Ath。ThatGodgovernsallthings，andthatchanceandopportunityco-operatewithhiminthegovernmentofhumanaffairs。Thereis，however，athirdandlessextremeview，thatartshouldbetherealso；
　　forIshouldsaythatinastormtheremustsurelybeagreatadvantageinhavingtheaidofthepilot’sart。Youwouldagree？
　　Cle。Yes。
　　Ath。Anddoesnotalikeprincipleapplytolegislationaswellastootherthings：evensupposingalltheconditionstobefavourablewhichareneededforthehappinessofthestate，yetthetruelegislatormustfromtimetotimeappearonthescene？
　　Cle。Mosttrue。
　　Ath。Ineachcasetheartistwouldbeabletoprayrightlyforcertainconditions，andiftheseweregrantedbyfortune，hewouldthenonlyrequiretoexercisehisart？
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Andalltheotherartistsjustnowmentioned，iftheywerebiddentoofferupeachtheirspecialprayer，woulddoso？
　　Cle。Ofcourse。
　　Ath。Andthelegislatorwoulddolikewise？
　　Cle。Ibelievethathewould。
　　Ath。“Come，legislator，“wewillsaytohim；“whataretheconditionswhichyourequireinastatebeforeyoucanorganizeit？“
　　Howoughthetoanswerthisquestion？ShallIgivehisanswer？
　　Cle。Yes。
　　Ath。Hewillsay-“Givemeastatewhichisgovernedbyatyrant，andletthetyrantbeyoungandhaveagoodmemory；lethimbequickatlearning，andofacourageousandnoblenature；lethimhavethatqualitywhich，asIsaidbefore，istheinseparablecompanionofalltheotherpartsofvirtue，ifthereistobeanygoodinthem。“
　　Cle。Isuppose，Megillus，thatthiscompanionvirtueofwhichtheStrangerspeaks，mustbetemperance？
　　Ath。Yes，Cleinias，temperanceinthevulgarsense；notthatwhichintheforcedandexaggeratedlanguageofsomephilosophersiscalledprudence，butthatwhichisthenaturalgiftofchildrenandanimals，ofwhomsomelivecontinentlyandothersincontinently，butwhenisolated，wasaswesaid，hardlyworthreckoninginthecatalogueofgoods。Ithinkthatyoumustunderstandmymeaning。
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Thenourtyrantmusthavethisaswellastheotherqualities，ifthestateistoacquireinthebestmannerandintheshortesttimetheformofgovernmentwhichismostconducivetohappiness；forthereneitherisnoreverwillbeabetterorspeedierwayofestablishingapolitythanbyatyranny。
　　Cle。Bywhatpossiblearguments，Stranger，cananymanpersuadehimselfofsuchamonstrousdoctrine？
　　Ath。Thereissurelynodifficultyinseeing，Cleinias，whatisinaccordancewiththeorderofnature？
　　Cle。Youwouldassume，asyousay，atyrantwhowasyoung，temperate，quickatlearning，havingagoodmemory，courageous，ofanoblenature？
　　Ath。Yes；andyoumustaddfortunate；andhisgoodfortunemustbethatheisthecontemporaryofagreatlegislator，andthatsomehappychancebringsthemtogether。Whenthishasbeenaccomplished，Godhasdoneallthatheeverdoesforastatewhichhedesirestobeeminentlyprosperous；Hehasdonesecondbestforastateinwhichtherearetwosuchrulers，andthirdbestforastateinwhichtherearethree。Thedifficultyincreaseswiththeincrease，anddiminisheswiththediminutionofthenumber。
　　Cle。Youmeantosay，Isuppose，thatthebestgovernmentisproducedfromatyranny，andoriginatesinagoodlawgiverandanorderlytyrant，andthatthechangefromsuchatyrannyintoaperfectformofgovernmenttakesplacemosteasily；lesseasilywhenfromanoligarchy；and，inthethirddegree，fromademocracy：isnotthatyourmeaning？
　　Ath。Notso；Imeanrathertosaythatthechangeisbestmadeoutofatyranny；andsecondly，outofamonarchy；andthirdly，outofsomesortofdemocracy：fourth，inthecapacityforimprovement，comesoligarchy，whichhasthegreatestdifficultyinadmittingofsuchachange，becausethegovernmentisinthehandsofanumberofpotentates。Iamsupposingthatthelegislatorisbynatureofthetruesort，andthathisstrengthisunitedwiththatofthechiefmenofthestate；andwhentherulingelementisnumericallysmall，andatthesametimeverystrong，asinatyranny，therethechangeislikelytobeeasiestandmostrapid。
　　Cle。How？Idonotunderstand。
　　Ath。AndyetIhaverepeatedwhatIamsayingagoodmanytimes；butIsupposethatyouhaveneverseenacitywhichisunderatyranny？
　　Cle。No，andIcannotsaythatIhaveanygreatdesiretoseeone。
　　Ath。Andyet，wherethereisatyranny，youmightcertainlyseethatofwhichIamnowspeaking。
　　Cle。Whatdoyoumean？
