Kitap 3
684
Ath. In the polities legally established—whether by the kings or others—in the three States, was not this the most important principle?
684
Meg. What?
684
Ath. That the other two States should always help against the third, whenever it disobeyed the laws laid down.
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Meg. Evidently.
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Ath. And surely most people insist on this,— that the lawgivers shall enact laws of such a kind that the masses of the people accept them willingly; just as one might insist that trainers or doctors should make their treatments or cures of men’s bodies pleasurable.
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Meg. Exactly so.
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Ath. But in fact one often has to be content if one can bring a body into a sound and healthy state with no great amount of pain.
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Meg. Very true.
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Ath. The men of that age possessed also another advantage which helped not a little to facilitate legislation.Cp. Plat. Laws 736c.
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Meg. What was that?
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Ath. Their legislators, in their efforts to establish equality of property, were free from that worst of accusations which is commonly incurred in States with laws of a different kind, whenever anyone seeks to disturb the occupation of land, or to propose the abolition of debts, since he perceives that without these measures equality could never be fully secured. In such cases, if the lawgiver attempts to disturb any of these things, everyone confronts him with the cry, Hands off, and they curse him for introducing redistributions of land and remissions of debts, with the result that every man is rendered powerless. But the Dorians had this further advantage, that they were free from all dread of giving offence, so that they could divide up their land without dispute; and they had no large debts of old standing. i.e., the Dorian settlers, by right of conquest, were free to do as they pleased: none of the old owners or creditors could assert rights or claims.
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Meg. True
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Ath. How was it then, my good sirs, that their settlement and legislation turned out so badly?
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Meg. What do you mean? What fault have you to find with it?
