Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-greece/plato/plato-politeia-2.asp?pg=48

ELPENOR - Home of the Greek Word

Three Millennia of Greek Literature
PLATO HOME PAGE  /  PLATO COMPLETE WORKS  /  SEARCH PLATO WORKS  

Plato : POLITEIA

Persons of the dialogue: Socrates - Glaucon - Polemarchus
 - Adeimantus - Cephalus - Thrasymachus - Cleitophon
Translated by Benjamin Jowett - 75 Pages (Part 2) - Greek fonts
Search Plato's works / Plato Anthology / The Greek Word Library

Plato notes @ Elpenor = Note by Elpenor 

POLITEIA part 2 of 3, 4, 5

Part 1

ELPENOR EDITIONS IN PRINT

The Original Greek New Testament

Plato in print

This Part: 75 Pages


Part 2 Page 48

And not only their education, but their habitations, and all that belongs to them, should be such as will neither impair their virtue as guardians, nor tempt them to prey upon the other citizens. Any man of sense must acknowledge that.

He must.

Then let us consider what will be their way of life, if they are to realize our idea of them. In the first place, none of them should have any property of his own beyond what is absolutely necessary; neither should they have a private house or store closed against any one who has a mind to enter; their provisions should be only such as are required by trained warriors, who are men of temperance and courage; they should agree to receive from the citizens a fixed rate of pay, enough to meet the expenses of the year and no more; and they will go and live together like soldiers in a camp. Gold and silver we will tell them that they have from God; the diviner metal is within them, and they have therefore no need of the dross which is current among men, and ought not to pollute the divine by any such earthly admixture; for that commoner metal has been the source of many unholy deeds, but their own is undefiled. And they alone of all the citizens may not touch or handle silver or gold, or be under the same roof with them, or wear them, or drink from them. And this will be their salvation, and they will be the saviours of the state. But should they ever acquire homes or lands or moneys of their own, they will become housekeepers and husbandmen instead of guardians, enemies and tyrants instead of allies of the other citizens; hating and being hated, plotting and being plotted against, they will pass their whole life in much greater terror of internal than of external enemies, and the hour of ruin, both to themselves and to the rest of the state, will be at hand. For all which reasons may we not say that thus shall our state be ordered, and that these shall be the regulations appointed by us for guardians concerning their houses and all other matters? other

Yes, said Glaucon.


Previous Page / First / Next Page of this part

Politeia part 3 of 4, 5. Back to part 1. You are at part 2

  Plato Home Page / Bilingual Anthology   Plato Search ||| Aristotle

Three Millennia of Greek Literature

 

Greek Literature - Ancient, Medieval, Modern

Elpenor's Greek Forum : Post a question / Start a discussion

Learned Freeware

Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-greece/plato/plato-politeia-2.asp?pg=48

Copyright : Elpenor 2006 -