Ath。Thesame，myfriend；hedoesindeedfaroverleaptheheadsofallmankindbyhisinvention；forhecarriedoutinpractice，asyoudeclare，whatofoldHesiodonlypreached。
　　Cle。Yes，accordingtoourtradition。
　　Ath。Afterthegreatdestruction，maywenotsupposethatthestateofmanwassomethingofthissort：-Inthebeginningofthingstherewasafearfulillimitabledesertandavastexpanseofland；aherdortwoofoxenwouldbetheonlysurvivorsoftheanimalworld；
　　andtheremightbeafewgoats，thesetoohardlyenoughtomaintaintheshepherdswhotendedthem？
　　Cle。True。
　　Ath。Andofcitiesorgovernmentsorlegislation，aboutwhichwearenowtalking，doyousupposethattheycouldhaveanyrecollectionatall？
　　Cle。Nonewhatever。
　　Ath。Andoutofthisstateofthingshastherenotsprungallthatwenowareandhave：citiesandgovernments，andartsandlaws，andagreatdealofviceandagreatdealofvirtue？
　　Cle。Whatdoyoumean？
　　Ath。Why，mygoodfriend，howcanwepossiblysupposethatthosewhoknewnothingofallthegoodandevilofcitiescouldhaveattainedtheirfulldevelopment，whetherofvirtueorofvice？
　　Cle。Iunderstandyourmeaning，andyouarequiteright。
　　Ath。But，astimeadvancedandtheracemultiplied，theworldcametobewhattheworldis。
　　Cle。Verytrue。
　　Ath。Doubtlessthechangewasnotmadeallinamoment，butlittlebylittle，duringaverylongperiodoftime。
　　Cle。Ahighlyprobablesupposition。
　　Ath。Atfirst，theywouldhaveanaturalfearringingintheirearswhichwouldpreventtheirdescendingfromtheheightsintotheplain。
　　Cle。Ofcourse。
　　Ath。Thefewnessofthesurvivorsatthattimewouldhavemadethemallthemoredesirousofseeingoneanother；butthenthemeansoftravellingeitherbylandorseahadbeenalmostentirelylost，asImaysay，withthelossofthearts，andtherewasgreatdifficultyingettingatoneanother；forironandbrassandallmetalswerejumbledtogetherandhaddisappearedinthechaos；norwasthereanypossibilityofextractingorefromthem；andtheyhadscarcelyanymeansoffellingtimber。Evenifyousupposethatsomeimplementsmighthavebeenpreservedinthemountains，theymustquicklyhavewornoutandvanished，andtherewouldbenomoreofthemuntiltheartofmetallurgyhadagainrevived。
　　Cle。Therecouldnothavebeen。
　　Ath。Inhowmanygenerationswouldthisbeattained？
　　Cle。Clearly，notformanygenerations。
　　Ath。Duringthisperiod，andforsometimeafterwards，alltheartswhichrequireironandbrassandthelikewoulddisappear。
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Factionandwarwouldalsohavediedoutinthosedays，andformanyreasons。
　　Cle。Howwouldthatbe？
　　Ath。Inthefirstplace，thedesolationoftheseprimitivemenwouldcreateinthemafeelingofaffectionandgood-willtowardsoneanother；and，secondly，theywouldhavenooccasiontoquarrelabouttheirsubsistence，fortheywouldhavepastureinabundance，exceptjustatfirst，andinsomeparticularcases；andfromtheirpasture-landtheywouldobtainthegreaterpartoftheirfoodinaprimitiveage，havingplentyofmilkandflesh；moreovertheywouldprocureotherfoodbythechase，nottobedespisedeitherinquantityorquality。Theywouldalsohaveabundanceofclothing，andbedding，anddwellings，andutensilseithercapableofstandingonthefireornot；fortheplasticandweavingartsdonotrequireanyuseofiron：andGodhasgiventhesetwoartstomaninordertoprovidehimwithallsuchthings，that，whenreducedtothelastextremity，thehumanracemaystillgrowandincrease。Henceinthosedaysmankindwerenotverypoor；norwaspovertyacauseofdifferenceamongthem；andrichtheycouldnothavebeen，havingneithergoldnorsilver：-suchatthattimewastheircondition。Andthecommunitywhichhasneitherpovertynorricheswillalwayshavethenoblestprinciples；initthereisnoinsolenceorinjustice，nor，again，arethereanycontentionsorenvyings。Andthereforetheyweregood，andalsobecausetheywerewhatiscalledsimple-minded；andwhentheyweretoldaboutgoodandevil，theyintheirsimplicitybelievedwhattheyheardtobeverytruthandpractisedit。Noonehadthewittosuspectanotherofafalsehood，asmendonow；butwhattheyheardaboutGodsandmentheybelievedtobetrue，andlivedaccordingly；andthereforetheywereinallrespectssuchaswehavedescribedthem。
　　Cle。Thatquiteaccordswithmyviews，andwiththoseofmyfriendhere。
　　Ath。Wouldnotmanygenerationslivingoninasimplemanner，althoughruder，perhaps，andmoreignorantoftheartsgenerally，andinparticularofthoseoflandornavalwarfare，andlikewiseofotherarts，termedincitieslegalpracticesandpartyconflicts，andincludingallconceivablewaysofhurtingoneanotherinwordanddeed；-althoughinferiortothosewholivedbeforethedeluge，ortothemenofourdayintheserespects，wouldtheynot，Isay，besimplerandmoremanly，andalsomoretemperateandaltogethermorejust？Thereasonhasbeenalreadyexplained。
