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Cle。Byallmeans。
Ath。Iliumwasbuilt，whentheydescendedfromthemountain，inalargeandfairplain，onasortoflowhill，wateredbymanyriversdescendingfromIda。
Cle。Suchisthetradition。
Ath。Andwemustsupposethiseventtohavetakenplacemanyagesafterthedeluge？
Ath。Amarvellousforgetfulnessoftheformerdestructionwouldappeartohavecomeoverthem，whentheyplacedtheirtownrightundernumerousstreamsflowingfromtheheights，trustingfortheirsecuritytonotveryhighhills，either。
Cle。Theremusthavebeenalonginterval，clearly。
Ath。And，aspopulationincreased，manyothercitieswouldbegintobeinhabited。
Cle。Doubtless。
Ath。ThosecitiesmadewaragainstTroy-byseaaswellasland-foratthattimemenwereceasingtobeafraidofthesea。
Cle。Clearly。
Ath。TheAchaeansremainedtenyears，andoverthrewTroy。
Cle。True。
Ath。AndduringthetenyearsinwhichtheAchaeanswerebesiegingIlium，thehomesofthebesiegerswerefallingintoanevilplight。
Theiryouthrevolted；andwhenthesoldiersreturnedtotheirowncitiesandfamilies，theydidnotreceivethemproperly，andastheyoughttohavedone，andnumerousdeaths，murders，exiles，weretheconsequence。Theexilescameagain，underanewname，nolongerAchaeans，butDorians-anamewhichtheyderivedfromDorieus；foritwashewhogatheredthemtogether。TherestofthestoryistoldbyyouLacedaemoniansaspartofthehistoryofSparta。
Meg。Tobesure。
Ath。Thus，afterdigressingfromtheoriginalsubjectoflawsintomusicanddrinking-bouts，theargumenthas，providentially，comebacktothesamepoint，andpresentstousanotherhandle。ForwehavereachedthesettlementofLacedaemon；which，asyoutrulysay，isinlawsandininstitutionsthesisterofCrete。Andweareallthebetterforthedigression，becausewehavegonethroughvariousgovernmentsandsettlements，andhavebeenpresentatthefoundationofafirst，second，andthirdstate，succeedingoneanotherininfinitetime。Andnowthereappearsonthehorizonafourthstateornationwhichwasonceinprocessofsettlementandhascontinuedsettledtothisday。If，outofallthis，weareabletodiscernwhatiswellorillsettled，andwhatlawsarethesalvationandwhatarethedestructionofcities，andwhatchangeswouldmakeastatehappy，OMegillusandCleinias，wemaynowbeginagain，unlesswehavesomefaulttofindwiththepreviousdiscussion。
Meg。IfsomeGod，Stranger，wouldpromiseusthatournewenquiryaboutlegislationwouldbeasgoodandfullasthepresent，Iwouldgoagreatwaytohearsuchanother，andwouldthinkthatadayaslongasthis-andwearenowapproachingthelongestdayoftheyear-wastooshortforthediscussion。
Ath。ThenIsupposethatwemustconsiderthissubject？
Meg。Certainly。
Ath。LetusplaceourselvesinthoughtatthemomentwhenLacedaemonandArgosandMesseneandtherestofthePeloponnesuswereallincompletesubjection，Megillus，toyourancestors；forafterwards，asthelegendinformsus，theydividedtheirarmyintothreeportions，andsettledthreecities，Argos，Messene，Lacedaemon。
Meg。True。
Ath。TemenuswasthekingofArgos，CresphontesofMessene，ProclesandEurysthenesofLacedaemon。
Meg。Certainly。
Ath。Tothesekingsallthemenofthatdaymadeoaththattheywouldassistthem，ifanyonesubvertedtheirkingdom。
Meg。True。
Ath。Butcanakingshipbedestroyed，orwasanyotherformofgovernmenteverdestroyed，byanybuttherulersthemselves？Noindeed，byZeus。Havewealreadyforgottenwhatwassaidalittlewhileago？
Meg。No。
Ath。Andmaywenotnowfurtherconfirmwhatwasthenmentioned？Forwehavecomeuponfactswhichhavebroughtusbackagaintothesameprinciple；sothat，inresumingthediscussion，weshallnotbeenquiringaboutanemptytheory，butabouteventswhichactuallyhappened。Thecasewasasfollows：-Threeroyalheroesmadeoathtothreecitieswhichwereunderakinglygovernment，andthecitiestothekings，thatbothrulersandsubjectsshouldgovernandbegovernedaccordingtothelawswhichwerecommontoallofthem：therulerspromisedthatastimeandtheracewentforwardtheywouldnotmaketheirrulemorearbitrary；andthesubjectssaidthat，iftherulersobservedtheseconditions，theywouldneversubvertorpermitotherstosubvertthosekingdoms；thekingsweretoassistkingsandpeopleswheninjured，andthepeoplesweretoassistpeoplesandkingsinlikemanner。Isnotthisthefact？
Meg。Yes。
Ath。Andthethreestatestowhomtheselawsweregiven，whethertheirkingsoranyothersweretheauthorsofthem，hadthereforethegreatestsecurityforthemaintenanceoftheirconstitutions？
Meg。Whatsecurity？
Ath。Thattheothertwostateswerealwaystocometotherescueagainstarebelliousthird。
Meg。True。
Ath。Manypersonssaythatlegislatorsoughttoimposesuchlawsasthemassofthepeoplewillbereadytoreceive；butthisisjustasifoneweretocommandgymnasticmastersorphysicianstotreatorcuretheirpupilsorpatientsinanagreeablemanner。
