superintend the work, and should impose a fine on him who is negligent; and in all that relates to the city they should have a care of cleanliness, and not allow a private person to encroach upon any public property either by buildings or excavations.  Further, they ought to take care that the rains from heaven flow off easily, and of any other matters which may have to be administered either within or without the city.  The guardians of the law shall pass any further enactments which their experience may show to be necessary, and supply any other points in which the law may be deficient.  And now that these matters, and the buildings about the agora, and the gymnasia, and places of instruction, and theatres, are all ready and waiting for scholars and spectators, let us proceed to the subjects which follow marriage in the order of legislation.

Cleinias:  By all means.

Athenian:  Assuming that marriages exist already, Cleinias, the mode of life during the year after marriage, before children are born, will follow next in order.  In what way bride and bridegroom ought to live in a city which is to be superior to other cities, is a matter not at all easy for us to determine.  There have been many difficulties already, but this will be the greatest of them, and the most disagreeable to the many.  Still I cannot but say what appears to me to be right and true, Cleinias.

Cleinias:  Certainly.

Athenian:  He who imagines that he can give laws for the public conduct of states, while he leaves the private life of citizens wholly to take care of itself; who thinks that individuals may pass the day as they please, and that there is no necessity of order in all things; he, I say, who gives up the control of their private lives, and supposes that they will conform to law in their common and public life, is making a great mistake.  Why have I made this remark?  Why, because I am going to enact that the bridegrooms should live at the common tables, just as they did before marriage.  This was a singularity when first enacted by the legislator in your parts of the world, Megillus and Cleinias, as I should suppose, on the occasion of some war or other similar danger, which caused the passing of the law, and which would be likely to occur in thinly-peopled places, and in times of pressure.  But when men had once tried and been accustomed to a common table, experience showed that the institution greatly conduced to security; and in some such manner the custom of having common tables arose among you.

Cleinias:  Likely enough.

Athenian:  I said that there may have been singularity and danger in imposing such a custom at first, but that now there is not the same difficulty.  There is, however, another institution which is the natural sequel to this, and would be excellent, if it existed anywhere, but at present it does not.  The institution of which I am about to speak is not easily described or executed; and would be like the legislator ’combing wool into the fire,’ as people say, or performing any other impossible and useless feat.