Greek Texts & Translations

The men of that age possessed also another advantage which helped not a little to facilitate legislation. ^note

What was that?

Their legislators, in their efforts to establish equality of property, were free from that worst of accusations which is commonly incurred in States with laws of a different kind, whenever anyone seeks to disturb the occupation of land, or to propose the abolition of debts, since he perceives that without these measures equality could never be fully secured. In such cases, if the lawgiver attempts to disturb any of these things, 684eeveryone confronts him with the cry, “Hands off,” and they curse him for introducing redistributions of land and remissions of debts, with the result that every man is rendered powerless. But the Dorians had this further advantage, that they were free from all dread of giving offence, so that they could divide up their land without dispute; and they had no large debts of old standing. ^note

True

How was it then, my good sirs, that their settlement and legislation turned out so badly? 685a

What do you mean? What fault have you to find with it?

This, that whereas there were three States settled, two of the three ^note speedily wrecked their constitution and their laws, and one only remained stable—and that was your State, Megillus.

The question is no easy one.

Yet surely in our consideration and enquiry into this subject, indulging in an old man's sober play with laws, we ought to proceed on our journey 685bpainlessly, as we said ^note when we first started out.

Certainly, we must do as you say.

Well, what laws would offer a better subject for investigation than the laws by which those States were regulated? Or what larger or more famous States are there about whose settling we might enquire?

It would be hard to mention better instances than these.

It is fairly evident that the men of that age intended this organization of theirs to serve as an adequate protection 685cnot only for the Peloponnesus, but for the whole of Hellas as well, in case any of the barbarians should attack them just as the former dwellers around Ilium were emboldened to embark on the Trojan War through reliance on the Assyrian power as it had been in the reign of Ninus. ^note For much of the splendor of that empire still survived and the people of that age stood in fear of its confederate power, just as we men of today dread the Great King. For since Troy was a part of the Assyrian empire, the second ^note capture of Troy 685dformed a grave charge against the Greeks. It was in view of all this that the Dorian host was at that time organizes and distributed amongst three States under brother princes, the sons of Heracles ^note; and men thought it admirably devised, and in its equipment superior even to the host that had sailed to Troy. For men reckoned, first, that in the sons of Heracles they had better chiefs than the Pelopidae, ^note and further, 685ethat this army was superior in valor to the army which went to Troy, since the latter, which was Achaean, was worsted by the former, which was Dorian. Must we not suppose that it was in this way, and with this intention, that the men of that age organized themselves?

Certainly.

Is it not also probable that they would suppose this to be a stable arrangement, and likely to continue quite a long time, 686asince they had shared together many toils and dangers, and were marshalled under leaders of a single family (their princes being brothers), and since, moreover, they had consulted a number of diviners and, amongst others, the Delphian Apollo?

That is certainly probable.

But it seems that these great expectations speedily vanished, except only, as we said, in regard to that small fraction, your State of Laconia; 686band ever since, up to the present day, this fraction has never ceased warring against the other two. For if the original intention had been realized, and if they had been in accord about their policy, it would have created a power invincible in war.

It certainly would.

How then, and by what means, was it destroyed? Is it not worth while to enquire by what stroke of fortune so grand a confederacy was wrecked?

Yes for, if one passed over these examples,