Laws
and wrestling. Of dancing one kind imitates musical recitation and aims
at stateliness and freedom; another kind is concerned with the training
of the body, and produces health, agility, and beauty. There is no
military use in the complex systems of wrestling which pass under the
names of Antaeus and Cercyon, or in the tricks of boxing, which are
attributed to Amycus and Epeius; but good wrestling and the habit of
extricating the neck, hands, and sides, should be diligently learnt and
taught. In our dances imitations of war should be practised, as in the
dances of the Curetes in Crete and of the Dioscuri at Sparta, or as
in the dances in complete armour which were taught us Athenians by the
goddess Athene. Youths who are not yet of an age to go to war should
make religious processions armed and on horseback; and they should also
engage in military games and contests. These exercises will be equally
useful in peace and war, and will benefit both states and families.
Next follows music, to which we will once more return; and here I shall
venture to repeat my old paradox, that amusements have great influence
on laws. He who has been taught to play at the same games and with the
same playthings will be content with the same laws. There is no greater
evil in a state than the spirit of innovation. In the case of the
seasons and winds, in the management of our bodies and in the habits of
our minds, change is a dangerous thing. And in everything but what is
bad the same rule holds. We all venerate and acquiesce in the laws to
which we are accustomed; and if they have continued during long
periods of time, and there is no remembrance of their ever having been
otherwise, people are absolutely afraid to change them. Now how can we
create this quality of immobility in the laws? I say, by not allowing
innovations in the games and plays of children. The children who are
always having new plays, when grown up will be always having new laws.
Changes in mere fashions are not serious evils, but changes in our
estimate of men's characters are most serious; and rhythms and music are
representations of characters, and therefore we must avoid novelties in
dance and song. For securing permanence no better method can be imagined
than that of the Egyptians. 'What is their method?' They make a calendar
for the year, arranging on what days the festivals of the various
Gods shall be celebrated, and for each festival they consecrate an
appropriate hymn and dance. In our state a similar arrangement shall
in the first instance be framed by certain individuals, and afterwards
solemnly ratified by all the citizens. He who introduces other hymns
or dances shall be excluded by the priests and priestesses and the
guardians of the law; and if he refuses to submit, he may be prosecuted
for impiety. But we must not be too ready to speak about such great
matters. Even a young man, when he hears something unaccustomed, stands
and looks this way and that, like a traveller at a place where three
ways meet; and at our age a man ought to be very sure of his ground
in so singular an argument. 'Very true.' Then, leaving the subject for
further examination at some future time, let us proceed with our laws
about education, for in this manner we may probably throw light upon our
present difficulty. 'Let us do as you say.' The ancients used the term
nomoi to signify harmonious strains, and perhaps they fancied that
there was a connexion between the songs and laws of a country. And we
say--Whosoever shall transgress the strains by law established is a
transgressor of the laws, and shall be punished by the guardians of
the law and by the priests and priestesses. 'Very good.' How can we
legislate about these consecrated strains without incurring ridicule?
Moulds or types must be first framed, and one of the types shall
be--Abstinence from evil words at sacrifices. When a son or brother
blasphemes at a sacrifice there is a sound of ill-omen heard in the
family; and many a chorus stands by the altar uttering inauspicious
words, and he is crowned victor who excites the hearers most with
lamentations. Such lamentations should be reserved for evil days, and
should be uttered only by hired mourners; and let the singers not wear
circlets or ornaments of gold. To avoid every evil word, then, shall be
our first type. 'Agreed.' Our second law or type shall be, that prayers
ever accompany sacrifices; and our third, that, inasmuch as all prayers
are requests, they shall be only for good; this the poets must be made
to understand. 'Certainly.' Have we not already decided that no gold or
silver Plutus shall be allowed in our city? And did not this show that
we were dissatisfied with the poets? And may we not fear that, if they
are allowed to utter injudicious prayers, they will bring the greatest
misfortunes on the state? And we must therefore make a law that the poet
is not to contradict the laws or ideas of the state; nor is he to show
his poems to any private persons until they have first received the
imprimatur of the director of education. A fourth musical law will be
to the effect that hymns and praises shall be offered to Gods, and to
heroes and demigods. Still another law will permit eulogies of eminent
citizens, whether men or women, but only after their death. As to songs
and dances, we will enact as follows:--There shall be a selection made
of the best ancient musical compositions and dances; these shall be
chosen by judges, who ought not to be less than fifty years of age. They
will accept some, and reject or amend others, for which purpose they
will call, if necessary, the poets themselves into council. The severe
and orderly music is the style in which to educate children, who,
if they are accustomed to this, will deem the opposite kind to be
illiberal, but if they are accustomed to the other, will count this to
be cold and unpleasing. 'True.' Further, a distinction should be made
between the melodies of men and women. Nature herself teaches that
the grand or manly style should be assigned to men, and to women the
moderate and temperate. So much for the subjects of education. But to
whom are they to be taught, and when? I must try, like the shipwright,
who lays down the keel of a vessel, to build a secure foundation for the
vessel of the soul in her voyage through life. Human affairs are hardly
serious, and yet a sad necessity compels us to be serious about them.
