Cities thus situated manifestly
reap the benefit of intercourse with their ports; and any harm which
is likely to accrue may be easily guarded against by the laws, which
will pronounce and determine who may hold communication with one
another, and who may not.
There can be no doubt that the possession of a moderate naval
force is advantageous to a city; the city should be formidable not
only to its own citizens but to some of its neighbors, or, if
necessary, able to assist them by sea as well as by land. The proper
number or magnitude of this naval force is relative to the character
of the state; for if her function is to take a leading part in
politics, her naval power should be commensurate with the scale of her
enterprises. The population of the state need not be much increased,
since there is no necessity that the sailors should be citizens: the
marines who have the control and command will be freemen, and belong
also to the infantry; and wherever there is a dense population of
Perioeci and husbandmen, there will always be sailors more than
enough. Of this we see instances at the present day. The city of
Heraclea, for example, although small in comparison with many
others, can man a considerable fleet. Such are our conclusions
respecting the territory of the state, its harbors, its towns, its
relations to the sea, and its maritime power.
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