# Book XI explained — Dialogues

> Chapter companion for Dialogues by Plato.

## What happens

This book discusses laws concerning orphans, marriage, inheritance, slander, comic poetry, beggars, and property disputes. It emphasizes the role of guardians of the law, the importance of respecting the dead, and the need for temperance in speech and action. The Athenian Stranger outlines specific penalties for various offenses, including treasure-trove, and stresses the value of justice and virtue over material wealth.

## Themes in this chapter

### Law, Custom, and Legislation

The chapter is a detailed legislative discourse covering marriage, inheritance, slander, and property, emphasizing the role of law in maintaining social order.

### Justice and Injustice

The laws aim to ensure justice for orphans, regulate fair dealings, and punish wrongdoing, with a focus on moral and legal rectitude.

### The Soul and Immortality

The text invokes the belief that souls of the dead care for their descendants, influencing the treatment of orphans and the importance of honoring the departed.

## Character check-ins

### Athenian Stranger

The primary speaker who proposes detailed laws regarding orphans, marriage, slander, comic poetry, beggars, and property.

### Cleinias

The Cretan interlocutor who engages with the Athenian Stranger, asking clarifying questions about the proposed laws.

## Key lines

> Thou shalt not, if thou canst help, touch that which is mine, or remove the least thing which belongs to me without my consent; and may I be of a sound mind, and do to others as I would that they should do to me.

Do not take what belongs to another without permission; treat others as you wish to be treated.

_This is a foundational principle for regulating dealings between individuals._

> The souls of the dead have the power after death of taking an interest in human affairs, about which there are many tales and traditions, long indeed, but true; and seeing that they are so many and so ancient, we must believe them, and we must also believe the lawgivers, who tell us that these things are true, if they are not to be regarded as utter fools.

The dead continue to care for the living, especially their own children, and we should respect ancient traditions and laws that affirm this.

_This belief underpins the special protections for orphans and the duty to honor the deceased._

> Let there be no beggars in our state; and if anybody begs, seeking to pick up a livelihood by unavailing prayers, let the wardens of the agora turn him out of the agora, and the wardens of the city out of the city, and the wardens of the country send him out of any other parts of the land across the border, in order that the land may be cleared of this sort of animal.

Beggars are not allowed in the state; officials are to expel them from all public spaces and the territory.

_This reflects a harsh policy against poverty and public begging, aiming to maintain order and self-sufficiency._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/dialogues_se/chapters/book-xi
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/dialogues_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/dialogues_se/chapters