Minos

—Comp. I know: it is medicine’s.—Soc. Then you call those who have knowledge of these things doctors?—Comp. I say so.—Soc. 316d Then do those who have knowledge accept the same things about the same things, or different people different things?—Comp. The same, I think.—Soc. Do Greeks alone accept the same things as Greeks, or do barbarians too, about whatever they know, accept the same things both among themselves and with the Greeks?—Comp. Surely it is absolutely necessary that those who know accept the same things in common with one another, both Greeks and barbarians.—Soc. Well answered. Then always too?—Comp. Yes, and always.

Soc. Then doctors too write about health just what 316e they also accept as being?—Comp. Yes.—Soc. Then these writings of the doctors are writings of medicine, and laws of medicine.—Comp. Of medicine, certainly.—Soc. And are writings on farming, too, laws of farming?—Comp. Yes.—Soc. Whose, then, are the writings and lawful usages about the working of gardens?—Comp. Gardeners’.—Soc. Then these, for us, are laws of gardening.—Comp. Yes.—Soc. Of those who know how to rule gardens?—Comp. Of course.—Soc. And the gardeners know how.—Comp. Yes.—Soc. And whose are the writings and lawful usages about the preparation of dishes?—Comp. Cooks’.—Soc. Then these are laws of cookery?—Comp. Of cookery.—Soc. Of those, 317a it seems, who know how to rule the preparation of dishes?—Comp. Yes.—Soc. And the cooks, as they say, know how?—Comp. Yes, they know how.—Soc. Very well. And whose, then, are the writings and lawful usages about the ordering of a city? Are they not of those who know how to rule cities?—Comp. I think so.—Soc. And does anyone else know how, other than the statesmen and the kingly men?—Comp. These, certainly.—Soc. Then these are statesmen’s writings,