Selecta capita ex scriptoribus Graecis in usum classis quintae Carolinae

Persians possess; and in their right hand a dagger or curved sword original: "kopida". And all the offices are established from these, except for the teachers of the boys. And when they have completed the twenty-five years, these would be more than fifty years old from birth; they go out at that time into the elders geraiterous elders who are so called.

But these elders no longer go on military campaigns outside their own land, but remaining at home, they judge all public and private matters. And these men judge in cases of death, and they select all the magistrates. And if anyone among the youths or the perfect men neglects any of the customs, the tribal leaders phylarchoi tribal rulers inform on each one, and anyone else who wishes may do so. And the elders, having heard the case, expel them; and the one expelled remains without honor atimos deprived of citizen rights for the rest of his life.

In order that the entire Persian constitution be shown more clearly, I will return briefly. For now, it might be explained in a very short space due to the things previously mentioned.

For the Persians are said to be around twelve myriads 120,000. And no one of these is barred by law from honors and offices, but it is permitted to all Persians to send their own children to the public schools of justice. But those who are able to support their children while they are idle, they send them. Those who are not able, do not send them. And those who are educated at the public schools, it is permitted for them to reach young adulthood among the youths. For those not so educated, it is not permitted. And those who spend their time among the youths performing the customs, it is permitted for these to join the perfect men, and to share in offices and honors; but those who do not pass through the youths, do not come to the perfect men. And those who again pass through the perfect men without reproach, these become the elders. Thus indeed are the elders established, having passed through all honorable things. And this is the constitution, by using which they think they would be the best.