Now of artisans,let the regulations be as follows:-In the first place,let no citizen or servant of a citizen be occupied in handicraft arts;for he who is to secure and preserve the public order of the state,has an art which requires much study and many kinds of knowledge,and does not admit of being made a secondary occupation;and hardly any human being is capable of pursuing two professions or two arts rightly,or of practising one art himself,and superintending some one else who is practising another.Let this,then,be our first principle in the state:-No one who is a smith shall also be a carpenter,and if he be a carpenter,he shall not superintend the smith's art rather than his own,under the pretext that in superintending many servants who are working for him,he is likely to superintend them better,because more revenue will accrue to him from them than from his own art;but let every man in the state have one art,and get his living by that.Let the wardens of the city labour to maintain this law,and if any citizen incline to any other art than the study of virtue,let them punish him with disgrace and infamy,until they bring him back into his own right course;and if any stranger profess two arts,let them chastise him with bonds and money penalties,and expulsion from the state,until they compel him to be one only and not many.
But as touching payments for hire,and contracts of work,or in case any one does wrong to any of the citizens or they do wrong to any other,up to fifty drachmae,let the wardens of the city decide the case;but if greater amount be involved,then let the public courts decide according to law.Let no one pay any duty either on the importation or exportation of goods;and as to frankincense and similar perfumes,used in the service of the Gods,which come from abroad,and purple and other dyes which are not produced in the country,or the materials of any art which have to be imported,and which are not necessary-no one should import them;nor again,should any one export anything which is wanted in the country.Of all these things let there be inspectors and superintendents,taken from the guardians of the law;and they shall be the twelve next in order to the five seniors.Concerning arms,and all implements which are for military purposes,if there be need of introducing any art,or plant,or metal,or chains of any kind,or animals for use in war,let the commanders of the horse and the generals have authority over their importation and exportation;the city shall send them out and also receive them,and the guardians of the law shall make fit and proper laws about them.But let there be no retail trade for the sake of money-******,either in these or any other articles,in the city or country at all.
With respect to food and the distribution of the produce of the country,the right and proper way seems to be nearly that which is the custom of Crete;for all should be required to distribute the fruits of the soil into twelve parts,and in this way consume them.Let the twelfth portion of each (as for instance of wheat and barley,to which the rest of the fruits of the earth shall be added,as well as the animals which are for sale in each of the twelve divisions)be divided in due proportion into three parts;one part for freemen,another for their servants,and a third for craftsmen and in general for strangers,whether sojourners who may be dwelling in the city,and like other men must live,or those who come on some business which they have with the state,or with some individual.Let only this third part of all necessaries be required to be sold;out of the other two-thirds no one shall be compelled to sell.And how will they be best distributed?In the first place,we see clearly that the distribution will be of equals in one point of view,and in another point of view of unequals.
Cle.What do you mean?
Ath.I mean that the earth of necessity produces and nourishes the various articles of food,sometimes better and sometimes worse.
Cle.Of course.
Ath.Such being the case,let no one of the three portions be greater than either of the other two-neither that which is assigned to masters or to slaves,nor again that of the stranger;but let the distribution to all be equal and alike,and let every citizen take his two portions and distribute them among slaves and freemen,he having power to determine the quantity and quality.And what remains he shall distribute by measure and numb among the animals who have to be sustained from the earth,taking the whole number of them.
