§5.739ΑΘ. ἡ δὴ τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο φορά, καθάπερ πεττῶν ἀφʼ ἱεροῦ, τῆς τῶν νόμων κατασκευῆς, ἀήθης οὖσα, τάχʼ ἂν θαυμάσαι τὸν ἀκούοντα τὸ πρῶτον ποιήσειεν· οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἀναλογιζομένῳ καὶ πειρωμένῳ φανεῖται δευτέρως ἂν πόλις οἰκεῖσθαι πρὸς τὸ βέλτιστον. τάχα δʼ οὐκ ἄν τις προσδέξαιτο αὐτὴν διὰ τὸ μὴ σύνηθες νομοθέτῃ μὴ τυραννοῦντι· τὸ δʼ ἔστιν ὀρθότατον εἰπεῖν μὲν τὴν ἀρίστην πολιτείαν καὶ δευτέραν καὶ τρίτην, δοῦναι δὲ εἰπόντα αἵρεσιν ἑκάστῳ τῷ τῆς συνοικήσεως κυρίῳ. ποιῶμεν δὴ κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν λόγον καὶ τὰ νῦν ἡμεῖς, εἰπόντες ἀρετῇ πρώτην πολιτείαν καὶ δευτέραν καὶ τρίτην· τὴν δὲ αἵρεσιν Κλεινίᾳ τε ἀποδιδῶμεν τὰ νῦν καὶ εἴ τις ἄλλος ἀεί ποτε ἐθελήσειεν ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν τοιούτων ἐκλογὴν ἐλθὼν κατὰ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ τρόπον ἀπονείμασθαι τὸ φίλον αὑτῷ τῆς αὑτοῦ πατρίδος. πρώτη μὲν τοίνυν πόλις τέ ἐστιν καὶ πολιτεία καὶ νόμοι ἄριστοι, ὅπου τὸ πάλαι λεγόμενον ἂν γίγνηται κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν ὅτι μάλιστα· λέγεται δὲ ὡς ὄντως ἐστὶ κοινὰ τὰ φίλων. τοῦτʼ οὖν εἴτε που νῦν ἔστιν εἴτʼ ἔσται ποτέ— κοινὰς μὲν γυναῖκας, κοινοὺς δὲ εἶναι παῖδας, κοινὰ δὲ χρήματα σύμπαντα—καὶ πάσῃ μηχανῇ τὸ λεγόμενον ἴδιον πανταχόθεν ἐκ τοῦ βίου ἅπαν ἐξῄρηται, μεμηχάνηται δʼ εἰς τὸ δυνατὸν καὶ τὰ φύσει ἴδια κοινὰ ἁμῇ γέ πῃ γεγονέναι, οἷον ὄμματα καὶ ὦτα καὶ χεῖρας κοινὰ μὲν ὁρᾶν δοκεῖν καὶ ἀκούειν καὶ πράττειν, ἐπαινεῖν τʼ αὖ καὶ ψέγειν καθʼ ἓν ὅτι μάλιστα σύμπαντας ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς χαίροντας καὶ λυπουμένους, καὶ κατὰ δύναμιν οἵτινες νόμοι μίαν ὅτι μάλιστα πόλιν ἀπεργάζονται, τούτων ὑπερβολῇ πρὸς ἀρετὴν οὐδείς ποτε ὅρον ἄλλον θέμενος ὀρθότερον οὐδὲ βελτίω θήσεται. ἡ μὲν δὴ τοιαύτη πόλις, εἴτε που θεοὶ ἢ παῖδες θεῶν αὐτὴν οἰκοῦσι πλείους ἑνός, οὕτω διαζῶντες εὐφραινόμενοι κατοικοῦσι· διὸ δὴ παράδειγμά γε πολιτείας οὐκ ἄλλῃ χρὴ σκοπεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἐχομένους ταύτης τὴν ὅτι μάλιστα τοιαύτην ζητεῖν κατὰ δύναμιν. ἣν δὲ νῦν ἡμεῖς ἐπικεχειρήκαμεν, εἴη τε ἂν γενομένη πως ἀθανασίας ἐγγύτατα καὶ ἡ μία δευτέρως· τρίτην δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα, ἐὰν θεὸς ἐθέλῃ, διαπερανούμεθα. νῦν δʼ οὖν ταύτην τίνα λέγομεν καὶ πῶς γενομένην ἂν τοιαύτην; §5.740ΑΘ. νειμάσθων μὲν δὴ πρῶτον γῆν τε καὶ οἰκίας, καὶ μὴ κοινῇ γεωργούντων, ἐπειδὴ τὸ τοιοῦτον μεῖζον ἢ κατὰ τὴν νῦν γένεσιν καὶ τροφὴν καὶ παίδευσιν εἴρηται· νεμέσθων δʼ οὖν τοιᾷδε διανοίᾳ πως, ὡς ἄρα δεῖ τὸν λαχόντα τὴν λῆξιν ταύτην νομίζειν μὲν κοινὴν αὐτὴν τῆς πόλεως συμπάσης, πατρίδος δὲ οὔσης τῆς χώρας θεραπεύειν αὐτὴν δεῖ μειζόνως ἢ μητέρα παῖδας, τῷ καὶ δέσποιναν θεὸν αὐτὴν οὖσαν θνητῶν ὄντων γεγονέναι, ταὐτὰ δʼ ἔχειν διανοήματα καὶ περὶ τοὺς ἐγχωρίους θεούς τε ἅμα καὶ δαίμονας. ὅπως δʼ ἂν ταῦτα εἰς τὸν ἀεὶ χρόνον οὕτως ἔχοντα ὑπάρχῃ, τάδε προσδιανοητέον, ὅσαι εἰσὶ τὰ νῦν ἡμῖν ἑστίαι διανεμηθεῖσαι τὸν ἀριθμόν, ταύτας δεῖν ἀεὶ τοσαύτας εἶναι καὶ μήτε τι πλείους γίγνεσθαι μήτε τί ποτε ἐλάττους. ὧδʼ οὖν ἂν τὸ τοιοῦτον