ARISTOTLE, ATHENAION POLITEIA 57.4: TRIAL OF ANIMALS AND INANIMATE OBJECTS FOR HOMICIDE
ARISTOTLE, ATHENAION POLITEIA 57.4: TRIAL OF ANIMALS AND INANIMATE OBJECTS FOR HOMICIDE
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亚里士多德，《雅典娜政治》 57.4：动物和无生命物体杀人审判
作者：
R. Sealey
《雅典城邦》（Athenaion Politeia）一书的作者，在这里被称为亚里士多德，但并不妨碍他的真实身份，他提供了一个关于巴赛勒斯的章节。后者的任务包括对杀人（phonos）和伤害（创伤）进行审判。报告概述了案件类型，并提供了关于法院组成和开庭地点的信息。关于basileus的部分以句子（57.4）结束：“basileus和the basileis也审判无生命物体和动物杀人的案件。.在描述条件目前在他自己的时间亚里士多德可能借鉴了法典已制定了在403-399 B.C.所以他的证据是好的。对现代人来说，以杀人或伤人的罪名审判动物和无生命的物体是很奇怪的。需要解释。本研究的第一个目的是试图解释这种做法。但还有第二个目的，即说明方法。在这方面需要谨慎。如果一个历史学家把写作完全投入到思考方法上，他可能会陷入对他的前辈的毫无意义和不体面的指控中，而不会促进对历史的理解。对方法的讨论应该与对问题的探究联系起来，因为对一种方法的检验是它在解决问题方面的成功。对动物的刑事审判是一个可以用来检验一种方法的问题。因此，将对该方法进行一些初步评论。
The author of the Athenaion Politeia, here to be called Aristotle without prejudice to the question of his true identity, provides a section on the basileus. The latter’s tasks include conduct of trials for homicide (phonos) and wounding (trauma). The types of cases are outlined, and information is given about the composition and meeting-places of the courts. The section on the basileus ends with the sentence (57.4): ‘The basileus and the phylobasileis try also cases of homicide by inanimate objects and by animals.’ . In describing conditions current in his own time Aristotle probably drew on the code of laws which had been drawn up in 403–399 B.C. So his evidence is good. To the modern mind a practice of trying animals and inanimate objects on charges of homicide and perhaps wounding is strange. Explanation is required. The first purpose of this study is to attempt an explanation of the practice. But there is also a second purpose, namely to illustrate method. Here caution is needed. If a historian devotes a writing wholly to considering method, he may descend into fruitless and undignified charges against his predecessors without advancing the understanding of history. Discussion of method should be tied to enquiry into problems, because the test of a method is its success in solving problems. Criminal trial of animals is a problem which will serve to test a method. So some preliminary remarks on the method will be made.