Laws
Plato (428–347 BC)
Plato's Laws in the Greek text edited by John Burnet, with R. G. Bury's English translation.
Book 1
Section 624
Section 625
Section 626
Section 627
Section 628
Section 629
Section 630
Section 631
Section 632
Section 633
Section 634
Section 635
Section 636
Section 637
Section 638
Section 639
Section 640
Section 641
Section 642
Section 643
Section 644
Section 645
Section 646
Section 647
Section 648
Section 649
Section 650
Book 2
Section 652
Section 653
Section 654
Section 655
Section 656
Section 657
Section 658
Section 659
Section 660
Section 661
Section 662
Section 663
Section 664
Section 665
Section 666
Section 667
Section 668
Section 669
Section 670
Section 671
Section 672
Section 673
Section 674
Book 3
Section 676
Section 677
Section 678
Section 679
Section 680
Section 681
Section 682
Section 683
Section 684
Section 685
Section 686
Section 687
Section 688
Section 689
Section 690
Section 691
Section 692
Section 693
Section 694
Section 695
Section 696
Section 697
Section 698
Section 699
Section 700
Section 701
Section 702
Book 4
Section 704
Section 705
Section 706
Section 707
Section 708
Section 709
Section 710
Section 711
Section 712
Section 713
Section 714
Section 715
Section 716
Section 717
Section 718
Section 719
Section 720
Section 721
Section 722
Section 723
Section 724
Book 5
Section 726
Section 727
Section 728
Section 729
Section 730
Section 731
Section 732
Section 733
Section 734
Section 735
Section 736
Section 737
Section 738
Section 739
Section 740
Section 741
Section 742
Section 743
Section 744
Section 745
Section 746
Section 747
Book 6
Section 751
Section 752
Ath. And indeed I should be loth to leave our sketch headless; for it would look entirely shapeless if it wandered about in that guise.
Clin. I heartily approve of what you say, Stranger.
Ath. And what is more, I shall act as I say to the best of my power.
Clin. By all means let us do as we say.
Ath. It shall be done, if God will and if we can thus far master our old age.
Clin. Probably God will be willing.
Ath. Probably he will; and with him as leader let us observe this also—
Clin. What?
Ath. How bold and adventurous is the fashion in which we shall now have founded this State of ours.
Clin. What is now specially in your mind, and what makes you say so?
Ath. The fact that we are legislating lightheartedly and boldly for inexperienced men, in the hope that they will accept the laws we have now enacted. Thus much at least is plain, Clinias, to almost everyone—even to the meanest intelligence— that they will not readily accept any of those laws at the start; but if those laws could remain unchanged until those who have imbibed them in infancy, and have been reared up in them and grown fully used to them, have taken part in elections to office in every department of State,—then, when this has been effected (if any means or method can be found to effect it rightly), we have, as I think, a strong security that, after this transitional period of disciplined adolescence, the State will remain firm.
Clin. It is certainly reasonable to suppose so.
Ath. Let us then consider whether we might succeed in providing an adequate means to this end on the following lines. For I declare, Clinias, that you Cnosians, above all other Cretans, not only ought to deal in no perfunctory manner with the soil which you are now settling, but ought also to take the utmost care that the first officials are appointed in the best and most secure way possible. The selection of the rest of them will be a less serious task; but it is imperatively necessary for you to choose your Law-wardens first with the utmost care.
Clin. What means can we find for this, or what rule?