第24章

Thenletusnowproceedtodescribetheinferiorsortofnatures，beingthecontentiousandambitious，whoanswertotheSpartanpolity；

alsotheoligarchical，democratical，andtyrannical。Letusplacethemostjustbythesideofthemostunjust，andwhenweseethemweshallbeabletocomparetherelativehappinessorunhappinessofhimwholeadsalifeofpurejusticeorpureinjustice。Theenquirywillthenbecompleted。Andweshallknowwhetherweoughttopursueinjustice，asThrasymachusadvises，orinaccordancewiththeconclusionsoftheargumenttopreferjustice。

Certainly，hereplied，wemustdoasyousay。

Shallwefollowouroldplan，whichweadoptedwithaviewtoclearness，oftakingtheStatefirstandthenproceedingtotheindividual，andbeginwiththegovernmentofhonour？——Iknowofnonameforsuchagovernmentotherthantimocracy，orperhapstimarchy。Wewillcomparewiththisthelikecharacterintheindividual；and，afterthat，consideroligarchicalman；andthenagainwewillturnourattentiontodemocracyandthedemocraticalman；

andlastly，wewillgoandviewthecityoftyranny，andoncemoretakealookintothetyrant’ssoul，andtrytoarriveatasatisfactorydecision。

Thatwayofviewingandjudgingofthematterwillbeverysuitable。

First，then，Isaid，letusenquirehowtimocracy（thegovernmentofhonour）arisesoutofaristocracy（thegovernmentofthebest）。

Clearly，allpoliticalchangesoriginateindivisionsoftheactualgoverningpower；agovernmentwhichisunited，howeversmall，cannotbemoved。

Verytrue，hesaid。

Inwhatway，then，willourcitybemoved，andinwhatmannerthetwoclassesofauxiliariesandrulersdisagreeamongthemselvesorwithoneanother？Shallwe，afterthemannerofHomer，praytheMusestotellus’howdiscordfirstarose’？Shallweimaginetheminsolemnmockery，toplayandjestwithusasifwewerechildren，andtoaddressusinaloftytragicvein，makingbelievetobeinearnest？

Howwouldtheyaddressus？

Afterthismanner：——Acitywhichisthusconstitutedcanhardlybeshaken；but，seeingthateverythingwhichhasabeginninghasalsoanend，evenaconstitutionsuchasyourswillnotlastforever，butwillintimebedissolved。Andthisisthedissolution：——Inplantsthatgrowintheearth，aswellasinanimalsthatmoveontheearth’ssurface，fertilityandsterilityofsoulandbodyoccurwhenthecircumferencesofthecirclesofeacharecompleted，whichinshort—livedexistencespassoverashortspace，andinlong—livedonesoveralongspace。Buttotheknowledgeofhumanfecundityandsterilityallthewisdomandeducationofyourrulerswillnotattain；

thelawswhichregulatethemwillnotbediscoveredbyanintelligencewhichisalloyedwithsense，butwillescapethem，andtheywillbringchildrenintotheworldwhentheyoughtnot。Nowthatwhichisofdivinebirthhasaperiodwhichiscontainedinaperfectnumber，buttheperiodofhumanbirthiscomprehendedinanumberinwhichfirstincrementsbyinvolutionandevolution（orsquaredandcubed）

obtainingthreeintervalsandfourtermsoflikeandunlike，waxingandwaningnumbers，makeallthetermscommensurableandagreeabletooneanother。Thebaseofthese（3）withathirdadded（4）whencombinedwithfive（20）andraisedtothethirdpowerfurnishestwoharmonies；thefirstasquarewhichisahundredtimesasgreat（400=

4X100），andtheotherafigurehavingonesideequaltotheformer，butoblong，consistingofahundrednumberssquareduponrationaldiametersofasquare（i。e。omittingfractions），thesideofwhichisfive（7X7=49X100=4900），eachofthembeinglessbyone（thantheperfectsquarewhichincludesthefractions，sc。50）

orlessbytwoperfectsquaresofirrationaldiameters（ofasquarethesideofwhichisfive=50+50=100）；andahundredcubesofthree（27X100=2700+4900+400=8000）。Nowthisnumberrepresentsageometricalfigurewhichhascontroloverthegoodandevilofbirths。Forwhenyourguardiansareignorantofthelawofbirths，andunitebrideandbridegroomoutofseason，thechildrenwillnotbegoodlyorfortunate。Andthoughonlythebestofthemwillbeappointedbytheirpredecessors，stilltheywillbeunworthytoholdtheirfathers’places，andwhentheycomeintopowerasguardians，theywillsoonbefoundtofallintakingcareofus，theMuses，firstbyunder—valuingmusic；whichneglectwillsoonextendtogymnastic；andhencetheyoungmenofyourStatewillbelesscultivated。Inthesucceedinggenerationrulerswillbeappointedwhohavelosttheguardianpoweroftestingthemetalofyourdifferentraces，which，likeHesiod’s，areofgoldandsilverandbrassandiron。Andsoironwillbemingledwithsilver，andbrasswithgold，andhencetherewillarisedissimilarityandinequalityandirregularity，whichalwaysandinallplacesarecausesofhatredandwar。ThistheMusesaffirmtobethestockfromwhichdiscordhassprung，whereverarising；andthisistheiranswertous。

Yes，andwemayassumethattheyanswertruly。

Why，yes，Isaid，ofcoursetheyanswertruly；howcantheMusesspeakfalsely？

AndwhatdotheMusessaynext？

Whendiscordarose，thenthetworacesweredrawndifferentways：

theironandbrassfelltoacquiringmoneyandlandandhousesandgoldandsilver；butthegoldandsilverraces，notwantingmoneybuthavingthetruerichesintheirownnature，inclinedtowardsvirtueandtheancientorderofthings。Therewasabattlebetweenthem，andatlasttheyagreedtodistributetheirlandandhousesamongindividualowners；andtheyenslavedtheirfriendsandmaintainers，whomtheyhadformerlyprotectedintheconditionoffreemen，andmadeofthemsubjectsandservants；andtheythemselveswereengagedinwarandinkeepingawatchagainstthem。

Ibelievethatyouhaverightlyconceivedtheoriginofthechange。

Andthenewgovernmentwhichthusariseswillbeofaformintermediatebetweenoligarchyandaristocracy？

Verytrue。

Suchwillbethechange，andafterthechangehasbeenmade，howwilltheyproceed？Clearly，thenewState，beinginameanbetweenoligarchyandtheperfectState，willpartlyfollowoneandpartlytheother，andwillalsohavesomepeculiarities。

True，hesaid。

Inthehonourgiventorulers，intheabstinenceofthewarriorclassfromagriculture，handicrafts，andtradeingeneral，intheinstitutionofcommonmeals，andintheattentionpaidtogymnasticsandmilitarytraining——inalltheserespectsthisStatewillresembletheformer。

True。

Butinthefearofadmittingphilosopherstopower，becausetheyarenolongertobehadsimpleandearnest，butaremadeupofmixedelements；andinturningfromthemtopassionateandlesscomplexcharacters，whoarebynaturefittedforwarratherthanpeace；andinthevaluesetbythemuponmilitarystratagemsandcontrivances，andinthewagingofeverlastingwars——thisStatewillbeforthemostpartpeculiar。

Yes。

Yes，Isaid；andmenofthisstampwillbecovetousofmoney，likethosewholiveinoligarchies；theywillhave，afiercesecretlongingaftergoldandsilver，whichtheywillhoardindarkplaces，havingmagazinesandtr