第12章

Ath。Thesame，myfriend；hedoesindeedfaroverleaptheheadsofallmankindbyhisinvention；forhecarriedoutinpractice，asyoudeclare，whatofoldHesiodonlypreached。

Cle。Yes，accordingtoourtradition。

Ath。Afterthegreatdestruction，maywenotsupposethatthestateofmanwassomethingofthissort：-Inthebeginningofthingstherewasafearfulillimitabledesertandavastexpanseofland；aherdortwoofoxenwouldbetheonlysurvivorsoftheanimalworld；

andtheremightbeafewgoats，thesetoohardlyenoughtomaintaintheshepherdswhotendedthem？

Cle。True。

Ath。Andofcitiesorgovernmentsorlegislation，aboutwhichwearenowtalking，doyousupposethattheycouldhaveanyrecollectionatall？

Cle。Nonewhatever。

Ath。Andoutofthisstateofthingshastherenotsprungallthatwenowareandhave：citiesandgovernments，andartsandlaws，andagreatdealofviceandagreatdealofvirtue？

Cle。Whatdoyoumean？

Ath。Why，mygoodfriend，howcanwepossiblysupposethatthosewhoknewnothingofallthegoodandevilofcitiescouldhaveattainedtheirfulldevelopment，whetherofvirtueorofvice？

Cle。Iunderstandyourmeaning，andyouarequiteright。

Ath。But，astimeadvancedandtheracemultiplied，theworldcametobewhattheworldis。

Cle。Verytrue。

Ath。Doubtlessthechangewasnotmadeallinamoment，butlittlebylittle，duringaverylongperiodoftime。

Cle。Ahighlyprobablesupposition。

Ath。Atfirst，theywouldhaveanaturalfearringingintheirearswhichwouldpreventtheirdescendingfromtheheightsintotheplain。

Cle。Ofcourse。

Ath。Thefewnessofthesurvivorsatthattimewouldhavemadethemallthemoredesirousofseeingoneanother；butthenthemeansoftravellingeitherbylandorseahadbeenalmostentirelylost，asImaysay，withthelossofthearts，andtherewasgreatdifficultyingettingatoneanother；forironandbrassandallmetalswerejumbledtogetherandhaddisappearedinthechaos；norwasthereanypossibilityofextractingorefromthem；andtheyhadscarcelyanymeansoffellingtimber。Evenifyousupposethatsomeimplementsmighthavebeenpreservedinthemountains，theymustquicklyhavewornoutandvanished，andtherewouldbenomoreofthemuntiltheartofmetallurgyhadagainrevived。

Cle。Therecouldnothavebeen。

Ath。Inhowmanygenerationswouldthisbeattained？

Cle。Clearly，notformanygenerations。

Ath。Duringthisperiod，andforsometimeafterwards，alltheartswhichrequireironandbrassandthelikewoulddisappear。

Cle。Certainly。

Ath。Factionandwarwouldalsohavediedoutinthosedays，andformanyreasons。

Cle。Howwouldthatbe？

Ath。Inthefirstplace，thedesolationoftheseprimitivemenwouldcreateinthemafeelingofaffectionandgood-willtowardsoneanother；and，secondly，theywouldhavenooccasiontoquarrelabouttheirsubsistence，fortheywouldhavepastureinabundance，exceptjustatfirst，andinsomeparticularcases；andfromtheirpasture-landtheywouldobtainthegreaterpartoftheirfoodinaprimitiveage，havingplentyofmilkandflesh；moreovertheywouldprocureotherfoodbythechase，nottobedespisedeitherinquantityorquality。Theywouldalsohaveabundanceofclothing，andbedding，anddwellings，andutensilseithercapableofstandingonthefireornot；fortheplasticandweavingartsdonotrequireanyuseofiron：andGodhasgiventhesetwoartstomaninordertoprovidehimwithallsuchthings，that，whenreducedtothelastextremity，thehumanracemaystillgrowandincrease。Henceinthosedaysmankindwerenotverypoor；norwaspovertyacauseofdifferenceamongthem；andrichtheycouldnothavebeen，havingneithergoldnorsilver：-suchatthattimewastheircondition。Andthecommunitywhichhasneitherpovertynorricheswillalwayshavethenoblestprinciples；initthereisnoinsolenceorinjustice，nor，again，arethereanycontentionsorenvyings。Andthereforetheyweregood，andalsobecausetheywerewhatiscalledsimple-minded；andwhentheyweretoldaboutgoodandevil，theyintheirsimplicitybelievedwhattheyheardtobeverytruthandpractisedit。Noonehadthewittosuspectanotherofafalsehood，asmendonow；butwhattheyheardaboutGodsandmentheybelievedtobetrue，andlivedaccordingly；andthereforetheywereinallrespectssuchaswehavedescribedthem。

Cle。Thatquiteaccordswithmyviews，andwiththoseofmyfriendhere。

Ath。Wouldnotmanygenerationslivingoninasimplemanner，althoughruder，perhaps，andmoreignorantoftheartsgenerally，andinparticularofthoseoflandornavalwarfare，andlikewiseofotherarts，termedincitieslegalpracticesandpartyconflicts，andincludingallconceivablewaysofhurtingoneanotherinwordanddeed；-althoughinferiortothosewholivedbeforethedeluge，ortothemenofourdayintheserespects，wouldtheynot，Isay，besimplerandmoremanly，andalsomoretemperateandaltogethermorejust？Thereasonhasbeenalreadyexplained。

