And now, having determined at what ages men and women are to begin
their union, let us also determine how long they shall continue to
beget and bear offspring for the state; men who are too old, like men
who are too young, produce children who are defective in body and
mind; the children of very old men are weakly. The limit then, should
be the age which is the prime of their intelligence, and this in most
persons, according to the notion of some poets who measure life by
periods of seven years, is about fifty; at four or five years or
later, they should cease from having families; and from that time
forward only cohabit with one another for the sake of health; or for
some similar reason.
As to adultery, let it be held disgraceful, in general, for any
man or woman to be found in any way unfaithful when they are
married, and called husband and wife. If during the time of bearing
children anything of the sort occur, let the guilty person be punished
with a loss of privileges in proportion to the offense.
XVII
After the children have been born, the manner of rearing them may be
supposed to have a great effect on their bodily strength. It would
appear from the example of animals, and of those nations who desire to
create the military habit, that the food which has most milk in it
is best suited to human beings; but the less wine the better, if
they would escape diseases.
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