LAWS

第26章

andhewhowilldulyexecutethesacredoffice,accordingtothelawsofreligion,mustbenotlessthansixtyyearsofage-thelawsshallbethesameaboutpriestesses。Asfortheinterpreters,theyshallbeappointedthus:-Letthetwelvetribesbedistributedintogroupsoffour,andleteachgroupselectfour,oneoutofeachtribewithinthegroup,threetimes;andletthethreewhohavethegreatestnumberofvotes[outofthetwelveappointedbyeachgroup],afterundergoingascrutiny,nineinall,besenttoDelphi,inorderthattheGodmayreturnoneoutofeachtriad;theirageshallbethesameasthatofthepriests,andthescrutinyofthemshallbeconductedinthesamemanner;letthembeinterpretersforlife,andwhenanyonediesletthefourtribesselectanotherfromthetribeofthedeceased。Moreover,besidespriestsandinterpreters,theremustbetreasurers,whowilltakechargeofthepropertyoftheseveraltemples,andofthesacreddomains,andshallhaveauthorityovertheproduceandthelettingofthem;andthreeofthemshallbechosenfromthehighestclassesforthegreatertemples,andtwoforthelesser,andonefortheleastofall;themanneroftheirelectionandthescrutinyofthemshallbethesameasthatofthegenerals。Thisshallbetheorderofthetemples。

Leteverythinghaveaguardasfaraspossible。Letthedefenceofthecitybecommitedtothegenerals,andtaxiarchs,andhipparchs,andphylarchs,andprytanes,andthewardensofthecity,andoftheagora,whentheelectionofthemhasbeencompleted。Thedefenceofthecountryshallbeprovidedforasfollows:-Theentirelandhasbeenalreadydistributedintotwelveasnearlyaspossibleequalparts,andletthetribeallottedtoadivisionprovideannuallyforitfivewardensofthecountryandcommandersofthewatch;andleteachbodyoffivehavethepowerofselectingtwelveothersoutoftheyouthoftheirowntribe-theseshallbenotlessthantwenty-fiveyearsofage,andnotmorethanthirty。Andlettherebeallottedtothemseverallyeverymonththevariousdistricts,inorderthattheymayallacquireknowledgeandexperienceofthewholecountry。Thetermofserviceforcommandersandforwatchersshallcontinueduringtwoyears。Afterhavinghadtheirstationsallottedtothem,theywillgofromplacetoplaceinregularorder,makingtheirroundfromlefttorightastheircommandersdirectthem;(whenI

speakofgoingtotheright,Imeanthattheyaretogototheeast)。Andatthecommencementofthesecondyear,inorderthatasmanyaspossibleoftheguardsmaynotonlygetaknowledgeofthecountryatanyoneseasonoftheyear,butmayalsohaveexperienceofthemannerinwhichdifferentplacesareaffectedatdifferentseasonsoftheyear,theirthencommandersshallleadthemagaintowardstheleft,fromplacetoplaceinsuccession,untiltheyhavecompletedthesecondyear。Inthethirdyearotherwardensofthecountryshallbechosenandcommandersofthewatch,fiveforeachdivision,whoaretobethesuperintendentsofthebandsoftwelve。Whileonserviceateachstation,theirattentionshallbedirectedtothefollowingpoints:-Inthefirstplace,theyshallseethatthecountryiswellprotectedagainstenemies;theyshalltrenchanddigwhereverthisisrequired,and,asfarastheycan,theyshallbyfortificationskeepofftheevil-disposed,inordertopreventthemfromdoinganyharmtothecountryortheproperty;theyshallusethebeastsofburdenandthelabourerswhomtheyfindonthespot:thesewillbetheirinstrumentswhomtheywillsuperintend,takingthem,asfaraspossible,atthetimeswhentheyarenotengagedintheirregularbusiness。Theyshallmakeeverypartofthecountryinaccessibletoenemies,andasaccessibleaspossibletofriends;thereshallbewaysformanandbeastsofburdenandforcattle,andtheyshalltakecaretohavethemalwaysassmoothastheycan;andshallprovideagainsttherainsdoingharminsteadofgoodtotheland,whentheycomedownfromthemountainsintothehollowdells;andshallkeepintheoverflowbythehelpofworksandditches,inorderthatthevalleys,receivinganddrinkinguptherainfromheaven,andprovidingfountainsandstreamsinthefieldsandregionswhichlieunderneath,mayfurnisheventothedryplacesplentyofgoodwater。

Thefountainsofwater,whetherofriversorofsprings,shallbeornamentedwithplantationsandbuildingsforbeauty;andletthembringtogetherthestreamsinsubterraneouschannels,andmakeallthingsplenteous;andiftherebeasacredgroveordedicatedprecinctintheneighbourhood,theyshallconductthewatertotheactualtemplesoftheGods,andsobeautifythematallseasonsoftheyear。Everywhereinsuchplacestheyouthshallmakegymnasiaforthemselves,andwarmbathsfortheaged,placingbythemabundanceofdrywood,forthebenefitofthoselabouringunderdisease-therethewearyframeoftherustic,wornwithtoil,willreceiveakindlywelcome,farbetterthanhewouldatthehandsofanotover-wisedoctor。

Thebuildingoftheseandthelikeworkswillbeusefulandornamental;theywillprovideapleasingamusement,buttheywillbeaseriousemploymenttoo;forthesixtywardenswillhavetoguardtheirseveraldivisions,notonlywithaviewtoenemies,butalsowithaneyetoprofessingfriends。Whenaquarrelarisesamongneighboursorcitizens,andanyone,whetherslaveorfreemanwrongsanother,letthefivewardensdecidesmallmattersontheirownaut

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