Ath。Werewenotsayingthatonsuchoccasionsthesoulsofthedrinkersbecomelikeironheatedinthefire,andgrowsofterandyounger,andareeasilymouldedbyhimwhoknowshowtoeducateandfashionthem,justaswhentheywereyoung,andthatthisfashionerofthemisthesamewhoprescribedfortheminthedaysoftheiryouth,viz。,thegoodlegislator;andthatheoughttoenactlawsofthebanquet,which,whenamanisconfident,bold,andimpudent,andunwillingtowaithisturnandhavehisshareofsilenceandspeech,anddrinkingandmusic,willchangehischaracterintotheopposite-suchlawsaswillinfuseintohimajustandnoblefear,whichwilltakeuparmsattheapproachofinsolence,beingthatdivinefearwhichwehavecalledreverenceandshame?
Cle。True。
Ath。Andtheguardiansoftheselawsandfellow-workerswiththemarethecalmandsobergeneralsofthedrinkers;andwithouttheirhelpthereisgreaterdifficultyinfightingagainstdrinkthaninfightingagainstenemieswhenthecommanderofanarmyisnothimselfcalm;andhewhoisunwillingtoobeythemandthecommandersofDionysiacfeastswhoaremorethansixtyyearsofage,shallsufferadisgraceasgreatashewhodisobeysmilitaryleaders,orevengreater。
Cle。Right。
Ath。If,then,drinkingandamusementwereregulatedinthisway,wouldnotthecompanionsofourrevelsbeimproved?theywouldpartbetterfriendsthantheywere,andnot,asnowenemies。Theirwholeintercoursewouldberegulatedbylawandobservantofit,andthesoberwouldbetheleadersofthedrunken。
Cle。Ithinksotoo,ifdrinkingwereregulatedasyoupropose。
Ath。LetusnotthensimplycensurethegiftofDionysusasbadandunfittobereceivedintotheState。Forwinehasmanyexcellences,andonepre-eminentone,aboutwhichthereisadifficultyinspeakingtothemany,fromafearoftheirmisconceivingandmisunderstandingwhatissaid。
Cle。Towhatdoyourefer?
Ath。Thereisatraditionorstory,whichhassomehowcreptabouttheworld,thatDionysuswasrobbedofhiswitsbyhisstepmotherHere,andthatoutofrevengeheinspiresBacchicfuriesanddancingmadnessesinothers;forwhichreasonhegavemenwine。SuchtraditionsconcerningtheGodsIleavetothosewhothinkthattheymaybesafelyuttered;Ionlyknowthatnoanimalatbirthismatureorperfectinintelligence;andintheintermediateperiod,inwhichhehasnotyetacquiredhisownpropersense,heragesandroarswithoutrhymeorreason;andwhenhehasoncegotonhislegshejumpsaboutwithoutrhymeorreason;andthis,asyouwillremember,hasbeenalreadysaidbyustobetheoriginofmusicandgymnastic。
Cle。Tobesure,Iremember。
Ath。Anddidwenotsaythatthesenseofharmonyandrhythmsprangfromthisbeginningamongmen,andthatApolloandtheMusesandDionysusweretheGodswhomwehadtothankforthem?
Cle。Certainly。
Ath。Theotherstoryimpliedthatwinewasgivenmanoutofrevenge,andinordertomakehimmad;butourpresentdoctrine,onthecontrary,is,thatwinewasgivenhimasabalm,andinordertoimplantmodestyinthesoul,andhealthandstrengthinthebody。
Cle。That,Stranger,ispreciselywhatwassaid。
Ath。Thenhalfthesubjectmaynowbeconsideredtohavebeendiscussed;shallweproceedtotheconsiderationoftheotherhalf?
Cle。Whatistheotherhalf,andhowdoyoudividethesubject?
Ath。Thewholechoralartisalsoinourviewthewholeofeducation;andofthisart,rhythmsandharmoniesformthepartwhichhastodowiththevoice。
Cle。Yes。
Ath。Themovementofthebodyhasrhythmincommonwiththemovementofthevoice,butgestureispeculiartoit,whereassongissimplythemovementofthevoice。
Cle。Mosttrue。
Ath。Andthesoundofthevoicewhichreachesandeducatesthesoul,wehaveventuredtotermmusic。
Cle。Wewereright。
Ath。Andthemovementofthebody,whenregardedasanamusement,wetermeddancing;butwhenextendedandpursuedwithaviewtotheexcellenceofthebody,thisscientifictrainingmaybecalledgymnastic。
Cle。Exactly。
Ath。Music,whichwasonehalfofthechoralart,maybesaidtohavebeencompletelydiscussed。Shallweproceedtotheotherhalfornot?Whatwouldyoulike?
Cle。Mygoodfriend,whenyouaretalkingwithaCretanandLacedaemonian,andwehavediscussedmusicandnotgymnastic,whatanswerareeitherofuslikelytomaketosuchanenquiry?
Ath。Anansweriscontainedinyourquestion;andIunderstandandacceptwhatyousaynotonlyasananswer,butalsoasacommandtoproceedwithgymnastic。
Cle。Youquiteunderstandme;doasyousay。
Ath。Iwill;andtherewillnotbeanydifficultyinspeakingintelligiblytoyouaboutasubjectwithwhichbothofyouarefarmorefamiliarthanwithmusic。
Cle。Therewillnot。
Ath。Isnottheoriginofgymnastics,too,tobesoughtinthetendencytorapidmotionwhichexistsinallanimals;man,asweweresaying,havingattainedthesenseofrhythm,createdandinventeddancing;andmelodyarousingandawakeningrhythm,bothunitedformedthechoralart?
