Plato, Laws

[684a] but to real events. Now what actually took place was this: each of the three royal houses, and the cities under their sway, swore to one another,¹ according to the laws, binding alike on ruler and subject, which they had made,—the rulers that, as time went on and the nation advanced, they would refrain from making their rule more severe, and the subjects that, so long as the rulers kept fast to their promise, they would never upset the monarchy themselves, nor would they allow others to do so; and they swore that the kings should aid both kings and peoples [684b] when wronged, and the peoples aid both peoples and kings. Was not that the way of it?

Megillus
It was.

Athenian
In the polities legally established—whether by the kings or others—in the three States, was not this the most important principle?

Megillus
What?

Athenian
That the other two States should always help against the third, whenever it disobeyed the laws laid down.

Megillus
Evidently.

Athenian
And surely most people insist on this,— [684c] that the lawgivers shall enact laws of such a kind that the masses of the people accept them willingly; just as one might insist that trainers or doctors should make their treatments or cures of men's bodies pleasurable.

Megillus
Exactly so.

Athenian
But in fact one often has to be content if one can bring a body into a sound and healthy state with no great amount of pain.

Megillus
Very true. [684d]

Athenian
The men of that age possessed also another advantage which helped not a little to facilitate legislation.²

Megillus
What was that?

Athenian
Their legislators, in their efforts to establish equality of property, were free from that worst of accusations which is commonly incurred in States with laws of a different kind, whenever anyone seeks to disturb the occupation of land, or to propose the abolition of debts, since he perceives that without these measures equality could never be fully secured. In such cases, if the lawgiver attempts to disturb any of these things, [684e] everyone confronts him with the cry, “Hands off,” and they curse him for introducing redistributions of land and remissions of debts, with the result that every man is rendered powerless. But the Dorians had this further advantage, that they were free from all dread of giving offence, so that they could divide up their land without dispute; and they had no large debts of old standing.³

Megillus
True

Athenian
How was it then, my good sirs, that their settlement and legislation turned out so badly?