The Works of Plato

XII. Having thus become a participant in the divine lot, man, first of all, alone among animals, began to recognize the gods and began to erect altars and sacred images to them. Then he soon began to articulately divide the sounds of his voice and names, and also invented dwellings, clothing, footwear, bedding, and food from the earth. Having settled in this way, people initially lived in dispersal, and there were no cities. They perished from wild beasts, since they were weaker than them in every way; and the one creative art, although it was a sufficient aid for food, was not enough for war against beasts, since they did not yet possess political art, of which the art of war is a part. They tried to gather together and save themselves by building cities. But as soon as they gathered together—lacking political art—they mistreated one another, so that they again had to scatter and perish. So Zeus, fearing for our race, lest it all perish, sends Hermes to bring shame and justice to people, so that there might be order in the cities and bonding ties of friendship. Hermes asks Zeus: "In what way should I distribute shame and justice among people? Shall I distribute them as the arts were distributed? The arts were distributed in such a way that one skilled man is sufficient for many unskilled—and this is how I should arrange medicine and other crafts among people—or shall I distribute shame and justice to everyone?"

"To everyone," said Zeus, "and let everyone have a share. For there would be no cities if only a few shared in them as they do in the arts. And establish a law in my name that anyone who cannot partake of shame and justice shall be put to death as a plague on the city."