It would be well that every man should come to the colony having all things equal;but seeing that this is not possible,and one man will have greater possessions than another,for many reasons and in particular in order to preserve equality in special crises of the state,qualifications of property must be unequal,in order that offices and contributions and distributions may be proportioned to the value of each person's wealth,and not solely to the virtue of his ancestors or himself,nor yet to the strength and beauty of his person,but also to the measure of his wealth or poverty;and so by a law of inequality,which will be in proportion to his wealth,he will receive honours and offices as equally as possible,and there will be no quarrels and disputes.To which end there should be four different standards appointed according to the amount of property:
there should be a first and a second and a third and a fourth class,in which the citizens will be placed,and they will be called by these or similar names:they may continue in the same rank,or pass into another in any individual case,on becoming richer from being,poorer,or poorer from being richer.The form of law which I should propose as the natural sequel would be as follows:-In a state which is desirous of being saved from the greatest of all plagues-not faction,but rather distraction;-here should exist among the citizens neither extreme poverty,nor,again,excess of wealth,for both are productive of both these evils.Now the legislator should determine what is to be the limit of poverty or wealth.Let the limit of poverty be the value of the lot;this ought to be preserved,and no ruler,nor any one else who aspires after a reputation for virtue,will allow the lot to be impaired in any case.This the legislator gives as a measure,and he will permit a man to acquire double or triple,or as much as four times the amount of this.But if a person have yet greater riches,whether he has found them,or they have been given to him,or he has made them in business,or has acquired by any stroke of fortune that which is in excess of the measure,if he give back the surplus to the state,and to the Gods who are the patrons of the state,he shall suffer no penalty or loss of reputation;but if he disobeys this our law any one who likes may inform against him and receive half the value of the excess,and the delinquent shall pay a sum equal to the excess out of his own property,and the other half of the excess shall belong to the Gods.And let every possession of every man,with the exception of the lot,be publicly registered before the magistrates whom the law appoints,so that all suits about money may be easy and quite simple.
The next thing to be noted is,that the city should be placed as nearly as possible in the centre of the country;we should choose a place which possesses what is suitable for a city,and this may easily be imagined and described.Then we will divide the city into twelve portions,first founding temples to Hestia,to Zeus and to Athene,in a spot which we will call the Acropolis,and surround with a circular wall,making the division of the entire city and country radiate from this point.The twelve portions shall be equalized by the provision that those which are of good land shall be smaller.while those of inferior quality shall be larger.The number of the lots shall be 5040,and each of them shall be divided into two,and every allotment shall be composed of two such sections;one of land near the city,the other of land which is at a distance.This arrangement shall be carried out in the following manner:The section which is near the city shall be added to that which is on borders,and form one lot,and the portion which is next nearest shall be added to the portion which is next farthest;and so of the rest.Moreover,in the two sections of the lots the same principle of equalization of the soil ought to be maintained;the badness and goodness shall be compensated by more and less.And the legislator shall divide the citizens into twelve parts,and arrange the rest of their property,as far as possible,so as to form twelve equal parts;and there shall be a registration of all.After this they shall assign twelve lots to twelve Gods,and call them by their names,and dedicate to each God their several portions,and call the tribes after them.And they shall distribute the twelve divisions of the city in the same way in which they divided the country;and every man shall have two habitations,one in the centre of the country,and the other at the extremity.
Enough of the manner of settlement.