　　Cle。Verytrue。
　　Ath。Ishouldwishyoutounderstandthatwhathasprecededandwhatisabouttofollow，hasbeen，andwillbesaid，withtheintentionofexplainingwhatneedthemenofthattimehadoflaws，andwhowastheirlawgiver。
　　Cle。Andthusfarwhatyouhavesaidhasbeenverywellsaid。
　　Ath。Theycouldhardlyhavewantedlawgiversasyet；nothingofthatsortwaslikelytohaveexistedintheirdays，fortheyhadnolettersatthisearlyperiod；theylivedbyhabitandthecustomsoftheirancestors，astheyarecalled。
　　Cle。Probably。
　　Ath。Buttherewasalreadyexistingaformofgovernmentwhich，ifI
　　amnotmistaken，isgenerallytermedalordship，andthisstillremainsinmanyplaces，bothamongHellenesandbarbarians，andisthegovernmentwhichisdeclaredbyHomertohaveprevailedamongtheCyclopes：
　　Theyhaveneithercouncilsnorjudgments，buttheydwellinhollowcavesonthetopsofhighmountains，andeveryonegiveslawtohiswifeandchildren，andtheydonotbusythemselvesaboutoneanother。
　　Cle。Thatseemstobeacharmingpoetofyours；Ihavereadsomeotherversesofhis，whichareveryclever；butIdonotknowmuchofhim，forforeignpoetsareverylittlereadamongtheCretans。
　　Megillus。ButtheyareinLacedaemon，andheappearstobetheprinceofthemall；themanneroflife，however，whichhedescribesisnotSpartan，butratherIonian，andheseemsquitetoconfirmwhatyouaresaying，whenhetracesuptheancientstateofmankindbythehelpoftraditiontobarbarism。
　　Ath。Yes，hedoesconfirmit；andwemayaccepthiswitnesstothefactthatsuchformsofgovernmentsometimesarise。
　　Cle。Wemay。
　　Ath。Andwerenotsuchstatescomposedofmenwhohadbeendispersedinsinglehabitationsandfamiliesbythepovertywhichattendedthedevastations；anddidnottheeldestthenruleamongthem，becausewiththemgovernmentoriginatedintheauthorityofafatherandamother，whom，likeaflockofbirds，theyfollowed，formingonetroopunderthepatriarchalruleandsovereigntyoftheirparents，whichofallsovereigntiesisthemostjust？
　　Cle。Verytrue。
　　Ath。Afterthistheycametogetheringreaternumbers，andincreasedthesizeoftheircities，andbetookthemselvestohusbandry，firstofallatthefootofthemountains，andmadeenclosuresofloosewallsandworksofdefence，inordertokeepoffwildbeasts；thuscreatingasinglelargeandcommonhabitation。
　　Cle。Yes；atleastwemaysupposeso。
　　Ath。Thereisanotherthingwhichwouldprobablyhappen。
　　Cle。What？
　　Ath。Whentheselargerhabitationsgrewupoutofthelesseroriginalones，eachofthelesseroneswouldsurviveinthelarger；
　　everyfamilywouldbeundertheruleoftheeldest，and，owingtotheirseparationfromoneanother，wouldhavepeculiarcustomsinthingsdivineandhuman，whichtheywouldhavereceivedfromtheirseveralparentswhohadeducatedthem；andthesecustomswouldinclinethemtoorder，whentheparentshadtheelementoforderintheirnature，andtocourage，whentheyhadtheelementofcourage。Andtheywouldnaturallystampupontheirchildren，andupontheirchildren’schildren，theirownlikings；and，aswearesaying，theywouldfindtheirwayintothelargersociety，havingalreadytheirownpeculiarlaws。
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Andeverymansurelylikeshisownlawsbest，andthelawsofothersnotsowell。
　　Cle。True。
　　Ath。Thennowweseemtohavestumbleduponthebeginningsoflegislation。
　　Cle。Exactly。
　　Ath。Thenextstepwillbethatthesepersonswhohavemettogether，willselectsomearbiters，whowillreviewthelawsofallofthem，andwillpubliclypresentsuchastheyapprovetothechiefswholeadthetribes，andwhoareinamannertheirkings，allowingthemtochoosethosewhichtheythinkbest。Thesepersonswillthemselvesbecalledlegislators，andwillappointthemagistrates，framingsomesortofaristocracy，orperhapsmonarchy，outofthedynastiesorlordships，andinthisalteredstateofthegovernmenttheywilllive。
　　Cle。Yes，thatwouldbethenaturalorderofthings。
　　Ath。Then，nowletusspeakofathirdformofgovernment，inwhichallotherformsandconditionsofpolitiesandcitiesconcur。
　　Cle。Whatisthat？
　　Ath。TheformwhichinfactHomerindicatesasfollowingthesecond。
　　Thisthirdformarosewhen，ashesays，DardanusfoundedDardania：
　　FornotasyethadtheholyIliumbeenbuiltontheplaintobeacityofspeakingmen；buttheywerestilldwellingatthefootofmany-fountainedIda。
　　Forindeed，intheseverses，andinwhathesaidoftheCyclopes，hespeaksthewordsofGodandnature；forpoetsareadivineraceandoftenintheirstrains，bytheaidoftheMusesandtheGraces，theyattaintruth。
　　Cle。Yes。
　　Ath。Thennowletusproceedwiththerestofourtale，whichwillprobablybefoundtoillustrateinsomedegreeourproposeddesign：-Shallwedoso？