[Laws by Plato]@TWC D-Link book
Laws

BOOK XII
5/33

Again, there is the case of those who have been thrown down precipices and lost their arms; and of those who at sea, and in stormy places, have been suddenly overwhelmed by floods of water; and there are numberless things of this kind which one might adduce by way of extenuation, and with the view of justifying a misfortune which is easily misrepresented.

We must, therefore, endeavour to divide to the best of our power the greater and more serious evil from the lesser.

And a distinction may be drawn in the use of terms of reproach.

A man does not always deserve to be called the thrower away of his shield; he may be only the loser of his arms.
For there is a great or rather absolute difference between him who is deprived of his arms by a sufficient force, and him who voluntarily lets his shield go.

Let the law then be as follows: If a person having arms is overtaken by the enemy and does not turn round and defend himself, but lets them go voluntarily or throws them away, choosing a base life and a swift escape rather than a courageous and noble and blessed death--in such a case of the throwing away of arms let justice be done, but the judge need take no note of the case just now mentioned; for the bad men ought always to be punished, in the hope that he may be improved, but not the unfortunate, for there is no advantage in that.
And what shall be the punishment suited to him who has thrown away his weapons of defence?
Tradition says that Caeneus, the Thessalian, was changed by a God from a woman into a man; but the converse miracle cannot now be wrought, or no punishment would be more proper than that the man who throws away his shield should be changed into a woman.


<<Back  Index  Next>>

D-Link book Top

TWC mobile books