Politics   

and the keeping of bees and of fish, or fowl, or of any animals which
may be useful to man. These are the divisions of the true or proper
art of wealth-getting and come first. Of the other, which consists in
exchange, the first and most important division is commerce (of which
there are three kinds- the provision of a ship, the conveyance of
goods, exposure for sale- these again differing as they are safer or
more profitable), the second is usury, the third, service for hire- of
this, one kind is employed in the mechanical arts, the other in
unskilled and bodily labor. There is still a third sort of wealth
getting intermediate between this and the first or natural mode which
is partly natural, but is also concerned with exchange, viz., the
industries that make their profit from the earth, and from things
growing from the earth which, although they bear no fruit, are
nevertheless profitable; for example, the cutting of timber and all
mining. The art of mining, by which minerals are obtained, itself has
many branches, for there are various kinds of things dug out of the
earth. Of the several divisions of wealth-getting I now speak
generally; a minute consideration of them might be useful in practice,
but it would be tiresome to dwell upon them at greater length now.
Those occupations are most truly arts in which there is the least
element of chance; they are the meanest in which the body is most
deteriorated, the most servile in which there is the greatest use of
the body, and the most illiberal in which there is the least need of
excellence.
Works have been written upon these subjects by various persons; for
example, by Chares the Parian, and Apollodorus the Lemnian, who have
treated of Tillage and Planting, while others have treated of other
branches; any one who cares for such matters may refer to their
writings. It would be well also to collect the scattered stories of
the ways in which individuals have succeeded in amassing a fortune;
for all this is useful to persons who value the art of getting wealth.
There is the anecdote of Thales the Milesian and his financial device,
which involves a principle of universal application, but is attributed
to him on account of his reputation for wisdom. He was reproached for
his poverty, which was supposed to show that philosophy was of no use.
According to the story, he knew by his skill in the stars while it was
yet winter that there would be a great harvest of olives in the coming
year; so, having a little money, he gave deposits for the use of all
the olive-presses in Chios and Miletus, which he hired at a low price
because no one bid against him. When the harvest-time came, and many
were wanted all at once and of a sudden, he let them out at any rate
which he pleased, and made a quantity of money. Thus he showed the
world that philosophers can easily be rich if they like, but that
their ambition is of another sort. He is supposed to have given a
striking proof of his wisdom, but, as I was saying, his device for
getting wealth is of universal application, and is nothing but the
creation of a monopoly. It is an art often practiced by cities when
they are want of money; they make a monopoly of provisions.
There was a man of Sicily, who, having money deposited with him,
bought up an the iron from the iron mines; afterwards, when the
merchants from their various markets came to buy, he was the only
seller, and without much increasing the price he gained 200 per cent.
Which when Dionysius heard, he told him that he might take away his
money, but that he must not remain at Syracuse, for he thought that
the man had discovered a way of making money which was injurious to
his own interests. He made the same discovery as Thales; they both
contrived to create a monopoly for themselves. And statesmen as well
ought to know these things; for a state is often as much in want of
money and of such devices for obtaining it as a household, or even
more so; hence some public men devote themselves entirely to finance.
Part XII
Of household management we have seen that there are three parts- one
is the rule of a master over slaves, which has been discussed already,
another of a father, and the third of a husband. A husband and father,