴ λάχωσι τοῦδε συμμάχου
English Text: No, never will they win Oedipus for an ally
Greek Text: καὶ ἔλαχον αὐτῷ δίκην τῆς αἰκείας
English Text: and began an action against him for assault.
Greek Text: ἔστιν δὲ παισὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖσι τῆς ἐμῆς χθονὸς λαχεῖν τοσοῦτον, ἐνθανεῖν μόνον
English Text: and for my sons, this heirloom: just so much soil in my realm in which to die.
Greek Text: συμβουλεύομέν σοι... εἶτα πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα μὴ λαγχάνειν
English Text: we advise you not to make proclamation against anyone by name
Greek Text: εἰ δέ τι πρεσβύτερον ἔτι κακοῦ κακόν, τοῦτ᾽ ἔλαχ᾽ Οἰδίπους.
English Text: if there is a woe surpassing all woes, it has become Oedipus' lot.
Greek Text: ἐν τούτῳ τῷ καιρῷ ἕτεροί τινες ἔλαχον τοῦ κλήρου
English Text: at this very time some other people filed claims to the estate of Comon
Greek Text: τὸν ἴσον χρόνον ἐμὰς λαχόντ᾽ ἀνίας. πότμος, πότμος σε δαιμόνων τάδ᾽, οὐδὲ σέ γε δόλος
English Text: doomed to endure my anguish for as long a time! Doom, god-sent doom constrained you to suffer this
Greek Text: διὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἔδοξέ τε ἡμῖν λαχεῖν τοῦ κλήρου κατ᾽ ἀγχιστείαν,
English Text: We therefore resolved to claim the estate on grounds of affinity, and we each claimed our share.
Greek Text: ὅλου τοῦ κλήρου λαχεῖν
English Text: to enter suit for the whole estate
Greek Text: οὐδεπώποτέ μοι ἔλαχες ἐνοικίου δίκην τῆς οἰκίας
English Text: never sue me for the rent of the house
Greek Text: εἴληχα βλάβης ἰδίαν δίκην
English Text: I have entered suit on my own account for damages
Greek Text: λαγχάνει αὐτῷ δίκην
English Text: he brought an action against him
Greek Text: μοι λαχὼν τὴν δίκην ταυτηνὶ
English Text: after he had instituted this action against me
Greek Text: κατὰ τῶν οἰκείων τῶν ἀδικούντων με τὰς δίκας ἃς εἰλήχειν αὐτοῖς
English Text: the suits which I had entered against my relatives who were wronging me
Greek Text: ἔλαχον αὐτῷ τὴν δίκην τῆς αἰκείας ταυτηνί.
English Text: and I then brought against him this action for the assault.
Greek Text: καὶ τὴν ἀσέλγειαν τὴν τούτων πολὺ τῆς προσηκούσης ἐλάττω δίκην εἴληχα,
English Text: and that the action which I have entered is far more lenient than the case deserves
Greek Text: ἀλλὰ πρῶτον μὲν πρὸ τοῦ τὴν δίκην ληχθῆναι
English Text: before the action had been brought
Greek Text: οὐ μὴν ἔγωγ᾽ ᾠόμην δεῖν οὔτε δίκην λαχεῖν αὐτοῖς
English Text: I never saw fit to bring an action against them
Greek Text: καίτοι εἰ ὅσοι κακῶς πεπόνθασιν ὑπὸ τῶν ὑδάτων τῶν ταύτῃ ῥεόντων ἐμοὶ λήξονται δίκας,
English Text: And yet, if all those who have suffered loss because water has flooded their lands in this region are to bring suit against me, my fortune, even if multiplied many times
Greek Text: τὸ δ᾽ εὐτυχές, οἳ ἂν τῆς εὐπρεπεστάτης λάχωσιν, ὥσπερ οἵδε μὲν νῦν, τελευτῆς, ὑμεῖς δὲ λύπης, καὶ οἷς ἐνευδαιμονῆσαί τε ὁ βίος ὁμοίως καὶ ἐντελευτῆσαι ξυνεμετρήθη
English Text: but fortunate indeed are they who draw for their lot a death so glorious as that which has caused your mourning, and to whom life has been so exactly measured as to terminate in the happiness in which it has been passed
Greek Text: ὅτι δ᾽ οὐδὲν ἀπολωλεκὼς οὐδὲ καταβεβλαμμένος ἄξιον λόγου τηλικαύτην μοι δίκην εἴληχεν, τοῦθ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἤδη πειράσομαι διδάσκειν.
English Text: But I shall now endeavor to show you that he has brought a suit for such heavy damages against me without having suffered any loss or damage worthy of mention.
Greek Text: κλήρους δὲ ποιήσαντες τῆς γῆς πλὴν τῆς Μηθυμναίων τρισχιλίους τριακοσίους μὲν τοῖς θεοῖς ἱεροὺς ἐξεῖλον, ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους σφῶν αὐτῶν κληρούχους τοὺς λαχόντας ἀπέπεμψαν: οἷς ἀργύριον Λέσβιοι ταξάμενοι τοῦ κλήρου ἑκάστου τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ δύο μνᾶς φέρειν αὐτοὶ εἰργάζοντο τὴν γῆν.
English Text: but all their land, except that of the Methymnians, was divided into three thousand allotments, three hundred of which were reserved as sacred for the gods, and the rest assigned by lot to Athenian shareholders, who were sent out to the island. With these the Lesbians agreed to pay a rent of two minae a year for each allotment, and cultivated the land themselves.
Greek Text: καὶ Καλλικράτης Καλλάρῳ πάλιν εἴληχεν ἑτέραν
English Text: and that he has again brought another suit against Callarus,
Greek Text: διεβίβαζον ἐς τὴν νῆσον τοὺς ὁπλίτας ἀποκληρώσαντες ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν λόχων
English Text: they carried over to the island the heavy infantry, drafted by lot from all the companies
Greek Text: ἔτι τοίνυν ἀρχὰς ἔλαχεν καὶ ἦρξεν δοκιμασθείς
English Text: And furthermore, he was chosen to offices by lot
Greek Text: Λακεδαιμόνιοι δέ（ἔλαχον γὰρ πρότεροι ἀποδιδόναι ἃ εἶχον
English Text: the Lacedaemonians, to whose lot it fell to begin the work of restitution,
Greek Text: καὶ τούτων οὐδεὶς οὐκ ἀπεῖπεν πώποτε, οὐκ ἐκώλυσεν, οὐ δίκην ἔλαχεν
English Text: and no one of these kinsfolk ever made protest or prevented it or brought suit
Greek Text: τὴν γὰρ Ἀμφίπολιν πρότεροι λαχόντες οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι ἀποδιδόναι καὶ τἆλλα οὐκ ἀπεδεδώκεσαν
English Text: Lacedaemon, to whose lot it had fallen to begin by restoring Amphipolis and the other towns
Greek Text: ὡς ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν τούτων προὐκρίθην ἐν τοῖς εὐγενεστάτοις κληροῦσθαι τῆς ἱερωσύνης τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ
English Text: that by these men themselves I was nominated among the noblest-born to draw lots for the priesthood of Heracles
Greek Text: οἱ στρατηγοὶ ἐποιήσαντο, καὶ τρία μέρη νείμαντες ἓν ἑκάστῳ ἐκλήρωσαν
English Text: and dividing the whole fleet into three divisions, allotted one to each of their number,
Greek Text: εἰ μὲν ἔλαχον ἱερεύς,
English Text: if I had been chosen by lot as priest
Greek Text: οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν Ἀθηναίων στρατηγοὶ ἐν τῇ Σικελίᾳ, δύο μέρη ποιήσαντες τοῦ στρατεύματος καὶ λαχὼν ἑκάτερος
English Text: The Athenian generals left in Sicily now divided the armament into two parts, and each taking one by lot,
Greek Text: οὔτ᾽ ἀρχὰς ἄρχειν οὔθ᾽ ἱερωσύνην κληροῦσθαι μεθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ προκριθέντ᾽ εἴασεν
English Text: either to hold offices or to draw lots with himself as a nominee for the priesthood
Greek Text: ἐπὶ Χίον λαχόντες ἔπλεον
English Text: sailing against Chios, which fell to their lot
Greek Text: δημοτευόμενος μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ καὶ κληρούμενος
English Text: to act as a member of the deme and to draw lots for offices together with me
Greek Text: δῆμος μέντοι ὅμως ἔτι καὶ βουλὴ ἡ ἀπὸ τοῦ κυάμου ξυνελέγετο
English Text: the Assembly and the Council of the Bean still met notwithstanding
Greek Text: τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον προκρίναντες ἐμὲ ἐψηφίσαντ᾽ ἐν τοῖς εὐγενεστάτοις κληροῦσθαι τῆς ἱερωσύνης τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ.
English Text: and, finally, when they nominated me among the noblest-born and voted that I should draw lots for the priesthood of Heracles.
Greek Text: ἐπέστησαν τοῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ κυάμου βουλευταῖς οὖσιν ἐν τῷ βουλευτηρίῳ
English Text: appeared before the Councillors of the Bean in the council chamber
Greek Text: καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀρχὴν ἣν ἐκεῖνος ἄρχων ἐτελεύτησεν, ἱεροποιὸς ὤν, παρὰ τοὺς νόμους ἦρχεν οὗτος, οὔτε λαχὼν οὔτ᾽ ἐπιλαχών
English Text: the office of sacrificer, and this office Theocrines continued to fill in defiance of the laws, without having been designated by lot to assume the office or to fill the vacancy
Greek Text: οἱ [δὲ] τετρακόσιοι ἐσελθόντες ἐς τὸ βουλευτήριον τότε μὲν πρυτάνεις τε σφῶν αὐτῶν ἀπεκλήρωσαν
English Text: Four Hundred entered the council chamber, and for the present contented themselves with drawing lots for their Prytanes
Greek Text: προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν Πολύευκτον ἀποφέρει γραφὴν κατ᾽ αὐτοῦ κακώσεως πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα καὶ δίδωσι τὴν λῆξιν Μνησαρχίδῃ τῷ παρέδρῳ
English Text: he summoned Polyeuctus before the archon and lodged an indictment against him for maltreatment of an orphan, and put the case in the hands of the assessor Mnesarchides
Greek Text: διακληρωσάμενοι πρὸς σφᾶς αὐτοὺς οἱ μὲν ὑπομείναντες ἐπολιορκοῦντο
English Text: they divided themselves by lot into two groups; some of them remained and endured the siege
Greek Text: καὶ μὴ ἐξεῖναι αὐτῶν μηδενὶ τῶν ἐννέα ἀρχόντων λαχεῖν μηδὲ ἱερωσύνης μηδεμιᾶς
English Text: declaring that it should not be permitted to any of them to be drawn by lot for the office of the nine archons or for any priesthood
Greek Text: προεληλυθότος δὲ χρόνου λαγχάνει βουλεύειν Ἀπολλόδωρος
English Text: After some time had elapsed Apollodorus was chosen by lot as a member of the senate
Greek Text: ταύτῃ μὲν οὖν οὐδὲ μέρους λαχεῖν προσῆκε, Θρασυβούλῳ δὲ ἁπάντων, εἰ μὴ κυρίαν ἡγεῖτο εἶναι τὴν ἐμὴν εἰσποίησιν.
English Text: The wife of Pronapes, therefore, had no right to claim a share at all, and Thrasybulus ought to have claimed the whole if he regarded my adoption as invalid.
Greek Text: λαχόντος τοίνυν αὐτῷ τοῦ Φρυνίωνος δίκην
English Text: So, then, Phrynion brought suit against Stephanus for having taken this woman Neaera from him and asserted her freedom
Greek Text: ἐκεῖνος τοίνυν οὔτε ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἠμφισβήτηκε πρὸς ἐμὲ οὐδὲν οὔτε νῦν δίκην εἴληχε περὶ αὐτῶν,
English Text: Yet from the first he has never disputed my title nor has he now made any claim at law to the estate
Greek Text: λαχόντος δὲ τοῦ Στεφάνου αὐτῷ δίκην σίτου εἰς Ὠιδεῖον κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὃς κελεύει, ἐὰν ἀποπέμπῃ τὴν γυναῖκα, ἀποδιδόναι τὴν προῖκα, ἐὰν δὲ μή, ἐπ᾽ ἐννέ᾽ ὀβολοῖς τοκοφορεῖν
English Text: Stephanus brought suit for alimony against him in the Odeum in accordance with the law which enacts that, if a man puts away his wife, he must pay back the marriage portion or else pay interest on it at the rate of nine obols a month for each mina
Greek Text: καὶ λαχόντος αὑτῷ Στεφάνου εἰς Ὠιδεῖον σίτου διαλύσασθαι πρὸς αὑτὸν Στέφανον
English Text: and that after Stephanus had brought suit against him in the Odeum for alimony
Greek Text: καὶ τῶνδε ἐξῆν αὐτῷ κατὰ ταύτην τὴν συγγένειαν λαγχάνειν, ὄντι προτέρῳ ταύτης, εἴπερ τὰ πεπραγμένα μὴ κυρίως ἔχειν ἐνόμιζεν.
English Text: and by this right of kinship he might have claimed the estate now in dispute, since he has a claim prior to that of this woman,
Greek Text: λαχόντος δὲ τοῦ Φράστορος αὐτοῖς δίκην
English Text: Phrastor brought suit against them for refusing to register his son
Greek Text: οὐ γὰρ ἄν ποτε τοσούτων χρημάτων οὐκ ἐλάγχανε.
English Text: for otherwise he would not fail now to claim so large a fortune.
Greek Text: ἀλλὰ κατιδόντες Θεογένην Κοιρωνίδην λαχόντα βασιλέα,
English Text: but observing that Theogenes, of Cothocidae, had been drawn by lot as king
Greek Text: οἱ Πλαταιεῖς λαγχάνουσι δίκην τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις εἰς τοὺς Ἀμφικτύονας χιλίων ταλάντων ὑπὲρ τῶν συμμάχων
English Text: and the Plataeans brought suit on behalf of the allies against the Lacedaemonians before the Amphictyons for one thousand talents
Greek Text: οἴμοι, πικρὰν κλήρωσιν αἵρεσίν τέ μοι | βίου καθίστης: καὶ λαχοῦσά γ᾽ ἀθλία | καὶ μὴ λαχοῦσα δυστυχὴς καθίσταμαι.
English Text: Ah! It is a bitter lottery, a bitter choice between lives, you set before me: if I win my life I am in misery, and if I lose it I am luckless.
Greek Text: οὗπερ πρὶν Ἀκτέωνα διέλαχον κύνες.
English Text: Where formerly dogs divided Actaeon among themselves.
Greek Text: φόνια δ᾽ ὤπασας | λάχε᾽ ἀπὸ γᾶς τᾶς Ἑλλανίδος.
English Text: and granted me a bloody destiny far from the land of Hellas.
Greek Text: σὸν ἔργον ἤδη: πρόσθεν εἴληχας φόνου.
English Text: Your work begins at once; you have drawn the first lot in the slaughter.
Greek Text: ἵν᾽ ἐκληρώθην καὶ προσετάχθην | δούλη
English Text: where the lot assigned [and appointed] me as his slave
Greek Text: μοίρας τε σᾶς, γύναι. | αἰὼν δυσαίων | τις ἔλαχεν ἔλαχεν
English Text: You were fated, fated to have a life full of pain
Greek Text: ὡς πολὺ ματρὸς ἐμᾶς ἔλαχες πλέον
English Text: how much happier was your lot than my mother's
Greek Text: ἔγκληρα πεδία τἀμὰ γῆς κεκτημένος,
English Text: receiving as your heritage my broad lands
Greek Text: πεδία γὰρ τῆσδε χθονὸς|δισσοὺς κατοικεῖν Θησέως παῖδας λόγος|κλήρῳ λαχόντας ἐκ γένους Πανδίονος
English Text: For it is said that Theseus' two sons dwell in the plain of this land, which they received by the drawing of lots among the descendants of Pandion
Greek Text: πάσας ἀδελφὰς δεῦρο χρὴ τὰς σὰς καλεῖν|κᾆθ᾽ ἡ λαχοῦσα θνῃσκέτω γένους ὕπερ
English Text: we must call all your sisters hither and the one that draws the lot must die for the family.
