Ath。ShallItryandfindsomesortofpersuasiveargumentwhichwillprovetoyouthatsuchenactmentsarepossible，andnotbeyondhumannature？
Cle。Byallmeans。
Ath。Isamanmorelikelytoabstainfromthepleasuresofloveandtodowhatheisbiddenaboutthem，whenhisbodyisinagoodcondition，orwhenheisinanillcondition，andoutoftraining？
Cle。Hewillbefarmoretemperatewhenheisintraining。
Ath。AndhavewenotheardofIccusofTarentum，who，withaviewtotheOlympicandothercontests，inhiszealforhisart，indalsobecausehewasofamanlyandtemperatedisposition，neverhadanyconnectionwithawomanorayouthduringthewholetimeofhistraining？AndthesameissaidofCrisonandAstylusandDiopompusandmanyothers；andyet，Cleinias，theywerefarworseeducatedintheirmindsthanyourandmycitizens，andintheirbodiesfarmorelusty。
Cle。Nodoubtthisfacthasbeenoftenaffirmedpositivelybytheancientsoftheseathletes。
Ath。Andhadthey；couragetoabstainfromwhatisordinarillydeemedapleasureforthesakeofavictoryinwrestling，running，andthelike；andshallouryoungmenbeincapableofasimilarenduranceforthesakeofamuchnoblervictory，whichisthenoblestofall，asfromtheiryouthupwardswewilltellthem，charmingthem，aswehope，intothebeliefofthisbytalesandsayingsandsongs？
Cle。Ofwhatvictoryareyouspeaking？
Ath。Ofthevictoryoverpleasure，whichiftheywin，theywilllivehappily；oriftheyareconquered，thereverseofhappily。And，further，maywenotsupposethatthefearofimpietywillenablethemtomasterthatwhichotherinferiorpeoplehavemastered？
Cle。Idaresay。
Ath。Andsincewehavereachedthispointinourlegislation，andhavefallenintoadifficultybyreasonofthevicesofmankind，I
affirmthatourordinanceshouldsimplyruninthefollowingterms：
Ourcitizensoughtnottofallbelowthenatureofbirdsandbeastsingeneral，whoareborningreatmultitudes，andyetremainuntiltheageforprocreationvirginandunmarried，butwhentheyhavereachedthepropertimeoflifearecoupled，maleandfemale，andlovinglypairtogether，andlivetherestoftheirlivesinholinessandinnocence，abidingfirmlyintheiroriginalcompact：-surely，wewillsaytothem，youshouldbebetterthantheanimals。ButiftheyarecorruptedbytheotherHellenesandthecommonpracticeofbarbarians，andtheyseewiththeireyesandhearwiththeirearsoftheso-calledfreeloveeverywhereprevailingamongthem，andtheythemselvesarenotabletogetthebetterofthetemptation，theguardiansofthelaw，exercisingthefunctionsoflawgivers，shalldeviseasecondlawagainstthem。
Cle。Andwhatlawwouldyouadvisethemtopassifthisonefailed？
Ath。Clearly，Cleinias，theonewhichwouldnaturallyfollow。
Cle。Whatisthat？
Ath。Ourcitizensshouldnotallowpleasurestostrengthenwithindulgence，butshouldbytoildivertthealimentandexuberanceofthemintootherpartsofthebody；andthiswillhappenifnoimmodestybeallowedinthepracticeoflove。Thentheywillbeashamedoffrequentintercourse，andtheywillfindpleasure，ifseldomenjoyed，tobealessimperiousmistress。Theyshouldnotbefoundoutdoinganythingofthesort。Concealmentshallbehonourable，andsanctionedbycustomandmadelawbyunwrittenprescription；ontheotherhand，tobedetectedshallbeesteemeddishonourable，butnot，toabstainwholly。Inthiswaytherewillbeasecondlegalstandardofhonourableanddishonourable，involvingasecondnotionofright。Threeprincipleswillcomprehendallthosecorruptnatureswhomwecallinferiortothemselves，andwhoformbutonedass，andwillcompelthemnottotransgress。
Cle。Whatarethey？