Let us, therefore, do our best to bring the matter to a conclusion.
'Very good.' I say then, that God is the object of a man's most serious
endeavours. But man is created to be the plaything of the Gods; and
therefore the aim of every one should be to pass through life, not in
grim earnest, but playing at the noblest of pastimes, in another spirit
from that which now prevails. For the common opinion is, that work is
for the sake of play, war of peace; whereas in war there is neither
amusement nor instruction worth speaking of. The life of peace is that
which men should chiefly desire to lengthen out and improve. They should
live sacrificing, singing, and dancing, with the view of propitiating
Gods and heroes. I have already told you the types of song and dance
which they should follow: and 'Some things,' as the poet well says, 'you
will devise for yourself--others, God will suggest to you.'
These words of his may be applied to our pupils. They will partly teach
themselves, and partly will be taught by God, the art of propitiating
Him; for they are His puppets, and have only a small portion in truth.
'You have a poor opinion of man.' No wonder, when I compare him with
God; but, if you are offended, I will place him a little higher.
Next follow the building for gymnasia and schools; these will be in
the midst of the city, and outside will be riding-schools and
archery-grounds. In all of them there ought to be instructors of the
young, drawn from foreign parts by pay, and they will teach them music
and war. Education shall be compulsory; the children must attend school,
whether their parents like it or not; for they belong to the state more
than to their parents. And I say further, without hesitation, that the
same education in riding and gymnastic shall be given both to men and
women. The ancient tradition about the Amazons confirms my view, and
at the present day there are myriads of women, called Sauromatides,
dwelling near the Pontus, who practise the art of riding as well as
archery and the use of arms. But if I am right, nothing can be more
foolish than our modern fashion of training men and women differently,
whereby the power the city is reduced to a half. For reflect--if women
are not to have the education of men, some other must be found for them,
and what other can we propose? Shall they, like the women of Thrace,
tend cattle and till the ground; or, like our own, spin and weave, and
take care of the house? or shall they follow the Spartan custom, which
is between the two?--there the maidens share in gymnastic exercises and
in music; and the grown women, no longer engaged in spinning, weave the
web of life, although they are not skilled in archery, like the Amazons,
nor can they imitate our warrior goddess and carry shield or spear, even
in the extremity of their country's need. Compared with our women,
the Sauromatides are like men. But your legislators, Megillus, as I
maintain, only half did their work; they took care of the men, and left
the women to take care of themselves.
'Shall we suffer the Stranger, Cleinias, to run down Sparta in this
way?'
'Why, yes; for we cannot withdraw the liberty which we have already
conceded to him.'
What will be the manner of life of men in moderate circumstances, freed
from the toils of agriculture and business, and having common tables
for themselves and their families which are under the inspection of
magistrates, male and female? Are men who have these institutions only
to eat and fatten like beasts? If they do, how can they escape the fate
of a fatted beast, which is to be torn in pieces by some other beast
more valiant than himself? True, theirs is not the perfect way of life,
for they have not all things in common; but the second best way of life
also confers great blessings. Even those who live in the second state
have a work to do twice as great as the work of any Pythian or Olympic
victor; for their labour is for the body only, but ours both for body
and soul. And this higher work ought to be pursued night and day to the
exclusion of every other. The magistrates who keep the city should be
wakeful, and the master of the household should be up early and before
all his servants; and the mistress, too, should awaken her handmaidens,
and not be awakened by them. Much sleep is not required either for our
souls or bodies. When a man is asleep, he is no better than if he were
dead; and he who loves life and wisdom will take no more sleep than
is necessary for health. Magistrates who are wide awake at night are
terrible to the bad; but they are honoured by the good, and are useful
to themselves and the state.
When the morning dawns, let the boy go to school. As the sheep need the
shepherd, so the boy needs a master; for he is at once the most cunning
and the most insubordinate of creatures. Let him be taken away from
mothers and nurses, and tamed with bit and bridle, being treated as a
freeman in that he learns and is taught, but as a slave in that he
may be chastised by all other freemen; and the freeman who neglects to
chastise him shall be disgraced. All these matters will be under the
supervision of the Director of Education.
Him we will address as follows: We have spoken to you, O illustrious
teacher of youth, of the song, the time, and the dance, and of martial