THE　SEVENTH　LETTER
  by　Plato
  translated　by　J。　Harward
  PLATO　TO　THE　RELATIVES　AND　FRIENDS　OF　DION。　WELFARE。
  You　write　to　me　that　I　must　consider　your　views　the　same　as　those　of
  Dion；　and　you　urge　me　to　aid　your　cause　so　far　as　I　can　in　word　and
  deed。　My　answer　is　that；　if　you　have　the　same　opinion　and　desire　as　he
  had；　I　consent　to　aid　your　cause；　but　if　not；　I　shall　think　more
  than　once　about　it。　Now　what　his　purpose　and　desire　was；　I　can
  inform　you　from　no　mere　conjecture　but　from　positive　knowledge。　For
  when　I　made　my　first　visit　to　Sicily；　being　then　about　forty　years
  old；　Dion　was　of　the　same　age　as　Hipparinos　is　now；　and　the　opinion
  which　he　then　formed　was　that　which　he　always　retained；　I　mean　the
  belief　that　the　Syracusans　ought　to　be　free　and　governed　by　the　best
  laws。　So　it　is　no　matter　for　surprise　if　some　God　should　make
  Hipparinos　adopt　the　same　opinion　as　Dion　about　forms　of　government。
  But　it　is　well　worth　while　that　you　should　all；　old　as　well　as
  young；　hear　the　way　in　which　this　opinion　was　formed；　and　I　will
  attempt　to　give　you　an　account　of　it　from　the　beginning。　For　the
  present　is　a　suitable　opportunity。
  In　my　youth　I　went　through　the　same　experience　as　many　other　men。
  I　fancied　that　if；　early　in　life；　I　became　my　own　master；　I　should
  at　once　embark　on　a　political　career。　And　I　found　myself　confronted
  with　the　following　occurrences　in　the　public　affairs　of　my　own　city。
  The　existing　constitution　being　generally　condemned；　a　revolution　took
  place；　and　fifty…one　men　came　to　the　front　as　rulers　of　the
  revolutionary　government；　namely　eleven　in　the　city　and　ten　in　the
  Peiraeus…each　of　these　bodies　being　in　charge　of　the　market　and
  municipal　matters…while　thirty　were　appointed　rulers　with　full
  powers　over　public　affairs　as　a　whole。　Some　of　these　were　relatives
  and　acquaintances　of　mine；　and　they　at　once　invited　me　to　share　in
  their　doings；　as　something　to　which　I　had　a　claim。　The　effect　on　me
  was　not　surprising　in　the　case　of　a　young　man。　I　considered　that
  they　would；　of　course；　so　manage　the　State　as　to　bring　men　out　of　a
  bad　way　of　life　into　a　good　one。　So　I　watched　them　very　closely　to　see
  what　they　would　do。
  And　seeing；　as　I　did；　that　in　quite　a　short　time　they　made　the
  former　government　seem　by　comparison　something　precious　as　gold…for
  among　other　things　they　tried　to　send　a　friend　of　mine；　the　aged
  Socrates；　whom　I　should　scarcely　scruple　to　describe　as　the　most
  upright　man　of　that　day；　with　some　other　persons　to　carry　off　one　of
  the　citizens　by　force　to　execution；　in　order　that；　whether　he　wished
  it；　or　not；　he　might　share　the　guilt　of　their　conduct；　but　he　would
  not　obey　them；　risking　all　consequences　in　preference　to　becoming　a
  partner　in　their　iniquitous　deeds…seeing　all　these　things　and　others
  of　the　same　kind　on　a　considerable　scale；　I　disapproved　of　their
  proceedings；　and　withdrew　from　any　connection　with　the　abuses　of　the
  time。
  Not　long　after　that　a　revolution　terminated　the　power　of　the
  thirty　and　the　form　of　government　as　it　then　was。　And　once　more；
  though　with　more　hesitation；　I　began　to　be　moved　by　the　desire　to　take
  part　in　public　and　political　affairs。　Well；　even　in　the　new
  government；　unsettled　as　it　was；　events　occurred　which　one　would
  naturally　view　with　disapproval；　and　it　was　not　surprising　that　in　a
  period　of　revolution　excessive　penalties　were　inflicted　by　some
  persons　on　political　opponents；　though　those　who　had　returned　from
  exile　at　that　time　showed　very　considerable　forbearance。　But　once　more
  it　happened　that　some　of　those　in　power　brought　my　friend　Socrates；
  whom　I　have　mentioned；　to　trial　before　a　court　of　law；　laying　a　most
  iniquitous　charge　against　him　and　one　most　inappropriate　in　his
  case：　for　it　was　on　a　charge　of　impiety　that　some　of　them　prosecuted
  and　others　condemned　and　executed　the　very　man　who　would　not
  participate　in　the　iniquitous　arrest　of　one　of　the　friends　of　the
  party　then　in　exile；　at　the　time　when　they　themselves　were　in　exile
  and　misfortune。
  As　I　observed　these　incidents　and　the　men　engaged　in　public　affairs；
  the　laws　too　and　the　customs；　the　more　closely　I　examined　them　and　the
  farther　I　advanced　in　life；　the　more　difficult　it　seemed　to　me　to
  handle　public　affairs　aright。　For　it　was　not　possible　to　be　active
  in　politics　without　friends　and　trustworthy　supporters；　and　to　find
  these　ready　to　my　hand　was　not　an　easy　matter；　since　public　affairs　at
