Ath。Perhaps；andyetIcannothelpobservingthatanyonewhoseesanythinggreatorpowerful，immediatelyhasthefeelingthat-“Iftheowneronlyknewhowtousehisgreatandnoblepossession，howhappywouldhebe，andwhatgreatresultswouldheachieve!“
　　Meg。Andwouldhenotbejustified？
　　Ath。Reflect；inwhatpointofviewdoesthissortofpraiseappearjust：First，inreferencetothequestioninhand：-Ifthethencommandershadknownhowtoarrangetheirarmyproperly，howwouldtheyhaveattainedsuccess？Wouldnotthishavebeentheway？
　　Theywouldhaveboundthemallfirmlytogetherandpreservedthemforever，givingthemfreedomanddominionatpleasure，combinedwiththepowerofdoinginthewholeworld，Hellenicandbarbarian，whatevertheyandtheirdescendantsdesired。Whatotheraimwouldtheyhavehad？
　　Meg。Verygood。
　　Ath。Supposeanyonewereinthesamewaytoexpresshisadmirationatthesightofgreatwealthorfamilyhonour，orthelike，hewouldpraisethemundertheideathatthroughthemhewouldattaineitherallorthegreaterandchiefpartofwhathedesires。
　　Meg。Hewould。
　　Ath。Well，now，anddoesnottheargumentshowthatthereisonecommondesireofallmankind？
　　Meg。Whatisit？
　　Ath。Thedesirewhichamanhas，thatallthings，ifpossible-atanyrate，thingshuman-maycometopassinaccordancewithhissoul’sdesire。
　　Meg。Certainly。
　　Ath。Andhavingthisdesirealways，andateverytimeoflife，inyouth，inmanhood，inage，hecannothelpalwaysprayingforthefulfilmentofit。
　　Meg。Nodoubt。
　　Ath。Andwejoinintheprayersofourfriends，andaskforthemwhattheyaskforthemselves。
　　Meg。Wedo。
　　Ath。Dearisthesontothefather-theyoungertotheelder。
　　Meg。Ofcourse。
　　Ath。Andyetthesonoftenpraystoobtainthingswhichthefatherpraysthathemaynotobtain。
　　Meg。Whenthesonisyoungandfoolish，youmean？
　　Ath。Yes；orwhenthefather，inthedotageofageortheheatofyouth，havingnosenseofrightandjustice，prayswithfervour，undertheinfluenceoffeelingsakintothoseofTheseuswhenhecursedtheunfortunateHippolytus，doyouimaginethattheson，havingasenseofrightandjustice，willjoininhisfather’sprayers？
　　Meg。Iunderstandyoutomeanthatamanshouldnotdesireorbeinahurrytohaveallthingsaccordingtohiswish，forhiswishmaybeatvariancewithhisreason。Buteverystateandeveryindividualoughttoprayandstriveforwisdom。
　　Ath。Yes；andIremember，andyouwillremember，whatIsaidatfirst，thatastatesmanandlegislatoroughttoordainlawswithaviewtowisdom；whileyouwerearguingthatthegoodlawgiveroughttoorderallwithaviewtowar。AndtothisIrepliedthattherewerefourvirtues，butthatuponyourviewoneofthemonlywastheaimoflegislation；whereasyououghttoregardallvirtue，andespeciallythatwhichcomesfirst，andistheleaderofalltherest-Imeanwisdomandmindandopinion，havingaffectionanddesireintheirtrain。Andnowtheargumentreturnstothesamepoint，andIsayoncemore，injestifyoulike，orinearnestifyoulike，thattheprayerofafoolisfullofdanger，beinglikelytoendintheoppositeofwhathedesires。Andifyouwouldratherreceivemywordsinearnest，Iamwillingthatyoushould；andyouwillfind，I
