Ath.And the three states to whom these laws were given,whether their kings or any others were the authors of them,had therefore the greatest security for the maintenance of their constitutions?
Meg.What security?
Ath.That the other two states were always to come to the rescue against a rebellious third.
Meg.True.
Ath.Many persons say that legislators ought to impose such laws as the mass of the people will be ready to receive;but this is just as if one were to command gymnastic masters or physicians to treat or cure their pupils or patients in an agreeable manner.
Meg.Exactly.
Ath.Whereas the physician may often be too happy if he can restore health,and make the body whole,without any very great infliction of pain.
Meg.Certainly.
Ath.There was also another advantage possessed by the men of that day,which greatly lightened the task of passing laws.
Meg.What advantage?
Ath.The legislators of that day,when they equalized property,escaped the great accusation which generally arises in legislation,if a person attempts to disturb the possession of land,or to abolish debts,because he sees that without this reform there can never be any real equality.Now,in general,when the legislator attempts to make a new settlement of such matters,every one meets him with the cry,that "he is not to disturb vested interests"-declaring with imprecations that he is introducing agrarian laws and cancelling of debts,until a man is at his wits end;whereas no one could quarrel with the Dorians for distributing the land-there was nothing to hinder them;and as for debts,they had none which were considerable or of old standing.
Meg.Very true.
Ath.But then,my good friends,why did the settlement and legislation of their country turn out so badly?
Meg.How do you mean;and why do you blame them?
Ath.There were three kingdoms,and of these,two quickly corrupted their original constitution and laws,and the only one which remained was the Spartan.
Meg.The question which you ask is not easily answered.
Ath.And yet must be answered when we are enquiring about laws,this being our old man's sober game of play,whereby we beguile the way,as I was saying when we first set out on our journey.
Meg.Certainly;and we must find out why this was.
Ath.What laws are more worthy of our attention than those which have regulated such cities?or what settlements of states are greater or more famous?
Meg.I know of none.
Ath.Can we doubt that your ancestors intended these institutions not only for the protection of Peloponnesus,but of all the Hellenes.in case they were attacked by the barbarian?For the inhabitants of the region about Ilium,when they provoked by their insolence the Trojan war,relied upon the power of the Assyrians and the Empire of Ninus,which still existed and had a great prestige;the people of those days fearing the united Assyrian Empire just as we now fear the Great King.And the second capture of Troy was a serious offence against them,because Troy was a portion of the Assyrian Empire.To meet the danger the single army was distributed between three cities by the royal brothers,sons of Heracles-a fair device,as it seemed,and a far better arrangement than the expedition against Troy.For,firstly,the people of that day had,as they thought,in the Heraclidae better leaders than the Pelopidae;in the next place,they considered that their army was superior in valour to that which went against Troy;for,although the latter conquered the Trojans,they were themselves conquered by the Heraclidae-Achaeans by Dorians.May we not suppose that this was the intention with which the men of those days framed the constitutions of their states?
Meg.Quite true.
Ath.And would not men who had shared with one another many dangers,and were governed by a single race of royal brothers,and had taken the advice of oracles,and in particular of the Delphian Apollo,be likely to think that such states would be firmly and lastingly established?
Meg.Of course they would.
Ath.Yet these institutions,of which such great expectations were entertained,seem to have all rapidly vanished away;with the exception,as I was saying,of that small part of them which existed in yourland.And this third part has never to this day ceased warring against the two others;whereas,if the original idea had been carried out,and they had agreed to be one,their power would have been invincible in war.
Meg.No doubt.
Ath.But what was the ruin of this glorious confederacy?Here is a subject well worthy of consideration.
Meg.Certainly,no one will ever find more striking instances of laws or governments being the salvation or destruction of great and noble interests,than are here presented to his view.
Ath.Then now we seem to have happily arrived at a real and important question.
Meg.Very true.
Ath.Did you never remark,sage friend,that all men,and we ourselves at this moment,often fancy that they see some beautiful thing which might have effected wonders if any one had only known how to make a right use of it in some way;and yet this mode of looking at things may turn out after all to be a mistake,and not according to nature,either in our own case or in any other?
Meg.To what are you referring,and what do you mean?
Ath.I was thinking of my own admiration of the aforesaid Heracleid expedition,which was so noble,and might have had such wonderful results for the Hellenes,if only rightly used;and I was just laughing at myself.
Meg.But were you not right and wise in speaking as you did,and we in assenting to you?
Ath.Perhaps;and yet I cannot help observing that any one who sees anything great or powerful,immediately has the feeling that-"If the owner only knew how to use his great and noble possession,how happy would he be,and what great results would he achieve!"Meg.And would he not be justified?