  Athens　were　not　carried　on　in　accordance　with　the　manners　and
  practices　of　our　fathers；　nor　was　there　any　ready　method　by　which　I
  could　make　new　friends。　The　laws　too；　written　and　unwritten；　were
  being　altered　for　the　worse；　and　the　evil　was　growing　with　startling
  rapidity。　The　result　was　that；　though　at　first　I　had　been　full　of　a
  strong　impulse　towards　political　life；　as　I　looked　at　the　course　of
  affairs　and　saw　them　being　swept　in　all　directions　by　contending
  currents；　my　head　finally　began　to　swim；　and；　though　I　did　not　stop
  looking　to　see　if　there　was　any　likelihood　of　improvement　in　these
  symptoms　and　in　the　general　course　of　public　life；　I　postponed
  action　till　a　suitable　opportunity　should　arise。　Finally；　it　became
  clear　to　me；　with　regard　to　all　existing　cornmunities；　that　they
  were　one　and　all　misgoverned。　For　their　laws　have　got　into　a　state
  that　is　almost　incurable；　except　by　some　extraordinary　reform　with
  good　luck　to　support　it。　And　I　was　forced　to　say；　when　praising　true
  philosophy　that　it　is　by　this　that　men　are　enabled　to　see　what　justice
  in　public　and　private　life　really　is。　Therefore；　I　said；　there　will　be
  no　cessation　of　evils　for　the　sons　of　men；　till　either　those　who　are
  pursuing　a　right　and　true　philosophy　receive　sovereign　power　in　the
  States；　or　those　in　power　in　the　States　by　some　dispensation　of
  providence　become　true　philosophers。
  With　these　thoughts　in　my　mind　I　came　to　Italy　and　Sicily　on　my
  first　visit。　My　first　impressions　on　arrival　were　those　of　strong
  disapproval…disapproval　of　the　kind　of　life　which　was　there　called　the
  life　of　happiness；　stuffed　full　as　it　was　with　the　banquets　of　the
  Italian　Greeks　and　Syracusans；　who　ate　to　repletion　twice　every　day；
  and　were　never　without　a　partner　for　the　night；　and　disapproval　of　the
  habits　which　this　manner　of　life　produces。　For　with　these　habits
  formed　early　in　life；　no　man　under　heaven　could　possibly　attain　to
  wisdom…human　nature　is　not　capable　of　such　an　extraordinary
  combination。　Temperance　also　is　out　of　the　question　for　such　a　man；
  and　the　same　applies　to　virtue　generally。　No　city　could　remain　in　a
  state　of　tranquillity　under　any　laws　whatsoever；　when　men　think　it
  right　to　squander　all　their　property　in　extravagant；　and　consider　it　a
  duty　to　be　idle　in　everything　else　except　eating　and　drinking　and
  the　laborious　prosecution　of　debauchery。　It　follows　necessarily　that
  the　constitutions　of　such　cities　must　be　constantly　changing；
  tyrannies；　oligarchies　and　democracies　succeeding　one　another；　while
  those　who　hold　the　power　cannot　so　much　as　endure　the　name　of　any　form
  of　government　which　maintains　justice　and　equality　of　rights。
  With　a　mind　full　of　these　thoughts；　on　the　top　of　my　previous
  convictions；　I　crossed　over　to　Syracuse…led　there　perhaps　by
  chance…but　it　really　looks　as　if　some　higher　power　was　even　then
  planning　to　lay　a　foundation　for　all　that　has　now　come　to　pass　with
  regard　to　Dion　and　Syracuse…and　for　further　troubles　too；　I　fear；
  unless　you　listen　to　the　advice　which　is　now　for　the　second　time
  offered　by　me。　What　do　I　mean　by　saying　that　my　arrival　in　Sicily　at
  that　movement　proved　to　be　the　foundation　on　which　all　the　sequel
  rests？　I　was　brought　into　close　intercourse　with　Dion　who　was　then　a
  young　man；　and　explained　to　him　my　views　as　to　the　ideals　at　which　men
  should　aim；　advising　him　to　carry　them　out　in　practice。　In　doing
  this　I　seem　to　have　been　unaware　that　I　was；　in　a　fashion；　without
  knowing　it；　contriving　the　overthrow　of　the　tyranny　which；
  subsequently　took　place。　For　Dion；　who　rapidly　assimilated　my　teaching
  as　he　did　all　forms　of　knowledge；　listened　to　me　with　an　eagerness
  which　I　had　never　seen　equalled　in　any　young　man；　and　resolved　to　live
  for　the　future　in　a　better　way　than　the　majority　of　Italian　and
  Sicilian　Greeks；　having　set　his　affection　on　virtue　in　preference　to
  pleasure　and　self…indulgence。　The　result　was　that　until　the　death　of
  Dionysios　he　lived　in　a　way　which　rendered　him　somewhat　unpopular
  among　those　whose　manner　of　life　was　that　which　is　usual　in　the　courts
  of　despots。
  After　that　event　he　came　to　the　conclusion　that　this　conviction；
  which　he　himself　had　gained　under　the　influence　of　good　teaching；
  was　not　likely　to　be　confined　to　himself。　Indeed；　he　saw　it　being
  actually　implanted　in　other　minds…not　many　perhaps；　but　certainly　in
  some；　and　he　thought　that　with　the　aid　of　the　Gods；　Dionysio