PERSONSOFTHEDIALOGUE：AnATHENIANSTRANGER；CLEINIAS，aCretan；MEGILLUS，aLacedaemonianAthenianStranger。Tellme，Strangers，isaGodorsomemansupposedtobetheauthorofyourlaws？

Cleinias。AGod，Stranger；inverytrutha，God：amongusCretansheissaidtohavebeenZeus，butinLacedaemon，whenceourfriendherecomes，IbelievetheywouldsaythatApolloistheirlawgiver：wouldtheynot，Megillus？

Megillus。Certainly。

Ath。Anddoyou，Cleinias，believe，asHomertells，thateveryninthyearMinoswenttoconversewithhisOlympiansire，andwasinspiredbyhimtomakelawsforyourcities？

Cle。Yes，thatisourtradition；andtherewasRhadamanthus，abrotherofhis，withwhosenameyouarefamiliar；heisreputedtohavebeenthejustestofmen，andweCretansareofopinionthatheearnedthisreputationfromhisrighteousadministrationofjusticewhenhewasalive。

Ath。Yes，andanoblereputationitwas，worthyofasonofZeus。AsyouandMegillushavebeentrainedintheseinstitutions，Idaresaythatyouwillnotbeunwillingtogiveanaccountofyourgovernmentandlaws；onourwaywecanpassthetimepleasantlyinaboutthem，forIamtoldthatthedistancefromCnosustothecaveandtempleofZeusisconsiderable；anddoubtlessthereareshadyplacesundertheloftytrees，whichwillprotectusfromthisscorchingsun。

Beingnolongeryoung，wemayoftenstoptorestbeneaththem，andgetoverthewholejourneywithoutdifficulty，beguilingthetimebyconversation。

Cle。Yes，Stranger，andifweproceedonwardweshallcometogrovesofcypresses，whichareofrareheightandbeauty，andtherearegreenmeadows，inwhichwemayreposeandconverse。

Ath。Verygood。

Cle。Verygood，indeed；andstillbetterwhenweseethem；letusmoveoncheerily。

Ath。Iamwilling-Andfirst，Iwanttoknowwhythelawhasordainedthatyoushallhavecommonmealsandgymnasticexercises，andweararms。

Cle。Ithink，Stranger，thattheaimofourinstitutionsiseasilyintelligibletoanyone。Lookatthecharacterofourcountry：CreteisnotlikeThessaly，alargeplain；andforthisreasontheyhavehorsemeninThessaly，andwehaverunners-theinequalityofthegroundinourcountryismoreadaptedtolocomotiononfoot；butthen，ifyouhaverunnersyoumusthavelightarms-noonecancarryaheavyweightwhenrunning，andbowsandarrowsareconvenientbecausetheyarelight。Nowalltheseregulationshavebeenmadewithaviewtowar，andthelegislatorappearstometohavelookedtothisinallhisarrangements：-thecommonmeals，ifIamnotmistaken，wereinstitutedbyhimforasimilarreason，becausehesawthatwhiletheyareinthefieldthecitizensarebythenatureofthecasecompelledtotaketheirmealstogetherforthesakeofmutualprotection。Heseemstometohavethoughttheworldfoolishinnotunderstandingthatallarealwaysatwarwithoneanother；andifinwarthereoughttobecommonmealsandcertainpersonsregularlyappointedunderotherstoprotectanarmy，theyshouldbecontinuedinpeace。Forwhatmeningeneraltermpeacewouldbesaidbyhimtobeonlyaname；inrealityeverycityisinanaturalstateofwarwitheveryother，notindeedproclaimedbyheralds，buteverlasting。Andifyoulookclosely，youwillfindthatthiswastheintentionoftheCretanlegislator；allinstitutions，privateaswellaspublic，werearrangedbyhimwithaviewtowar；ingivingthemhewasundertheimpressionthatnopossessionsorinstitutionsareofanyvaluetohimwhoisdefeatedinbattle；forallthegoodthingsoftheconqueredpassintothehandsoftheconquerors。

Ath。Youappeartome，Stranger，tohavebeenthoroughlytrainedintheCretaninstitutions，andtobewellinformedaboutthem；willyoutellmealittlemoreexplicitlywhatistheprincipleofgovernmentwhichyouwouldlaydown？Youseemtoimaginethatawellgovernedstateoughttobesoorderedastoconquerallotherstatesinwar：amIrightinsupposingthistobeyourmeaning？

Cle。Certainly；andourLacedaemonianfriend，ifIamnotmistaken，willagreewithme。

Meg。Why，mygoodfriend，howcouldanyLacedaemoniansayanythingelse？

Ath。Andiswhatyousayapplicableonlytostates，oralsotovillages？

Cle。Tobothalike。

Ath。Thecaseisthesame？

Cle。Yes。

Ath。Andinthevillagewilltherebethesamewaroffamilyagainstfamily，andofindividualagainstindividual？

Cle。Thesame。

Ath。Andshouldeachmanconceivehimselftobehisownenemy：-whatshallwesay？

Cle。OAthenianStranger-inhabitantofAtticaIwillnotcallyou，foryouseemtodeserverathertobenamedafterthegoddessherself，becauseyougobacktofirstprinciplesyouhavethrownalightupontheargument，andwillnowbebetterabletounderstandwhatIwasjustsaying-thatallmenarepubliclyoneanother’senemies，andeachmanprivatelyhisown。

(Ath。Mygoodsir，whatdoyoumean？)——

Cle……Moreover，thereisavictoryanddefeat-thefirstandbestofvictories，thelowestandworstofdefeats-whicheachmangainsorsustainsatthehands，notofanother，butofhimself；thisshowsthatthereisawaragainstourselvesgoingonwithineveryoneofus。

