Pagina 897 van 1391

You ought to speak of other States in the plural number; not one

of them is a city, but many cities, as they say in the game. For

indeed any city, however small, is in fact divided into two, one

the city of the poor, the other of the rich; these are at war

with one another; and in either there are many smaller divisions,

and you would be altogether beside the mark if you treated them

all as a single State. But if you deal with them as many, and

give the wealth or power or persons of the one to the others, you

will always have a great many friends and not many enemies. And

your State, while the wise order which has now been prescribed

continues to prevail in her, will be the greatest of States, I do

not mean to say in reputation or appearance, but in deed and

truth, though she number not more than a thousand defenders. A

single State which is her equal you will hardly find, either

among Hellenes or barbarians, though many that appear to be as

great and many times greater.