Ath. I will do as you suggest. There is a Women Toms Classic tradition of the happylife of mankind in days when all things were spontaneous and abundant.And of this the Women Toms Cordones reason is said to have been as follows:-Cronos knewwhat we ourselves were declaring, that no human nature invested withsupreme power is able to order human affairs and not overflow withinsolence and wrong. Which reflection led him to appoint not men butdemigods, who are of a higher and more divine race, to be the kingsand rulers of our cities; he did as we do with flocks of sheep andother tame animals. For we do not appoint oxen to be the lords ofoxen, or goats of goats; but we ourselves are a superior race, andrule over them. In like manner God, in his love of mankind, placedover us the demons, who are a superior race, and they with greatcase and pleasure to themselves, and no less to us, taking care us andgiving us peace and reverence and order and justice never failing,made the tribes of men happy and united. And this tradition, whichis true, declares that cities of which some mortal man and not Godis the ruler, have no escape from evils and toils. Still we must doall that we can to imitate the life which is said to have existed inthe days of Cronos, and, as far as the principle of immortality dwellsin us, to that we must hearken, both in private and public life, andregulate our cities and houses according to law, meaning by the veryterm "law," the distribution of mind. But if either a single person oran oligarchy or a democracy has a soul eager after pleasures anddesires-wanting to be filled with them, yet retaining none of them,and perpetually afflicted with an endless and insatiable disorder; andthis evil spirit, having first trampled the laws under foot, becomesthe master either of a state or of an individual-then, as I wassaying, salvation is hopeless. And now, Cleinias, we have toconsider whether you will or will not accept this tale of mine.
Cle. Certainly we will.