Ath。Letusnowreversetheorderoftheargument：Seeingthateveryindividualiseitherhisownsuperiororhisowninferior，maywesaythatthereisthesameprincipleinthehouse，thevillage，andthestate？

Cle。Youmeanthatineachofthemthereisaprincipleofsuperiorityorinferioritytoself？

Ath。Yes。

Cle。Youarequiterightinaskingthequestion，fortherecertainlyissuchaprinciple，andaboveallinstates；andthestateinwhichthebettercitizenswinavictoryoverthemobandovertheinferiorclassesmaybetrulysaidtobebetterthanitself，andmaybejustlypraised，wheresuchavictoryisgained，orcensuredintheoppositecase。

Ath。Whetherthebetteriseverreallyconqueredbytheworse，isaquestionwhichrequiresmorediscussion，andmaybethereforeleftforthepresent。ButInowquiteunderstandyourmeaningwhenyousaythatcitizenswhoareofthesameraceandliveinthesamecitiesmayunjustlyconspire，andhavingthesuperiorityinnumbersmayovercomeandenslavethefewjust；andwhentheyprevail，thestatemaybetrulycalleditsowninferiorandthereforebad；andwhentheyaredefeated，itsownsuperiorandthereforegood。

Cle。Yourremark，Stranger，isaparadox，andyetwecannotpossiblydenyit。

Ath。Hereisanothercaseforconsideration；-inafamilytheremaybeseveralbrothers，whoaretheoffspringofasinglepair；verypossiblythemajorityofthemmaybeunjust，andthejustmaybeinaminority。

Cle。Verypossibly。

Ath。AndyouandIoughtnottoraiseaquestionofwordsastowhetherthisfamilyandhouseholdarerightlysaidtobesuperiorwhentheyconquer，andinferiorwhentheyareconquered；forwearenotnowconsideringwhatmayormaynotbetheproperorcustomarywayofspeaking，butweareconsideringthenaturalprinciplesofrightandwronginlaws。

Cle。Whatyousay，Stranger，ismosttrue。

Meg。Quiteexcellent，inmyopinion，asfaraswehavegone。

Ath。Again；mighttherenotbeajudgeoverthesebrethren，ofwhomwewerespeaking？

Cle。Certainly。

Ath。Now，whichwouldbethebetterjudge-onewhodestroyedthebadandappointedthegoodtogovernthemselves；oronewho，whileallowingthegoodtogovern，letthebadlive，andmadethemvoluntarilysubmit？Orthird，Isuppose，inthescaleofexcellencemightbeplacedajudge，who，findingthefamilydistracted，notonlydidnotdestroyanyone，butreconciledthemtooneanotherforeverafter，andgavethemlawswhichtheymutuallyobserved，andwasabletokeepthemfriends。

Cle。Thelastwouldbebyfarthebestsortofjudgeandlegislator。

Ath。Andyettheaimofallthelawswhichhegavewouldbethereverseofwar。

Cle。Verytrue。

Ath。Andwillhewhoconstitutesthestateandordersthelifeofmanhaveinviewexternalwar，orthatkindofintestinewarcalledcivil，whichnoone，ifhecouldprevent，wouldliketohaveoccurringinhisownstate；andwhenoccurring，everyonewouldwishtobequitofassoonaspossible？

Cle。Hewouldhavethelatterchieflyinview。

Ath。Andwouldhepreferthatthiscivilwarshouldbeterminatedbythedestructionofoneoftheparties，andbythevictoryoftheother，orthatpeaceandfriendshipshouldbere-established，andthat，beingreconciled，theyshouldgivetheirattentiontoforeignenemies？

Cle。Everyonewoulddesirethelatterinthecaseofhisownstate。

Ath。Andwouldnotthatalsobethedesireofthelegislator？

Cle。Certainly。

Ath。Andwouldnoteveryonealwaysmakelawsforthesakeofthebest？

Cle。Tobesure。

Ath。Butwar，whetherexternalorcivil，isnotthebest，andtheneedofeitheristobedeprecated；butpeacewithoneanother，andgoodwill，arebest。Noristhevictoryofthestateoveritselftoberegardedasareallygoodthing，butasanecessity；amanmightaswellsaythatthebodywasinthebeststatewhensickandpurgedbymedicine，forgettingthatthereisalsoastateofthebodywhichneedsnopurge。Andinlikemannernoonecanbeatruestatesman，whetherheaimsatthehappinessoftheindividualorstate，wholooksonly，orfirstofall，toexternalwarfare；norwillheeverbeasoundlegislatorwhoorderspeaceforthesakeofwar，andnotwarforthesakeofpeace。

Cle。Isupposethatthereistruth，Stranger，inthatremarkofyours；andyetIamgreatlymistakenifwarisnottheentireaimandobjectofourowninstitutions，andalsooftheLacedaemonian。

Ath。Idaresay；butthereisnoreasonwhyweshouldrudelyquarrelwithoneanotheraboutyourlegislators，insteadofgentlyquestioningthem，seeingthatbothweandtheyareequallyinearnest。Pleasefollowmeandtheargumentclosely：-AndfirstIwillputforwardTyrtaeus，anAthenianbybirth，butalsoaSpartancitizen，whoofallmenwasmosteageraboutwar：Well，hesays，“Isingnot，Icarenot，aboutanyman，evenifheweretherichestofmen，andpossessedeverygood(andthenhegivesawholelistofthem)，ifhebenotatalltimesabravewarrior。“Iimaginethatyou，too，musthaveheardhispoems；ourLacedaemonianfriendhasprobablyheardmorethanenoughofthem。

Meg。Verytrue。

Cle。AndtheyhavefoundtheirwayfromLacedaemontoCrete。