Dialogues

cities of which some mortal man and not God is the ruler, have no escape from evils and toils. Still we must do all that we can to imitate the life which is said to have existed in the days of Cronos, and, as far as the principle of immortality dwells in us, to that we must hearken, both in private and public life, and regulate our cities and houses according to law, meaning by the very term “law,” the distribution of mind.395 But if either a single person or an oligarchy or a democracy has a soul eager after pleasures and desires⁠—wanting to be filled with them, yet retaining none of them, and perpetually afflicted with an endless and insatiable disorder; and this evil spirit, having first trampled the laws under foot, becomes the master either of a state or of an individual⁠—then, as I was saying, salvation is hopeless. And now, Cleinias, we have to consider whether you will or will not accept this tale of mine. Cleinias Certainly we will. Athenian You are aware⁠—are you not?⁠—that there are often said to be as many forms of laws as there are of governments, and of the latter we have already mentioned396 all those which are commonly recognized. Now you must regard this as a matter of first-rate importance. For what is to be the standard of just and unjust, is once more the point at issue. Men say that the law ought not to regard either military virtue, or virtue in general, but only the interests and power and preservation of the established form of government; this is thought by them to be the best way of expressing the natural definition of justice. Cleinias How? Athenian Justice is said by them to be the interest of the stronger.397 Cleinias Speak plainer. Athenian I will:⁠—“Surely,” they say, “the governing power makes whatever laws have authority in any state?” Cleinias True. Athenian “Well,” they would add, “and do you suppose that tyranny or democracy, or any other conquering power, does not make the continuance of the power which is possessed by them the first or principal object of their laws?” Cleinias How can they have any other? Athenian “And whoever transgresses these laws is punished as an evildoer by the legislator, who calls the laws just?” Cleinias Naturally. Athenian “This, then, is always the mode and fashion in which justice exists.” Cleinias Certainly, if they are correct in their view. Athenian Why, yes, this is one of those false principles of government to which we were referring.398 Cleinias Which do you mean? Athenian Those which we were examining when we spoke of who ought to govern whom. Did we not arrive at the conclusion that parents ought to govern their children, and the elder the younger, and the noble the ignoble? And there were many other principles, if you remember, and they were not always consistent. One principle was this very principle of might, and we said that Pindar considered violence natural and justified it. Cleinias Yes; I remember. Athenian Consider, then, to whom our state is to be entrusted. For there is a thing which has occurred times without number in states⁠— Cleinias What thing? Athenian That when there has been a contest for power, those who gain the upper hand so entirely monopolize the government, as to refuse all share to the defeated party and their descendants⁠—they live watching one another, the ruling class being in perpetual fear that someone who has a recollection of former wrongs will come into power and rise up against them. Now, according to our view, such governments are not polities at all, nor are laws right which are passed for the good of particular classes and not for the good of the whole state. States which have such laws are not polities but parties, and their notions of justice are simply unmeaning. I say this, because I am going to assert that we must not entrust the government in your state to anyone because he is rich, or because he possesses any other advantage, such as strength, or stature, or again birth: but he who is most obedient to the laws of the state, he shall win the palm; and to him who is victorious in the first degree shall be given the highest office and chief ministry of the gods; and the second to him who bears the second palm; and on a similar principle shall all the other offices be assigned to those who come next in order. And when I call the rulers servants or ministers of the law, I give them this name not for the sake of novelty, but because I certainly believe that upon such service or ministry depends the well- or ill-being of the state. For that state in which the law is subject and has no authority, I perceive to be on the highway to ruin; but I see that the state in which the law is above the rulers, and the rulers are the inferiors of the law, has salvation, and every blessing which the Gods can confer. Cleinias Truly, Stranger, you see with the keen vision of age.399 Athenian Why, yes; every man when he is young has that sort of vision dullest, and when he is old keenest. Cleinias Very true. Athenian And now, what is to be the next step? May we not suppose the colonists to have arrived, and proceed to make our speech to them? Cleinias Certainly. Athenian “Friends,” we say to them⁠—“God, as the old tradition declares, holding in his hand the beginning, middle, and end of all that is, travels according to His nature in a straight line towards the accomplishment of His end. Justice always accompanies Him, and is the punisher of those who fall short of the divine law. To justice, he who would be happy holds fast, and follows in her company with all humility and order; but he who is lifted up with pride, or elated by wealth or rank, or