Timaeus — Plato

of them, we were to consider whether the best was not also the happiest, and the worst the most miserable. I asked you what were the four forms of government of which you spoke, and then Polemarchus and Adeimantus put in their word ; and you began again, and have found your way to the point at which we have now arrived. Your recollection, I said, is most exact.

Then, like a wrestler, he replied, you must put yourself again in the same position ; and let me ask the same questions, and do you give me the same answer which you were about to give me then. Yes, if I can, I will, I said. I shall particularly wish to hear what were the four constitutions of which you were speaking.

That question, I said, is easily answered : the four governments of which I spoke, so far as they have distinct names, are, first, those of Crete and Sparta, which are generally applauded ; what is termed oligarchy comes next ; this is not equally approved, and is a form of government which teems with evils : thirdly, democracy, which naturally follows oligarchy, although very different : and lastly comes tyranny, great and famous, which differs from them all, and is the fourth and worst disorder of a State.

I do not know, do you? of any other constitution which can be said to have a distinct character. There are lordships and principalities which are bought and sold, and some other intermediate forms of government. But these are nondescripts and may be found equally among Hellenes and among barbarians. Yes, he replied, we certainly hear of many curious forms of government which exist among them.

Do you know, I said, that governments vary as the dispositions of men vary, and that there must be as many of the one as there are of the other? For we cannot suppose that States are made of ' oak and rock,' and not out of the human natures which are in them, and which in a figure turn the scale and draw other things after them? Yes, he said, the States are as the men are ; they grow out of human characters. Then if the constitutions of States are five, the dispositions of individual minds will also be five?

a7id the four individuals who answer to them. 249 Certainly. Republic Him who answers to aristocracy, and whom we rightly ^^^^' 545 call just and good, we have already described. Socrates, We have. Then let us now proceed to describe the inferior sort of natures, being the contentious and ambitious, who answer to the Spartan pohty ; also the oligarchical, democratical, and tyrannical.

Let us place the most just by the side of the most unjust, and when we see them we shall be able to compare the relative happiness or unhappiness of him who leads a life of pure justice or pure injustice. The enquiry will then be completed. And we shall know whether we ought to pursue injustice, as Thrasymachus advises, or in accordance with the conclusions of the argument to prefer justice. Certainly, he replied, we must do as you say.

Shall we follow our old plan, which we adopted with a The State view to clearness, of taking the State first and then pro- ^"'^i^V"' ceeding to the individual, and begin with the government of honour? — I know of no name for such a government other than timocracy, or perhaps timarchy.

We will compare with this the like character in the individual ; and, after that, consider oligarchy and the oligarchical man ; and then again we will turn our attention to democracy and the democratical man ; and lastly, we will go and view the city of tyranny, and once more take a look into the tyrant's soul, and try to arrive at a satisfactory decision. That way of viewing and judging of the matter will be very suitable.

First, then, I said, let us enquire how timocracy (the How tigovernment of honour) arises out of aristocracy (the govern- ^riTeToutof ment of the best). Clearly, all political changes originate in aristocracy, divisions of the actual governing power ; a government which is united, however small, cannot be moved. Very true, he said.

In what way, then, will our city be moved, and in what manner will the two classes of auxiliaries and rulers disagree among themselves or with one another? Shall we, after the manner of Homer, pray the Muses to tell us 'how discord first arose ' ? Shall we imagine them in solemn

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The number of the State.

Republic I 'III. Socrates, Glaucon.

The intelligence which is alloyed with sense will not know how to regulate births and deaths in accordance with the number which controls them.