PERSONSOFTHEDIALOGUE：AnATHENIANSTRANGER；CLEINIAS，aCretan；MEGILLUS，aLacedaemonianAthenianStranger。Tellme，Strangers，isaGodorsomemansupposedtobetheauthorofyourlaws？
　　Cleinias。AGod，Stranger；inverytrutha，God：amongusCretansheissaidtohavebeenZeus，butinLacedaemon，whenceourfriendherecomes，IbelievetheywouldsaythatApolloistheirlawgiver：wouldtheynot，Megillus？
　　Megillus。Certainly。
　　Ath。Anddoyou，Cleinias，believe，asHomertells，thateveryninthyearMinoswenttoconversewithhisOlympiansire，andwasinspiredbyhimtomakelawsforyourcities？
　　Cle。Yes，thatisourtradition；andtherewasRhadamanthus，abrotherofhis，withwhosenameyouarefamiliar；heisreputedtohavebeenthejustestofmen，andweCretansareofopinionthatheearnedthisreputationfromhisrighteousadministrationofjusticewhenhewasalive。
　　Ath。Yes，andanoblereputationitwas，worthyofasonofZeus。AsyouandMegillushavebeentrainedintheseinstitutions，Idaresaythatyouwillnotbeunwillingtogiveanaccountofyourgovernmentandlaws；onourwaywecanpassthetimepleasantlyinaboutthem，forIamtoldthatthedistancefromCnosustothecaveandtempleofZeusisconsiderable；anddoubtlessthereareshadyplacesundertheloftytrees，whichwillprotectusfromthisscorchingsun。
　　Beingnolongeryoung，wemayoftenstoptorestbeneaththem，andgetoverthewholejourneywithoutdifficulty，beguilingthetimebyconversation。
　　Cle。Yes，Stranger，andifweproceedonwardweshallcometogrovesofcypresses，whichareofrareheightandbeauty，andtherearegreenmeadows，inwhichwemayreposeandconverse。
　　Ath。Verygood。
　　Cle。Verygood，indeed；andstillbetterwhenweseethem；letusmoveoncheerily。
　　Ath。Iamwilling-Andfirst，Iwanttoknowwhythelawhasordainedthatyoushallhavecommonmealsandgymnasticexercises，andweararms。
　　Cle。Ithink，Stranger，thattheaimofourinstitutionsiseasilyintelligibletoanyone。Lookatthecharacterofourcountry：CreteisnotlikeThessaly，alargeplain；andforthisreasontheyhavehorsemeninThessaly，andwehaverunners-theinequalityofthegroundinourcountryismoreadaptedtolocomotiononfoot；butthen，ifyouhaverunnersyoumusthavelightarms-noonecancarryaheavyweightwhenrunning，andbowsandarrowsareconvenientbecausetheyarelight。Nowalltheseregulationshavebeenmadewithaviewtowar，andthelegislatorappearstometohavelookedtothisinallhisarrangements：-thecommonmeals，ifIamnotmistaken，wereinstitutedbyhimforasimilarreason，becausehesawthatwhiletheyareinthefieldthecitizensarebythenatureofthecasecompelledtotaketheirmealstogetherforthesakeofmutualprotection。Heseemstometohavethoughttheworldfoolishinnotunderstandingthatallarealwaysatwarwithoneanother；andifinwarthereoughttobecommonmealsandcertainpersonsregularlyappointedunderotherstoprotectanarmy，theyshouldbecontinuedinpeace。Forwhatmeningeneraltermpeacewouldbesaidbyhimtobeonlyaname；inrealityeverycityisinanaturalstateofwarwitheveryother，notindeedproclaimedbyheralds，buteverlasting。Andifyoulookclosely，youwillfindthatthiswastheintentionoftheCretanlegislator；allinstitutions，privateaswellaspublic，werearrangedbyhimwithaviewtowar；ingivingthemhewasundertheimpressionthatnopossessionsorinstitutionsareofanyvaluetohimwhoisdefeatedinbattle；forallthegoodthingsoftheconqueredpassintothehandsoftheconquerors。