Greek Text: κλήρους δ᾽ ἐμβατεύσετε χθονὸς
English Text: take possession of your estates
Greek Text: διάληξις. διαλαγχάνειν μέν ἐστι τὸ κλήρῳ διαιρεῖσθαι, διάληξις δὲ τὸ πρᾶγμα
Greek Text: ὡς ἀλλὰ ταῦτά γ᾽ ἀπολάχωσ᾽ οἴκων πατρός
English Text: they may obtain from their father's halls
Greek Text: πόσος ἐσθ’ ὁ καῦνος;
Greek Text: ἔγκληρον εὐνὴν προσλαβὼν ἐπήλπισα
English Text: did I hope that by taking an heiress
Greek Text: ἡ δέλτος ἥδε κλῆρον οὐ δεδεγμένη
English Text: There's no divinatory chanciness about this tablet
Greek Text: καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς οὐ κληρωτὰς ἀλλ᾽ αἱρετὰς ποιήσαντος,
English Text: enacting that the offices be filled, not by lot, but by election,
Greek Text: τὸ σωφρονεῖν εἴληχεν ἐς τὰ πάντ᾽ ἀεί
English Text: chastity in all things has ever won its place
Greek Text: ἐπειδὴ γὰρ Δωριέων οἱ στρατεύσαντες εἰς Πελοπόννησον τρίχα διείλοντο τάς τε πόλεις καὶ τὰς χώρας ἃς ἀφείλοντο τοὺς δικαίως κεκτημένους, οἱ μὲν Ἄργος λαχόντες καὶ Μεσσήνην παραπλησίως διῴκουν τὰ σφέτερ᾽ αὐτῶν τοῖς ἄλλοις Ἕλλησι
English Text: When, then, the Dorians who invaded the Peloponnesus divided into three parts both the cities and the lands which they had taken from their rightful owners, those of them who received Argos and Messene as their portions ordered their affairs very much as did the Hellenes in general.
Greek Text: κλῆρον τίθεσθε παῖδ᾽ ὅτου θανεῖν χρεών
English Text: Why then, cast lots whose daughter has to die
Greek Text: μηδὲν δὲ δέομαι μήτε κληροῦσθαι τῶν ἀρχῶν ἕνεκα
English Text: and yet do not ask to have any part in the allotment of the offices nor in the distribution of the gifts she doles out to others
Greek Text: ἣ κοινουμένη τὰς συμφοράς σοι πρόσθεν, ἀπολαχοῦσα νῦν αὐτὴ καθ᾽ αὑτὴν τὴν τύχην
English Text: who shared that misfortune with you before and now has it as her own lot
Greek Text: Δελφῶν ἀριστῆς, οὓς ἐκλήρωσεν πάλος.
English Text: the best men of Delphi, chosen by lot. (interpreters of the oracle)
Greek Text: λαχὼν δίκην ἐξῄτει τὸν Κίττον,
English Text: that he brought an action for libel against him and demanded the surrender of Cittus,
Greek Text: ὅστ᾽ ὀμφὰν κληροῖς πρὸς χρυσέους θάκους
English Text: who send forth your holy voice from your golden seat
Greek Text: ὅτε γὰρ Μενέξενος ἔλαχεν αὑτῷ τὴν δίκην
English Text: when Menexenus lodged his suit against him
Greek Text: κοινόφρων δὲ σοὶ καὶ ζῆν θέλοιμ᾽ ἂν καὶ θανὼν λαχεῖν ἴσον.
English Text: I would rather have an equal share of life or death, in common with you.
Greek Text: λαγχάνει μοι δίκην μυρίων δραχμῶν.
English Text: he brought suit against me for the sum of ten thousand drachmas.
Greek Text: ἔγκληρον ὡς δὴ σὴν κασιγνήτην γαμῶν
English Text: since I married your sister and heiress
Greek Text: ὅμως οὐ τολμῶσιν αὐτοῖς δίκας λαγχάνειν οὐδὲ μνησικακεῖν,
English Text: nevertheless are not so brazen as to bring suit against them or to bring up old grudges against them;
Greek Text: ἀπάτορ᾽ ἀπάτορα πότμον ἔλαχον.
English Text: Fatherless was the fate I received, fatherless.
Greek Text: ἐκ δὲ τραύματος φάσκοντες ἀποθανεῖν τὴν ἄνθρωπον λαγχάνουσιν αὐτῷ φόνου δίκην ἐπὶ Παλλαδίῳ.
English Text: they brought suit against him in the court of the Palladium on the charge of murder.
Greek Text: πυθέσθαι τίνα ποτ᾽ Ἠλέκτρα πότμον εἴληχε βιότου
English Text: before I first find out Electra's fate
Greek Text: οὗτος ἐνεκάλει τῷ Πατροκλεῖ καὶ δίκας ἐλάγχανεν ὡς αἰτίῳ τῆς συμφορᾶς γεγενημένῳ:
English Text: Callimachus brought a charge against Patrocles and instituted proceedings against him on the ground that he was responsible for his loss.
Greek Text: ἀβάκχευτον αἳ θίασον ἐλάχετ᾽ ἐν δάκρυσι καὶ γόοις
English Text: whose lot it is to hold a revel, not with Bacchic rites, in tears and groans
Greek Text: κτύπον τε κρατός, ὃν ἔλαχ᾽ ἁ κατὰ χθονὸς νερτέρων Περσέφασσα καλλίπαις θεά.
English Text: and beating on my head; these are the portion of Persephone, fair young goddess of the nether world
Greek Text: κοινῷ θανάτῳ σκοτίαν αἰῶνα λαχόντων.
English Text: by one common death they have drawn their lot, a life of darkness.
Greek Text: ἤδη ψυχρὰν λοιβὰν φονίαν ἃν ἔλαχ᾽ Ἅιδας, ὤπασε δ᾽ Ἄρης:
English Text: a murderous libation of blood already cold, owed to Hades, poured out by Ares.
Greek Text: θηκτῷ σιδήρῳ δῶμα διαλαχεῖν τόδε
English Text: they may divide this house with a sharp sword
Greek Text: οὐκ ἐξ ἁπάντων τὰς ἀρχὰς κληροῦντες,
English Text: not filling the offices by lot from all the citizens
Greek Text: κλήρους τέ μοι φύλασσε παρθένῳ χερί
English Text: keep safe for me in your maiden hand the auguries
Greek Text: ἔπειτα καὶ δημοτικωτέραν ἐνόμιζον εἶναι ταύτην τὴν κατάστασιν ἢ τὴν διὰ τοῦ λαγχάνειν γιγνομένην ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῇ κληρώσει τὴν τύχην βραβεύσειν, καὶ πολλάκις λήψεσθαι τὰς ἀρχὰς τοὺς ὀλιγαρχίας ἐπιθυμοῦντας, ἐν δὲ τῷ προκρίνειν τοὺς ἐπιεικεστάτους τὸν δῆμον ἔσεσθαι κύριον ἑλέσθαι τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας μάλιστα τὴν καθεστῶσαν πολιτείαν.
English Text: Furthermore they considered that this way of appointing magistrates was also more democratic than the casting of lots, since under the plan of election by lot chance would decide the issue and the partizans of oligarchy would often get the offices; whereas under the plan of selecting the worthiest men, the people would have in their hands the power to choose those who were most attached to the existing constitution.
Greek Text: οὐκ οὖν Λυκίους πέμπτην φυλακὴν βάντας ἐγείρειν καιρὸς κλήρου κατὰ μοῖραν;
English Text: Is it not then high time we went and roused the Lycians for the fifth watch, as the lot decided?
Greek Text: ὅταν ἴδῃ πολλοὺς τῶν πολιτῶν αὐτοὺς μὲν περὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων, εἴθ᾽ ἕξουσιν εἴτε μή, πρὸ τῶν δικαστηρίων κληρουμένους
English Text: we see many of our fellow-citizens drawing lots in front of the law-courts to determine whether they themselves shall have the necessaries of life
Greek Text: μετέλαχες τύχας Οἰδιπόδα, γέρον
English Text: you, old man, have been made partaker in the fortune of Oedipus
Greek Text: εἰ δ᾽ ἦμεν νέοι δὶς καὶ γέροντες, εἴ τις ἐξημάρτανε, διπλοῦ βίου λαχόντες ἐξωρθούμεθ᾽ ἄν.
English Text: Now if we had a second spell of youth and age, this double term of life would let us then correct each previous slip.
Greek Text: τάφου τε μοίρας καὶ κτερισμάτων λαχεῖν
English Text: from receiving their share of burial and funeral rites
Greek Text: εἰ τοὺς θανόντας νοσφίσας ὧν χρῆν λαχεῖν
English Text: in refusing burial to the dead
Greek Text: λαχὼν ὁ πατὴρ παντὸς τοῦ συμβολαίου Ἐρασιστράτῳ,
English Text: my father got permission to proceed against Erasistratus for the whole debt
Greek Text: ἀλλ᾽ οὖν πατρῴων οὐ λαχὼν ἕξεις ὅμως
English Text: you have no part in all your father's wealth
Greek Text: νυνὶ δὲ λαχόντος ἐν τῷ Γαμηλιῶνι μηνὶ οἱ ναυτοδίκαι οὐκ ἐξεδίκασαν.
English Text: but at present, although I was permitted to bring proceedings in the month of Gamelion, the nautical court has not decided the case.
Greek Text: ἀρχὴν δὲ τῶνδε καὶ θεῶν ἱδρύματα|Ἀκρίσιος εἴληχεν
Greek Text: ᾧ σε δούλην κλῆρος ἐκπέμπει πάτρας.
English Text: to him you are assigned by lot to be a slave far from your country
Greek Text: πρὸς οὓς αἱ δίκαι ἐλήχθησαν, καὶ τοὺς νῦν ναυτοδίκας.
English Text: before whom the suits were authorized to be heard, and the present judges of the nautical court.
Greek Text: τῷ πρόσκειμαι δούλα τλάμων; ἐγγύς που κεῖσαι κλήρου.
English Text: To whom am I, poor captive, given as a slave? You are not far from being allotted now.
Greek Text: ἐπὶ δὲ ταύτῃ μόνῃ τῇ τέχνῃ χωρὶς σιτοφύλακας ἀποκληροῦτε:
English Text: for this trade alone you elect special corn-controllers by lot;
Greek Text: πλείονα μεμψιμοιρίην ἢ τιμὴν κεκληρῶσθαι τὴν τέχνην.
Greek Text: ἤδη κεκλήρωσθ᾽, εἰ τόδ᾽ ἦν ὑμῖν φόβος.
English Text: The lot has decided your fates already, if that was what you feared.
Greek Text: ὡς δὲ ὀρθῶς τὴν δίκην ἔλαχον τουτῳὶ Παγκλέωνι οὐκ ὄντι Πλαταιεῖ, τοῦτο ὑμῖν πειράσομαι ἀποδεῖξαι.
English Text: but that I am correct in obtaining leave for my suit against this man Pancleon as being no Plataean, I will attempt to prove to you.
Greek Text: ὅτι πονηρῷ καὶ ξένῳ|ἐπέλαχες ἀνδρί
Greek Text: κατ᾽ ἄνδρ᾽ ἑκάστη κοὐχ ὁμοῦ λελόγχατε.
English Text: Each warrior took his prize in turn; you were not all at once assigned.
Greek Text: ἐν τῇ ἀντωμοσία γὰρ τῆς δίκης ἣν αὐτῷ ἔλαχεν Ἀριστόδικος οὑτοσί,
English Text: For in his counter-deposition at the proceedings brought against him by Aristodicus, here present, when he contended that his case did not lie before the Polemarch, he was declared on evidence not to be a Plataean.
Greek Text: βουλεύειν ὀλίγου '/λαχες πάνυ|ἀτὰρ οὐ λαχὼν ὅμως ἔλαχες, ἢν νοῦν ἔχῃς.
Greek Text: τίν᾽ ἄρα τίς ἔλαχε;
English Text: To whom has the lot assigned us severally?
Greek Text: πυθόμενος ὅτι καὶ ἑτέρας δίκας τὰς μὲν φεύγοι τὰς δ᾽ ὠφλήκοι παρὰ τῷ πολεμάρχῳ ἔλαχον καὶ ἐγώ.
English Text: and I learnt that he was then a defendant in some other suits before the Polemarch, and had been cast in some, I took proceedings on my own part.
Greek Text: τοὐμὸν τίς ἆρ᾽ ἔλαχε τέκος, ἔνεπε, τλάμονα Κασάνδραν;
English Text: Then tell me, whose prize is my daughter, hapless Cassandra?
Greek Text: ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν λαχόντων τε δίκας αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸν πολέμαρχον καὶ καταδικασαμένων, ὅσοι τυγχάνουσι παρόντες.
English Text: and after them the other persons who have taken proceedings against him before the Polemarch and have obtained a conviction,
Greek Text: κληρωτήριον
Greek Text: τῷ πάλος ἔζευξεν;
English Text: to whom has the lot assigned her?
Greek Text: τὴν δίκην ἔλαχον:
English Text: Relying on this evidence I took proceedings against him before the Polemarch:
Greek Text: Οὐχ ὅ τι ἐκεῖνος ἔλαχεν. οἰμώζων κάθου.
Greek Text: Ἰθάκης Ὀδυσσεὺς ἔλαχ᾽ ἄναξ δούλην σ᾽ ἔχειν.
English Text: Odysseus, king of Ithaca, has taken you to be his slave.
Greek Text: ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοιόνδε λόγον τράπωνται, ὡς ὁ χρόνος οὐκ ἐγχωρεῖ ἄλλον ἀποκληρῶσαι,
English Text: nd if they have recourse to the further argument that time does not allow of your electing another man, and that his failure to pass your scrutiny must inevitably leave the ancestral sacrifices unperformed,
Greek Text: μυσαρῷ δολίῳ λέλογχα φωτὶ δουλεύειν
English Text: I have fallen as a slave to a treacherous foe I hate
Greek Text: ἔνεστί τε ἐν τῷ ὅρκῳ ἀποφανεῖν εἴ τίς τινα οἶδε τῶν λαχόντων ἀνεπιτήδειον ὄντα βουλεύειν,
English Text: and as the terms of that oath require us to expose any person appointed by lot whom we know to be unsuitable for service on the Council,
Greek Text: δυστυχεστάτῳ προσέπεσον κλήρῳ
English Text: a victim to a most unhappy lot
Greek Text: ὥσπερ νῦν προθύμως κληρωσόμενος ἦλθε, καὶ τότε διαμαχούμενος περὶ αὐτῆς καταστῆναι μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν.
English Text: with a zeal such as brings him now for the drawing of the lots, to take his stand with you then as a champion of the Council.
Greek Text: εἶτα τὰς εἰληγμένας καὶ τοῖσιν ἄλλοις αἰχμαλωτίδων ἄγω.
English Text: and then conduct to the rest of the chiefs the captives each has had assigned
Greek Text: προσεκαλέσατο δίκην ἀσεβείας πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ ἔλαχεν Ἀνδοκίδης ὢν
English Text: he instituted proceedings for impiety before the king-archon, and lodged his complaint, though he was Andocides
Greek Text: πολλοῖς δὲ κωκυτοῖσιν αἰχμαλωτίδων βοᾷ Σκάμανδρος δεσπότας κληρουμένων. καὶ τὰς μὲν Ἀρκάς, τὰς δὲ Θεσσαλὸς λεὼς εἴληχ᾽ Ἀθηναίων τε Θησεῖδαι πρόμοι.