Cle。Verytrue。

Ath。Ishouldwishyoutounderstandthatwhathasprecededandwhatisabouttofollow，hasbeen，andwillbesaid，withtheintentionofexplainingwhatneedthemenofthattimehadoflaws，andwhowastheirlawgiver。

Cle。Andthusfarwhatyouhavesaidhasbeenverywellsaid。

Ath。Theycouldhardlyhavewantedlawgiversasyet；nothingofthatsortwaslikelytohaveexistedintheirdays，fortheyhadnolettersatthisearlyperiod；theylivedbyhabitandthecustomsoftheirancestors，astheyarecalled。

Cle。Probably。

Ath。Buttherewasalreadyexistingaformofgovernmentwhich，ifI

amnotmistaken，isgenerallytermedalordship，andthisstillremainsinmanyplaces，bothamongHellenesandbarbarians，andisthegovernmentwhichisdeclaredbyHomertohaveprevailedamongtheCyclopes：

Theyhaveneithercouncilsnorjudgments，buttheydwellinhollowcavesonthetopsofhighmountains，andeveryonegiveslawtohiswifeandchildren，andtheydonotbusythemselvesaboutoneanother。

Cle。Thatseemstobeacharmingpoetofyours；Ihavereadsomeotherversesofhis，whichareveryclever；butIdonotknowmuchofhim，forforeignpoetsareverylittlereadamongtheCretans。

Megillus。ButtheyareinLacedaemon，andheappearstobetheprinceofthemall；themanneroflife，however，whichhedescribesisnotSpartan，butratherIonian，andheseemsquitetoconfirmwhatyouaresaying，whenhetracesuptheancientstateofmankindbythehelpoftraditiontobarbarism。

Ath。Yes，hedoesconfirmit；andwemayaccepthiswitnesstothefactthatsuchformsofgovernmentsometimesarise。

Cle。Wemay。

Ath。Andwerenotsuchstatescomposedofmenwhohadbeendispersedinsinglehabitationsandfamiliesbythepovertywhichattendedthedevastations；anddidnottheeldestthenruleamongthem，becausewiththemgovernmentoriginatedintheauthorityofafatherandamother，whom，likeaflockofbirds，theyfollowed，formingonetroopunderthepatriarchalruleandsovereigntyoftheirparents，whichofallsovereigntiesisthemostjust？

Cle。Verytrue。

Ath。Afterthistheycametogetheringreaternumbers，andincreasedthesizeoftheircities，andbetookthemselvestohusbandry，firstofallatthefootofthemountains，andmadeenclosuresofloosewallsandworksofdefence，inordertokeepoffwildbeasts；thuscreatingasinglelargeandcommonhabitation。

Cle。Yes；atleastwemaysupposeso。

Ath。Thereisanotherthingwhichwouldprobablyhappen。

Cle。What？

Ath。Whentheselargerhabitationsgrewupoutofthelesseroriginalones，eachofthelesseroneswouldsurviveinthelarger；

everyfamilywouldbeundertheruleoftheeldest，and，owingtotheirseparationfromoneanother，wouldhavepeculiarcustomsinthingsdivineandhuman，whichtheywouldhavereceivedfromtheirseveralparentswhohadeducatedthem；andthesecustomswouldinclinethemtoorder，whentheparentshadtheelementoforderintheirnature，andtocourage，whentheyhadtheelementofcourage。Andtheywouldnaturallystampupontheirchildren，andupontheirchildren’schildren，theirownlikings；and，aswearesaying，theywouldfindtheirwayintothelargersociety，havingalreadytheirownpeculiarlaws。

Cle。Certainly。

Ath。Andeverymansurelylikeshisownlawsbest，andthelawsofothersnotsowell。

Cle。True。

Ath。Thennowweseemtohavestumbleduponthebeginningsoflegislation。

Cle。Exactly。

Ath。Thenextstepwillbethatthesepersonswhohavemettogether，willselectsomearbiters，whowillreviewthelawsofallofthem，andwillpubliclypresentsuchastheyapprovetothechiefswholeadthetribes，andwhoareinamannertheirkings，allowingthemtochoosethosewhichtheythinkbest。Thesepersonswillthemselvesbecalledlegislators，andwillappointthemagistrates，framingsomesortofaristocracy，orperhapsmonarchy，outofthedynastiesorlordships，andinthisalteredstateofthegovernmenttheywilllive。

Cle。Yes，thatwouldbethenaturalorderofthings。

Ath。Then，nowletusspeakofathirdformofgovernment，inwhichallotherformsandconditionsofpolitiesandcitiesconcur。

Cle。Whatisthat？

Ath。TheformwhichinfactHomerindicatesasfollowingthesecond。

Thisthirdformarosewhen，ashesays，DardanusfoundedDardania：

FornotasyethadtheholyIliumbeenbuiltontheplaintobeacityofspeakingmen；buttheywerestilldwellingatthefootofmany-fountainedIda。

Forindeed，intheseverses，andinwhathesaidoftheCyclopes，hespeaksthewordsofGodandnature；forpoetsareadivineraceandoftenintheirstrains，bytheaidoftheMusesandtheGraces，theyattaintruth。

Cle。Yes。

Ath。Thennowletusproceedwiththerestofourtale，whichwillprobablybefoundtoillustrateinsomedegreeourproposeddesign：-Shallwedoso？