βεβαίως γίγνοιτο περὶ πᾶσαν πόλιν· ὁ λαχὼν τὸν κλῆρον καταλειπέτω ἀεὶ ταύτης τῆς οἰκήσεως ἕνα μόνον κληρονόμον τῶν ἑαυτοῦ παίδων, ὃν ἂν αὐτῷ μάλιστα ᾖ φίλον, διάδοχον καὶ θεραπευτὴν θεῶν καὶ γένους καὶ πόλεως τῶν τε ζώντων καὶ ὅσους ἂν ἤδη τέλος εἰς τὸν τότε χρόνον ἔχῃ· τοὺς δὲ ἄλλους παῖδας, οἷς ἂν πλείους ἑνὸς γίγνωνται, θηλείας τε ἐκδόσθαι κατὰ νόμον τὸν ἐπιταχθησόμενον, ἄρρενάς τε, οἷς ἂν τῆς γενέσεως ἐλλείπῃ τῶν πολιτῶν, τούτοις ὑεῖς διανέμειν, κατὰ χάριν μὲν μάλιστα, ἐὰν δέ τισιν ἐλλείπωσιν χάριτες, ἢ πλείους ἐπίγονοι γίγνωνται θήλεις ἤ τινες ἄρρενες ἑκάστων, ἢ καὶ τοὐναντίον ὅταν ἐλάττους ὦσιν, παίδων ἀφορίας γενομένης, πάντων τούτων ἀρχὴν ἣν ἂν θώμεθα μεγίστην καὶ τιμιωτάτην, αὕτη σκεψαμένη τί χρὴ χρῆσθαι τοῖς περιγενομένοις ἢ τοῖς ἐλλείπουσι, ποριζέτω μηχανὴν ὅτι μάλιστα ὅπως αἱ πεντακισχίλιαι καὶ τετταράκοντα οἰκήσεις ἀεὶ μόνον ἔσονται. μηχαναὶ δʼ εἰσὶν πολλαί· καὶ γὰρ ἐπισχέσεις γενέσεως οἷς ἂν εὔρους ᾖ γένεσις, καὶ τοὐναντίον ἐπιμέλειαι καὶ σπουδαὶ πλήθους γεννημάτων εἰσὶν τιμαῖς τε καὶ ἀτιμίαις καὶ νουθετήσεσι πρεσβυτῶν περὶ νέους διὰ λόγων νουθετητικῶν ἀπαντῶσαι αἳ δύνανται ποιεῖν ὃ λέγομεν. καὶ δὴ καὶ τό γε τέλος, ἂν πᾶσα ἀπορία περὶ τὴν ἀνίσωσιν τῶν πεντακισχιλίων καὶ τετταράκοντα οἴκων γίγνηται, ἐπίχυσις δὲ ὑπερβάλλουσα ἡμῖν πολιτῶν διὰ φιλοφροσύνην τὴν τῶν συνοικούντων ἀλλήλοις συμβαίνῃ καὶ ἀπορῶμεν, τὸ παλαιόν που ὑπάρχει μηχάνημα, ὃ πολλάκις εἴπομεν, ἐκπομπὴ ἀποικιῶν, φίλη γιγνομένη παρὰ φίλων, ὧν ἂν ἐπιτήδειον εἶναι δοκῇ.
ATH.: Now, the next and is as follows, with the, as in the play of the are we are to with regard to making that laws from the the sacred line, and being unusual, are with the is it to be, making to the first person the and wonder. Nevertheless, to the and examining it to are and a second way would be to rule of the city best in. Perhaps one might not accept it, because it is of the and non-tyrant. But it is with the, the of the to say the best of, is the second, is third, and having and to give to and of the each to the sovereign of the settlement. Let us do with according to this argument to now we, having and the and and the and and third; and the and of Cleinias and to and if and who and may at any time wishing to the selection to the choosing according to his own character to the dear to his own fatherland. First of the and then to the and and is and laws are best, where the of old is as much as possible; and is said as indeed common is of friends. This of then, if it is anywhere now or ever will be—that wives are common, children are common, and all of property is common—and by every means what is called the private and from the life is completely removed, and is made to the possible as much as possible, for example, the eyes and ears and hands seem to see and to hear and to do, and to praise and blame, all for the same rejoicing and grieving, and as much as possible what laws and to make the as much as possible. Of this and to virtue no one, is more correct and better will be placed. The indeed of such a city, if anywhere gods or children of gods of them inhabit more than one, thus