English Text: Scamander's banks re-echo long and loud the screams of captive maids, as they by lot receive their masters. [30] Arcadia takes some, and some the people of Thessaly; others are assigned to Theseus' sons, the Athenian chiefs.
Greek Text: φέρε γάρ, ἐὰν νυνὶ Ἀνδοκίδης ἀθῷος ἀπαλλαγῇ δι᾽ ὑμᾶς ἐκ τοῦδε τοῦ ἀγῶνος καὶ ἔλθῃ κληρωσόμενος τῶν ἐννέα ἀρχόντων καὶ λάχῃ βασιλεύς,
English Text: I would ask you, if you allow Andocides to get off now unscathed from this trial, and to attend for drawing the lots for the nine archons,
Greek Text: λαχοῦσα πλεῖον τῆς τύχης ἡμάρτανον.
English Text: though I won a higher lot than most, yet missed my luck in life
Greek Text: εἶτα συγκληρῶσαι συμμορίᾳ σωμάτων ἑκάστῃ τὴν πεντεκαιδεκαναΐαν, τὴν δὲ συμμορίαν ἑκάστῳ τῷ μέρει σφῶν αὐτῶν τρεῖς ἀποδοῦναι τριήρεις.
English Text: and next to allot a squadron of fifteen to each board, and the board must assign three vessels to each of its own groups.
Greek Text: ποῦ καί ποτ’ οἰκεῖ σώματος λαχὼν μέρος;
Greek Text: ἵν᾽ ὑμῖν καὶ τὰ χρήματ᾽ ᾖ συντεταγμένα, διελεῖν τοῦτο καὶ ποιῆσαι καθ᾽ ἑξήκοντα τάλανθ᾽ ἑκατὸν μέρη, εἶτα πένθ᾽ ἑξηκονταταλαντίας εἰς ἑκάστην τῶν μεγάλων τῶν εἴκοσι συμμοριῶν ἐπικληρῶσαι, τὴν δὲ συμμορίαν ἑκάστῳ τῶν μερῶν μίαν ἑξηκονταταλαντίαν ἀποδοῦναι,
English Text: this sum should be divided into a hundred parts of sixty talents each, and that then five of these parts should be allotted to each of the twenty full boards, and that the board itself should assign one part, consisting of sixty talents, to each of its own five groups.
Greek Text: πενία δὲ σοφίαν ἔλαχε διὰ τὸ συγγενές.
Greek Text: ἔπειτα ταῖς μεγάλαις ἐπικληρῶσαι συμμορίαις μέρος ἓν χρήστων ἑκάστῃ, τὴν δὲ συμμορίαν ἑκάστην διανεῖμαι τῶν αὑτῆς μερῶν ἑκάστῳ τὸ ἴσον, τοὺς δὲ δώδεκα τοὺς ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῷ μέρει ταῦτ᾽ εἰσπράξαντας τὰς τριήρεις, ἃς ἂν ἕκαστοι λάχωσι, παρεσκευασμένας παρέχειν.
English Text: and then that one part of the debtors liable for it should be allotted to each of the full boards, and that each board should assign an equal share to each of its own groups; and that the twelve members of the group should exact the same from the debtors, and so provide, fully equipped, as many galleys as they are severally responsible for.
Greek Text: δύο συμμορίας καὶ τριάκοντα τριήρεις τούτων ἑκάστῳ προσνεῖμαι τῶν τόπων, εἶτ᾽ ἐπικληρῶσαι τὰς φυλάς
English Text: they should apportion two boards and thirty galleys to each area, and then assign the tribes by lot to the areas.
Greek Text: τὸν δὲ ταξίαρχον ἕκαστον, ὃν ἂν ἡ φυλὴ τόπον λάχῃ, διελεῖν τρίχα καὶ τὰς ναῦς ὡσαύτως, εἶτ᾽ ἐπικληρῶσαι τὰς τριττῦς,
English Text: And each brigade-commander must divide into three parts whatever area his tribe has taken over, and the ships in the same way, and then he must allot the thirds of his tribe
Greek Text: οἶμαι πάντας ὑμᾶς ᾐσθῆσθαι, ἑορακότας ἄρτι τοὺς ὅτ᾽ ἐκληροῦσθ᾽ ἐνοχλοῦντας καὶ προσιόντας ὑμῖν.
English Text: this trial has been the center of keen partisanship and active canvassing, for you saw the people who were accosting and annoying you just now at the casting of lots.
Greek Text: τοὺς μὲν θεσμοθέτας τοὺς ἐπὶ τοὺς νόμους κληρουμένους δὶς δοκιμασθέντας ἄρχειν
English Text: the junior archons, who are appointed by lot to administer the laws
Greek Text: βουλεύειν μου λαχόντος
English Text: when I was made senator by lot
Greek Text: φόνου δ᾽ ἂν εἰκότως ἐμαυτῷ λαχεῖν
English Text: and I might reasonably have charged myself with murder
Greek Text: παρούσης δὲ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐν ᾗ τὸν ἄρχοντ᾽ ἐπικληροῦν ὁ νόμος τοῖς χοροῖς τοὺς αὐλητὰς κελεύει... καὶ κληρουμένων πρῶτος αἱρεῖσθαι τὸν αὐλητὴν ἔλαχον
English Text: when the Assembly met at which the law directs the Archons to assign the flute-players by lot to the choruses...and at the drawing of the lots I was fortunate enough to get first choice of a flute-player
Greek Text: ἢ σὺ ὁ μηδὲ λαχεῖν εὐχόμενος τῶν ἐξιόντων ὅτ᾽ ἐκληροῦ
English Text: when lots were drawn for the expedition, prayed that you might draw a blank
Greek Text: καὶ δικάσοντες εἰλήχατε
English Text: when it has fallen to your lot to be his judges
Greek Text: τὸν μὲν λαχόντα κλήρωι τὴν Ἑλένην ἔχειν γυναῖκα
Greek Text: δίκας ἰδίας μοι προσῆκεν αὐτῷ λαχεῖν
English Text: I ought to have brought various personal suits against him
Greek Text: ἡνίκα τὰς δίκας ἔλαχον τῶν πατρῴων τοῖς ἐπιτρόποις
English Text: When I brought my action against my guardians for the recovery of my patrimony
Greek Text: ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ πατρὸς δίκην λαχόντος
Greek Text: ἀλλὰ λαχὼν ἐξούλης
English Text: I obtained leave to bring an action for ejectment
Greek Text: κρίσιν λελογχότα Μειδίᾳ ἐξούλης
English Text: has brought an action for ejectment against Meidias
Greek Text: οὔτε λαχεῖν ἀδικηθέντα οὔτε διαιτητὴν γενέσθαι Μειδίᾳ … ἔστ᾽ ἀσφαλές
English Text: it is unsafe for him to bring an action against Meidias when wronged, or to act as arbitrator for him
Greek Text: ὅτ᾽ αὐτῷ Δημοσθένης ἔλαχε τὴν τοῦ κακηγορίου δίκην
English Text: when Demosthenes brought his action against him for slander
Greek Text: διότι πρὸς διαιτητὴν ἐξῆν αὐτῷ λαχεῖν ἢ γράφεσθαι χρῆν
English Text: you might have brought an action before an arbitrator and that you ought to have indicted him
Greek Text: καταλύσας ψηφίσματι κληρωτὴν ἀρχὴν ἐπὶ τῇ προφάσει ταύτῃ
English Text: On that pretext he got you to vote for the dismissal of an official appointed by lot
Greek Text: αὐτὸ δ᾽ εἰδῇ καὶ ἔχῃ τὸ τὸν φόνον εἰργασμένον, τούτοις ἐνταῦθα λαγχάνεται.
English Text: someone knows and possesses the implement of homicide, he takes proceedings against these implements in that court
Greek Text: ἄνθρωπος πένης καὶ ἰδιώτης καὶ πολλῶν ἄπειρος καὶ κληρωτὴν ἀρχὴν ἄρξας
English Text: some poor, unskilled man, without experience, and appointed to his office by lot
Greek Text: καὶ τῶν ἐννέα ἀρχόντων καὶ τοῦ ἱερομνήμονος καὶ ὅσοι μετὰ τῶν ἐννέα ἀρχόντων κυαμεύονται ταύτῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ κήρυκος καὶ πρεσβείας καὶ συνέδρων
English Text: the offices of the nine Archons or of the Recorder or any other office for which a ballot is taken on the same day as for the nine Archons, or the office of Marshal, or ambassador, or member of the Allied Congress.
English Text: and on that pretext he turned out a magistrate appointed by lot
Greek Text: ἐκ τῆς λήξεως καὶ τῶν γραμμάτων ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἕκαστος εἰσήχθη ποιεῖ τὴν ἔκτισιν
English Text: he makes the payment depend on the plaint and the documents upon which the several delinquents were brought to trial
Greek Text: δίκην ἐξεῖναι λαχεῖν αὐτῷ κατὰ τῶν δικαστῶν τῶν προστιμησάντων τοῦ δεσμοῦ
English Text: a clause enabling an action at law against the juries that had imposed the penalty of imprisonment.
Greek Text: θεοὶ γὰρ ἅπασαν γῆν ποτε κατὰ τοὺς τόπους διελάγχανον…δίκης δὴ κλήροις τὸ φίλον λαγχάνοντες κατῴκιζον τὰς χώρας
English Text: Once upon a time the gods were taking over by lot the whole earth according to its regions...So by just allotments they received each one his own
Greek Text: οἳ κεκληρωμένοι καθίζουσιν ἐξ ὑμῶν
English Text: men chosen for that office by lot from the ranks of the citizens
Greek Text: ἄλλοι μὲν οὖν κατ᾽ ἄλλους τόπους κληρουχήσαντες θεῶν...μίαν ἄμφω λῆξιν τήνδε τὴν χώραν εἰλήχατον
English Text: Now in other regions others of the gods had their allotments….they both took for their joint portion this land
Greek Text: ταύτην, ἧς ἐπώνυμός ἐστιν ὑμῶν ἕκαστος ὁ ἀεὶ δικάζειν λαχών
English Text: goddess, from whom everyone that is chosen by lot derives his name of juror
Greek Text: περὶ τῆς τῶν θεῶν λήξεως, ὅτι κατενείμαντο γῆν πᾶσαν
English Text: concerning the allotments of the Gods, that they portioned out the whole earth
Greek Text: τὰς ἀρχὰς ἁπάσας, ὅσας οἱ λαχόντες ἄρχουσιν ὑμῶν
English Text: All the magistrates who are chosen from you by lot
Greek Text: οὕτω δὴ καὶ τὴν νῆσον Ποσειδῶν τὴν Ἀτλαντίδα λαχὼν
English Text: even so Poseidon took for his allotment the island of Atlantis
Greek Text: εἰ ταῦτα διανοηθεὶς ὁ μὴ λαχὼν τῷ λαχόντι καὶ ὁ μὴ χειροτονηθεὶς τῷ χειροτονηθέντι ἐξ ἴσου ζητοίη εἶναι καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν μετέχειν
English Text: if, acting on this principle, the citizen rejected at the ballot or at the election should put himself on an equality with the chosen citizen
Greek Text: καὶ τὴν κύκλῳ λῆξιν
English Text: and the allotment surrounding it
Greek Text: πάντων ἄρτι κληρουμένων Ἀθηναίων, καὶ πάντων εὖ οἶδ᾽ ὅτι βουλομένων εἰς τοῦτο λαχεῖν τὸ δικαστήριον, μόνοι δικάζεθ᾽ ἡμῖν. διὰ τί; ὅτι ἐλάχετε, εἶτ᾽ ἀπεκληρώθητε: ταῦτα δ᾽ οἱ νόμοι λέγουσιν.
English Text: every Athenian was in the ballot and all, I am sure, wanted to be allotted to this court. Why is this? Because by lot you were chosen and then assigned to this case. Those are the instructions of the law.
Greek Text: λῆξιν δὲ ἄκρας τῆς νήσου πρὸς Ἡρακλείων στηλῶν εἰληχότι
English Text: who had for his portion the extremity of the island near the pillars of Heracles
Greek Text: ἢ τοῖς ἀποδεδοκιμασμένοις ἄρχειν λαχοῦσιν
English Text: citizens disqualified after obtaining office by lot
Greek Text: ἔνθα καὶ κατ᾽ ἐνιαυτὸν ἐκ πασῶν τῶν δέκα λήξεων ὡραῖα
English Text: Thither also they brought year by year from all the ten allotments their seasonable offerings
Greek Text: τὰς δὲ κληρωτὰς ἀρχὰς σπαράττων
English Text: The officials chosen by lot he worried with his demands
Greek Text: κλῆρον ἕκαστον παρέχειν ἄνδρα ἡγεμόνα, τὸ δὲ τοῦ κλήρου μέγεθος εἰς δέκα δεκάκις ἦν στάδια, μυριάδες δὲ συμπάντων τῶν κλήρων ἦσαν ἕξ
English Text: and the size of the allotment was about ten times ten stades, and the total number of all the allotments was 60,000
Greek Text: Σπάρτην ἔλαχες, κείνην κόσμει
Greek Text: ἀλλὰ καὶ δίκην πρὸς ἔλαχεν.
English Text: but actually brought a law-suit against them.
Greek Text: ἣν σῶμα εἴληχεν φέρειν αὐτό τε ἑαυτὸ
English Text: a motion assigned to the body for moving itself
Greek Text: καὶ μὴν Ἀμφιδάμας Κηφεύς τ’ ἴσαν Ἀρκαδίηθεν, οἳ Τεγέην καὶ κλῆρον Ἀφειδάντειον ἔναιον
Greek Text: ὥς φησι τὸ ἔγκλημα τῆς δίκης, ἣν ὑπὲρ τούτων ἔλαχεν αὐτῷ ὁ χρηστὸς ἀδελφὸς οὑτοσί
English Text: as is stated in the indictment of the action which was brought against him on these grounds by his good brother here
Greek Text: τὰ τοῦ δαιμονίου σύμπαντα ἱκανῶς εἴληχέ
English Text: by whom all the spiritual gifts are fully obtained
Greek Text: τὸν τῆς δίκης διαιτητήν, ἣν ὑπὲρ τῆς πράσεως τῆς ἀδελφῆς ἔλαχεν αὐτῷ οὑτοσί, καὶ τὸ ἔγκλημα φέρε
English Text: the arbitrator in the action which the witness here in court brought against him for the sale of his sister
Greek Text: ἐκείνῳ τῷ διδασκάλῳ λάχε δίκην
English Text: bring a suit against him
Greek Text: ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι τὴν ἀρχὴν ἣν ἔλαχεν ἄρχειν ἀπεδοκιμάσατε;
English Text: Or because you disqualified him for the office to which he had been allotted?
Greek Text: πολέμου καὶ μάχης φασὶ χρῆναι, ὦ Σώκρατες, οὕτω μεταλαγχάνειν.
English Text: To join in a fight or a fray, as the saying is, Socrates, you have chosen your time well enough.
Greek Text: ὁ παρὼν καὶ τὴν καλὴν δίκην αὐτῷ λαχών
English Text: present here in court and who brought that precious action against him
Greek Text: βουλεύειν λαχών
English Text: I was elected a member of the Council
Greek Text: ἐκ τῆς Τέω λόγχης λόγχας ποιεῖν πεντήκοντα
Greek Text: ὃς αὐτὸς αὑτῷ θανάτου τετίμηκεν ὅτε τοιαύτην δίκην ἔλαχεν.
English Text: who has pronounced himself worthy of death by bringing such an action.
