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Section 318

COMRADE. But Socrates, if Minos was such a great and good lawgiver, why has he such a bad reputation among the Athenians? They say he was cruel, harsh, and tyrannical, especially concerning the tribute of the seven youths and seven maidens sent to the Minotaur.

SOCRATES. Ah, my friend, that is the peril of making enemies with a city that has a voice and literature, as Athens does. Minos made war upon Athens, and the Athenians, who possessed tragic poets, took revenge upon him in their poetry. They portrayed him as a villain and a tyrant. But if we want to know the truth about him, we should not ask the tragic poets, but the ancient accounts and the poets who spoke the truth, like Homer and Hesiod.

COMRADE. What do they say about him?

SOCRATES. I have already quoted Homer, who says he was the familiar friend of Zeus. Now, do you think Zeus would make a wicked and unjust man his familiar friend?

COMRADE. Surely not.

SOCRATES. And Hesiod says the same thing. He praises Minos as a great and just king. Furthermore, the laws of Minos have remained unchanged in Crete, and the Spartans adopted them because they recognized their excellence. A lawgiver whose laws stand the test of time and bring order to a people is a true discoverer of what is.