Volume 11

Plato : with an English translation.

  • Plato.
Date:
1914-1935
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Plato : with an English translation. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    189/608 (page 175)
    less important, those of them who arephrourarchs.” If anyone encroaches on pasture-land, these officials shall inspect the damage, and decide and assess it. And if any, yielding to his taste for bees, secures for himself another man’s swarm by attracting them with the rattling of pans, he shall pay for the damage. And if a man, in burning his own stuff, fails to have a care for that of his neighbour, he shall be fined in a fine fixed by the officials. So too if a man, when planting trees, fail to leave the due space between them and his neighbour’s plot: this has been adequately stated by many lawgivers, whose laws we should make use of, instead of re- quiring the Chief Organiser of the State to legislate about all the numerous small details which are within the competence of any chance lawgiver. Thus, re- garding water-supplies also, there are excellent old laws laid down for farmers, which we, in our ex- position, need not draw upon. Let this suffice :— he that desires to bring Avater to his ΟΛνη land may do so, commencing at the public cisterns, but he must not undercut the exposed wells of any private person: he may lead it by whatever wa}^ he wishes, except through a house, temple or tomb, and he must do no damage beyond the actual work of channelling. If, in any spot, the rain-water filters through owing to the natural dryness of the soil, and there is a scarcity of necessary drinking water, then the owner shall dig in his own ground down to the chalk subsoil, and if he fails to find water at this depth, he shall procure from his neighbours just so much as he requires for drinking purposes for all his household; and if his neighbours also are stinted in their supplies, he shall apply for a ration of water