PLATO WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION LAWS by R.G.Bury VOL.II -LOEB CLASSICAL LIBRARY 192- 1926

LAWS, BOOK VII
else that concerns sacrifice and the dance,—in honour
of what gods and at what seasons respectively they are
to play and win their favour, and thus mould their
lives according to the shape of their nature, inasmuch
as they are puppets ^ for the most part, yet share
occasionally in truth.
You have a very mean opinion. Stranger, of
MEG.
the human race.
ATH. Marvel not, Megillus, but forgive me. For
when I spoke thus, I had my mind set on God, and was
feeling the emotion to which I gave utterance. Let
us grant, however, if you wish, that the human race is
not a mean thing, but worthy of serious attention.
To pursue our subject,—we have described ^
buildings for public gymnasia as well as schools in
three divisions within the city, and also in three
divisions round about the city training-grounds and
race-courses for horses, arranged for archery and
other long-distance shooting, and for the teaching and
practising of the youth : if, however, our previous
description of these was inadequate, let them now
be described and legally regulated. In all these
establishments there should reside teachers attracted
by pay from abroad for each several subject, to
instruct the pupils in all matters relating to war and
to music ; and no father shall either send his son as
a pupil or keep him away from the training-school
at his own sweet will, but every " man jack " of
them all
(as the saying goes) must, so far as possible,
be compelled to be educated, inasmuch as they are
children of the State even more than children of their
parents. For females, too, my law will lay down
the same regulations as for men, and training
of an
identical kind, I will unhesitatingly affirm that
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PLATO
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