Greek Text: ὁ μὲν τὰ περὶ τῶν κλήρων καὶ ἐπικλήρων
English Text: one man deals with inheritances and heiresses
Greek Text: τούτους ὑμῶν οἱ λαχόντες, ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τὰ δίκαια ποιοῦντες ἔσῳζον
English Text: were saved from death by the righteous conduct of those of you who had been allotted to try their case
Greek Text: τῆς προσηκούσης μοίρας λαγχάνῃ
English Text: to each may be allotted its appropriate destiny
Greek Text: ἀλλὰ δίκην ἄν μοι βλάβης ἔλαχεν
English Text: but would have sued me for damages
Greek Text: δίκας ἀσεβείας τῷ ἐθέλοντι λαγχάνειν ὑπεχέτω
English Text: he shall be liable to a charge of impiety at the hands of anyone who chooses to prosecute
Greek Text: ὅτι τὴν δίκην οὗτος εἴληχε ταύτην
English Text: that the plaintiff has instituted this suit
Greek Text: ἐξέστω τῷ πατρὶ διδόναι ὅσα ἂν ἐθέλῃ, πλὴν τοῦ πατρῴου κλήρου καὶ τῆς περὶ τὸν κλῆρον κατασκευῆς πάσης
English Text: the father shall be allowed to give so much of his other property as he wishes, saving only the ancestral lot and all the equipment of that lot
Greek Text: ἐγὼ γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, τὴν δίκην ἔλαχον τούτῳ τῆς ἐπιτροπῆς
English Text: For, men of the jury, when I instituted my suit against him concerning his guardianship
Greek Text: οἶδα δὲ καὶ ἀδελφούς, οἳ τὰ ἴσα λαχόντες ὁ μὲν αὐτῶν τἀρκοῦντα ἔχει καὶ περιττεύοντα τῆς δαπάνης ὁ δὲ τοῦ παντὸς ἐνδεῖται
Greek Text: ἐπὶ τὸν κληρωτὸν δὲ διαιτητὴν ἐλθὼν
English Text: and appeared before the official arbitrator
Greek Text: ἐπὶ τῶι βασιλεύειν αὐτὴν θέλειν διὰ τὸ τὴν Κόρινθον πατρώιαν αὐτῆς λῆξιν εἶναι
Greek Text: ἐγὼ γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, Δημοφῶντι καὶ Θηριππίδῃ καὶ τούτῳ δίκας ἔλαχον ἐπιτροπῆς
English Text: I instituted suit, men of the jury, against Demophon, Therippides and the plaintiff for breach of trust in their guardianship
Greek Text: οἳ τοῦ πατρὸς θανόντος διενείμαντο τὴν Ἀργείαν. καὶ ἡ μὲν πρὸς Ἐρασίνωι τῶι ποταμῶι Πελασγῶι ἔλαχε, τῶι καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖ Λάρισαν κτίσαντι·
Greek Text: καὶ πάντων ἀποστερούμενος τὰς δίκας ἐλάγχανον ἐπὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἄρχοντος.
English Text: and, finding that I was being robbed of all my property, instituted my suit under the last-mentioned archon.
Greek Text: ὕστερον δ᾽ ἢ ἐγὼ τὴν δίκην ἔλαχον τὴν ἀπόλειψιν οὗτοι πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντ᾽ ἀπεγράψαντο... ἔλαχον δὲ τὴν δίκην ἐπὶ Τιμοκράτους.
English Text: those men did not register the divorce with the archon until after I had instituted my suit….and in the archonship of Timocrates I began my sui
Greek Text: ἤδη τούτῳ ταυτησὶ τῆς δίκης εἰληγμένης
English Text: when my suit against the defendant had already been instituted.
Greek Text: ἔστω δίκην λαχεῖν ἐπιτροπίας
English Text: he shall be allowed to bring an action concerning the guardianship
Greek Text: καὶ τῷ ποτ᾽ ἐπηρμένος οὗτος καὶ ἐλήλυθεν καὶ τὴν δίκην εἴληχεν;
English Text: And what can have induced the fellow to come here and commence this suit?
Greek Text: καὶ δίκην λαγχάνειν, ἐὰν ἄνανδρος ᾖ
English Text: and if she have no husband, she shall be allowed to bring an action
Greek Text: ἣν οὗτος αὐτῷ λαγχάνει τότε, ὅτ᾽ οὔπω ταὔτ᾽ ἐφρόνουν
English Text: had brought against him before they had come to an agreement with one another.
Greek Text: τιμᾶν αὐτῷ τὸ δικαστήριον ὅσου χρὴ χρόνου τὸν τοιοῦτον μηδενὶ λαχεῖν δίκην μηδὲ συνδικῆσαι
English Text: the court shall determine for how long a period such an one shall be precluded from bringing action against anyone, or aiding anyone to do so
Greek Text: αἱ δὲ λήξεις τοῖς ἐμπόροις τῶν δικῶν ἔμμηνοί εἰσιν
English Text: but merchants may bring action every month
Greek Text: εὐθύνων δὴ πέρι τίς ἡμῖν λόγος ἂν εἴη πρέπων ἀρχόντων γενομένων τῶν μὲν κατὰ τύχην κλήρου καὶ ἐπ᾽ ἐνιαυτόν, τῶν δ᾽ εἰς πλείονα ἔτη καὶ ἐκ προκρίτων;
English Text: Respecting examiners, what would be a proper statement for us to make, seeing that some of the magistrates are appointed by the hazard of the lot and for a year, while others are appointed for several years and chosen out of a number of selected persons?
Greek Text: καὶ παρὰ τοὺς νόμους τὴν λῆξιν πεποίηται
English Text: and instituted a suit contrary to law
Greek Text: ἐὰν δὲ ἢ πᾶσιν ἢ τοῖν δυοῖν ἴσαι γίγνωνται, τῇ ἀγαθῇ μοίρᾳ καὶ τύχῃ ἐπιτρέψαντας, κλήρῳ διελόντας τὸν νικῶντα καὶ δεύτερον καὶ τρίτον στεφανῶσαι θαλλῷ
English Text: If, however, all of these, or two of them, have equal votes, they shall commit the matter to good luck and chance, and distinguish by lot between the first, the second, and the third, and crown them with olive-wreaths
Greek Text: ὡς τοίνυν παρὰ τοὺς νόμους τούτους εἴληχέ μοι τὴν δίκην Ἀπατούριος
English Text: That Apaturius, then, has instituted suit against me contrary to these laws
Greek Text: ἐν γὰρ λήξεσιν δικῶν τοὺς μετὰ νοῦ τιθεμένους νόμους ἐξαιρεῖν χρὴ τοὺς ὅρκους τῶν ἀντιδικούντων ἑκατέρων, καὶ τὸν λαγχάνοντά τῴ τινα δίκην τὰ μὲν ἐγκλήματα γράφειν
English Text: In legal actions laws that are framed intelligently ought to debar both litigants from taking oaths; he that is bringing an action against anyone ought to write down his charges
Greek Text: λαβὲ δή μοι καὶ τὸ ἔγκλημα ὃ ἔλαχον αὐτῷ πέρυσιν
English Text: Now take the complaint in the action which I commenced against him last year
Greek Text: δικῶν τε περὶ λήξεως τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον εἶναι πρὸς ἀλλήλους πᾶσι τὴν κρίσιν
English Text: and in respect of the private actions they bring against one another, they shall all have the same privilege during the trial
Greek Text: οὐκ ἄν ποτ᾽ ἐλάχομεν τὴν δίκην αὐτῷ:
English Text: we should not even now have brought this action against Phormio
Greek Text: κληρώσεις δὲ δικαστηρίων καὶ πληρώσεις, καὶ ὑπηρεσιῶν ἑκάσταις τῶν ἀρχῶν καταστάσεις, καὶ χρόνους ἐν οἷς ἕκαστα γίγνεσθαι χρεών, καὶ διαψηφίσεων πέρι καὶ ἀναβολῶν, καὶ πάνθ᾽ ὁπόσα τοιαῦτα ἀναγκαῖα περὶ δίκας γίγνεσθαι, προτέρων τε καὶ ὑστέρων λήξεις, ἀποκρίσεών τε ἀνάγκας καὶ παρακαταβάσεων, καὶ ὅσα τούτων ἀδελφὰ σύμπαντα
English Text: As regards the allotting of courts, the filling of vacancies, the appointing of sergeants for the several boards of magistrates, the times prescribed for performing each of these duties, the recording of votes, adjournments, and all other necessary judicial arrangements,—such as the fixing by lot of the order of trials, rules about counter-pleadings and counter-attendances, and all matters cognate thereto
Greek Text: Λακρίτῳ τουτῳὶ εἴληχα τὴν δίκην ταύτην
English Text: I have brought this suit against Lacritus
Greek Text: φησὶν Ὀρφεὺς λαχεῖν ὥραν τῆς τέρψιος
English Text: in Orpheus phrase, “have attained the full flower of joyousness.”
Greek Text: δίκην τοσούτων ταλάντων λαχὼν τολμᾷ δικάζεσθαι.
English Text: he has the audacity to bring suit for so many talents
Greek Text: θεοφιλῆ δέ γε καὶ εὐτυχῆ τινα λέγοντες ἑβδόμην ἀρχήν, εἰς κλῆρόν τινα προάγομεν, καὶ λαχόντα μὲν ἄρχειν, δυσκληροῦντα δὲ ἀπιόντα ἄρχεσθαι τὸ δικαιότατον εἶναί φαμεν
English Text: Heaven's favour and good-luck mark the seventh form of rule, where we bring a man forward for a casting of lots, and declare that if he gains the lot he will most justly be ruler, but if he fails he shall take his place among the ruled.
Greek Text: ἐκ ποίων γραμμάτων τὰς δίκας ἐλάγχανες;
English Text: what were the papers upon which you based the action which you brought?
Greek Text: οἷον ψάλιον ἐνέβαλεν αὐτῇ τὴν τῶν ἐφόρων δύναμιν, ἐγγὺς τῆς κληρωτῆς ἀγαγὼν δυνάμεως:
English Text: curbed it, as one may say, by the power of the ephors, which was not far removed from government by lot
Greek Text: ἐκ ποίων γραμμάτων τὰς δίκας ἐλάγχανεν
English Text: on the basis of what papers did he commence his suits?
Greek Text: καὶ οὕτω δὴ κατὰ τὸν ἑξῆς λόγον τὰς ἐφεξῆς τιμὰς λαγχάνον ἕκαστον ὀρθῶς ἂν λαγχάνοι
English Text: and so with each of the others in succession—to each it will be proper to assign the honor due to its rank
Greek Text: ὦ μάκαρ, οἵας ἔλαχες τιμάς,
Greek Text: οὔτε δίκην εἴληχεν οὔτ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ οὐδὲν
English Text: has neither entered suit nor made any of the charges
Greek Text: πῶς μέρος ἑκάστων ἡμῖν εἴληχεν;
English Text: What extent of each of these does it contain?
Greek Text: οὐκ ἐώντων τῶν νόμων δίκας ὧν ἂν ἀφῇ τις ἅπαξ λαγχάνειν
English Text: inasmuch as there had been an arbitrator's award and again a discharge from all claims
Greek Text: γῆ δὲ καὶ οἰκήσεις ὡσαύτως τὰ αὐτὰ μέρη διανεμηθήτων, γενόμενα ἀνὴρ καὶ κλῆρος συννομή
English Text: and let the land and houses be likewise divided into the same number of parts—the man and his allotment forming together one division.
Greek Text: δίκην ταλάντων εἴκοσι λαχὼν αὐτῷ ταύτην συκοφαντεῖ
English Text: has instituted this vexatious and baseless suit for twenty talents
Greek Text: ὁ μὲν δὴ πᾶς εἰς πάντα πάσας τομὰς εἴληχεν
English Text: Number as a whole comprises every division for all purposes
Greek Text: ἔστι δέ τις Νέμεσις μεγάλη θεός, ἣ τάδε πάντα πρὸς μακάρων ἔλαχεν
Greek Text: οὐδ᾽ ἂν εἴ τι γένοιτο, ᾠήθην ἂν δίκην μοι λαχεῖν ποτὲ τουτονί
English Text: no matter what should happen, he would never bring a suit against me.
Greek Text: ὡς ἄρα δεῖ τὸν λαχόντα τὴν λῆξιν ταύτην νομίζειν μὲν κοινὴν αὐτὴν τῆς πόλεως συμπάσης
English Text: that the man who receives the portion should still regard it as common property of the whole State
Greek Text: Τίπτε, μόθων ἄτλητος, Ἐνυαλίοιο λέλογχας|Κύπρι
Greek Text: ὅτε γὰρ λαγχάνων Εὐέργῳ τὴν δίκην εἴασεν ἐμέ
English Text: For when, in bringing suit against Evergus, he left me out of the question
Greek Text: ὁ λαχὼν τὸν κλῆρον καταλειπέτω ἀεὶ ταύτης τῆς οἰκήσεως ἕνα μόνον κληρονόμον τῶν ἑαυτοῦ παίδων
English Text: the allotment-holder shall always leave behind him one son
Greek Text: ὁ δ᾽ ὧν ἂν ἀφῇ πάλιν λαγχάνων τοῖς ὑφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ
English Text: n matters regarding which he has given a release fails to abide by his own decision
Greek Text: οὔτε γὰρ ὁ νείμας κλῆρος ὢν θεὸς ὑμῖν σύμμαχος οὔτε ὁ νομοθέτης
English Text: neither will the apportioning Lot, which is divine, fight on your side, nor will the lawgiver
Greek Text: ἧς νῦν οὑτοσὶ λαχὼν εἰσελθεῖν τετόλμηκεν.
English Text: which this fellow has had the audacity to bring into your court.
Greek Text: κληροῦσθαι τὸν ἐθέλοντα ἢ μὴ κληροῦσθαι
English Text: who so wills should take or refuse an allotment
Greek Text: πρώτην μὲν Χάριτές τ’ ἔλαχον καὶ ἐύφρονες Ὧραι|μοῖραν
Greek Text: ‘καὶ οὐκ ὄντων εἰσαγωγέων τῶν θεσμοθετῶν ὑπὲρ ὧν λαγχάνει Πανταίνετος
English Text: the Thesmothetae have not competency in the matters concerning which Pantaenetus is bringing his suit
Greek Text: ὁ δὴ λαχὼν κεκτήσθω, φαμέν, τὸν κλῆρον
English Text: The man who has received an allotment shall hold it, as we say,
Greek Text: ἤδη τῶν δικαστηρίων ἐπικεκληρωμένων
English Text: the court-rooms had already been allotted to the jurymen
Greek Text: κλήρου τιμή, ὃν δεῖ μένειν καὶ ὃν ἄρχων οὐδεὶς οὐδενί ποτε περιόψεται ἐλάττω γιγνόμενον
English Text: this must remain fixed, and its diminution in any particular instance no magistrate should overlook
Greek Text: ὧν δίκην λαχὼν ᾕρηκεν οὗτος Εὔεργον
English Text: for which the plaintiff has brought action against Evergus and obtained a verdict
Greek Text: ἡ δὲ κτῆσις χωρὶς τοῦ κλήρου πάντων πᾶσα ἐν τῷ φανερῷ γεγράφθω
English Text: All the property of every man over and above his allotment shall be publicly written
Greek Text: θάνατος ἔλαχε·
Greek Text: ἀλλὰ λαχόντ᾽ ἐκείνῳ τὴν δίκην... τίς γὰρ πώποτε τῷ δεσπότῃ λαχών
English Text: but to have instituted suit against him...For whoever instituted suit against the master
Greek Text: κλήρους δὲ διελεῖν τετταράκοντα καὶ πεντακισχιλίους,
English Text: He must mark off 5,040 allotments
Greek Text: θάνατον ἔλαχε
Greek Text: ὅτ᾽ Εὐέργῳ προῃροῦ λαγχάνειν
English Text: when you were making up your mind to bring suit against Evergus
Greek Text: δώδεκα θεοῖς δώδεκα κλήρους θέντας,
English Text: they must also appoint twelve allotments for the twelve gods
Greek Text: τύμβον τε κοινὸν ἔλαχον εὔκλειάν τ’ ἴσην
Greek Text: ἔλαχέν τε δίκην ἐκείνῳ καὶ οὐδὲν πώποθ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐνεκάλει
English Text: that he brought suit against Evergus, and never made any charge against me
Greek Text: ἐπονομάσαι καὶ καθιερῶσαι τὸ λαχὸν μέρος ἑκάστῳ τῷ θεῷ
English Text: and name and consecrate the portion allotted to each god
Greek Text: Καί γε ὁ θάνατος διὰ τὴν μοίρην ἔλαχεν
Greek Text: τοὺς εἰληχότας ἡμῖν
English Text: who have commenced suit against us
Greek Text: καὶ δαιμόνων λήξεις εἶεν
English Text: where the portions of land are under the care of daemons
Greek Text: οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ φανήσονται δίκην εἰληχότες ζῶντι τῷ Δημαρέτῳ
English Text: they will be shown never to have brought suit against Demaretus in his lifetime
Greek Text: ἄμοιρος ἔστω πλήν γε τοῦ κλήρου, γεγράφθω δὲ ὠφληκώς
English Text: he shall go portionless, save for his allotment, and he shall be registered as a convicted criminal
Greek Text: τῷ Δημαρέτῳ δ᾽ οὐδεπώποθ᾽ οὗτοι τούτων τῶν χρημάτων δίκην ἔλαχον
English Text: hese men never brought suit against Demaretus for this money
Greek Text: ἑκατὸν ἐκλέξαντας ἀφ᾽ ἑκάστων τῶν τιμημάτων, τοὺς ἡμίσεις τούτων ἀποκληρώσαντας δοκιμάσαι, τούτους δ᾽ εἶναι τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν βουλευτάς
English Text: when they have selected from each of the classes, they shall choose out by lot one-half of this number, and test them; and these shall be the Councillors for the year.
