THESEUS: This herald is a clever fellow, a dabbler in the art of talk. But since thou hast thus entered the lists with me, listen awhile, for 'twas thou didst challenge a discussion. Naught is more hostile to a city than a despot; where he is, there are first no laws common to all, but one man is tyrant, in whose keeping and in his alone the law resides, and in that case equality is at an end. But when the laws are written down, rich and poor alike have equal justice, and it is open to the weaker to use the same language to the prosperous when he is reviled by him, and the weaker prevails over the stronger if he have justice on his side. Freedom's mark is also seen in this: "Who hath wholesome counsel to declare unto the state?" And he who chooses to do so gains renown, while he, who hath no wish, remains silent. What greater equality can there be in a city?

ΘΗΣΕΥΣ: κομψός γ΄ ὁ κῆρυξ καὶ παρεργάτης λόγων. ἐπεὶ δ΄ ἀγῶνα καὶ σὺ τόνδ΄ ἠγωνίσω͵ ἄκου΄· ἅμιλλαν γὰρ σὺ προύθηκας λόγων. οὐδὲν τυράννου δυσμενέστερον πόλει͵ ὅπου τὸ μὲν πρώτιστον οὐκ εἰσὶν νόμοι κοινοί͵ κρατεῖ δ΄ εἷς τὸν νόμον κεκτημένος αὐτὸς παρ΄ αὑτῶι· καὶ τόδ΄ οὐκέτ΄ ἔστ΄ ἴσον. γεγραμμένων δὲ τῶν νόμων ὅ τ΄ ἀσθενὴς ὁ πλούσιός τε τὴν δίκην ἴσην ἔχει͵ ἔστιν δ΄ ἐνισπεῖν τοῖσιν ἀσθενεστέροις τὸν εὐτυχοῦντα ταὔθ΄ ὅταν κλύηι κακῶς͵ νικᾶι δ΄ ὁ μείων τὸν μέγαν δίκαι΄ ἔχων. τοὐλεύθερον δ΄ ἐκεῖνο· Τίς θέλει πόλει χρηστόν τι βούλευμ΄ ἐς μέσον φέρειν ἔχων; καὶ ταῦθ΄ ὁ χρήιζων λαμπρός ἐσθ΄͵ ὁ μὴ θέλων σιγᾶι. τί τούτων ἔστ΄ ἰσαίτερον πόλει;