　　Ath。Youappeartome，Stranger，tohavebeenthoroughlytrainedintheCretaninstitutions，andtobewellinformedaboutthem；willyoutellmealittlemoreexplicitlywhatistheprincipleofgovernmentwhichyouwouldlaydown？Youseemtoimaginethatawellgovernedstateoughttobesoorderedastoconquerallotherstatesinwar：amIrightinsupposingthistobeyourmeaning？
　　Cle。Certainly；andourLacedaemonianfriend，ifIamnotmistaken，willagreewithme。
　　Meg。Why，mygoodfriend，howcouldanyLacedaemoniansayanythingelse？
　　Ath。Andiswhatyousayapplicableonlytostates，oralsotovillages？
　　Cle。Tobothalike。
　　Ath。Thecaseisthesame？
　　Cle。Yes。
　　Ath。Andinthevillagewilltherebethesamewaroffamilyagainstfamily，andofindividualagainstindividual？
　　Cle。Thesame。
　　Ath。Andshouldeachmanconceivehimselftobehisownenemy：-whatshallwesay？
　　Cle。OAthenianStranger-inhabitantofAtticaIwillnotcallyou，foryouseemtodeserverathertobenamedafterthegoddessherself，becauseyougobacktofirstprinciplesyouhavethrownalightupontheargument，andwillnowbebetterabletounderstandwhatIwasjustsaying-thatallmenarepubliclyoneanother’senemies，andeachmanprivatelyhisown。
　　Ath。Mygoodsir，whatdoyoumean？——
　　Cle……Moreover，thereisavictoryanddefeat-thefirstandbestofvictories，thelowestandworstofdefeats-whicheachmangainsorsustainsatthehands，notofanother，butofhimself；thisshowsthatthereisawaragainstourselvesgoingonwithineveryoneofus。
　　Ath。Letusnowreversetheorderoftheargument：Seeingthateveryindividualiseitherhisownsuperiororhisowninferior，maywesaythatthereisthesameprincipleinthehouse，thevillage，andthestate？
　　Cle。Youmeanthatineachofthemthereisaprincipleofsuperiorityorinferioritytoself？
　　Ath。Yes。
　　Cle。Youarequiterightinaskingthequestion，fortherecertainlyissuchaprinciple，andaboveallinstates；andthestateinwhichthebettercitizenswinavictoryoverthemobandovertheinferiorclassesmaybetrulysaidtobebetterthanitself，andmaybejustlypraised，wheresuchavictoryisgained，orcensuredintheoppositecase。
　　Ath。Whetherthebetteriseverreallyconqueredbytheworse，isaquestionwhichrequiresmorediscussion，andmaybethereforeleftforthepresent。ButInowquiteunderstandyourmeaningwhenyousaythatcitizenswhoareofthesameraceandliveinthesamecitiesmayunjustlyconspire，andhavingthesuperiorityinnumbersmayovercomeandenslavethefewjust；andwhentheyprevail，thestatemaybetrulycalleditsowninferiorandthereforebad；andwhentheyaredefeated，itsownsuperiorandthereforegood。
　　Cle。Yourremark，Stranger，isaparadox，andyetwecannotpossiblydenyit。
　　Ath。Hereisanothercaseforconsideration；-inafamilytheremaybeseveralbrothers，whoaretheoffspringofasinglepair；verypossiblythemajorityofthemmaybeunjust，andthejustmaybeinaminority。
　　Cle。Verypossibly。
　　Ath。AndyouandIoughtnottoraiseaquestionofwordsastowhetherthisfamilyandhouseholdarerightlysaidtobesuperiorwhentheyconquer，andinferiorwhentheyareconquered；forwearenotnowconsideringwhatmayormaynotbetheproperorcustomarywayofspeaking，butweareconsideringthenaturalprinciplesofrightandwronginlaws。