Greek Text: ὅτε τοίνυν ἐλάγχανον τῷ πατρὶ τῆς ἐπιτροπῆς
English Text: when they brought suit against my father in the matter of his guardianship
Greek Text: ὃς πάντα λόφον νιφόεντα λέλογχε καὶ κορυφὰς ὀρέων καὶ πετρήεντα κάρηνα.
English Text: He has every snowy crest and the mountain peaks and rocky crests for his domain
Greek Text: τὴν μὲν ἑτέραν εἰς τὰς τιμὰς πᾶσα πόλις ἱκανὴ παραγαγεῖν καὶ πᾶς νομοθέτης, τὴν μέτρῳ ἴσην καὶ σταθμῷ καὶ ἀριθμῷ, κλήρῳ ἀπευθύνων εἰς τὰς διανομὰς αὐτήν
English Text: in the assignment of honors,—namely, the equality determined by measure, weight and number,—by simply employing the lot to give even results in the distributions
Greek Text: τότε μὲν γὰρ ὡς οὐκ ἀποδόντι δίκας ἐλαγχάνετε καὶ χρήματ᾽ ἐπράττεσθε
English Text: For at one time you brought suit and demanded money on the ground that he rendered no account
Greek Text: ἀμφὶ δὲ τιμὴν ἔλλαχεν ὡς τὰ πρῶτα διάτριχα δασμὸς ἐτύχθη, τοῖς μεταναιετάειν, τῶν ἔλλαχε κοίρανος εἶναι.
English Text: also, for honor, he has that third share which he received when division was made at the first, and is appointed lord of those among whom he dwells
Greek Text: διὸ τῷ τοῦ κλήρου ἴσῳ ἀνάγκη προσχρήσασθαι δυσκολίας τῶν πολλῶν ἕνεκα, θεὸν καὶ ἀγαθὴν τύχην καὶ τότε ἐν εὐχαῖς ἐπικαλουμένους ἀπορθοῦν αὐτοὺς τὸν κλῆρον πρὸς τὸ δικαιότατον
English Text: it is necessary to make use also of the equality of the lot, on account of the discontent of the masses, and in doing so to pray, calling upon God and Good Luck to guide for them the lot aright towards the highest justice
Greek Text: οὐκοῦν ἐλάχομεν
English Text: But we did bring suit
Greek Text: ἑστίη, ἣ πάντων ἐν δώμασιν ὑψηλοῖσιν ἀθανάτων τε θεῶν χαμαὶ ἐρχομένων τ᾽ ἀνθρώπων ἕδρην ἀίδιον ἔλαχες
English Text: Hestia, in the high dwellings of all, both deathless gods and men who walk on earth, you have gained an everlasting abode and highest honor
Greek Text: τὰ μὲν αἱρετὰ χρή, τὰ δὲ κληρωτὰ ἐν ταῖς καταστάσεσι γίγνεσθαι
English Text: we must make the appointments partly by election and partly by lot
Greek Text: ὧν οἱ μὲν μοίρας ἔλαχον βίου
Greek Text: Διενέγκοι γὰρ ἂν [τοῖς] ἑκατέροις ὅσον εἰ τοῖς μὲν νυκτὸς <μάχεσθαι εἰλ>ήχει τοῖς δὲ ἡμέρας, εἰ οἷόν τέ πως ἦν τοῦτο ἅμα γενέσθαι.
English Text: 0
Greek Text: Ἔτι δὲ καὶ ᾗ τοῦ τείχους καὶ κατὰ τί τῶν φυλακῶν λελόγχοι, τούτῳ δοὖν τῷ τρόπῳ σημαίνων ἐνέδωκεν. Ταῦτα δεῖ οὖν συμβαλλόμενον πάντα φυλάττεσθαι καὶ τὰς πύλας αὐτὸν τὸν ἄρχοντα κλείειν καὶ μὴ ἄλλῳ διδόναι τὴν βάλανον.
Greek Text: Ἔπειτα βαλάνους ἐμβάλλεσθαι τρεῖς μὴ ὁμοτρόπους, τούτων δὲ ἕκαστον φυλάττειν ἀνὰ μίαν τῶν στρατηγῶν· εἰ δὲ πλείονες εἴησαν, πάλῳ καθ’ ἡμέραν τοὺς λαχόντας.
Greek Text: Ἐκ προσφάτου δὲ ἐγγιγνομένου φόβου ἀσυντάκτῳ πόλει, τάχιστα ἄν τις εἰς σύνταξιν καὶ φυλακὴν τῆς πόλεως τοὺς πολίτας καταστήσαι, εἰ ἑκάστῃ φυλῇ μέρος τι τοῦ τείχους κλήρῳ ἀποδείξειεν, ἐφ’ ᾧ ἐλθοῦσαι εὐθὺς αἱ φυλαὶ φυλάξουσιν.
Greek Text: οὐκ ἔστιν ἥντινα οὐκ ἧρξεν ἀρχήν, οὐδεμίαν λαχὼν οὐδὲ χειροτονηθείς, ἀλλὰ πάσας παρὰ τοὺς νόμους πριάμενος.
English Text: and yet there is not a public office which he has not held, not one of them by lot or by election, but every one by purchase, in defiance of the laws.
Greek Text: ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τὰς κληρωτὰς ἀρχάς ἐστι τοιοῦτος, περὶ δὲ τὰς χειροτονητὰς βελτίων.
English Text: But, you say, though such is his record in the offices filled by lot, he has been a better man in the elective offices.
Greek Text: ἐμὲ μὲν Κὴρ ἀμφέχανε στυγερή, ἥπερ λάχε γεινόμενόν περ:
English Text: the doom Appointed me at birth has yawned for me.
Greek Text: ὁ αὐτὸς οὗτος ἀνὴρ ἱερωσύνην μὲν οὐδενὸς θεῶν κληρώσεται
English Text: a man who is not to be permitted to be a candidate for election by lot for the priesthood of any god
Greek Text: μηδὲ ἀρξάτω ἀρχὴν μηδεμίαν μηδέποτε, μήτ᾽ ἔνδημον μήτε ὑπερόριον, μήτε κληρωτὴν μήτε χειροτονητήν
English Text: nor shall ever hold any office whatsoever, at home or abroad,whether filled by lot or by election
Greek Text: διότι φυλὴν περιμένω | σφόδρα φιλονεικοῦσαν λαχεῖν τιν’
Greek Text: μηδὲ ἀρχὴν ἀρχέτω μηδεμίαν, μήτε ἔνδημον μήτε ὑπερόριον, μήτε κληρωτὴν μήτε χειροτονητήν
English Text: nor shall he hold any office whatsoever, at home or abroad, whether filled by lot or by election
Greek Text: τιμᾶς δὲ καὶ ὠκέες ἔλλαχον ἵπποι,
Greek Text: καθ᾽ ἑκάστην ἐκκλησίαν ἀποκληροῦν φυλὴν ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα, ἥτις προεδρεύσει
English Text: for every meeting of the assembly one tribe is to be chosen by lot to have charge of the speaker's platform, and to preside
Greek Text: πρᾶτος δ᾽ ὦν ἄειδε λαχὼν ἰυκτὰ Μενάλκας
Greek Text: δίκην ἑκατέρῳ αὐτῶν λαγχάνει.
English Text: brings a suit against each of them
Greek Text: τὸ δὲ μετὰ τοῦτο δικῶν λήξεις ἐποιήσαντο
English Text: law-suits were next begun
Greek Text: ἐν ᾗ Δημοσθένης ὁ νυνὶ κατηγορῶν ἐμοῦ λαγχάνει προεδρεύειν.
English Text: the presidency of which fell by lot to Demosthenes, who is now accusing me.
Greek Text: ἐκ παίδων δὲ ἀπαλλαττόμενος καὶ δεκαταλάντους δίκας ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἐπιτρόπων λαγχάνων
English Text: when he was growing out of boyhood and was bringing against his guardians big lawsuits of ten talents each
Greek Text: ἀρχὰς δὲ φήσουσιν ἐκείνας εἶναι ἃς οἱ θεσμοθέται ἀποκληροῦσιν ἐν τῷ Θησείῳ
English Text: “offices” are those to which the Thesmothetae appoint men by lot in the Theseum
Greek Text: ἄρχειν δοκιμασθέντας ἐν τῷ δικαστηρίῳ,’ ἐπειδὴ καὶ αἱ κληρωταὶ ἀρχαὶ οὐκ ἀδοκίμαστοι, ἀλλὰ δοκιμασθεῖσαι ἄρχουσι
English Text: “after approval by the court to hold office” （for even the officers who are selected by lot are not exempt from the scrutiny, but hold their office only after approval）
Greek Text: οὔτ᾽ ἔλαχε τειχοποιὸς οὔτ᾽ ἐχειροτονήθη ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου
English Text: it was not the people who elected him, or appointed him by lot, as Commissioner of Walls
Greek Text: ἔστι γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τῶν περὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς εἴδη τρία, ὧν ἓν μὲν καὶ πᾶσι φανερώτατον οἱ κληρωτοὶ καὶ οἱ χειροτονητοὶ ἄρχοντες,
English Text: There are, fellow citizens, three classes of public officers. The first and most obvious class are all who are appointed by lot or by election
Greek Text: γράφουσί τε τινὲς ῥᾳδίως παρανόμους γνώμας, καὶ ταύτας ἕτεροι τινες ἐπιψηφίζουσιν, οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ δικαιοτάτου τρόπου λαχόντες προεδρεύειν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκπαρασκευῆς καθεζόμενοι, ἂν δέ τις τῶν ἄλλων βουλευτῶν ὄντως λάχῃ προεδρεύειν
English Text: But now all our standards of orderly procedure have been set aside; there are men who do not hesitate to make illegal motions, and other men who are ready to put these motions to the vote—not men who have been chosen by right and lawful allotment to preside, but men who hold the position by trickery; and if any other senator does actually obtain the presidency by lot,
Greek Text: ἐπειδὰν δ᾽ ἀφέλῃ τις τοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου κεχειροτονημένους καὶ τοὺς κληρωτοὺς ἄρχοντας, καταλείπονται οὓς αἱ φυλαὶ καὶ αἱ τριττύες καὶ οἱ δῆμοι ἐξ ἑαυτῶν αἱροῦνται τὰ δημόσια χρήματα διαχειρίζειν
English Text: Now when you subtract those officials who are chosen by popular election and those appointed by lot, there remain those whom the tribes, the trittyes,1 and the demes appoint from among their own number to administer public funds.
Greek Text: ἐνταῦθ᾽ εἰσέρχεται βουλευτὴς Δημοσθένης, οὔτε λαχὼν οὔτ᾽ ἐπιλαχών, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ παρασκευῆς πριάμενος
English Text: Now Demosthenes came in as senator, not drawn by the lot either as a member of the senate or as a substitute, but through intrigue and bribery;
Greek Text: τοῖς γὰρ δικαστηρίοις χρῶματα ἐπιγέγραπται ἑκάστῳ ἐπὶ τῷ σφηκίσκῳ τῆς εἰσόδου. ὁ δὲ λαβὼν τὴν βακτηρίαν βαδίζει εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον τὸ ὁμόχρων μὲν τῇ βακτηρίᾳ, ἔχον δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ γράμμα ὅπερ ἐν τῇ βαλάνῳ. ἐπειδὰν δ᾽ εἰσέλθῃ, παραλαμβάνει σύμβολον δημοσίᾳ παρὰ τοῦ εἰληχότος ταύτην τὴν ἀρχήν.
English Text: for each of the courts has a color painted on the lintel of its entrance. He takes the staff and goes to the court of the same color as his staff and having the same letter as is on the acorn. And when he has come into it he receives a token publicly from the person appointed by lot to this office.
Greek Text: εἰ φαύλους τοὺς ἀποκλήρους ἔφησεν εἶναι
English Text: that disinherited persons are bad
Greek Text: διένειμε δὲ καὶ τὴν χώραν κατὰ δήμους...ἐκλήρωσεν τρεῖς εἰς τὴν φυλὴν ἑκάστην
English Text: He also portioned out the land among the demes...and assigned them among the Tribes by lot
Greek Text: ἐκυάμευσαν τοὺς ἐννέα ἄρχοντας κατὰ φυλὰς ἐκ τῶν προκριθέντων
English Text: they elected the Nine Archons by lot, tribe by tribe, from a preliminary list of five hundred chosen by the demesmen
Greek Text: ἄλλαι δὲ νῆες αἱ τοὺς φρούρους ἄγουσαι τοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ κυάμου δισχιλίους ἄνδρας
English Text: and other ships conveying the guards to the number of two hundred elected by lot
Greek Text: ἐκ ζευγιτῶν προκρίνεσθαι τοὺς κληρωσομένους τῶν ἐννέα ἀρχόντων
English Text: to extend to the Teamster Class eligibility to the preliminary roll from which the Nine Archons were to be selected by lot
Greek Text: he instituted payment for the jury-courts; the result of which according to some critics was their deterioration, because ordinary persons always took more care than the respectable to cast lots for the duty
English Text: κατεσκεύασε μισθοφορὰν τοῖς δικαστηρίοις: ἀφ᾽ ὧν αἰτιῶνταί τινες χείρω γενέσθαι, κληρουμένων ἐπιμελῶς ἀεὶ μᾶλλον τῶν τυχόντων ἢ τῶν ἐπιεικῶν ἀνθρώπων
Greek Text: καὶ τούτων τὸ λαχὸν μέρος βουλεύειν, νεῖμαι δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους πρὸς τὴν λῆξιν ἑκάστην. τοὺς δ᾽ ἑκατὸν ἄνδρας διανεῖμαι σφᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους τέτταρα μέρη ὡς ἰσαίτατα καὶ διακληρῶσαι καὶ εἰς ἐνιαυτὸν βουλεύειν
English Text: and a division of these selected by lot to officiate, but the others also to be included in each such selection. And the Hundred Men to divide themselves and the others1 into four divisions as nearly equal as possible, and to cast lots among them, and those on whom the lot falls to form the Council for a year.
Greek Text: τὰς δὲ χειροτονίας κρίνειν πέντε τοὺς λαχόντας ἐκ τῆς βουλῆς, καὶ ἐκ τούτων ἕνα κληροῦσθαι καθ᾽ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τὸν ἐπιψηφιοῦντα.