　　suspect，asIhavesaidalready，thatnotcowardicewasthecauseoftheruinoftheDoriankingsandoftheirwholedesign，norignoranceofmilitarymatters，eitheronthepartoftherulersoroftheirsubjects；buttheirmisfortuneswereduetotheirgeneraldegeneracy，andespeciallytotheirignoranceofthemostimportanthumanaffairs。Thatwasthen，andisstill，andalwayswillbethecase，asIwillendeavour，ifyouwillallowme，tomakeoutanddemonstrateaswellasIamabletoyouwhoaremyfriends，inthecourseoftheargument。
　　Cle。Praygoon，Stranger；-complimentsaretroublesome，butwewillshow，notinwordbutindeed，howgreatlyweprizeyourwords，forwewillgivethemourbestattention；andthatisthewayinwhichafreemanbestshowshisapprovalordisapproval。
　　Meg。Excellent，Cleinias；letusdoasyousay。
　　Cle。Byallmeans，ifHeavenwills。Goon。
　　Ath。Well，then，proceedinginthesametrainofthought，IsaythatthegreatestignorancewastheruinoftheDorianpower，andthatnow，asthen，ignoranceisruin。Andifthisbetrue，thelegislatormustendeavourtoimplantwisdominstates，andbanishignorancetotheutmostofhispower。
　　Cle。Thatisevident。
　　Ath。Thennowconsiderwhatisreallythegreatestignorance。I
　　shouldliketoknowwhetheryouandMegilluswouldagreewithmeinwhatIamabouttosay；formyopinionis-
　　Cle。What？
　　Ath。Thatthegreatestignoranceiswhenamanhatesthatwhichheneverthelessthinkstobegoodandnoble，andlovesandembracesthatwhichheknowstobeunrighteousandevil。Thisdisagreementbetweenthesenseofpleasureandthejudgmentofreasoninthesoulis，inmyopinion，theworstignorance；andalsothegreatest，becauseaffectingthegreatmassofthehumansoul；fortheprinciplewhichfeelspleasureandpainintheindividualislikethemassorpopulaceinastate。Andwhenthesoulisopposedtoknowledge，oropinion，orreason，whicharehernaturallords，thatIcallfolly，justasinthestate，whenthemultituderefusestoobeytheirrulersandthelaws；or，again，intheindividual，whenfairreasoningshavetheirhabitationinthesoulandyetdonogood，butratherthereverseofgood。AllthesecasesItermtheworstignorance，whetherinindividualsorinstates。Youwillunderstand，Stranger，thatI
　　amspeakingofsomethingwhichisverydifferentfromtheignoranceofhandicraftsmen。
　　Cle。Yes，myfriend，weunderstandandagree。
　　Ath。Letus，then，inthefirstplacedeclareandaffirmthatthecitizenwhodoesnotknowthesethingsoughtnevertohaveanykindofauthorityentrustedtohim：hemustbestigmatizedasignorant，eventhoughhebeversedincalculationandskilledinallsortsofaccomplishments，andfeatsofmentaldexterity；andtheoppositearetobecalledwise，evenalthough，inthewordsoftheproverb，theyknowneitherhowtoreadnorhowtoswim；andtothem，astomenofsense，authorityistobecommitted。For，Omyfriends，howcantherebetheleastshadowofwisdomwhenthereisnoharmony？Thereisnone；butthenoblestandgreatestofharmoniesmaybetrulysaidtobethegreatestwisdom；andofthisheisapartakerwholivesaccordingtoreason；whereashewhoisdevoidofreasonisthedestroyerofhishouseandtheveryoppositeofasaviourofthestate：heisutterlyignorantofpoliticalwisdom。Letthis，then，asIwassaying，belaiddownbyus。
　　Cle。Letitbesolaiddown。
　　Ath。Isupposethattheremustberulersandsubjectsinstates？
