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，andpossessedeverygoodandthenhegivesawholelistofthem，ifhebenotatalltimesabravewarrior。“Iimaginethatyou，too，musthaveheardhispoems；ourLacedaemonianfriendhasprobablyheardmorethanenoughofthem。
Meg。Verytrue。
Cle。AndtheyhavefoundtheirwayfromLacedaemontoCrete。