English Text: To hold the sittings of the Council every five days, unless more sittings are required
Greek Text: κληροῦν δὲ τοὺς λαχόντας πέντε τοὺς ἐθέλοντας προσελθεῖν ἐναντίον τῆς βουλῆς, πρῶτον μὲν ἱερῶν, δεύτερον δὲ κήρυξιν, τρίτον πρεσβείαις, τέταρτον τῶν ἄλλων:
English Text: And the five tellers elected to cast lots among those who desire an audience of the Council, first about matters of religion, second for Heralds, third for embassies, fourth about other business
Greek Text: εἰς δὲ τὸν ἄλλον χρόνον ἵνα νεμηθῶσιν οἱ τετρακόσιοι εἰς τὰς τέτταρας λήξεις
English Text: And for the future, in order that the Four Hundred may be divided into the four lists
Greek Text: ἔδει δὲ τὴν εἰληχυῖαν τῷ κυάμῳ βουλὴν εἰσιέναι δ# ἐπὶ δέκα Σκιροφοριῶνος
English Text: and the Council elected by lot was due to enter office on Scirophorion the 14
Greek Text: βουλεύειν δὲ τετρακοσίους καὶ ἕνα τοὺς λαχόντας ἐκ τῆς πολιτείας. κληροῦσθαι δὲ καὶ ταύτην καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἀρχὰς τοὺς ὑπὲρ τριάκοντ᾽ ἔτη γεγονότας, καὶ δὶς τὸν αὐτὸν μὴ ἄρχειν πρὸ τοῦ πάντας ἐξελθεῖν: τότε δὲ πάλιν ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς κληροῦν.
English Text: And the Council was to be formed of four hundred and one members chosen by lot from the citizen body, and lots were to be cast both for this and for the other offices by the citizens over thirty years of age; and the same person was not to hold office twice until the whole number had been gone through, and then lots were to be cast among them again from the beginning.
Greek Text: ἵνα μὴ πρόφασις ᾖ τοῦ ἀπιέναι, πλὴν περὶ κλήρου καὶ ἐπικλήρου, κἄν τινι κατὰ τὸ γένος ἱερωσύνη γένηται.
English Text: in order that they may have no pretext for absenting themselves, except in cases concerning estate, marriage of an heiress, and any priesthood that one of them may have inherited.
Greek Text: τὰς δ᾽ ἀρχὰς τὰς περὶ τὴν ἐγκύκλιον διοίκησιν ἁπάσας ποιοῦσι κληρωτάς
English Text: All the officials concerned with the regular administration are appointed by lot
Greek Text: βουλὴ δὲ κληροῦται φ#, ν# ἀπὸ φυλῆς ἑκάστης. πρυτανεύει δ᾽ ἐν μέρει τῶν φυλῶν ἑκάστη καθ᾽ ὅ τι ἂν λάχωσιν
English Text: The Council is elected lot, and has five hundred members, fifty from each tribe. The Presidency is filled by each tribe in turn, in an order settled by lot
Greek Text: καὶ τὰς λήξεις τῶν κλήρων καὶ τῶν ἐπικλήρων ἀναγινώσκειν, ὅπως μηδένα λάθῃ μηδὲν ἔρημον γενόμενον
English Text: and the lists of suits about inheritance and heiresses, so that all may have cognizance of any vacancy in an estate that occurs.
Greek Text: ἣ σὺν ματρὶ πολυκλήρων ᾿Εφυραίων εἴληχας μέγα ἄστυ παρ᾽ ὕδασι Λυσιμελείας
Greek Text: ἔστι δ᾽ ἐπιστάτης τῶν πρυτάνεων εἷς ὁ λαχών.
English Text: The Presidents have a single Head elected by lot
Greek Text: ὁππόκα κλᾶρον ἅπαντα καὶ οἰνόπεδον μέγα Τυδεὺς ναῖε
Greek Text: οὗτος κληροῖ προέδρους ἐννέα, ἕνα ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς ἑκάστης πλὴν τῆς πρυτανευούσης,
English Text: this official selects by lot nine Chairmen, one from each tribe except the tribe presiding
Greek Text: λεπτὸς μὰν χὡ ταῦρος ὁ πυρρίχος. εἴθε λάχοιεν τοὶ τῶ Λαμπριάδα, τοὶ δαμόται, ὅκκα θύωντι τᾷ ῞Ηρᾳ, τοιόνδε:
Greek Text: οἱ ταμίαι τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς εἰσὶ μὲν δέκα, κληροῦται δ᾽ εἷς ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς, ἐκ πεντακοσιομεδίμνων κατὰ τὸν Σόλωνος νόμον （ἔτι γὰρ ὁ νόμος κύριός ἐστιν）, ἄρχει δ᾽ ὁ λαχὼν κἂν πάνυ πένης ᾖ.
English Text: there are the ten Treasurers of Athena, elected one from a tribe by lot, from the Five-hundred-bushel class, according to the law of Solon (which is still in force), and the one on whom the lot falls holds office even though he is quite a poor man
Greek Text: αἰαῖ τῶ σκληρῶ μάλα δαίμονος, ὅς με λελόγχει.
Greek Text: ἔπειθ᾽ οἱ πωληταὶ ι# μέν εἰσι, κληροῦται δ᾽ εἷς ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς.
English Text: Then there are the ten Vendors, elected by lot one from a tribe.
Greek Text: τόν μοι Πάν, ῾Ομόλας ἐρατὸν πέδον ὅστε λέλογχας
Greek Text: εἰσὶ δ᾽ ἀποδέκται δέκα κεκληρωμένοι κατὰ φυλάς
English Text: There are ten Receivers elected by lot, one from each tribe
Greek Text: κληροῦσι δὲ καὶ λογιστὰς ἐξ αὑτῶν οἱ βουλευταὶ δέκα
English Text: The Council also elect by lot ten of their own body as Accountants
Greek Text: κληροῦσι δὲ καὶ εὐθύνους ἕνα τῆς φυλῆς ἑκάστης, καὶ παρέδρους β# ἑκάστῳ τῶν εὐθύνων
English Text: Also they elect by lot Auditors, one for each tribe, and two Assessors for each Auditor
Greek Text: ἔκρινεν δέ ποτε καὶ τὰ παραδείγματα καὶ τὸν πέπλον ἡ βουλή, νῦν δὲ τὸ δικαστήριον τὸ λαχόν
English Text: At one time the Council used also to judge the patterns for the Robe, but now this is done by the jury-court selected by lot
Greek Text: καὶ ταμίας ἐστὶν αὐτοῖς κληρωτός.
English Text: And there is a Treasurer for these persons, elected by lot.
Greek Text: κληροῦνται δὲ καὶ ἱερῶν ἐπισκευασταὶ δέκα ἄνδρες
English Text: Also ten men are elected by lot as Restorers of Temples
Greek Text: κἂν πλείους τὴν αὐτὴν σπουδάζωσι λαβεῖν, οὗτοι διακληροῦσι καὶ τῷ λαχόντι μισθοῦσιν
English Text: and if several persons want to take the same girl these officials cast lots between them and hire her out to the winner.
Greek Text: κληροῦνται δὲ καὶ ἀγορανόμοι ι
English Text: Also ten Market-controllers are elected by lot
Greek Text: κληροῦνται δὲ καὶ μετρονόμοι ι
English Text: Also ten Controllers of Measures are appointed by lot
Greek Text: ἦσαν δὲ καὶ σιτοφύλακες κληρωτοὶ ι
English Text: Also there used to be ten Corn-wardens elected by lot
Greek Text: ἐμπορίου δ᾽ ἐπιμελητὰς δέκα κληροῦσιν
English Text: They elect by lot ten Port-superintendents
Greek Text: καθιστᾶσι δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἕνδεκα κλήρῳ, τοὺς ἐπιμελησομένους τῶν ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ
English Text: They also appoint the Eleven, officers chosen by lot to superintend the persons in the prison
Greek Text: κληροῦσι δὲ καὶ εἰσαγωγέας ε# ἄνδρας, οἳ τὰς ἐμμήνους εἰσάγουσι δίκας, δυοῖν φυλαῖν ἕκαστος
English Text: They also elect by lot five men as Introducers, who introduce the cases to be tried within a month, each official those of two tribes.
Greek Text: κληροῦσι δὲ καὶ τοὺς τετταράκοντα, τέτταρας ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς ἑκάστης, πρὸς οὓς τὰς ἄλλας δίκας λαγχάνουσιν.
English Text: They also elect by lot forty persons, four from each tribe, who are the court before which the other suits are brought
Greek Text: τὸν δὲ τελευταῖον τῶν ἐπωνύμων λαβόντες οἱ τετταράκοντα διανέμουσιν αὐτοῖς τὰς διαίτας καὶ ἐπικληροῦσιν ἃς ἕκαστος διαιτήσει: καὶ ἀναγκαῖον ἃς ἂν ἕκαστος λάχῃ διαίτας ἐκδιαιτᾶν.
English Text: The Forty take the last one of the Name-heroes and distribute the arbitration-cases among those of his year and assign by lot the cases that each is to arbitrate upon; and it is compulsory for each of them to complete the arbitration of the cases allotted to him
Greek Text: κληροῦσι δὲ καὶ τάσδε τὰς ἀρχάς: ὁδοποιοὺς πέντε
English Text: They also elect by lot the following officials: five Highway-constructors
Greek Text: κληροῦσι δὲ καὶ γραμματέα τὸν κατὰ πρυτανείαν καλούμενον,... νῦν δὲ γέγονε κληρωτός.
English Text: They also appoint by lot the officer called Clerk for the Presidency...but now it has been made an office elected by lot.
Greek Text: κληροῦσι δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς νόμους ἕτερον
English Text: They also elect by lot another officer to superintend the laws
Greek Text: κληροῖ δὲ καὶ ἱεροποιοὺς δέκα
English Text: The People also elect by lot the ten sacrificial officers
Greek Text: μικρὸν δ᾽ ὕπνου λαχὼν
English Text: was unable to sleep
Greek Text: κληροῖ δὲ καὶ ἑτέρους δέκα, τοὺς κατ᾽ ἐνιαυτὸν καλουμένους, οἳ θυσίας τέ τινας θύουσι, καὶ τὰς πεντετηρίδας ἁπάσας διοικοῦσιν πλὴν Παναθηναίων
English Text: It (demos) also elects by lot ten others called the Yearly Sacrificial Officers, who perform certain sacrifices and administer all the four-yearly1 festivals except the Panathenaic Festival
Greek Text: οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι διαλαχόντες ἃς ἑώρων κώμας
English Text: the other generals distributed by lot the villages within sight
Greek Text: κληροῦσι δὲ καὶ εἰς Σαλαμῖνα ἄρχοντα, καὶ εἰς Πειραιέα δήμαρχον
English Text: They also elect by lot an archon for Salamis and a demarch for Peiraeus
Greek Text: θέων ἐπὶ τὴν κώμην ἣν εἰλήχει Ξενοφῶν καταλαμβάνει πάντας ἔνδον τοὺς κωμήτας
English Text: he ran to the village which had fallen to Xenophon's lot and there took possession of all the villagers
Greek Text: αὗται μὲν οὖν αἱ ἀρχαὶ κληρωταί…νῦν δὲ κληροῦσιν θεσμοθέτας μὲν ἓξ καὶ γραμματέα τούτοις, ἔτι δ᾽ ἄρχοντα καὶ βασιλέα καὶ πολέμαρχον, κατὰ μέρος ἐξ ἑκάστης φυλῆς.
English Text: These offices, then, are elected by lot...but now the six Lawgivers and their clerk are elected by lot, and also the Archon, King and War-lord, from each tribe in turn.
Greek Text: θύουσιν οὖν δημοσίᾳ μὲν ἡ πόλις ἱερεῖα πολλά: ἔστι δὲ ὁ δῆμος ὁ εὐωχούμενος καὶ διαλαγχάνων τὰ ἱερεῖα.
English Text: The city sacrifices at public expense many victims, but it is the people who enjoy the feasts and to whom the victims are allotted.
Greek Text: πάντες γὰρ καὶ οἱ κληρωτοὶ καὶ οἱ χειροτονητοὶ δοκιμασθέντες ἄρχουσιν
English Text: for all of them, both those elected by lot and those elected by show of hands, have their qualifications checked before they hold office
Greek Text: οὕτως ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη σοφία οὐδὲν μᾶλλον οἶδε τὸ ἄριστον αἱρεῖσθαι ἢ εἰ κληρούμενος ὅ τι λάχοι τοῦτό τις πράττοι.
English Text: So we see that mere human wisdom does not know how to choose what is best any more than if any one were to cast lots and do as the lot fell.
Greek Text: νῦν δ᾽ ἕνα (epimeletes) τῆς φυλῆς ἑκάστης κληροῖ (demos)
English Text: but now they (Supervisors) are elected by lot, one from each tribe
Greek Text: οὔτε σίτου οὔθ᾽ ὕπνου δύνανται λαγχάνειν
English Text: all such can neither eat nor sleep
Greek Text: γραφαὶ δὲ καὶ δίκαι λαγχάνονται πρὸς αὐτόν ἃς ἀνακρίνας εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον εἰσάγει...κλήρων καὶ ἐπικλήρων ἐπιδικασίαι
English Text: Criminal and civil law-suits are instituted before him and after a preliminary trial he brings them in before the Jury-court:...claims to estates and to heiresses
Greek Text: ἐκέλευσε τοὺς ἵππους λαμβάνειν καὶ τὰ τῶν ἵππων σκεύη καὶ τοὺς ἱπποκόμους, καὶ ἀριθμήσαντας διαλαβεῖν κληρωσαμένους εἰς τάξιν ἴσους ἑκάστοις.
English Text: ordered them to take the horses and the grooms and the trappings of the horses, and to count them off and divide them by lot so that they should each have an equal share for each company.
Greek Text: γραφαὶ δὲ λαγχάνονται πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀσεβείας...λαγχάνονται δὲ καὶ αἱ τοῦ φόνου δίκαι πᾶσαι πρὸς τοῦτον
English Text: He holds the court that tries charges of impiety...Before him are also brought all murder cases
Greek Text: ὑμεῖς δ᾽ οἱ τῶν ἁρμάτων ἡγεμόνες διακληρωσάμενοι, ὁ μὲν λαχὼν ὑμῶν πρὸ τῆς φάλαγγος τὰ μεθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ ἑκατὸν ἔχων ἅρματα καταστησάτω
English Text: And finally, do you officers of the chariot forces cast lots, and let the one to whose lot it falls bring up his hundred chariots in front of the main line
Greek Text: δικάζουσι δ᾽ οἱ λαχόντες ταῦτ᾽ ἐφέται ...ὅταν δὲ μὴ εἰδῇ τὸν ποιήσαντα, τῷ δράσαντι λαγχάνει
English Text: Commissioners appointed by lot try these cases...When the King does not know who committed the act, he institutes proceedings against 'the guilty man,'
Greek Text: ἐπεὶ δ᾽ ἐκεῖνοι ἀπεκρίναντο ὅτι οὐ καλὸν εἴη ταῦτα ὑφίεσθαι, διεκλήρωσεν αὐτούς, καὶ ἔλαχεν ὁ Ἀβραδάτας ᾗπερ ὑφίστατο
English Text: But they answered that it was inconsistent with their idea of honour to yield the place to him; accordingly, he had them cast lots; and Abradatas was assigned by lot to the place for which he had volunteered
Greek Text: δίκαι δὲ λαγχάνονται πρὸς αὐτὸν ἴδιαι...καὶ δεῖ τοῦτον λαβόντα καὶ διανείμαντα δέκα μέρη, τὸ λαχὸν ἑκάστῃ τῇ φυλῇ μέρος προσθεῖναι
English Text: Only private law-suits are brought before him...he has to take the list of cases and divide it into ten portions and assign one portion by lot to each tribe
Greek Text: ὥστ᾽ ἔγωγ᾽, ἔφη, εἰ μὴ ἔλαχον τήνδε τὴν τάξιν, ᾐσχυνόμην ἂν ἐνθάδε ὤν: οὕτω πολύ μοι δοκῶ ἐν ἀσφαλεστάτῳ εἶναι
English Text: if I had not obtained this position by lot, I should, for my part, be ashamed of being here, so much the safest position do I think I occupy
Greek Text: καὶ ἐπικληροῦσι ταῖς ἀρχαῖς οὗτοι τὰ δικαστήρια τά τ᾽ ἴδια καὶ τὰ δημόσια
English Text: And they assign the public and the private jury-courts by lot among the magistrates
Greek Text: καὶ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν τὴν Πολιάδα καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους θεοὺς οἳ τὴν χώραν καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἡμῶν εἰλήχασιν
English Text: Athena Polias, and those other gods who have obtained our city and countryside as their home
Greek Text: καὶ διαλαχόντας τὰς ἁμάξας κομίζειν ὅποιπερ ἂν αὐτοὶ πορεύωνται, ἵνα ὅπου καιρὸς εἴη διαλαμβάνοιεν ἕκαστοι τὰ ἄξια.
