If any one prevents another by force from being present at a trial,whether a principal party or his witnesses;if the person prevented be a slave,whether his own or belonging to another,the suit shall be incomplete and invalid;but if he who is prevented be a freeman,besides the suit being incomplete,the other who has prevented him shall be imprisoned for a year,and shall be prosecuted for kidnapping by any one who pleases.And if any one hinders by force a rival competitor in gymnastic or music,or any other sort of contest,from being present at the contest,let him who has a mind inform the presiding judges,and they shall liberate him who is desirous of competing;and if they are not able,and he who hinders the other from competing wins the prize,then they shall give the prize of victory to him who is prevented,and inscribe him as the conqueror in any temples which he pleases;and he who hinders the other shall not be permitted to make any offering or inscription having reference to that contest,and in any case he shall be liable for damages,whether he be defeated or whether he conquer.
If any one knowingly receives anything which has been stolen,he shall undergo the same punishment as the thief,and if a man receives an exile he shall be punished with death.Every man should regard the friend and enemy of the state as his own friend and enemy;and if any one makes peace or war with another on his own account,and without the authority of the state,he,like the receiver of the exile,shall undergo the penalty of death.And if any fraction of the City declare war or peace against any,the generals shall indict the authors of this proceeding,and if they are convicted death shall be the penalty.Those who serve their country ought to serve without receiving gifts,and there ought to be no excusing or approving the saying,"Men should receive gifts as the reward of good,but not of evil deeds";for to know which we are doing,and to stand fast by our knowledge,is no easy matter.The safest course is to obey the law which says,"Do no service for a bribe,"and let him who disobeys,if he be convicted,simply die.With a view to taxation,for various reasons,every man ought to have had his property valued:
and the tribesmen should likewise bring a register of the yearly produce to the wardens of the country,that in this way there may be two valuations;and the public officers may use annuary whichever on consideration they deem the best,whether they prefer to take a certain portion of the whole value,or of the annual revenue,after subtracting what is paid to the common tables.
Touching offerings to the Gods,a moderate man should observe moderation in what he offers.Now the land and the hearth of the house of all men is sacred to all Gods;wherefore let no man dedicate them a second time to the Gods.Gold and silver,whether possessed by private persons or in temples,are in other cities provocative of envy,and ivory,the product of a dead body,is not a proper offering;brass and iron,again,are instruments of war;but of wood let a man bring what offerings he likes,provided it be a single block,and in like manner of stone,to the public temples;of woven work let him not offer more than one woman can execute in a month.White is a colour suitable to the Gods,especially in woven works,but dyes should only be used for the adornments of war.The most divine of gifts are birds and images,and they should be such as one painter can execute in a single day.And let all other offerings follow a similar rule.
Now that the whole city has been divided into parts of which the nature and number have been described,and laws have been given about all the most important contracts as far as this was possible,the next thing will be to have justice done.The first of the courts shall consist of elected judges,who shall be chosen by the plaintiff and the defendant in common:these shall be called arbiters rather than judges.And in the second court there shall be judges of the villages and tribes corresponding to the twelvefold division of the land,and before these the litigants shall go to contend for greater damages,if the suit be not decided before the first judges;the defendant,if he be defeated the second time,shall pay a fifth more than the damages mentioned in the indictment;and if he find fault with his judges and would try a third time,let him carry the suit before the select judges,and if he be again defeated,let him pay the whole of the damages and half as much again.
