Plato could have himself omitted the ever of the first phrase; if he did not, then there is here at least an emphasis that the translation removes. Ever means that the Guardians-Ascetics they are not to have any property under any circumstances, temporarily or not, now, then and always – at any time and on any occasion, that is, beyond size, sort and origin of the property, – in any case “no more than would suffice for men of simple life (σώφρονες : men who have their minds healthy, wise men)” – they should all the time have nothing as their own, but as granted by who they protect.

Since the city is composed of friends, Jowett, I think, should not use “hired troops” to translate ἐπικούρους (helpers), and he should not translate σώφρονες as “men of simple life”. The Guardians live in between the gifts and presents of their friends, brought up with the food of meaningfull poetry of God for their wise nature to grow to perfection, in order to be able to oppose the enemy while loving the friend, at all times and in any condition having nothing but only their friends, passionately protecting them and being protected by them. They are not hired troops or professional warriors, they are such as those on the image at Elpenor's cover, not touching the ground more than is absolutely necessary, not because they are not greedy, etc., but because their mind draws them upwards by being devoted to the friend in front of them and the whole Godly city of friends. They are not powerful, but invincible, their strength is not in weapons or physical strength: they are invincible because they are holy.

Thus we understand also why, not only virtue is their sole pursuit, but they act rest from all the other employments, they consciously are fighting their real and existing temptation to have other employments and depend to something else (even a little, even only on certain occasions), than just to the city, which in turn means, that the city itself is not idealised; besides their own weaknesses, there must be also reasons in the city and from the city, that make Guardians feel the need to not depend to the city.

Plato offers the ideal of a city, without idealising the city as existed in his time. We are presented with an effort of ideal citizens-philosophers to strengthen any goodness, uproot internal evil and oppose the external, by paying attention to their Godly relationships of personal friendship and trust, that is, not only unconventional, but hopefully to an extreme level of friendship, to the point of not touching the ground.