Plato, Laws (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Pl. Leg.].
<<Pl. Leg. 716b Pl. Leg. 718b (Greek) >>Pl. Leg. 720b

717cso that he ought to give them service to the utmost of his power—with substance, with body, and with soul, all three—thus making returns for the loans of care and pain spent on the children by those who suffered on their behalf in bygone years, and recompensing the old in their old age, when they need help most. And throughout all his life he must diligently observe reverence of speech towards his parents above all things, 717dseeing that for light and winged words there is a most heavy penalty,—for over all such matters Nemesis, messenger of Justice, is appointed to keep watch; note wherefore the son must yield to his parents when they are wroth, and when they give rein to their wrath either by word or deed, he must pardon them, seeing that it is most natural for a father to be especially wroth when he deems that he is wronged by his own son. When parents die, the most modest funeral rites are the best, whereby the son neither exceeds the accustomed pomp, nor falls short of what his forefathers 717epaid to their sires; and in like manner he should duly bestow the yearly attentions, which ensure honor, on the rites already completed. He should always venerate them, by never failing to provide a continual memorial, 718aand assigning to the deceased a due share of the means which fortune Provides for expenditure. Every one of us, if we acted thus and observed these rules of life, would win always a due reward from the gods and from all that are mightier than ourselves, and would pass the greatest part of our lives in the enjoyment of hopes of happiness. As regards duties to children, relations, friends and citizens, and those of service done to strangers for Heaven's sake, and of social intercourse with all those classes,—by fulfilling which a man should brighten his own life and order it as the law enjoins,— 718bthe sequel of the laws themselves, partly by persuasion and partly (when men's habits defy persuasion) by forcible and just chastisement, will render our State, with the concurrence of the gods, a blessed State and a prosperous. There are also matters which a lawgiver, if he shares my view, must necessarily regulate, though they are ill-suited for statement in the form of a law; in dealing with these he ought, in my opinion, to produce a sample for his own use and that of those 718cfor whom he is legislating, and, after expounding all other matters as best he can, pass on next to commencing the task of legislation.

Clinias

What is the special form in which such matters are laid down?

Athenian

It is by no means easy to embrace them all in a single model of statement (so to speak) but let us conceive of them in some such way as this, in case we may succeed in affirming something definite about them.

Clinias

Tell us what that “something” is.

Athenian

I should desire the people to be as docile as possible in the matter of virtue; and this evidently is what the legislator will endeavor to effect in all his legislation. 718d

Clinias

Assuredly.

Athenian

I thought the address we have made might prove of some help in making them listen to its monitions with souls not utterly savage, but in a more civil and less hostile mood. So that we may be well content if as I say, it renders the hearer even but a little more docile, because a little less hostile. For there is no great plenty or abundance of persons anxious to become with all speed as good as possible; 718ethe majority, indeed, serve to show how wise Hesiod was when he said, “smooth is the way that leadeth unto wickedness,” and that “no sweat is needed to traverse it,” since it is “passing short,”Hes. WD 287ff. but (he says)— In front of goodness the immortal gods
Have set the sweat of toil, and thereunto
Long is the road and steep, and rough withal
 719a The first ascent; but when the crest is won,
'Tis easy travelling, albeit 'twas hard.
Hes. WD 287 ff.

Clinias

The poet speaks nobly, I should say.

Athenian

He certainly does. Now I wish to put before you what I take to be the result of the foregoing argument.

Clinias

Do so.

Athenian

Let us address the lawgiver and say: “Tell us, O lawgiver: if you knew what we ought 719bto do and say, is it not obvious that you would state it?”

Clinias

Inevitably.

Athenian

“Now did not we hear you saying a little while ago note that the lawgiver should not permit the poets to compose just as they please? For they would not be likely to know what saying of theirs might be contrary to the laws and injurious to the State.”

Clinias

That is quite true.

Athenian

Would our address be reasonable, if we were to address him on behalf of the poets note in these terms?—

Clinias

What terms? 719c

Athenian

These:—“There is, O lawgiver, an ancient saying—constantly repeated by ourselves and endorsed by everyone else—that whenever a poet is seated on the Muses' tripod, he is not in his senses, but resembles a fountain, which gives free course to the upward rush of water and, since his art consists in imitation, he is compelled often to contradict himself, when he creates characters of contradictory moods; and he knows not which of these contradictory utterances is true. But it is not possible for the lawgiver in his law



Plato, Laws (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Pl. Leg.].
<<Pl. Leg. 716b Pl. Leg. 718b (Greek) >>Pl. Leg. 720b

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