English Text: they should then divide the wagons by lot and convey them whithersoever they themselves might go; then, when the time came, the treasure should be divided, and each man should receive his share according to his deserts.
Greek Text: τοὺς δὲ δικαστὰς κληροῦσι πάντες οἱ ἐννέα ἄρχοντες, δέκατος δ᾽ ὁ γραμματεὺς ὁ τῶν θεσμοθετῶν, τοὺς τῆς αὑτοῦ φυλῆς ἕκαστος.
English Text: All the Nine Archons with the Lawgivers' Clerk, making ten, elect by lot the jurymen, each electing those of his own tribe.
Greek Text: ὅτ᾽ ἐμπορίου ἐπιμελητὴς λαχὼν ἀπεδοκιμάσθη ὑπὸ τῶν τότε δικαζόντων ἄρχειν ταύτην τὴν ἀρχήν;
English Text: when the lot fell to him to be custodian of the exchange but he was rejected by those who then decided the appointment to that office
Greek Text: καὶ διαβαίνειν τελευταῖοι λαχόντες εἰς Πρασιὰς τῶν συμβοηθησάντων
English Text: it fell to their lot to cross over to Prasiae last of those who joined in the expedition
Greek Text: κληροῦσι δὲ καὶ ἀθλοθέτας δέκα ἄνδρας, ἕνα τῆς φυλῆς ἑκάστης.
English Text: They also elect by lot ten men as Stewards of the Games, one from each tribe
Greek Text: φύλακας προκαθιστάμενοι θαρραλέως δείπνου τε καὶ ὕπνου λαγχάνομεν
English Text: we post sentries to guard us, and sup and sleep with a good courage
Greek Text: αἱ δὲ κληρωταὶ ἀρχαὶ πρότερον μὲν ἦσαν αἱ μὲν μετ᾽ ἐννέα ἀρχόντων ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς ὅλης κληρούμεναι, αἱ δ᾽ ἐν Θησείῳ κληρούμεναι διῃροῦντο εἰς τοὺς δήμους: ἐπειδὴ δ᾽ ἐπώλουν οἱ δῆμοι, καὶ ταύτας ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς ὅλης κληροῦσι
English Text: The officials elected by lot were formerly those elected from the whole tribe together with the Nine Archons and those now elected in the temple of Theseus who used to be divided among the demes; but since the demes began to sell their offices, the latter also are elected by lot from the whole tribe
Greek Text: ὑπερορᾶν ἐποίει τῶν καθεστώτων νόμων τοὺς συνόντας, λέγων ὡς μῶρον εἴη τοὺς μὲν τῆς πόλεως ἄρχοντας ἀπὸ κυάμου καθιστάναι, κυβερνήτῃ δὲ μηδένα θέλειν χρῆσθαι κυαμευτῷ μηδὲ τέκτονι μηδ᾽ αὐλητῇ
English Text: he taught his companions to despise the established laws by insisting on the folly of appointing public officials by lot, when none would choose a pilot or builder or flautist by lot
Greek Text: τὰ δὲ τὰ δικαστήρια κληροῦσιν οἱ θ# ἄρχοντες κατὰ φυλάς, ὁ δὲ γραμματεὺς τῶν θεσμοθετῶν τῆς δεκάτης φυλῆς.
English Text: The Jury-courts are elected by lot by the Nine Archons by tribes, and the Clerk of the Lawgivers from the tenth tribe.
Greek Text: ἄρχοντας οὐ τοὺς τὰ σκῆπτρα ἔχοντας ἔφη εἶναι οὐδὲ τοὺς ὑπὸ τῶν τυχόντων αἱρεθέντας οὐδὲ τοὺς κλήρῳ λαχόντας
English Text: rulers, he said, are not those who hold the sceptre, nor those who are chosen by the multitude, nor those on whom the lot falls
Greek Text: εἴσοδοι δέ εἰσιν εἰς τὰ δικαστήρια δέκα, μία τῇ φυλῇ ἑκάστῃ, καὶ κληρωτήρια εἴκοσι, δύο τῇ φυλῇ ἑκάστῃ, καὶ κιβώτια ἑκατόν, δέκα τῇ φυλῇ ἑκάστῃ, καὶ ἕτερα κιβώτια, εἰς ἃ ἐμβάλλεται τῶν λαχόντων δικαστῶν τὰ πινάκια, καὶ ὑδρίαι δύο.
English Text: The courts have ten entrances, one for each tribe, twenty rooms, two for each tribe, in which courts are allotted to jurors, a hundred small boxes, ten for each tribe, and other boxes into which the tickets of the jurymen drawn by lot are thrown, and two urns.
Greek Text: οἶδα δὲ καὶ ἀδελφούς, οἳ τὰ ἴσα λαχόντες
English Text: I know of brothers, with equal shares in their inheritance
Greek Text: ἐπειδὰν δὲ ὁ θεσμοθέτης ἐπικληρώσῃ τὰ γράμματα, ἃ δεῖ προσπαρατίθεσθαι τοῖς δικαστηρίοις, ἐπέθηκε φέρων ὁ ὑπηρέτης ἐφ᾽ ἕκαστον τὸ δικαστήριον τὸ γράμμα τὸ λαχόν.
English Text: As soon as the Lawgiver has drawn by lot the letters to be assigned to the courts, the attendant immediately takes them and affixes to each court its allotted letter.
Greek Text: «κλαρώτας» φησί «Κρῆτες καλοῦσι τοὺς δούλους ἀπὸ τοῦ γενομένου περὶ αὐτῶν κλήρου.
Greek Text: κ̣ληροῦται δ᾽ οὗτος, ἵνα μὴ ἀεὶ ὁ αὐτὸς ἐμπηγνύων κακουργῇ. εἰσὶ δὲ κανονίδες πέντε ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν κληρωτηρίων.
English Text: This attendant is chosen by lot, in order that the same person may not always affix the tickets and cheat. There are five ledged frames in each of the balloting-rooms.
Greek Text: ὁ ἄρχων τὴν φυλὴν κληροῖ κατὰ κληρωτήριον. εἰσὶ δὲ κύβοι χα̣λκοῖ, μέλανες καὶ λευκοί. ὅσους δ᾽ ἂν δέῃ λαχεῖν δικαστάς, τοσοῦτοι ἐμβάλλονται λευκοί...ἐπειδὰν δ᾽ ἐξαιρῇ τοὺς κύβους, καλεῖ τοὺς εἰληχότας ὁ κήρυξ
English Text: the Archon casts lots for the tribe for each balloting-room; they are dice of copper, black and white. As many white ones are thrown in as jurymen are required to be selected...As he draws out the dice the herald calls those on whom the lot has fallen.
Greek Text: ἕλκει βάλανον ἐκ τῆς ὑδρίας...ἵν᾽ εἰς οἷον ἂν λάχῃ εἰσίῃ καὶ μὴ εἰς οἷον ἂν βούληται
English Text: draws an acorn from the urn...n order that he may go into whatever court he is allotted to and not into whatever court he chooses
Greek Text: ὁ δὲ ὑπηρέτης δίδωσιν αὐτῷ βακτηρίαν ὁμόχρων τῷ δικαστηρίῳ, οὗ τὸ αὐτὸ γράμμα ἐστὶν ὅπερ ἐν τῇ βαλάνῳ, ἵνα ἀναγκαῖον ᾖ αὐτῷ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς ὃ εἴληχε̣ δικαστήριον
English Text: the attendant gives him a staff of the same color as the court bearing the same letter as the one on the acorn, in order that it may be necessary for him to go into the court to which he has been assigned by lot
Greek Text: ἐν μὲν ταῖς δημοκρατίαις τὰς μικρὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς πολλὰς κληρωτὰς ποιεῖν
Greek Text: παραλαμβάνει σύμβολον δημοσίᾳ παρὰ τοῦ εἰληχότος ταύτην τὴν ἀρχήν.
English Text: he receives a token publicly from the person appointed by lot to this office.
Greek Text: δεῖ τοὺς νόμους ἀπονέμειν ἐξ ἴσου πᾶσι τοῖς τῆς πολιτείας μετέχουσι, τούτων δὲ εἶναι τὰς μὲν πλείστας κληρωτάς
Greek Text: τοῖς δ᾽ ἀπολαγχάνουσιν ἀποδιδόασιν οἱ ἐμπῆκται τὰ πινάκια.
English Text: And to those to whom the lot does not fall the Affixers give back their tickets.
Greek Text: παραδιδόασι δὲ τοῖς εἰληχόσι ταῦτα ἀποδιδόναι τοῖς δικασταῖς ἐν ἑκάστῳ [τῷ] δικαστηρίῳ ἀριθμῷ τὰ πινάκια
English Text: And they hand them over to the persons appointed by lot to restore the tickets to the jurymen in each court by number
Greek Text: τίθεται ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ τῶν δικαστηρίων β# κληρωτήρια καὶ κύβοι χαλκοῖ, ἐν οἷς ἐπιγέγραπται τὰ χρώματα τῶν δικαστηρίων, καὶ ἕτεροι κύβοι, ἐν οἷς ἐστιν τῶν ἀρχῶν τὰ ὀνόματα ἐπιγεγραμμένα. λαχόντες δὲ τῶν θεσμοθετῶν δύο χωρὶς ἑκατέρων τοὺς κύβους ἐμβάλλουσιν, ὁ μὲν τὰ χρώματα εἰς τὸ ἓν κληρωτήριον, ὁ δὲ τῶν ἀρχῶν τὰ ὀνόματα εἰς τὸ ἕτερον. ἣ δ᾽ ἂν πρώτη λάχῃ τῶν ἀρχῶν, αὕ̣τ̣η ἀναγορεύεται ὑπὸ τοῦ κήρυκος ὅτι χρήσεται τῷ πρώτῳ λα̣χόντι δικαστηρίῳ, ἡ δὲ δευτέρα τῷ δευτέρῳ, καὶ ὡσαύτως τοῖς ἄλλοις, ἵνα μηδεμία προειδῇ τίνι αὐτῶν χρήσεται, ἀλλ᾽ οἷον ἂν λάχῃ ἑκάστη, τούτῳ χρήσηται.
English Text: two ballot-boxes are placed in the first of the courts, and copper dice with the colors of the courts painted on them, and other dice with the names of the offices written on them. And two of the Lawgivers are chosen by lot, and throw the two sets of dice in separately, one throwing in the colored dice into one ballot-box and the other the names of the offices into the other. And to whichever of the offices the lot falls first, it is proclaimed by the herald that this will use the first court allotted
Greek Text: δυνάμει χρώμενος ἀτρύτῳ (ὁ θεός) Τὴν μὲν οὖν ἀνωτάτω καὶ πρώτην ἕδραν αὐτὸς ἔλαχεν
Greek Text: ὁ δ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ὕδωρ εἰληχὼς ἐπιλαμβάνει τ̣ὸν αὐλίσκον
English Text: frg
Greek Text: ἢ ὅτι φθείρει ἢ ὅτι τῇ τοῦ ὅλου φύσει ὅμοιον ἢ ὅτι ὀλιγαρχικόν· κληροῦνται γοῦν αὐτοῖς (κυάμοις)
Greek Text: οἱ δὲ λαχόντες ἐπὶ τὰς ψήφους...ὁ δὲ ταύτην τὴν ἀρχὴν ε̣ἰ̣ληχὼς ἀπολαμβάνει τὰ σύμβολα,
Greek Text: πάλιν δὲ τῶν φρατριῶν ἑκάστη διῄρητοεἰς γένη λ, ἐξ ὧν αἱ ἱερωσύναι αἱ ἑκάστοις προσήκουσαι ἐκληροῦντο
Greek Text: οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ τὰς ψήφους εἰληχότες διαριθμοῦσιν αὐτὰς ἐπὶ τοῦ ἄβακος
English Text: And those assigned by lot to count the voting-pebbles count them out on to the reckoning-board
Greek Text: οἱ δὲ λαχόντες ὑπὸ τῆς βουλῆς τῶν πεντακοσίων καὶ τοῦ δικαστηρίου δοκιμάζονται...ἐρωτώμενοι τίνες αὐτῶν πατέρες
Greek Text: ἀπολαμβάνουσιν τὸν μισθὸν ἐν τῷ μέρει οὗ ἔλαχον ἕκαστοι.
Greek Text: καὶ ταῖς ἀρχαῖς ἐπικληροῦσι τὰ δικαστήρια τὰ ἴδια καὶ τὰ δημόσια
Greek Text: ἄλλους θητικόν, οὐδεμιᾶς μετέχοντας ἀρχῆς. διὸ καὶ νῦν ἐπειδὰν ἔρηται τὸν μέλλοντα κληροῦσθαί τιν᾽ ἀρχήν, ποῖον τέλος τελεῖ, οὐδ᾽ ἂν εἷς εἴποι θητικόν.
English Text: the rest were rated in the Laborer class, being admitted to no office: hence even now when the presiding official asks a man who is about to draw lots for some office what rate he pays, no one whatever would say that he was rated as a Laborer
Greek Text: ἐπρυτάνευον...αἱ δέκα φυλαὶ κλήρῳ λαχοῦσαι
Greek Text: τὰς δ᾽ ἀρχὰς ἐποίησε κληρωτὰς ἐκ προκρίτων, οὓς ἑκάστη προκρίνειε τῶν φυλῶν….κελεύει γὰρ κληροῦν τοὺς ταμίας ἐκ πεντακοσιομεδίμνων
English Text: For the offices of state he instituted election by lot from candidates selected by the tribes severally by a preliminary vote. ...for it orders the Treasurers to be elected by lot from the Five-hundred-measure men.
Greek Text: ἐπιστάτης δ’ ἐστὶν εἷς τῶν πρυτάνεων, ὁ κλήρῳ λαχών
Greek Text: τὸ μὴ γεγράφθαι τοὺς νόμους ἁπλῶς μηδὲ σαφῶς, ἀλλ᾽ ὥσπερ ὁ τῶν κλήρων καὶ ἐπικλήρων
English Text: the laws are not drafted simply nor clearly, but like the law about inheritances and heiresses
Greek Text: ὁ μὲν ἐκ πρυτάνεων κληρούμενος
Greek Text: ὁ γὰρ μὴ τοιοῦτος κληρωτὸς ἄν τις εἴη βασιλεύς.
English Text: A king who is not independent of his subjects will be merely a sort of titular king.