Ath。Theprincipleofpiety，theloveofhonour，andthedesireofbeauty，notinthebodybutinthesoul。Theseare，perhaps，romanticaspirations；buttheyarethenoblestofaspirations，iftheycouldonlyberealizedinallstates，and，Godwilling，inthematteroflovewemaybeabletoenforceoneoftwothings-eitherthatnooneshallventuretotouchanypersonofthefreebornornobleclassexcepthisweddedwife，orsowtheunconsecratedandbastardseedamongharlots，orinbarrenandunnaturallusts；oratleastwemayabolishaltogethertheconnectionofmenwithmen；andastowomen，ifanymanhastodowithanybutthosewhocomeintohishousedulymarriedbysacredrites，whethertheybeboughtoracquiredinanyotherway，andheoffendspubliclyinthefaceofallmankind，weshallberightinenactingthathebedeprivedofcivichonoursandprivileges，andbedeemedtobe，ashetrulyis，astranger。Letthislaw，then，whetheritisone，oroughtrathertobecalledtwo，belaiddownrespectingloveingeneral，andtheintercourseofthesexeswhicharisesoutofthedesires，whetherrightlyorwronglyindulged。
Meg。I，formypart，Stranger，wouldgladlyreceivethislaw。
Cleiniasshallspeakforhimself，andtellyouwhatishisopinion。
Cle。Iwill，Megillus，whenanopportunityoffers；atpresent，I
thinkthatwehadbetterallowtheStrangertoproceedwithhislaws。
Meg。Verygood。
Ath。Wehadgotaboutasfarastheestablishmentofthecommontables，whichinmostplaceswouldbedifficult，butinCretenoonewouldthinkofintroducinganyothercustom。Theremightariseaquestionaboutthemannerofthem-whethertheyshallbesuchastheyarehereinCrete，orsuchastheyareinLacedaemon，-oristhereathirdkindwhichmaybebetterthaneitherofthem？Theanswertothisquestionmightbeeasilydiscovered，butthediscoverywoulddonogreatgood，foratpresenttheyareverywellordered。
Leavingthecommontables，wemaythereforeproceedtothemeansofprovidingfood。Now，incitiesthemeansoflifearegainedinmanywaysandfromdiverssources，andingeneralfromtwosources，whereasourcityhasonlyone。FormostoftheHellenesobtaintheirfoodfromseaandland，butourcitizensfromlandonly。Andthismakesthetaskofthelegislatorlessdifficult-halfasmanylawswillbeenough，andmuchlessthanhalf；andtheywillbeofakindbettersuitedtofreemen。Forhehasnothingtodowithlawsaboutshipownersandmerchantsandretailersandinnkeepersandtaxcollectorsandminesandmoneylendingandcompoundinterestandinnumerableotherthings-biddinggood-byetothese，hegiveslawstohusbandmenandshepherdsandbee-keepers，andtotheguardiansandsuperintendentsoftheirimplements；andhehasalreadylegislatedforgreatermatters，asforexample，respectingmarriageandtheprocreationandnurtureofchildren，andforeducation，andtheestablishmentofoffices-andnowhemustdirecthislawstothosewhoprovidefoodandlabourinpreparingit。
Letusfirstofall，then，haveaclassoflawswhichshallbecalledthelawsofhusbandmen。AndletthefirstofthembethelawofZeus，thegodofboundaries。Letnooneshifttheboundarylineeitherofafellow-citizenwhoisaneighbour，or，ifhedwellsattheextremityoftheland，ofanystrangerwhoisconterminouswithhim，consideringthatthisistruly“tomovetheimmovable，“andeveryoneshouldbemorewillingtomovethelargestrockwhichisnotalandmark，thantheleaststonewhichistheswornmarkoffriendshipandhatredbetweenneighbours；forZeus，thegodofkindred，isthewitnessofthecitizen，andZeus，thegodofstrangers，ofthestranger，andwhenaroused，terriblearethewarswhichtheystirup。Hewhoobeysthelawwillneverknowthefatalconsequencesofdisobedience，buthewhodespisesthelawshallbeliabletoadoublepenalty，thefirstcomingfromtheGods，andthesecondfromthelaw。Forletnoonewilfullyremovetheboundariesofhisneighbour’sland，andifanyonedoes，lethimwhowillinformthelandowners，andletthembringhimintocourt，andifhebeconvictedofre-dividingthelandbystealthorbyforce，letthecourtdeterminewhatheoughttosufferorpay。Inthenextplace，manysmallinjuriesdonebyneighbourstooneanother，throughtheirmultiplication，maycauseaweightofenmity，andmakeneighbourhoodaverydisagreeableandbitterthing。Whereforeamanoughttobeverycarefulofcommittinganyoffenceagainsthisneighbour，andespeciallyofencroachingonhisneighbour’sland；foranymanmayeasilydoharm，butnoteverymancandogoodtoanother。Hewhoencroachesonhisneighbour’sland，andtransgresseshisboundaries，shallmakegoodthedamage，and，tocurehimofhisimpudenceandalsoofhismeanness，heshallpayadoublepenaltytotheinjuredparty。
