wardens of the country and commanders of the watch;
and let each body of five have the power of selecting
twelve others out of the youth of their own tribe,—
these shall be not less than twenty-five years of age,
and not more than thirty. And let there be allotted
to them severally every month the various districts,
in order that they may all acquire knowledge and experience
of the whole country. The term of service for
commanders and for watchers shall continue during
two years. After having had their stations allotted
to them, they will go from place to place in regular
order, making their round from left to right as their
commanders direct them; (when I speak of going to
the right, I mean that they are to go to the east).
And at the commencement of the second year, in order
that as many as possible of the guards may not only
get a knowledge of the country at any one season of
the year, but may also have experience of the manner
in which different places are affected at different
seasons of the year, their then commanders shall lead
them again towards the left, from place to place in
succession, until they have completed the second year.
In the third year other wardens of the country shall
be chosen and commanders of the watch, five for each
division, who are to be the superintendents of the
bands of twelve. While on service at each station,
their attention shall be directed to the following
points:—In the first place, they shall
see that the country is well protected against enemies;
they shall trench and dig wherever this is required,
and, as far as they can, they shall by fortifications
keep off the evil-disposed, in order to prevent them
from doing any harm to the country or the property;
they shall use the beasts of burden and the labourers
whom they find on the spot: these will be their
instruments whom they will superintend, taking them,
as far as possible, at the times when they are not
engaged in their regular business. They shall
make every part of the country inaccessible to enemies,
and as accessible as possible to friends (compare Arist.
Pol.); there shall be ways for man and beasts of burden
and for cattle, and they shall take care to have them
always as smooth as they can; and shall provide against
the rains doing harm instead of good to the land, when
they come down from the mountains into the hollow dells;
and shall keep in the overflow by the help of works
and ditches, in order that the valleys, receiving
and drinking up the rain from heaven, and providing
fountains and streams in the fields and regions which
lie underneath, may furnish even to the dry places
plenty of good water. The fountains of water,
whether of rivers or of springs, shall be ornamented
with plantations and buildings for beauty; and let
them bring together the streams in subterraneous channels,
and make all things plenteous; and if there be a sacred
grove or dedicated precinct in the neighbourhood, they
shall conduct the water to the actual temples of the
Gods, and so beautify them at all seasons of the year.
Everywhere in such places the youth shall make gymnasia
for themselves, and warm baths for the aged, placing
by them abundance of dry wood, for the benefit of
those labouring under disease— there the
weary frame of the rustic, worn with toil, will receive
a kindly welcome, far better than he would at the
hands of a not over-wise doctor.