Such changes in the other arts and sciences have certainly
been beneficial; medicine, for example, and gymnastic, and every other
art and craft have departed from traditional usage. And, if politics
be an art, change must be necessary in this as in any other art.
That improvement has occurred is shown by the fact that old customs
are exceedingly simple and barbarous. For the ancient Hellenes went
about armed and bought their brides of each other. The remains of
ancient laws which have come down to us are quite absurd; for example,
at Cumae there is a law about murder, to the effect that if the
accuser produce a certain number of witnesses from among his own
kinsmen, the accused shall be held guilty. Again, men in general
desire the good, and not merely what their fathers had. But the
primeval inhabitants, whether they were born of the earth or were
the survivors of some destruction, may be supposed to have been no
better than ordinary or even foolish people among ourselves (such is
certainly the tradition concerning the earth-born men); and it would
be ridiculous to rest contented with their notions. Even when laws
have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered.
As in other sciences, so in politics, it is impossible that all things
should be precisely set down in writing; for enactments must be
universal, but actions are concerned with particulars.
Pages:
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79