here in Crete you have the armed dances of the Curetes, and the Lacedaemonians have those of the Dioscuri.  And our virgin lady, delighting in the amusement of the dance, thought it not fit to amuse herself with empty hands; she must be clothed in a complete suit of armour, and in this attire go through the dance; and youths and maidens should in every respect imitate her, esteeming highly the favour of the Goddess, both with a view to the necessities of war, and to festive occasions:  it will be right also for the boys, until such time as they go out to war, to make processions and supplications to all the Gods in goodly array, armed and on horseback, in dances and marches, fast or slow, offering up prayers to the Gods and to the sons of Gods; and also engaging in contests and preludes of contests, if at all, with these objects.  For these sorts of exercises, and no others, are useful both in peace and war, and are beneficial alike to states and to private houses.  But other labours and sports and exercises of the body are unworthy of freemen, O Megillus and Cleinias.

I have now completely described the kind of gymnastic which I said at first ought to be described; if you know of any better, will you communicate your thoughts?

Cleinias:  It is not easy, Stranger, to put aside these principles of gymnastic and wrestling and to enunciate better ones.

Athenian:  Now we must say what has yet to be said about the gifts of the Muses and of Apollo:  before, we fancied that we had said all, and that gymnastic alone remained; but now we see clearly what points have been omitted, and should be first proclaimed; of these, then, let us proceed to speak.

Cleinias:  By all means.

Athenian:  Let me tell you once more—­although you have heard me say the same before—­that caution must be always exercised, both by the speaker and by the hearer, about anything that is very singular and unusual.  For my tale is one which many a man would be afraid to tell, and yet I have a confidence which makes me go on.

Cleinias:  What have you to say, Stranger?

Athenian:  I say that in states generally no one has observed that the plays of childhood have a great deal to do with the permanence or want of permanence in legislation.  For when plays are ordered with a view to children having the same plays, and amusing themselves after the same manner, and finding delight in the same playthings, the more solemn institutions of the state are allowed to remain undisturbed.  Whereas if sports are disturbed, and innovations are made in them, and they constantly change, and the young never speak of their having the same likings, or the same established notions of good and bad taste, either in the bearing of their bodies or in their dress, but he who devises something new and out of the way in figures and colours and the like is held in special honour, we may truly say that no greater evil can happen in a state; for he who changes the sports is secretly changing the manners of the young, and making the old to be dishonoured among them and the new to be honoured.  And I affirm that there is nothing which is a greater injury to all states than saying or thinking thus.  Will you hear me tell how great I deem the evil to be?