Cle。Verytrue。
Ath。Andonepartofthissubjecthasbeenalreadydiscussedbyus,andtherestillremainsanothertobediscussed?
Cle。Exactly。
Ath。Ihavefirstafinalwordtoaddtomydiscourseaboutdrink,ifyouwillallowmetodoso。
Cle。Whatmorehaveyoutosay?
Ath。Ishouldsaythatifacityseriouslymeanstoadoptthepracticeofdrinkingunderdueregulationandwithaviewtotheenforcementoftemperance,andinlikemanner,andonthesameprinciple,willallowofotherpleasures,designingtogainthevictoryovertheminthiswayallofthemmaybeused。ButiftheStatemakesdrinkinganamusementonly,andwhoeverlikesmaydrinkwheneverhelikes,andwithwhomhelikes,andaddtothisanyotherindulgences,Ishallneveragreeorallowthatthiscityorthismanshouldpractisedrinking。IwouldgofurtherthantheCretansandLacedaemonians,andamdisposedrathertothelawoftheCarthaginians,thatnoonewhileheisonacampaignshouldbeallowedtotastewineatall,butthatheshoulddrinkwaterduringallthattime,andthatinthecitynoslave,maleorfemale,shouldeverdrinkwine;andthatnomagistratesshoulddrinkduringtheiryearofoffice,norshouldpilotsofvesselsorjudgeswhileondutytastewineatall,noranyonewhoisgoingtoholdaconsultationaboutanymatterofimportance;norinthedaytimeatall,unlessinconsequenceofexerciseorasmedicine;noragainatnight,whenanyone,eithermanorwoman,ismindedtogetchildren。Therearenumberlessothercasesalsoinwhichthosewhohavegoodsenseandgoodlawsoughtnottodrinkwine,sothatifwhatIsayistrue,nocitywillneedmanyvineyards。Theirhusbandryandtheirwayoflifeingeneralwillfollowanappointedorder,andtheircultivationofthevinewillbethemostlimitedandtheleastcommonoftheiremployments。Andthis,Stranger,shallbethecrownofmydiscourseaboutwine,ifyouagree。
Cle。Excellent:weagree。
BOOKIII
AthenianStranger。Enoughofthis。Andwhat,then,istoberegardedastheoriginofgovernment?Willnotamanbeabletojudgeofitbestfromapointofviewinwhichhemaybeholdtheprogressofstatesandtheirtransitionstogoodorevil?
Cleinias。Whatdoyoumean?
Ath。Imeanthathemightwatchthemfromthepointofviewoftime,andobservethechangeswhichtakeplaceinthemduringinfiniteages。
Cle。Howso?
Ath。Why,doyouthinkthatyoucanreckonthetimewhichhaselapsedsincecitiesfirstexistedandmenwerecitizensofthem?
Cle。Hardly。
Ath。Butaresurethatitmustbevastandincalculable?
Cle。Certainly。
Ath。Andhavenotthousandsandthousandsofcitiescomeintobeingduringthisperiodandasmanyperished?Andhasnoteachofthemhadeveryformofgovernmentmanytimesover,nowgrowinglarger,nowsmaller,andagainimprovingordeclining?
Cle。Tobesure。
Ath。Letusendeavourtoascertainthecauseofthesechanges;forthatwillprobablyexplainthefirstoriginanddevelopmentofformsofgovernment。
Cle。Verygood。Youshallendeavourtoimpartyourthoughtstous,andwewillmakeanefforttounderstandyou。
Ath。Doyoubelievethatthereisanytruthinancienttraditions?
Cle。Whattraditions?
Ath。Thetraditionsaboutthemanydestructionsofmankindwhichhavebeenoccasionedbydelugesandpestilences,andinmanyotherways,andofthesurvivalofaremnant?
Cle。Everyoneisdisposedtobelievethem。
Ath。Letusconsideroneofthem,thatwhichwascausedbythefamousdeluge。
Cle。Whatarewetoobserveaboutit?
Ath。Imeantosaythatthosewhothenescapedwouldonlybehillshepherds-smallsparksofthehumanracepreservedonthetopsofmountains。
Cle。Clearly。
Ath。Suchsurvivorswouldnecessarilybeunacquaintedwiththeartsandthevariousdeviceswhicharesuggestedtothedwellersincitiesbyinterestorambition,andwithallthewrongswhichtheycontriveagainstoneanother。
Cle。Verytrue。
Ath。Letussuppose,then,thatthecitiesintheplainandonthesea-coastwereutterlydestroyedatthattime。
Cle。Verygood。
Ath。Wouldnotallimplementshavethenperishedandeveryotherexcellentinventionofpoliticaloranyothersortofwisdomhaveutterlydisappeared?
Cle。Why,yes,myfriend;andifthingshadalwayscontinuedastheyareatpresentordered,howcouldanydiscoveryhaveeverbeenmadeevenintheleastparticular?Foritisevidentthattheartswereunknownduringtenthousandtimestenthousandyears。AndnomorethanathousandortwothousandyearshaveelapsedsincethediscoveriesofDaedalus,OrpheusandPalamedes-sinceMarsyasandOlympusinventedmusic,andAmphionthelyre-nottospeakofnumberlessotherinventionswhicharebutofyesterday。
Ath。Haveyouforgotten,Cleinias,thenameofafriendwhoisreallyofyesterday?
Cle。IsupposethatyoumeanEpimenides。