Cle。Byallmeans。
　　Ath。Iliumwasbuilt，whentheydescendedfromthemountain，inalargeandfairplain，onasortoflowhill，wateredbymanyriversdescendingfromIda。
　　Cle。Suchisthetradition。
　　Ath。Andwemustsupposethiseventtohavetakenplacemanyagesafterthedeluge？
　　Ath。Amarvellousforgetfulnessoftheformerdestructionwouldappeartohavecomeoverthem，whentheyplacedtheirtownrightundernumerousstreamsflowingfromtheheights，trustingfortheirsecuritytonotveryhighhills，either。
　　Cle。Theremusthavebeenalonginterval，clearly。
　　Ath。And，aspopulationincreased，manyothercitieswouldbegintobeinhabited。
　　Cle。Doubtless。
　　Ath。ThosecitiesmadewaragainstTroy-byseaaswellasland-foratthattimemenwereceasingtobeafraidofthesea。
　　Cle。Clearly。
　　Ath。TheAchaeansremainedtenyears，andoverthrewTroy。
　　Cle。True。
　　Ath。AndduringthetenyearsinwhichtheAchaeanswerebesiegingIlium，thehomesofthebesiegerswerefallingintoanevilplight。
　　Theiryouthrevolted；andwhenthesoldiersreturnedtotheirowncitiesandfamilies，theydidnotreceivethemproperly，andastheyoughttohavedone，andnumerousdeaths，murders，exiles，weretheconsequence。Theexilescameagain，underanewname，nolongerAchaeans，butDorians-anamewhichtheyderivedfromDorieus；foritwashewhogatheredthemtogether。TherestofthestoryistoldbyyouLacedaemoniansaspartofthehistoryofSparta。
　　Meg。Tobesure。
　　Ath。Thus，afterdigressingfromtheoriginalsubjectoflawsintomusicanddrinking-bouts，theargumenthas，providentially，comebacktothesamepoint，andpresentstousanotherhandle。ForwehavereachedthesettlementofLacedaemon；which，asyoutrulysay，isinlawsandininstitutionsthesisterofCrete。Andweareallthebetterforthedigression，becausewehavegonethroughvariousgovernmentsandsettlements，andhavebeenpresentatthefoundationofafirst，second，andthirdstate，succeedingoneanotherininfinitetime。Andnowthereappearsonthehorizonafourthstateornationwhichwasonceinprocessofsettlementandhascontinuedsettledtothisday。If，outofallthis，weareabletodiscernwhatiswellorillsettled，andwhatlawsarethesalvationandwhatarethedestructionofcities，andwhatchangeswouldmakeastatehappy，OMegillusandCleinias，wemaynowbeginagain，unlesswehavesomefaulttofindwiththepreviousdiscussion。
　　Meg。IfsomeGod，Stranger，wouldpromiseusthatournewenquiryaboutlegislationwouldbeasgoodandfullasthepresent，Iwouldgoagreatwaytohearsuchanother，andwouldthinkthatadayaslongasthis-andwearenowapproachingthelongestdayoftheyear-wastooshortforthediscussion。
　　Ath。ThenIsupposethatwemustconsiderthissubject？
　　Meg。Certainly。
　　Ath。LetusplaceourselvesinthoughtatthemomentwhenLacedaemonandArgosandMesseneandtherestofthePeloponnesuswereallincompletesubjection，Megillus，toyourancestors；forafterwards，asthelegendinformsus，theydividedtheirarmyintothreeportions，andsettledthreecities，Argos，Messene，Lacedaemon。
　　Meg。True。
　　Ath。TemenuswasthekingofArgos，CresphontesofMessene，ProclesandEurysthenesofLacedaemon。
　　Meg。Certainly。
　　Ath。Tothesekingsallthemenofthatdaymadeoaththattheywouldassistthem，ifanyonesubvertedtheirkingdom。
　　Meg。True。
　　Ath。Butcanakingshipbedestroyed，orwasanyotherformofgovernmenteverdestroyed，byanybuttherulersthemselves？Noindeed，byZeus。Havewealreadyforgottenwhatwassaidalittlewhileago？
　　Meg。No。
　　Ath。Andmaywenotnowfurtherconfirmwhatwasthenmentioned？Forwehavecomeuponfactswhichhavebroughtusbackagaintothesameprinciple；sothat，inresumingthediscussion，weshallnotbeenquiringaboutanemptytheory，butabouteventswhichactuallyhappened。Thecasewasasfollows：-Threeroyalheroesmadeoathtothreecitieswhichwereunderakinglygovernment，andthecitiestothekings，thatbothrulersandsubjectsshouldgovernandbegovernedaccordingtothelawswhichwerecommontoallofthem：therulerspromisedthatastimeandtheracewentforwardtheywouldnotmaketheirrulemorearbitrary；andthesubjectssaidthat，iftherulersobservedtheseconditions，theywouldneversubvertorpermitotherstosubvertthosekingdoms；thekingsweretoassistkingsandpeopleswheninjured，andthepeoplesweretoassistpeoplesandkingsinlikemanner。Isnotthisthefact？
　　Meg。Yes。
　　Ath。Andthethreestatestowhomtheselawsweregiven，whethertheirkingsoranyothersweretheauthorsofthem，hadthereforethegreatestsecurityforthemaintenanceoftheirconstitutions？
　　Meg。Whatsecurity？
　　Ath。Thattheothertwostateswerealwaystocometotherescueagainstarebelliousthird。
　　Meg。True。
　　Ath。Manypersonssaythatlegislatorsoughttoimposesuchlawsasthemassofthepeoplewillbereadytoreceive；butthisisjustasifoneweretocommandgymnasticmastersorphysicianstotreatorcuretheirpupilsorpatientsinanagreeablemanner。