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Andwhataretheprinciplesonwhichmenruleandobeyincities，whethergreatorsmall；andsimilarlyinfamilies？Whatarethey，andhowmanyinnumber？Istherenotoneclaimofauthoritywhichisalwaysjust-thatoffathersandmothersandingeneralofprogenitorstoruleovertheiroffspring？
　　Cle。Thereis。
　　Ath。Nextfollowstheprinciplethatthenobleshouldruleovertheignoble；and，thirdly，thattheeldershouldruleandtheyoungerobey？
　　Cle。Tobesure。
　　Ath。And，fourthly，thatslavesshouldberuled，andtheirmastersrule？
　　Cle。Ofcourse。
　　Ath。Fifthly，ifIamnotmistaken，comestheprinciplethatthestrongershallrule，andtheweakerberuled？
　　Cle。Thatisarulenottobedisobeyed。
　　Ath。Yes，andarulewhichprevailsverywidelyamongallcreatures，andisaccordingtonature，astheThebanpoetPindaroncesaid；andthesixthprinciple，andthegreatestofall，is，thatthewiseshouldleadandcommand，andtheignorantfollowandobey；andyet，OthoumostwisePindar，asIshouldreplyhim，thissurelyisnotcontrarytonature，butaccordingtonature，beingtheruleoflawoverwillingsubjects，andnotaruleofcompulsion。
　　Cle。Mosttrue。
　　Ath。Thereisaseventhkindofrulewhichisawardedbylot，andisdeartotheGodsandatokenofgoodfortune：heonwhomthelotfallsisaruler，andhewhofailsinobtainingthelotgoesawayandisthesubject；andthisweaffirmtobequitejust。
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。“Thennow，“aswesayplayfullytoanyofthosewholightlyundertakethemakingoflaws，“yousee，legislator，theprinciplesofgovernment，howmanytheyare，andthattheyarenaturallyopposedtoeachother。Therewehavediscoveredafountain-headofseditions，towhichyoumustattend。And，first，wewillaskyoutoconsiderwithus，howandinwhatrespectthekingsofArgosandMesseneviolatedtheseourmaxims，andruinedthemselvesandthegreatandfamousHellenicpoweroftheoldentime。WasitbecausetheydidnotknowhowwiselyHesiodspokewhenhesaidthatthehalfisoftenmorethanthewhole？Hismeaningwas，thatwhentotakethewholewouldbedangerous，andtotakethehalfwouldbethesafeandmoderatecourse，thenthemoderateorbetterwasmorethantheimmoderateorworse。“
　　Cle。Verytrue。
　　Ath。Andmaywesupposethisimmoderatespirittobemorefatalwhenfoundamongkingsthanwhenamongpeoples？
　　Cle。Theprobabilityisthatignorancewillbeadisorderespeciallyprevalentamongkings，becausetheyleadaproudandluxuriouslife。
　　Ath。Isitnotpalpablethatthechiefaimofthekingsofthattimewastogetthebetteroftheestablishedlaws，andthattheywerenotinharmonywiththeprincipleswhichtheyhadagreedtoobservebywordandoath？Thiswantofharmonymayhavehadtheappearanceofwisdom，butwasreally，asweassert，thegreatestignorance，andutterlyoverthrewthewholeempirebydissonanceandharshdiscord。
　　Cle。Verylikely。
　　Ath。Good；andwhatmeasuresoughtthelegislatortohavethentakeninordertoavertthiscalamity？Trulythereisnogreatwisdominknowing，andnogreatdifficultyintelling，aftertheevilhashappened；buttohaveforeseentheremedyatthetimewouldhavetakenamuchwiserheadthanours。
　　Meg。Whatdoyoumean？
　　Ath。AnyonewholooksatwhathasoccurredwithyouLacedaemonians，Megillus，mayeasilyknowandmayeasilysaywhatoughttohavebeendoneatthattime。
　　Meg。Speakalittlemoreclearly。
　　Ath。NothingcanbeclearerthantheobservationwhichIamabouttomake。
　　Meg。Whatisit？