Letthecitizensatoncedistributetheirlandandhouses，andnottillthelandincommon，sinceacommunityofgoodsgoesbeyondtheirproposedorigin，andnurture，andeducation。Butinmakingthedistribution，lettheseveralpossessorsfeelthattheirparticularlotsalsobelongtothewholecity；andseeingthattheearthistheirparent，letthemtendhermorecarefullythanchildrendotheirmother。Forsheisagoddessandtheirqueen，andtheyarehermortalsubjects。SuchalsoarethefeelingswhichtheyoughttoentertaintotheGodsanddemi-godsofthecountry。Andinorderthatthedistributionmayalwaysremain，theyoughttoconsiderfurtherthatthepresentnumberoffamiliesshouldbealwaysretained，andneitherincreasednordiminished。Thismaybesecuredforthewholecityinthefollowingmanner：-Letthepossessorofalotleavetheoneofhischildrenwhoishisbestbeloved，andoneonly，tobetheheirofhisdwelling，andhissuccessorinthedutyofministeringtotheGods，thestateandthefamily，aswellthelivingmembersofitasthosewhoaredepartedwhenhecomesintotheinheritance；butofhisotherchildren，ifhehavemorethanone，heshallgivethefemalesinmarriageaccordingtothelawtobehereafterenacted，andthemalesheshalldistributeassonstothosecitizenswhohavenochildrenandaredisposedtoreceivethem；orifthereshouldbenonesuch，andparticularindividualshavetoomanychildren，maleorfemale，ortoofew，asinthecaseofbarrenness-inallthesecasesletthehighestandmosthonourablemagistracycreatedbyusjudgeanddeterminewhatistobedonewiththeredundantordeficient，anddeviseameansthatthenumberof5040housesshallalwaysremainthesame。Therearemanywaysofregulatingnumbers；fortheyinwhomgenerationisaffluentmaybemadetorefrain，and，ontheotherhand，specialcaremaybetakentoincreasethenumberofbirthsbyrewardsandstigmas，orwemaymeettheevilbytheeldermengivingadviceandadministeringrebuketotheyounger-inthiswaytheobjectmaybeattained。Andifafteralltherebeverygreatdifficultyabouttheequalpreservationofthe5040houses，andtherebeanexcessofcitizens，owingtothetoogreatloveofthosewholivetogether，andweareatourwits’end，thereisstilltheolddeviceoftenmentionedbyusofsendingoutacolony，whichwillpartfriendswithus，andbecomposedofsuitablepersons。If，ontheotherhand，therecomeawavebearingadelugeofdisease，oraplagueofwar，andtheinhabitantsbecomemuchfewerthantheappointednumberbyreasonofbereavement，weoughtnottointroducecitizensofspuriousbirthandeducation，ifthiscanbeavoided；
butevenGodissaidnottobeabletofightagainstnecessity。
Whereforeletussupposethis“highargument“ofourstoaddressusinthefollowingterms：-Bestofmen，ceasenottohonouraccordingtonaturesimilarityandequalityandsamenessandagreement，asregardsnumberandeverygoodandnoblequality。And，aboveall，observetheaforesaidnumber5040throughoutlife；inthesecondplace，donotdisparagethesmallandmodestproportionsoftheinheritanceswhichyoureceivedinthedistribution，bybuyingandsellingthemtooneanother。ForthenneitherwilltheGodwhogaveyouthelotbeyourfriend，norwillthelegislator；andindeedthelawdeclarestothedisobedientthatthesearethetermsuponwhichhemayormaynottakethelot。Inthefirstplace，theearthasheisinformedissacredtotheGods；andinthenextplace，priestsandpriestesseswillofferupprayersoverafirst，andsecond，andevenathirdsacrifice，thathewhobuysorsellsthehousesorlandswhichhehasreceived，maysufferthepunishmentwhichhedeserves；andthesetheirprayerstheyshallwritedowninthetemples，ontabletsofcypress-wood，fortheinstructionofposterity。Moreovertheywillsetawatchoverallthesethings，thattheymaybeobserved；-themagistracywhichhasthesharpesteyesshallkeepwatchthatanyinfringementofthesecommandsmaybediscoveredandpunishedasoffencesbothagainstthelawandtheGod。Howgreatisthebenefitofsuchanordinancetoallthosecities，whichobeyandareadministeredaccordingly，nobadmancaneverknow，astheoldproverbsays；butonlyamanofexperienceandgoodhabits。Forinsuchanorderofthingstherewillnotbemuchopportunityformakingmoney；nomaneitherought，orindeedwillbeallowed，toexerciseanyignobleoccupation，ofwhichthevulgarityisamatterofreproachtoafreeman，andshouldneverwanttoacquirerichesbyanysuchmeans。
Further，thelawenjoinsthatnoprivatemanshallbeallowedtopossessgoldandsilver，butonlycoinfordailyuse，whichisalmostnecessaryindealingwithartisans，andforpaymentofhirelings，whetherslavesorimmigrants，byallthosepersonswhorequiretheuseofthem。Whereforeourcitizens，aswesay，shouldhaveacoinpassingcurrentamongthemselves，butnotacceptedamongtherestofmankind；withaview，however，toexpeditionsandjourneystootherlands-forembassies，orforanyotheroccasionwhichmayariseofsendingoutaherald，thestatemustalsopossessacommonHelleniccurrency。Ifaprivatepersoniseverobligedtogoabroad，lethimhavetheconsentofthemagistratesandgo；andifwhenhereturnshehasanyforeignmoneyremaining，lethimgivethesurplusbacktothetreasury，andreceiveacorrespondingsuminthelocalcurrency。Andifheisdiscoveredtoappropriateit，letitbeconfiscated，andlethimwhoknowsanddoesnotinformbesubjecttocurseanddishonourequallyhimwhobroughtthemoney，andalsotoafinenotlessinamountthantheforeignmoneywhichhasbeenbroughtback。Inmarryingandgivinginmarriage，nooneshallgiveorreceiveanydowryatall；andnooneshalldepositmoneywithanotherwhomhedoesnottrustasafriend，norshallhelendmoneyuponinterest；andtheborrowershouldbeundernoobligationtorepayeithercapitalorinterest。Thattheseprinciplesarebest，anyonemayseewhocomparesthemwiththefirstprincipleandintentionofastate。Theintention，asweaffirm，ofareasonablestatesman，isnotwhatthemanydeclaretobetheobjectofagoodlegislator，namely，thatthestateforthetrueinterestsofwhichheisadvisingshouldbeasgreatandasrichaspossible，andshouldpossessgoldandsilver，andhavethegreatestempirebyseaandland；-thistheyimaginetobetherealobjectoflegislation，atthesametimeadding，inconsistently，thatthetruelegislatordesirestohavethecitythebestandhappiestpossible。Buttheydonotseethatsomeofthesethingsarepossible，andsomeofthemareimpossible；andhewhoordersthestatewilldesirewhatispossible，andwillnotindulgeinvainwishesorattemptstoaccomplishthatwhichisimpossible。Thecitizenmustindeedbehappyandgood，andthelegislatorwillseektomakehimso；butveryrichandverygoodatthesametimehecannotbe，not，atleast，inthesenseinwhichthemanyspeakofriches。Fortheymeanby“therich“thefewwhohavethemostvaluablepossessions，althoughtheownerofthemmayquitewellbearogue。Andifthisistrue，I
canneverassenttothedoctrinethattherichmanwillbehappy-hemustbegoodaswellasrich。Andgoodinahighdegree，andrichinahighdegreeatthesametime，hecannotbe。Someonewillask，whynot？Andweshallanswer-Becauseacquisitionswhichcomefromsourceswhicharejustandunjustindifferently，aremorethandoublethosewhichcomefromjustsourcesonly；andthesumswhichareexpendedneitherhonourablynordisgracefully，areonlyhalfasgreatasthosewhichareexpendedhonourablyandonhonourablepurposes。Thus，iftheoneacquiresdoubleandspendshalf，theotherwhoisintheoppositecaseandisagoodmancannotpossiblybewealthierthanhe。Thefirst-Iamspeakingofthesaverandnotofthespender-isnotalwaysbad；hemayindeedinsomecasesbeutterlybad，but，asIwassaying，agoodmanheneveris。Forhewhoreceivesmoneyunjustlyaswellasjustly，andspendsneithernorunjustly，willbearichmanifhebealsothrifty。Ontheotherhand，theutterlybadisingeneralprofligate，andthereforeverypoor；whilehewhospendsonnobleobjects，andacquireswealthbyjustmeansonly，canhardlyberemarkableforriches，anymorethanhecanbeverypoor。Ourstatement，then，istrue，thattheveryricharenotgood，and，iftheyarenotgood，theyarenothappy。Buttheintentionofourlawswasthatthecitizensshouldbeashappyasmaybe，andasfriendlyaspossibletooneanother。