　　Meg。Exactly。
　　Ath。Whereasthephysicianmayoftenbetoohappyifhecanrestorehealth，andmakethebodywhole，withoutanyverygreatinflictionofpain。
　　Meg。Certainly。
　　Ath。Therewasalsoanotheradvantagepossessedbythemenofthatday，whichgreatlylightenedthetaskofpassinglaws。
　　Meg。Whatadvantage？
　　Ath。Thelegislatorsofthatday，whentheyequalizedproperty，escapedthegreataccusationwhichgenerallyarisesinlegislation，ifapersonattemptstodisturbthepossessionofland，ortoabolishdebts，becauseheseesthatwithoutthisreformtherecanneverbeanyrealequality。Now，ingeneral，whenthelegislatorattemptstomakeanewsettlementofsuchmatters，everyonemeetshimwiththecry，that“heisnottodisturbvestedinterests“-declaringwithimprecationsthatheisintroducingagrarianlawsandcancellingofdebts，untilamanisathiswitsend；whereasnoonecouldquarrelwiththeDoriansfordistributingtheland-therewasnothingtohinderthem；
　　andasfordebts，theyhadnonewhichwereconsiderableorofoldstanding。
　　Meg。Verytrue。
　　Ath。Butthen，mygoodfriends，whydidthesettlementandlegislationoftheircountryturnoutsobadly？
　　Meg。Howdoyoumean；andwhydoyoublamethem？
　　Ath。Therewerethreekingdoms，andofthese，twoquicklycorruptedtheiroriginalconstitutionandlaws，andtheonlyonewhichremainedwastheSpartan。
　　Meg。Thequestionwhichyouaskisnoteasilyanswered。
　　Ath。Andyetmustbeansweredwhenweareenquiringaboutlaws，thisbeingouroldman’ssobergameofplay，wherebywebeguiletheway，asIwassayingwhenwefirstsetoutonourjourney。
　　Meg。Certainly；andwemustfindoutwhythiswas。
　　Ath。Whatlawsaremoreworthyofourattentionthanthosewhichhaveregulatedsuchcities？orwhatsettlementsofstatesaregreaterormorefamous？
　　Meg。Iknowofnone。
　　Ath。CanwedoubtthatyourancestorsintendedtheseinstitutionsnotonlyfortheprotectionofPeloponnesus，butofalltheHellenes。incasetheywereattackedbythebarbarian？FortheinhabitantsoftheregionaboutIlium，whentheyprovokedbytheirinsolencetheTrojanwar，relieduponthepoweroftheAssyriansandtheEmpireofNinus，whichstillexistedandhadagreatprestige；thepeopleofthosedaysfearingtheunitedAssyrianEmpirejustaswenowfeartheGreatKing。AndthesecondcaptureofTroywasaseriousoffenceagainstthem，becauseTroywasaportionoftheAssyrianEmpire。Tomeetthedangerthesinglearmywasdistributedbetweenthreecitiesbytheroyalbrothers，sonsofHeracles-afairdevice，asitseemed，andafarbetterarrangementthantheexpeditionagainstTroy。For，firstly，thepeopleofthatdayhad，astheythought，intheHeraclidaebetterleadersthanthePelopidae；inthenextplace，theyconsideredthattheirarmywassuperiorinvalourtothatwhichwentagainstTroy；for，althoughthelatterconqueredtheTrojans，theywerethemselvesconqueredbytheHeraclidae-AchaeansbyDorians。Maywenotsupposethatthiswastheintentionwithwhichthemenofthosedaysframedtheconstitutionsoftheirstates？
　　Meg。Quitetrue。
　　Ath。Andwouldnotmenwhohadsharedwithoneanothermanydangers，andweregovernedbyasingleraceofroyalbrothers，andhadtakentheadviceoforacles，andinparticularoftheDelphianApollo，belikelytothinkthatsuchstateswouldbefirmlyandlastinglyestablished？
　　Meg。Ofcoursetheywould。
　　Ath。Yettheseinstitutions，ofwhichsuchgreatexpectationswereentertained，seemtohaveallrapidlyvanishedaway；withtheexception，asIwassaying，ofthatsmallpartofthemwhichexistedinyourland。Andthisthirdparthasnevertothisdayceasedwarringagainstthetwoothers；whereas，iftheoriginalideahadbeencarriedout，andtheyhadagreedtobeone，theirpowerwouldhavebeeninvincibleinwar。
　　Meg。Nodoubt。
　　Ath。Butwhatwastheruinofthisgloriousconfederacy？Hereisasubjectwellworthyofconsideration。
　　Meg。Certainly，noonewilleverfindmorestrikinginstancesoflawsorgovernmentsbeingthesalvationordestructionofgreatandnobleinterests，thanareherepresentedtohisview。
　　Ath。Thennowweseemtohavehappilyarrivedatarealandimportantquestion。
　　Meg。Verytrue。
　　Ath。Didyouneverremark，sagefriend，thatallmen，andweourselvesatthismoment，oftenfancythattheyseesomebeautifulthingwhichmighthaveeffectedwondersifanyonehadonlyknownhowtomakearightuseofitinsomeway；andyetthismodeoflookingatthingsmayturnoutafteralltobeamistake，andnotaccordingtonature，eitherinourowncaseorinanyother？
　　Meg。Towhatareyoureferring，andwhatdoyoumean？
　　Ath。IwasthinkingofmyownadmirationoftheaforesaidHeracleidexpedition，whichwassonoble，andmighthavehadsuchwonderfulresultsfortheHellenes，ifonlyrightlyused；andIwasjustlaughingatmyself。
　　Meg。Butwereyounotrightandwiseinspeakingasyoudid，andweinassentingtoyou？