Greek Text: ἐκληροῦντο τῶν πρυτάνεων καθ’ ἑκάστην πρυτανείαν εἷς ἐξ ἑκάστης φυλῆς
Greek Text: Φείδων μὲν οὖν ὁ Κορίνθιος, ὢν νομοθέτης τῶν ἀρχαιοτάτων, τοὺς οἴκους ἴσους ᾠήθη δεῖν διαμένειν καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν πολιτῶν, [15] καὶ εἰ τὸ πρῶτον τοὺς κλήρους ἀνίσους εἶχον πάντες κατὰ μέγεθος
English Text: The Corinthian Phidon in fact, one of the most ancient lawgivers, thought that the house-holds and the citizen population ought to remain at the same numbers, even though at the outset the estates of all were unequal in size
Greek Text: γραμματεὺς ὁ κατὰ πρυτανείαν κληρωθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς βουλῆς
Greek Text: τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐξ αἱρετῶν κληρωτοὺς κοινὸν ἀμφοῖν
English Text: for their selection by lot from a list previously elected by vote is a feature common to both oligarchy and democracy
Greek Text: ἀποδέκται: ἄρχοντες κληρωτοί, δέκα τὸν ἀριθμὸν κατὰ φυλήν εἰσιν
Greek Text: ταμίαι· ἄρχοντές εἰσιν Ἀθήνησι κληρωτοὶ ἀπὸ τῶν πεντακοσιομεδίμνων
Greek Text: τὸ δὲ ἀμίσθους καὶ μὴ κληρωτὰς ἀριστοκρατικὸν θετέον
English Text: their receiving no pay and not being chosen by lot and other similar regulations must be set down as aristocratic
Greek Text: ἱεροποιοί: κληρωτοὶ ἄρχοντές
Greek Text: κύριον ποιήσαντα τὸ δικαστήριον πάντων, κληρωτὸν ὄν.
English Text: as having dissolved the power of the other parts of the community by making the law-court, which was elected by lot, all-powerful.
Greek Text: εὔθυνος: ἀρχὴ ἦν τις. ἐξ ἑκάστης δὲ φυλῆς ἕνα κληροῦσι
Greek Text: λέγω δ᾽ οἷον δοκεῖ δημοκρατικὸν μὲν εἶναι τὸ κληρωτὰς εἶναι τὰς ἀρχάς
English Text: I mean, for example, that it is thought to be democratic for the offices to be assigned by lot
Greek Text: λογισταί: ἄρχοντές εἰσι κληρωτοί
Greek Text: τὰ δ᾽ ἄλλα τὰς ἀρχὰς βουλεύεσθαι τὰς ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστοις τεταγμένας, αἱρετὰς οὔσας ἐξ ἁπάντων ἢ κληρωτάς
English Text: or all other matters to be considered by the magistrates appointed to deal with each respectively and elected by suffrage or by lot from all the citizens.
Greek Text: κληροῦσθαί φησι πέντε (ἀγορανόμοι) μὲν εἰς Πειραιᾶ, πέντε δὲ εἰς ἄστυ
Greek Text: τῶν δὲ ἄλλων ἄρχοντες, καὶ οὗτοι αἱρετοί, μὴ κληρωτοί, ἀριστοκρατία ἡ πολιτεία. ἐὰν δ᾽ ἐνίων μὲν αἱρετοὶ ἐνίων δὲ κληρωτοί, καὶ κληρωτοὶ ἢ ἁπλῶς ἢ ἐκ προκρίτων, ἢ κοινῇ αἱρετοὶ [10] καὶ κληρωτοί
English Text: some matters are controlled by magistrates elected by vote and others by magistrates chosen by lot, and this either directly or from a list previously selected by vote, or if magistrates elected by vote and by lot sit in a joint body
Greek Text: ἐμπορίου δ’ ἐπιμελητὰς δέκα κληροῦσιν
Greek Text: οὐ πάντας οὔτε τοὺς αἱρετοὺς οὔτε τοὺς κληρωτοὺς ἄρχοντας θετέον
English Text: it is not proper to reckon all of them magistrates, whether elected by vote or by lot
Greek Text: σιτοφύλακες: ἄρχοντες Ἀθήνησι κληρωτοί
Greek Text: καὶ ταῦτα ἢ αἱρέσει ἢ κλήρῳ（πάλιν ταῦτα συνδυαζόμενα, λέγω δὲ τὰς μὲν τινὲς τὰς δὲ πάντες, καὶ τὰς μὲν ἐκ πάντων τὰς δ᾽ ἐκ τινῶν, καὶ τὰς μὲν αἱρέσει τὰς δὲ κλήρῳ）
English Text: and the mode of appointment may be either by vote or by lot; again, these systems may be coupled together— [20] I mean that some citizens may appoint to some offices but all to others, and to some offices all citizens may be eligible but to others only a certain class, and to some appointment may be by vote but to others by lot.
Greek Text: τετταράκοντα: κληρωτή τις ἦν Ἀθήνησιν ἀρχὴ μ τὸν ἀριθμόν, οἳ τὰς ἰδιωτικὰς δίκας ἐδίκαζον
Greek Text: ἢ τὰς μὲν αἱρέσει τὰς δὲ κληρῷ,
English Text: or to appoint some by vote and others by lot.
Greek Text: καὶ οἱ μὲν πατέρες ὑμῶν τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν ὡς τὴν χώραν εἰληχυῖα ὁμώνυμον αὐτῇ τὴν πατρίδα προσηγόρευον Ἀθήνας
English Text: Your fathers, honoring Athena as the deity to whom their land had been allotted, called their native city Athens
Greek Text: οἱ δὲ διαιτηταὶ πρότερον κλήρῳ λαχόντες
Greek Text: τὸ κληρωτὰς εἶναι τὰς ἀρχὰς ἢ πάσας ἢ ὅσαι μὴ ἐμπειρίας δέονται καὶ τέχνης
English Text: election by lot either to all magistracies or to all that do not need experience and skill
Greek Text: ἃ δὴ κατέγνωσται μὲν παρὰ τῷ δικαιοτάτῳ συνεδρίῳ, κατεψήφισται δ᾽ ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν τῶν δικάζειν λαχόντων,
English Text: When therefore certain actions have been censured by the most impartial council and condemned by you who were the judges appointed by lot,
Greek Text: ἔχον δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ γράμμα ὅπερ ἐν τῇ βαλάνῳ ἐπειδὰν δὲ εἰσέλθῃ, παραλαμβάνει σύμβολον δημοσίᾳ παρὰ τοῦ εἰληχότος ταύτην τὴν ἀρχήν
Greek Text: τό γε περιαιρεῖσθαι τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῆς καὶ ἐξ αἱρετῶν κληρωτοὺς ποιεῖν.
English Text: to deprive it of its power and to substitute election by lot for election by vote
Greek Text: τύμβον τε κοινὸν ἔλαχον εὔκλειάν τ᾽ ἴσην
English Text: they obtain a common grave and glory
Greek Text: ψῆφοι δέ εἰσι χαλκαῖ αὐλίσκον ἔχουσαι ἐν τῷ μέσῳ, αἱ μὲν ἡμίσειαι τετρυπημέναι, αἱ δὲ ἡμίσειαι πλήρεις. οἱ δὲ λαχόντες ἐπὶ τὰς ψήφους
Greek Text: ἦν δὲ τό γε ἀρχαῖον ἐν πολλαῖς πόλεσι νενομοθετημένον μηδὲ πωλεῖν ἐξεῖναι τοὺς πρώτους κλήρους
English Text: and in early times at all events in many states there was even legislation prohibiting the sale of the original allotments
Greek Text: πωλήσεται|ἐν ταῖς Ἀθήναις· σῦκα— Β. κλητῆρες ...Α. πυός, πυριάτη, μύρτα— Β. Κληρωτήρια
Greek Text: ἔτι δὲ τὰς ἀρχὰς πάσας ἐποίησαν διττάς, τὰς μὲν αἱρετὰς τὰς δὲ κληρωτάς, τὰς μὲν κληρωτὰς ὅπως ὁ δῆμος αὐτῶν μετέχῃ, τὰς δ᾽ αἱρετὰς ἵνα πολιτεύωνται βέλτιον. ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀρχῆς μερίζοντας τοὺς μὲν κληρωτοὺς τοὺς δ᾽ αἱρετούς.
English Text: also they have divided the whole number of their magistracies into two classes, one elected by vote and the other filled by lot,—the latter to ensure that the people may have a share in them, and the former to improve the conduct of public affairs. And it is also possible to effect this by dividing the holders of the same magistracy into two groups, one appointed by lot and the other by vote.
Greek Text: πρὸς θεῶν ἀποθεραπείαν τῶν εἰληχότων τὴν περὶ τῆς γενέσεως τιμήν
English Text: for the due worship of the deities whose office is the control of childbirth
Greek Text: φήσομεν τὴν διάθεσιν τὴν ἀρίστην ἑκάστου πράγματος πρὸς ἄλληλα κατὰ τὴν ὑπεροχὴν ἥνπερ εἴληχε ταῦτα ὧν φαμεν αὐτὰς εἶναι διαθέσεις ταύτας.
English Text: we shall declare that the best condition of each particular thing, comparing things with one another, corresponds in point of superiority to the distance that subsists between the things of which we declare these conditions themselves to be conditions.
Greek Text: ἔστιν δὲ δημοκρατία μὲν πολιτεία ἐν ᾗ κλήρῳ διανέμονται τὰς ἀρχάς
English Text: Democracy is a form of government in which the offices are distributed by the people among themselves by lot
Greek Text: εἴ τις λέγοι ὅτι οὐ δεῖ κληρωτοὺς ἄρχειν: ὅμοιον γὰρ ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις τοὺς ἀθλητὰς κληροίη μὴ οἳ δύνανται ἀγωνίζεσθαι ἀλλ᾽ οἳ ἂν λάχωσιν, ἢ τῶν πλωτήρων ὅντινα δεῖ κυβερνᾶν κληρώσειεν, ὡς δέον τὸν λαχόντα ἀλλὰ μὴ τὸν ἐπιστάμενον.
English Text: if one were to say that magistrates should not be chosen by lot, for this would be the same as choosing as representative athletes not those competent to contend, but those on whom the lot falls; or as choosing any of the sailors as the man who should take the helm, as if it were right that the choice should be decided by lot, not by a man's knowledge
Greek Text: Ταύτης δὲ τὸ μὲν μέσον, ἀκίνητόν τε καὶ ἑδραῖον ὄν, ἡ φερέσβιος εἴληχε γῆ
Greek Text: φυσικὴν...ἣν οἱ γονεῖς πρὸς τὰ ἔκγονα ἔχουσι ...ταύτην δὲ κεκλήρωται
Greek Text: γῆν δὲ τὸν μεσαίτατον χῶρον λαχοῦσαν ὕδατός τε καὶ ἀέρος χύσεις ἐν μεθορίῳ τεταγμένας
Greek Text: ἀρίστην γὰρ θέσιν καὶ τάξιν ἐναρμόνιον τὰ τοῦ κόσμου μέρη εἴληχε πάντα
Greek Text: ὄνος ὁ θαλάττιος ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἔλαχεν ἔχειν
Greek Text: Ἀντιφῶν ἐν τῷ περὶ τοῦ χορευτοῦ, ἔλαχον, φησί, Παντακλέα διδάσκαλον
Greek Text: Ὦ παῖδες οἳ χαρίτων τε καὶ πατέρων λάχετ’ ἐσθλῶν
Greek Text: συνέβη δὲ ταῖς γυναιξὶν ἔριν ἐμπεσεῖν περὶ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ποτέρα πότερον λήψεται· καὶ διακληρουμένων ἡ μὲν σκυθρωπὴ οὖσα κατὰ τὸν βίον καὶ σεμνότητος πλήρης τὸν Ἐριφύλης ὅρμον, ἡ δὲ ὥραι διαφέρουσα καὶ μάχλος οὖσα τὸν τῆς Ἑλένης ἔλαχε.
Greek Text: τὸ δὲ θεῖον...ψυχῆς φύσει καὶ σώματος αἰσθήσει συνειληχός
Greek Text: μητρὸς θεῶν δίκην, τῆς ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν λήξεως ἡγουμένην
Greek Text: διελὼν δὲ τὰς πόλεις Ἀλεύας ἔταξε κατὰ τὸν κλῆρον παρέχειν ἑκάστους, ἱππέας μὲν τεσσαράκοντα, ὁπλίτας δὲ ὀγδοήκοντα
Greek Text: κληροῦν δικαστάς
Greek Text: πρὸς δὲ τοὺς θεσμοθέτας αἱ τῆς ξενίας τε καὶ δωροξενίας (ἐλαγχάνοντο δίκαι)
Greek Text: ὁ δὲ ἄρχων...δίκαι δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν λαγχάνονται
Greek Text: πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα κακώσεως ἐλαγχάνοντο γραφαὶ
Greek Text: πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντά φησι λαγχάνεσθαι ταύτην τὴν δίκην
Greek Text: πρόκλησις νεμέσεως ἢ κληρονομίας ἢ κοινοῦ τινος ἀγορασμοῦ· ἐπὶ τῶν διανεμόντων τὰ κοινά
Greek Text: δίκαι δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν (βασιλέα) λαγχάνονται ἀσεβείας καὶ ἱερωσύνης
Greek Text: ὁ δὲ πολέμαρχος...διανέμει τὸ λαχόν...εἰσάγων δὲ δίκας...κλήρων μετοίκων
Greek Text: ὁ πολέμαρχος... εἰσάγει δίκας τάς... κλήρων
Greek Text: καὶ τὰς ἀπογραφὰς τῶν δημευομένων ἀναγινώσκειν καὶ τὰς λήξεις τῶν κλήρων
Greek Text: καὶ τὰ δικαστήρια μὲν οἱ λογισταὶ κληροῦσι
Greek Text: κληρωτοὺς δὲ γενομένους δέκα συνηγόρους
Greek Text: Τοῦ δὲ Τυφῶνος δίκην τῷ Ὥρῳ νοθείας λαχόντος
Greek Text: μὴ ὑπὸ βίας ὁτιοῦν ἐνεχθὲν ἵσταται καὶ ἠρεμεῖ, τὸν οἰκεῖον εἴληχε χῶρον
Greek Text: ἕδραν ναίοντες τήνδ’ ἔλαχον φθίμενοι
Greek Text: οἱ περὶ κλήρων ἢ ἐπικλήρων πρὸς ἰδιώτας ἀντιδικοῦντες ἀργύριόν τι κατετίθεσαν
Greek Text: τὰν διαίρεσιν τᾶς χώρας... διότι ἔλαχον [Σάμιοι] Φύγελα
Greek Text: τηλικαύτην δίκην λαχόντες
Greek Text: δίκας τοιαύτας λαγχάνειν
Greek Text: κληρόνομοι δικασά[με]νοι κ[λήρου τοῦ ἐν τῶι|δή]μω<ι> καὶ ἑλόντες παρέλαβο[ν…|Χερρονήσω<ι> οὗ ἔ[λ]αχε
Greek Text: ἡ λῆξις δε[ | κακηγορίας δʹ
Greek Text: ὅ τε δαίμων ὁ τὴν ἡμετέραν μοῖραν εἰληχὼς
Greek Text: ἔλαχέ μοι ταύτην τὴν δίκην
Greek Text: ἐπιδικάζεται μὲν τῶν κλήρων
Greek Text: ἐλάγχανε τὴν τῆς βεβαιώσεως δίκην
Greek Text: τί με κωλύει κληροῦσθαι τῶν ἐννέα ἀρχόντων
Greek Text: ὑμεῖς μὲν ὡς δυνάμενον ἀφαιρήσεσθε τὸδιδόμενον, οἱ δὲ θεσμοθέται1 ὡς ἀδύνατον ὄντα κληροῦσθαι κωλύσουσιν
Greek Text: ὃς ἀθάνατον λάχε γῆρυν
Greek Text: Ζεὺς δ’ ἔλαχ’ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἐν αἰθέρι καὶ νεφέλῃσι
Greek Text: Λάχεσις—[εἰς] πάντα γὰρ ἡ κατὰ φύσιν μένει λῆξις
