Chapter 17

When a child is born it must be supposed that the strength of its body will depend greatly upon the quality of its food. Now whoever will examine into the nature of animals, and also observe those people who are very desirous their children should acquire a warlike habit, will find that they feed them chiefly with milk, as being best accommodated to their bodies, but without wine, to prevent any distempers: those motions also which are natural to their age are very serviceable; and to prevent any of their limbs from being crooked, on account of their extreme ductility, some people even now use particular machines that their bodies may not be distorted. It is also useful to enure them to the cold when they are very little; for this is very serviceable for their health; and also to enure them to the business of war; for which reason it is customary with many of the barbarians to dip their children in rivers when the water is cold; with others to clothe them very slightly, as among the Celts; for whatever it is possible to accustom children to, it is best to accustom them to it at first, but to do it by degrees: besides, boys have naturally a habit of loving the cold, on account of the heat. These, then, and such-like things ought to be the first object of our attention: the next age to this continues till the child is five years old; during which time it is best to teach him nothing at all, not even necessary labour, lest it should hinder his growth; but he should be accustomed to use so much motion as not to acquire a lazy habit of body; which he will get by various means and by play also: his play also ought to be neither illiberal nor too laborious nor lazy. Their governors and preceptors also should take care what sort of tales and stories it may be proper for them to hear; for all these ought to pave the way for their future instruction: for which reason the generality of their play should be imitations of what they are afterwards to do seriously. They too do wrong who forbid by laws the disputes between boys and their quarrels, for they contribute to increase their growth—as they are a sort of exercise to the body: for the struggles of the heart and the compression of the spirits give strength to those who labour, which happens to boys in their disputes. The preceptors also ought to have an eye upon their manner of life, and those with whom they converse; and to take care that they are never in the company of slaves. At this time and till they are seven [1336b] years old it is necessary that they should be educated at home. It is also very proper to banish, both from their hearing and sight, everything which is illiberal and the like. Indeed it is as much the business of the legislator as anything else, to banish every indecent expression out of the state: for from a permission to speak whatever is shameful, very quickly arises the doing it, and this particularly with young people: for which reason let them never speak nor hear any such thing: but if it appears that any freeman has done or said anything that is forbidden before he is of age to be thought fit to partake of the common meals, let him be punished by disgrace and stripes; but if a person above that age does so, let him be treated as you would a slave, on account of his being infamous. Since we forbid his speaking everything which is forbidden, it is necessary that he neither sees obscene stories nor pictures; the magistrates therefore are to take care that there are no statues or pictures of anything of this nature, except only to those gods to whom the law permits them, and to which the law allows persons of a certain age to pay their devotions, for themselves, their wives, and children. It should also be illegal for young persons to be present either at iambics or comedies before they are arrived at that age when they are allowed to partake of the pleasures of the table: indeed a good education will preserve them from all the evils which attend on these things. We have at present just touched upon this subject; it will be our business hereafter, when we properly come to it, to determine whether this care of children is unnecessary, or, if necessary, in what manner it must be done; at present we have only mentioned it as necessary. Probably the saying of Theodoras, the tragic actor, was not a bad one: That he would permit no one, not even the meanest actor, to go upon the stage before him, that he might first engage the ear of the audience. The same thing happens both in our connections with men and things: what we meet with first pleases best; for which reason children should be kept strangers to everything which is bad, more particularly whatsoever is loose and offensive to good manners. When five years are accomplished, the two next may be very properly employed in being spectators of those exercises they will afterwards have to learn. There are two periods into which education ought to be divided, according to the age of the child; the one is from his being seven years of age to the time of puberty; the other from thence till he is one-and-twenty: for those who divide ages by the number seven [1337a] are in general wrong: it is much better to follow the division of nature; for every art and every instruction is intended to complete what nature has left defective: we must first consider if any regulation whatsoever is requisite for children; in the next place, if it is advantageous to make it a common care, or that every one should act therein as he pleases, which is the general practice in most cities; in the third place, what it ought to be.

When a child is born, we must assume that bodily strength will depend greatly on the quality of its food. Consider the nature of animals and the practices of people especially eager to prepare their children for war. We find that they feed their children mainly milk, as the food best suited to their bodies. They give them no wine, to prevent illness. The movements natural to children of this age are also very helpful. Their limbs are extremely flexible and can become crooked. To prevent this, some people still use special devices to keep children's bodies from becoming distorted. It is also useful to accustom children to cold while they are very young. This greatly benefits their health and also prepares them for warfare. For this reason, many peoples called barbarians customarily dip their children in rivers when the water is cold. Others, such as the Celts, dress their children very lightly. Whatever children can become accustomed to, they should begin learning early, but gradually. Besides, boys naturally enjoy the cold because of their bodily heat. These and similar matters should receive our first attention. The next stage lasts until the child is five. During this time, it is best to teach the child nothing, not even necessary work, lest instruction hinder growth. But children should get enough exercise to prevent their bodies from becoming lazy. They can get this exercise in various ways, including play. Their play should be neither degrading nor too strenuous nor idle. Their guardians and teachers should also consider what tales and stories are suitable for them to hear. All these stories should prepare children for their later education. For the same reason, most of their play should imitate activities they will later undertake seriously. Those who make laws forbidding boys' disputes and quarrels are also wrong. Such disputes help boys grow because they provide a kind of bodily exercise. The exertion of the heart and the compression of the vital spirits strengthen people who work hard. The same thing happens to boys during their disputes. Teachers should also watch how children live and whom they associate with. They should ensure that children are never in the company of slaves. During this period, and until they are seven [1336b] years old, children must be educated at home. It is also very proper to keep everything degrading, and anything like it, out of their hearing and sight. Indeed, removing every indecent expression from the state is as much the lawmaker's duty as anything else. Permission to say shameful things very quickly leads to doing them, especially among young people. For this reason, young people must never say or hear anything of that kind. