Cle。Yourecollectattherightmoment，Stranger，anddonotmisstheopportunitywhichtheargumentaffordsofsayingawordinseason。
Ath。Ithankyou。Wewillsaytohimwhoisbornofgoodparents-O
myson，yououghttomakesuchamarriageaswisemenwouldapprove。
Nowtheywouldadviseyouneithertoavoidapoormarriage，norspeciallytodesirearichone；butifotherthingsareequal，alwaystohonourinferiors，andwiththemtoformconnections；-thiswillbeforthebenefitofthecityandofthefamilieswhichareunited；fortheequableandsymmetricaltendsinfinitelymoretovirtuethantheunmixed。Andhewhoisconsciousofbeingtooheadstrong，andcarriedawaymorethanisfittinginallhisactions，oughttodesiretobecometherelationoforderlyparents；
andhewhoisoftheoppositetemperoughttoseektheoppositealliance。Lettherebeonewordconcerningallmarriages：-Everymanshallfollow，notafterthemarriagewhichismostpleasingtohimself，butafterthatwhichismostbeneficialtothestate。Forsomehoweveryoneisbynaturepronetothatwhichislikesttohimself，andinthiswaythewholecitybecomesunequalinpropertyandindisposition；andhencethereariseinmoststatestheveryresultswhichweleastdesiretohappen。Now，toaddtothelawanexpressprovision，notonlythattherichmanshallnotmarryintotherichfamily，northepowerfulintothefamilyofthepowerful，butthattheslowernaturesshallbecompelledtoenterintomarriagewiththequicker，andthequickerwiththeslower，mayawakenangeraswellaslaughterinthemindsofmany；forthereisadifficultyinperceivingthatthecityoughttobewellmingledlikeacup，inwhichthemaddeningwineishotandfiery，butwhenchastenedbyasobererGod，receivesafairassociateandbecomesanexcellentandtemperatedrink。Yetinmarriagenooneisabletoseethatthesameresultoccurs。Whereforealsothelawmustletalonesuchmatters，butweshouldtrytocharmthespiritsofmenintobelievingtheequabilityoftheirchildren’sdispositiontobeofmoreimportancethanequalityinexcessivefortunewhentheymarry；andhimwhoistoodesirousofmakingarichmarriageweshouldendeavourtoturnasidebyreproaches，not，however，byanycompulsionofwrittenlaw。
Letthisthenbeourexhortationconcerningmarriage，andletusrememberwhatwassaidbefore-thatamanshouldclingtoimmortality，andleavebehindhimchildren’schildrentobetheservantsofGodinhisplaceforever。Allthisandmuchmoremaybetrulysaidbywayofpreludeaboutthedutyofmarriage。Butifamanwillnotlistenandremainsunsocialandalienamonghisfellow-citizens，andisstillunmarriedatthirty-fiveyearsofage，lethimpayayearlyfine；-hewhoofthehighestclassshallpayafineofahundreddrachmae，andhewhoisoftheseconddassafineofseventydrachmae；thethirdclassshallpaysixtydrachmae，andthefourththirtydrachmae，andletthemoneybesacredtoHere；hewhodoesnotpaythefineannuallyshallowetentimesthesum，whichthetreasurerofthegoddessshallexact；andifhefailsindoingso，lethimbeanswerableandgiveanaccountofthe。moneyathisaudit。Hewhorefusestomarryshallbethuspunishedinmoney，andalsobedeprivedofallhonourwhichtheyoungershowtotheelder；
letnoyoungmanvoluntarilyobeyhim，andifheattempttopunishanyone，leteveryonecometotherescueanddefendtheinjuredperson，andhewhoispresentanddoesnotcometotherescue，shallbepronouncedbythelawtobeacowardandabadcitizen。OfthemarriageportionIhavealreadyspoken；andagainIsayfortheinstructionofpoormenthathewhoneithergivesnorreceivesadowryonaccountofpoverty，hasacompensation；forthecitizensofourstateareprovidedwiththenecessariesoflife，andwiveswillbelesslikelytobeinsolent，andhusbandstobemeanandsubservienttothemonaccountofproperty。Andhewhoobeysthislawwilldoanobleaction；buthewhowillnotobey，andgivesorreceivesmorethanfiftydrachmaeasthepriceofthemarriagegarmentsifhebeofthelowest，ormorethanamina，oraminaand-a-half，ifhebeofthethirdorsecondclasses，ortwominaeifhebeofthehighestclass，shallowetothepublictreasuryasimilarsum，andthatwhichisgivenorreceivedshallbesacredtoHereandZeus；andletthetreasurersoftheseGodsexactthemoney，aswassaidbeforeabouttheunmarried-thatthetreasurersofHereweretoexactthemoney，orpaythefinethemselves。
Thebetrothalbyafathershallbevalidinthefirstdegree，thatbyagrandfatherintheseconddegree，andinthethirddegree，betrothalbybrotherswhohavethesamefather；butiftherearenoneofthesealive，thebetrothalbyamothershallbevalidinlikemanner；incasesofunexampledfatality，thenextofkinandtheguardiansshallhaveauthority。Whataretobetheritesbeforemarriages，oranyothersacredacts，relatingeithertofuture，present，orpastmarriages，shallbereferredtotheinterpreters；andhewhofollowstheiradvicemaybesatisfied。Touchingthemarriagefestival，theyshallassemblenotmorethanfivemaleandfivefemalefriendsofbothfamilies；andalikenumberofmembersofthefamilyofeithersex，andnomanshallspendmorethanhismeanswillallow；hewhoisoftherichestclassmayspendamina-hewhoisofthesecond，halfamina，andinthesameproportionasthecensusofeachdecreases：allmenshallpraisehimwhoisobedienttothelaw；buthewhoisdisobedientshallbepunishedbytheguardiansofthelawasamanwantingintruetaste，anduninstructedinthelawsofbridalsong。Drunkennessisalwaysimproper，exceptatthefestivalsoftheGodwhogavewine；andpeculiarlydangerous，whenamanisengagedinthebusinessofmarriage；atsuchacrisisoftheirlivesabrideandbridegroomoughttohavealltheirwitsaboutthem-theyoughttotakecarethattheiroffspringmaybebornofreasonablebeings；foronwhatdayornightHeavenwillgivethemincrease，whocansay？Moreover，theyoughtnottobegettingchildrenwhentheirbodiesaredissipatedbyintoxication，buttheiroffspringshouldbecompactandsolid，quietandcompoundedproperly；whereasthedrunkardisallabroadinallhisactions，andbesidehimselfbothinbodyandsoul。Wherefore，also，thedrunkenmanisbadandunsteadyinsowingtheseedofincrease，andislikelytobegetoffspringwhowillbeunstableanduntrustworthy，andcannotbeexpectedtowalkstraighteitherinbodyormind。Henceduringthewholeyearandallhislifelong，andespeciallywhileheisbegettingchildren，oughttotakecareandnotintentionallydowhatisinjurioustohealth，orwhatinvolvesinsolenceandwrong；forhecannothelpleavingtheimpressionofhimselfonthesoulsandbodiesofhisoffspring，andhebegetschildrenineverywayinferior。Andespeciallyonthedayandnightofmarriageshouldamanabstainfromsuchthings。Forthebeginning，whichisalsoaGoddwellinginman，preservesallthings，ifitmeetwithproperrespectfromeachindividual。Hewhomarriesisfurthertoconsiderthatoneofthetwohousesinthelotisthenestandnurseryofhisyoung，andthereheistomarryandmakeahomeforhimselfandbringuphischildren，goingawayfromhisfatherandmother。Forinfriendshipstheremustbesomedegreeofdesire，inordertocementandbindtogetherdiversitiesofcharacter；butexcessiveintercoursenothavingthedesirewhichiscreatedbytime，insensiblydissolvesfriendshipsfromafeelingofsatiety；
whereforeamanandhiswifeshallleavetohisandherfatherandmothertheirowndwelling-places，andthemselvesgoastoacolonyanddwellthere，andvisitandbevisitedbytheirparents；andtheyshallbegetandbringupchildren，handingonthetorchoflifefromonegenerationtoanother，andworshippingtheGodsaccordingtolawforever。
Inthenextplace，wehavetoconsiderwhatsortofpropertywillbemostconvenient。Thereisnodifficultyeitherinunderstandingoracquiringmostkindsofproperty，butthereisgreatdifficultyinwhatrelatestoslaves。Andthereasonisthatwespeakabouttheminawaywhichisrightandwhichisnotright；forwhatwesayaboutourslavesisconsistentandalsoinconsistentwithourpracticeaboutthem。
Megillus。Idonotunderstand，Stranger，whatyoumean。
Ath。Iamnotsurprised，Megillus，forthestateoftheHelotsamongtheLacedaemoniansisofallHellenicformsofslaverythemostcontrovertedanddisputedabout，someapprovingandsomecondemningit；thereislessdisputeabouttheslaverywhichexistsamongtheHeracleots，whohavesubjugatedtheMariandynians，andabouttheThessalianPenestae。Lookingattheseandthelikeexamples，whatoughtwetodoconcerningpropertyinslaves？Imadearemark，inpassing，whichnaturallyelicitedaquestionaboutmymeaningfromyou。Itwasthis：-Weknowthatallwouldagreethatweshouldhavethebestandmostattachedslaveswhomwecanget。Formanyamanhasfoundhisslavesbetterineverywaythanbrethrenorsons，andmanytimestheyhavesavedthelivesandpropertyoftheirmastersandtheirwholehouse-suchtalesarewellknown。
Meg。Tobesure。
Ath。Butmaywenotalsosaythatthesouloftheslaveisutterlycorrupt，andthatnomanofsenseoughttotrustthem？Andthewisestofourpoets，speakingofZeus，says：
Far-seeingZeustakesawayhalftheunderstandingofmenwhomthedayofslaverysubdues。
Differentpersonshavegotthesetwodifferentnotionsofslavesintheirminds-someofthemutterlydistrusttheirservants，and，asiftheywerewildbeasts，chastisethemwithgoadsandwhips，andmaketheirsoulsthreetimes，orrathermanytimes，asslavishastheywerebefore；-andothersdojusttheopposite。
Meg。True。
Cle。Thenwhatarewetodoinourowncountry，Stranger，seeingthatthereare，suchdifferencesinthetreatmentofslavesbytheirowners？
Ath。Well，Cleinias，therecanbenodoubtthatmanisatroublesomeanimal，andthereforeheisnotverymanageable，norlikelytobecomeso，whenyouattempttointroducethenecessarydivision，slave，andfreeman，andmaster。
Cle。Thatisobvious。
Ath。Heisatroublesomepieceofgoods，ashasbeenoftenshownbythefrequentrevoltsoftheMessenians，andthegreatmischiefswhichhappeninstateshavingmanyslaveswhospeakthesamelanguage，andthenumerousrobberiesandlawlesslifeoftheItalianbanditti，astheyarecalled。Amanwhoconsidersallthisisfairlyataloss。Tworemediesaloneremaintous-nottohavetheslavesofthesamecountry，norifpossible，speakingthesamelanguage；inthiswaytheywillmoreeasilybeheldinsubjection：secondly，weshouldtendthemcarefully，notonlyoutofregardtothem，butyetmoreoutofrespecttoourselves。Andtherighttreatmentofslavesistobehaveproperlytothem，andtodotothem，ifpossible，evenmorejusticethantothosewhoareourequals；forhewhonaturallyandgenuinelyreverencesjustice，andhatesinjustice，isdiscoveredinhisdealingswithanyclassofmentowhomhecaneasilybeunjust。
Andhewhoinregardtothenaturesandactionsofhisslavesisundefiledbyimpietyandinjustice，willbestsowtheseedsofvirtueinthem；andthismaybetrulysaidofeverymaster，andtyrant，andofeveryotherhavingauthorityinrelationtohisinferiors。Slavesoughttobepunishedastheydeserve，andnotadmonishedasiftheywerefreemen，whichwillonlymakethemconceited。Thelanguageusedtoaservantoughtalwaystobethatofacommand，andweoughtnottojestwiththem，whethertheyaremalesorfemales-thisisafoolishwaywhichmanypeoplehaveofsettinguptheirslaves，andmakingthelifeofservitudemoredisagreeablebothforthemandfortheirmasters。
Cle。True。
Ath。Nowthateachofthecitizensisprovided，asfaraspossible，withasufficientnumberofsuitableslaveswhocanhelphiminwhathehastodo，wemaynextproceedtodescribetheirdwellings。
Cle。Verygood。
Ath。Thecitybeingnewandhithertouninhabited，careoughttobetakenofallthebuildings，andthemannerofbuildingeachofthem，andalsoofthetemplesandwalls。These，Cleinias，werematterswhichproperlycamebeforethemarriages；but，asweareonlytalking，thereisnoobjectiontochangingtheorder。If，however，ourplanoflegislationisevertotakeeffect，thenthehouseshallprecedethemarriageifGodsowill，andafterwardswewillcometotheregulationsaboutmarriage；butatpresentweareonlydescribingthesemattersinageneraloutline。
Cle。Quitetrue。