Politics

​but common in its use, which is made friendly, and that none of the citizens should be in want of food. Concerning common meals, all agree that it is useful for well-ordered states to have them; and for what reason it is agreed also by us, we will state later. All the citizens must share in these, but it is not easy for the needy to contribute the prescribed amount from their private property and at the same time to manage the rest of their household. Moreover, the expenses for the gods are common to the whole state. It is necessary, therefore, that the territory be divided into two parts, and that one part be common and the other belong to private individuals, and each of these two parts be divided again into two. Of the common land, one part should be for the services to the gods, and the other for the expenses of the common meals; of the private land, one part should be toward the frontiers, and the other toward the city, so that, two allotments being distributed to each, all may share in both locations. For this holds equality and justice, and a greater harmony in regard to wars with neighboring states. For where it is not this way, some disregard enmity with their neighbors, while others care too much and even contrary to what is noble. Wherefore in some states there is a law that those who neighbor the border should not join in the council concerning wars against them, on the ground that they cannot, because of their private interest, deliberate well. The territory, then, must be divided in this way for the aforementioned reasons; and those who are to farm it should, ideally, if we can choose, be slaves, neither all of the same race nor high-spirited (for thus they would be both useful for work and safe against making revolutions), and secondly, barbarian serfs of a nature similar to those mentioned. Of these, some should belong to private owners on their private estates, and others should be common on the common land. But in what way slaves ought to be treated, and why it is better to propose freedom as a prize to all slaves, we will state later. As for the city, that it ought to be common to both the mainland and the sea and the whole territory alike as far as possible, has been said before; but as for its actual site, we must pray to obtain a sloping position looking toward four things: first, as a necessity, toward health (for those that have their slope toward the east and toward the winds that blow from the sunrise are healthier, and secondly, those toward the north, for these are better in winter).