　　Cle。Whatyousay，Stranger，ismosttrue。
　　Meg。Quiteexcellent，inmyopinion，asfaraswehavegone。
　　Ath。Again；mighttherenotbeajudgeoverthesebrethren，ofwhomwewerespeaking？
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Now，whichwouldbethebetterjudge-onewhodestroyedthebadandappointedthegoodtogovernthemselves；oronewho，whileallowingthegoodtogovern，letthebadlive，andmadethemvoluntarilysubmit？Orthird，Isuppose，inthescaleofexcellencemightbeplacedajudge，who，findingthefamilydistracted，notonlydidnotdestroyanyone，butreconciledthemtooneanotherforeverafter，andgavethemlawswhichtheymutuallyobserved，andwasabletokeepthemfriends。
　　Cle。Thelastwouldbebyfarthebestsortofjudgeandlegislator。
　　Ath。Andyettheaimofallthelawswhichhegavewouldbethereverseofwar。
　　Cle。Verytrue。
　　Ath。Andwillhewhoconstitutesthestateandordersthelifeofmanhaveinviewexternalwar，orthatkindofintestinewarcalledcivil，whichnoone，ifhecouldprevent，wouldliketohaveoccurringinhisownstate；andwhenoccurring，everyonewouldwishtobequitofassoonaspossible？
　　Cle。Hewouldhavethelatterchieflyinview。
　　Ath。Andwouldhepreferthatthiscivilwarshouldbeterminatedbythedestructionofoneoftheparties，andbythevictoryoftheother，orthatpeaceandfriendshipshouldbere-established，andthat，beingreconciled，theyshouldgivetheirattentiontoforeignenemies？
　　Cle。Everyonewoulddesirethelatterinthecaseofhisownstate。
　　Ath。Andwouldnotthatalsobethedesireofthelegislator？
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Andwouldnoteveryonealwaysmakelawsforthesakeofthebest？
　　Cle。Tobesure。
　　Ath。Butwar，whetherexternalorcivil，isnotthebest，andtheneedofeitheristobedeprecated；butpeacewithoneanother，andgoodwill，arebest。Noristhevictoryofthestateoveritselftoberegardedasareallygoodthing，butasanecessity；amanmightaswellsaythatthebodywasinthebeststatewhensickandpurgedbymedicine，forgettingthatthereisalsoastateofthebodywhichneedsnopurge。Andinlikemannernoonecanbeatruestatesman，whetherheaimsatthehappinessoftheindividualorstate，wholooksonly，orfirstofall，toexternalwarfare；norwillheeverbeasoundlegislatorwhoorderspeaceforthesakeofwar，andnotwarforthesakeofpeace。
　　Cle。Isupposethatthereistruth，Stranger，inthatremarkofyours；andyetIamgreatlymistakenifwarisnottheentireaimandobjectofourowninstitutions，andalsooftheLacedaemonian。
　　Ath。Idaresay；butthereisnoreasonwhyweshouldrudelyquarrelwithoneanotheraboutyourlegislators，insteadofgentlyquestioningthem，seeingthatbothweandtheyareequallyinearnest。Pleasefollowmeandtheargumentclosely：-AndfirstIwillputforwardTyrtaeus，anAthenianbybirth，butalsoaSpartancitizen，whoofallmenwasmosteageraboutwar：Well，hesays，“Isingnot，Icarenot，aboutanyman，evenifheweretherichestofmen，andpossessedeverygoodandthenhegivesawholelistofthem，ifhebenotatalltimesabravewarrior。“Iimaginethatyou，too，musthaveheardhispoems；ourLacedaemonianfriendhasprobablyheardmorethanenoughofthem。
　　Meg。Verytrue。
　　Cle。AndtheyhavefoundtheirwayfromLacedaemontoCrete。