living and dwelling with joy; therefore, the pattern of a constitution not else is to seek, but to this the as much as possible such to seek according to ability. The and now we have undertaken, and is would be in some way closest to immortality and the and second; and third after this, if God wills, we shall finish. Now, then, this what do we say and how and would be such? ATH.: Let them distribute first the land and dwellings, and let them not farm in common, since such a thing is stated to be greater than what is according to current birth, rearing, and education; let them, however, distribute them with some such mind: namely, that the one who has received this allotment must consider it as common to the entire city, and since the territory is his fatherland, he must care for it more greatly than a mother cares for her children, because it, being a mistress goddess, has come into being for those who are mortal; and they must hold the same thoughts concerning the local gods and daemons as well. And so that these things may remain this way for all time, this must be further conceived: however many in number our hearths are that are distributed now, these must always remain of this number, and must neither become any more nor ever any fewer. Thus, then, would such a thing safely come about in every city: let the one who has received the lot always leave only one heir of his own children for this dwelling, whichever is most dear to him, to be his successor and the caretaker of the gods, the family, and the city, both of the living and of those who have already reached their end at that time; and as for the other children, when they have more than one, the females are to be given in marriage according to the law that will be prescribed, and the males, to whichever citizens are lacking in offspring, to these they are to distribute them as sons, preferably as a matter of favor, but if favor is lacking for some, or if more offspring are born, whether female or male, for each family, or on the contrary when they are fewer due to childlessness, for all these cases, whichever office we establish as the greatest and most honorable, let this, having examined what should be done with the excess or the deficient, provide a device as much as possible so that the five thousand and forty dwellings will always remain only this many. And there are many devices; for both restrictions on birth for those whose birth is too abundant, and on the contrary, care and concern for the abundance of offspring, meeting them with honors and dishonors and admonitions of elders toward the young through admonitory words, are able to produce what we say. And indeed, as a final resort, if every difficulty arises concerning the equalization of the five thousand and forty houses, and an excessive overflow of citizens happens to us through the friendliness of those who dwell together with one another, and we are at a loss, there is that ancient device which we have often mentioned, the sending out of colonies, becoming friendly from friends, for whomever it seems appropriate.