Oftheseandthelikemattersthewardensofthecountryshalltakecognizance，andbethejudgesofthemandassessorsofthedamage；
inthemoreimportantcases，ashasbeenalreadysaid，thewholenumberofthembelongingtoanyoneofthetwelvedivisionsshalldecide，andinthelessercasesthecommanders：or，again，ifanyonepastureshiscattleonhisneighbour’sland，theyshallseetheinjury，andadjudgethepenalty。Andifanyone，bydecoyingthebees，getspossessionofanother’sswarms，anddrawsthemtohimselfbymakingnoises，heshallpaythedamage；orifanyonesetsfiretohisownwoodandtakesnocareofhisneighbour’sproperty，heshallbefinedatthediscretionofthemagistrates。Andifinplantinghedoesnotleaveafairdistancebetweenhisownandhisneighbour’sland，heshallbepunished，inaccordancewiththeenactmentsofmanylawgivers，whichwemayuse，notdeemingitnecessarythatthegreatlegislatorofourstateshoulddetermineallthetrifleswhichmightbedecidedbyanybody；forexample，husbandmenhavehadofoldexcellentlawsaboutwaters，andthereisnoreasonwhyweshouldproposetodiverttheircourse：wholikesmaydrawwaterfromthefountain-headofthecommonstreamontohisownland，ifhedonotcutoffthespringwhichclearlybelongstosomeotherowner；
andhemaytakethewaterinanydirectionwhichhepleases，exceptthroughahouseortempleorsepulchre，buthemustbecarefultodonoharmbeyondthechannel。Andiftherebeinanyplaceanaturaldrynessoftheearth，whichkeepsintherainfromheaven，andcausesadeficiencyinthesupplyofwater，lethimdigdownonhisownlandasfarastheclay，andifatthisdepthhefindsnowater，lethimobtainwaterfromhisneighbours，asmuch，asisrequiredforhisservants’drinking，andifhisneighbours，too，arelimitedintheirsupply，lethimhaveafixedmeasure，whichshallbedeterminedbythewardensofthecountry。Thisheshallreceiveeachday，andonthesetermshaveashareofhisneighbours’water。Iftherebeheavyrain，andoneofthoseonthelowergroundinjuressometilleroftheupperground，orsomeonewhohasacommonwall，byrefusingtogivethemanoutletforwater；or，again，ifsomeonelivingonthehighergroundrecklesslyletsoffthewateronhislowerneighbour，andtheycannotcometotermswithoneanother，lethimwhowillcallinawardenofthecity，ifhebeinthecity，orifhebeinthecountry，wardenofthecountry，andlethimobtainadecisiondeterminingwhateachofthemistodo。Andhewhowillnotabidebythedecisionshallsufferforhismalignantandmorosetemper，andpayafinetotheinjuredparty，equivalenttodoublethevalueoftheinjury，becausehewasunwillingtosubmittothemagistrates。
Nowtheparticipationoffruitsshallbeorderedonthiswise。ThegoddessofAutumnhastwograciousgifts：one，thejoyofDionysuswhichisnottreasuredup；theother，whichnatureintendstobestored。Letthisbethelaw，then，concerningthefruitsofautumn：Hewhotastesthecommonorstoringfruitsofautumn，whethergrapesorfigs，beforetheseasonofvintagewhichcoincideswithArcturus，eitheronhisownlandoronthatofothers-lethimpayfiftydrachmae，whichshallbesacredtoDionysus，ifhepluckthemfromhisownland；andiffromhisneighbour’sland，amina，andiffromanyothers’，two-thirdsofamina。Andhewhowouldgatherthe“choice“
grapesorthe“choice“figs，astheyarenowtermed，ifhetakethemoffhisownland，lethimpluckthemhowandwhenhelikes；butifhetakethemfromthegroundofotherswithouttheirleave，lethiminthatcasebealwayspunishedinaccordancewiththelawwhichordainsthatheshouldnotmovewhathehasnotlaiddown。Andifaslavetouchesanyfruitofthissort，withouttheconsentoftheowneroftheland，heshallbebeatenwithasmanyblowsastherearegrapesonthebunch，orfigsonthefig-tree。Letameticpurchasethe“choice“autumnalfruit，andthen，ifhepleases，hemaygatherit；