Meg。Exactly。
Ath。Whereasthephysicianmayoftenbetoohappyifhecanrestorehealth，andmakethebodywhole，withoutanyverygreatinflictionofpain。
Meg。Certainly。
Ath。Therewasalsoanotheradvantagepossessedbythemenofthatday，whichgreatlylightenedthetaskofpassinglaws。
Meg。Whatadvantage？
Ath。Thelegislatorsofthatday，whentheyequalizedproperty，escapedthegreataccusationwhichgenerallyarisesinlegislation，ifapersonattemptstodisturbthepossessionofland，ortoabolishdebts，becauseheseesthatwithoutthisreformtherecanneverbeanyrealequality。Now，ingeneral，whenthelegislatorattemptstomakeanewsettlementofsuchmatters，everyonemeetshimwiththecry，that“heisnottodisturbvestedinterests“-declaringwithimprecationsthatheisintroducingagrarianlawsandcancellingofdebts，untilamanisathiswitsend；whereasnoonecouldquarrelwiththeDoriansfordistributingtheland-therewasnothingtohinderthem；
andasfordebts，theyhadnonewhichwereconsiderableorofoldstanding。
Meg。Verytrue。
Ath。Butthen，mygoodfriends，whydidthesettlementandlegislationoftheircountryturnoutsobadly？
Meg。Howdoyoumean；andwhydoyoublamethem？
Ath。Therewerethreekingdoms，andofthese，twoquicklycorruptedtheiroriginalconstitutionandlaws，andtheonlyonewhichremainedwastheSpartan。
Meg。Thequestionwhichyouaskisnoteasilyanswered。
Ath。Andyetmustbeansweredwhenweareenquiringaboutlaws，thisbeingouroldman’ssobergameofplay，wherebywebeguiletheway，asIwassayingwhenwefirstsetoutonourjourney。
Meg。Certainly；andwemustfindoutwhythiswas。
Ath。Whatlawsaremoreworthyofourattentionthanthosewhichhaveregulatedsuchcities？orwhatsettlementsofstatesaregreaterormorefamous？
Meg。Iknowofnone。
Ath。CanwedoubtthatyourancestorsintendedtheseinstitutionsnotonlyfortheprotectionofPeloponnesus，butofalltheHellenes。incasetheywereattackedbythebarbarian？FortheinhabitantsoftheregionaboutIlium，whentheyprovokedbytheirinsolencetheTrojanwar，relieduponthepoweroftheAssyriansandtheEmpireofNinus，whichstillexistedandhadagreatprestige；thepeopleofthosedaysfearingtheunitedAssyrianEmpirejustaswenowfeartheGreatKing。AndthesecondcaptureofTroywasaseriousoffenceagainstthem，becauseTroywasaportionoftheAssyrianEmpire。Tomeetthedangerthesinglearmywasdistributedbetweenthreecitiesbytheroyalbrothers，sonsofHeracles-afairdevice，asitseemed，andafarbetterarrangementthantheexpeditionagainstTroy。For，firstly，thepeopleofthatdayhad，astheythought，intheHeraclidaebetterleadersthanthePelopidae；inthenextplace，theyconsideredthattheirarmywassuperiorinvalourtothatwhichwentagainstTroy；for，althoughthelatterconqueredtheTrojans，theywerethemselvesconqueredbytheHeraclidae-AchaeansbyDorians。Maywenotsupposethatthiswastheintentionwithwhichthemenofthosedaysframedtheconstitutionsoftheirstates？
Meg。Quitetrue。
Ath。Andwouldnotmenwhohadsharedwithoneanothermanydangers，andweregovernedbyasingleraceofroyalbrothers，andhadtakentheadviceoforacles，andinparticularoftheDelphianApollo，belikelytothinkthatsuchstateswouldbefirmlyandlastinglyestablished？
Meg。Ofcoursetheywould。
Ath。Yettheseinstitutions，ofwhichsuchgreatexpectationswereentertained，seemtohaveallrapidlyvanishedaway；withtheexception，asIwassaying，ofthatsmallpartofthemwhichexistedinyourland。Andthisthirdparthasnevertothisdayceasedwarringagainstthetwoothers；whereas，iftheoriginalideahadbeencarriedout，andtheyhadagreedtobeone，theirpowerwouldhavebeeninvincibleinwar。
Meg。Nodoubt。
Ath。Butwhatwastheruinofthisgloriousconfederacy？Hereisasubjectwellworthyofconsideration。
Meg。Certainly，noonewilleverfindmorestrikinginstancesoflawsorgovernmentsbeingthesalvationordestructionofgreatandnobleinterests，thanareherepresentedtohisview。
Ath。Thennowweseemtohavehappilyarrivedatarealandimportantquestion。
Meg。Verytrue。
Ath。Didyouneverremark，sagefriend，thatallmen，andweourselvesatthismoment，oftenfancythattheyseesomebeautifulthingwhichmighthaveeffectedwondersifanyonehadonlyknownhowtomakearightuseofitinsomeway；andyetthismodeoflookingatthingsmayturnoutafteralltobeamistake，andnotaccordingtonature，eitherinourowncaseorinanyother？
Meg。Towhatareyoureferring，andwhatdoyoumean？
Ath。IwasthinkingofmyownadmirationoftheaforesaidHeracleidexpedition，whichwassonoble，andmighthavehadsuchwonderfulresultsfortheHellenes，ifonlyrightlyused；andIwasjustlaughingatmyself。
Meg。Butwereyounotrightandwiseinspeakingasyoudid，andweinassentingtoyou？