　　Ath。Imeanthatyoumightseehow，withouttroubleandinnoverylongperiodoftime，thetyrant，ifhewishes，canchangethemannersofastate：hehasonlytogointhedirectionofvirtueorofvice，whicheverheprefers，hehimselfindicatingbyhisexamplethelinesofconduct，praisingandrewardingsomeactionsandreprovingothers，anddegradingthosewhodisobey。
　　Cle。Buthowcanweimaginethatthecitizensingeneralwillatoncefollowtheexamplesettothem；andhowcanhehavethispowerbothofpersuadingandofcompellingthem？
　　Ath。Letnoone，myfriends，persuadeusthatthereisanyquickerandeasierwayinwhichstateschangetheirlawsthanwhentherulerslead：suchchangesneverhave，noreverwill，cometopassinanyotherway。Therealimpossibilityordifficultyisofanothersort，andisrarelysurmountedinthecourseofages；butwhenonceitissurmounted，tenthousandorratherallblessingsfollow。
　　Cle。Ofwhatareyouspeaking？
　　Ath。Thedifficultyistofindthedivineloveoftemperateandjustinstitutionsexistinginanypowerfulformsofgovernment，whetherinamonarchyoroligarchyofwealthorofbirth。YoumightaswellhopetoreproducethecharacterofNestor，whoissaidtohaveexcelledallmeninthepowerofspeech，andyetmoreinhistemperance。This，however，accordingtothetradition，wasinthetimesofTroy；inourowndaysthereisnothingofthesort；butifsuchanoneeitherhasorevershallcomeintobeing，orisnowamongus，blessedisheandblessedaretheywhohearthewisewordsthatflowfromhislips。Andthismaybesaidofpoweringeneral：
　　Whenthesupremepowerinmancoincideswiththegreatestwisdomandtemperance，thenthebestlawsandthebestconstitutioncomeintobeing；butinnootherway。AndletwhatIhavebeensayingberegardedasakindofsacredlegendororacle，andletthisbeourproofthat，inonepointofview，theremaybeadifficultyforacitytohavegoodlaws，butthatthereisanotherpointofviewinwhichnothingcanbeeasierorsoonereffected，grantingoursupposition。
　　Cle。Howdoyoumean？
　　Ath。Letustrytoamuseourselves，oldboysasweare，bymouldinginwordsthelawswhicharesuitabletoyourstate。
　　Cle。Letusproceedwithoutdelay。
　　Ath。ThenletusinvokeGodatthesettlementofourstate；mayhehearandbepropitioustous，andcomeandsetinordertheStateandthelaws!
　　Cle。Mayhecome!
　　Ath。Butwhatformofpolityarewegoingtogivethecity？
　　Cle。Telluswhatyoumeanalittlemoreclearly。Doyoumeansomeformofdemocracy，oroligarchy，oraristocracy，ormonarchy？Forwecannotsupposethatyouwouldincludetyranny。
　　Ath。Whichofyouwillfirsttellmetowhichoftheseclasseshisowngovernmentistobereferred？
　　Megillus。OughtItoanswerfirst，sinceIamtheelder？
　　Cle。Perhapsyoushould。
　　Meg。Andyet，Stranger，IperceivethatIcannotsay，withoutmorethought，whatIshouldcallthegovernmentofLacedaemon，foritseemstometobelikeatyranny-thepowerofourEphorsismarvellouslytyrannical；andsometimesitappearstometobeofallcitiesthemostdemocratical；andwhocanreasonablydenythatitisanaristocracy？Wehavealsoamonarchywhichisheldforlife，andissaidbyallmankind，andnotbyourselvesonly，tobethemostancientofallmonarchies；and，therefore，whenaskedonasudden，IcannotpreciselysaywhichformofgovernmenttheSpartanis。
　　Cle。Iaminthesamedifficulty，Megillus；forIdonotfeelconfidentthatthepolityofCnosusisanyofthese。
　　Ath。Thereasonis，myexcellentfriends，thatyoureallyhavepolities，butthestatesofwhichwewerejustnowspeakingaremerelyaggregationsofmendwellingincitieswhoarethesubjectsandservantsofapartoftheirownstate，andeachofthemisnamedafterthedominantpower；theyarenotpolitiesatall。Butifstatesaretobenamedaftertheirrulers，thetruestateoughttobecalledbythenameoftheGodwhorulesoverwisemen。
　　Cle。AndwhoisthisGod？
　　Ath。MayIstillmakeuseoffabletosomeextent，inthehopethatImaybebetterabletoansweryourquestion：shallI？
　　Cle。Byallmeans。
　　Ath。Intheprimevalworld，andalongwhilebeforethecitiescameintobeingwhosesettlementswehavedescribed，thereissaidtohavebeeninthetimeofCronosablessedruleandlife，ofwhichthebest-orderedofexistingstatesisacopy。
　　Cle。Itwillbeverynecessarytohearaboutthat。
　　Ath。Iquiteagreewithyou；andthereforeIhaveintroducedthesubject。
　　Cle。Mostappropriately；andsincethetaleistothepoint，youwilldowellingivingusthewholestory。
　　Ath。Iwilldoasyousuggest。Thereisatraditionofthehappylifeofmankindindayswhenallthingswerespontaneousandabundant。