Andmenwhoarealwaysatlawwithoneanother，andamongstwhomtherearemanywrongsdone，canneverbefriendstooneanother，butonlythoseamongwhomcrimesandlawsuitsarefewandslight。Thereforewesaythatgoldandsilveroughtnottobeallowedinthecity，normuchofthevulgarsortoftradewhichiscarriedonbylendingmoney，orrearingthemeanerkindsoflivestock；butonlytheproduceofagriculture，andonlysomuchofthisaswillnotcompelusinpursuingittoneglectthatforthesakeofwhichrichesexist-Imean，soulandbody，whichwithoutgymnastics，andwithouteducation，willneverbeworthanything；andtherefore，aswehavesaidnotoncebutmanytimes，thecareofrichesshouldhavethelastplaceinourthoughts。Forthereareinallthreethingsaboutwhicheverymanhasaninterest；
andtheinterestaboutmoney，whenrightlyregarded，isthethirdandlowestofthem：midwaycomestheinterestofthebody；and，firstofall，thatofthesoul；andthestatewhichwearedescribingwillhavebeenrightlyconstitutedifitordainshonoursaccordingtothisscale。Butif，inanyofthelawswhichhavebeenordained，healthhasbeenpreferredtotemperance，orwealthtohealthandtemperatehabits，thatlawmustclearlybewrong。Wherefore，also，thelegislatoroughtoftentoimpressuponhimselfthequestion-“WhatdoIwant？“and“DoIattainmyaim，ordoImissthemark？“Inthisway，andinthiswayonly，hemaacquithimselfandfreeothersfromtheworkoflegislation。
Lettheallotteethenholdhislotupontheconditionswhichwehavementioned。
Itwouldbewellthateverymanshouldcometothecolonyhavingallthingsequal；butseeingthatthisisnotpossible，andonemanwillhavegreaterpossessionsthananother，formanyreasonsandinparticularinordertopreserveequalityinspecialcrisesofthestate，qualificationsofpropertymustbeunequal，inorderthatofficesandcontributionsanddistributionsmaybeproportionedtothevalueofeachperson’swealth，andnotsolelytothevirtueofhisancestorsorhimself，noryettothestrengthandbeautyofhisperson，butalsotothemeasureofhiswealthorpoverty；andsobyalawofinequality，whichwillbeinproportiontohiswealth，hewillreceivehonoursandofficesasequallyaspossible，andtherewillbenoquarrelsanddisputes。Towhichendthereshouldbefourdifferentstandardsappointedaccordingtotheamountofproperty：
thereshouldbeafirstandasecondandathirdandafourthclass，inwhichthecitizenswillbeplaced，andtheywillbecalledbytheseorsimilarnames：theymaycontinueinthesamerank，orpassintoanotherinanyindividualcase，onbecomingricherfrombeing，poorer，orpoorerfrombeingricher。TheformoflawwhichIshouldproposeasthenaturalsequelwouldbeasfollows：-Inastatewhichisdesirousofbeingsavedfromthegreatestofallplagues-notfaction，butratherdistraction；-hereshouldexistamongthecitizensneitherextremepoverty，nor，again，excessofwealth，forbothareproductiveofboththeseevils。Nowthelegislatorshoulddeterminewhatistobethelimitofpovertyorwealth。Letthelimitofpovertybethevalueofthelot；thisoughttobepreserved，andnoruler，noranyoneelsewhoaspiresafterareputationforvirtue，willallowthelottobeimpairedinanycase。Thisthelegislatorgivesasameasure，andhewillpermitamantoacquiredoubleortriple，orasmuchasfourtimestheamountofthis。Butifapersonhaveyetgreaterriches，whetherhehasfoundthem，ortheyhavebeengiventohim，orhehasmadetheminbusiness，orhasacquiredbyanystrokeoffortunethatwhichisinexcessofthemeasure，ifhegivebackthesurplustothestate，andtotheGodswhoarethepatronsofthestate，heshallsuffernopenaltyorlossofreputation；butifhedisobeysthisourlawanyonewholikesmayinformagainsthimandreceivehalfthevalueoftheexcess，andthedelinquentshallpayasumequaltotheexcessoutofhisownproperty，andtheotherhalfoftheexcessshallbelongtotheGods。Andleteverypossessionofeveryman，withtheexceptionofthelot，bepubliclyregisteredbeforethemagistrateswhomthelawappoints，sothatallsuitsaboutmoneymaybeeasyandquitesimple。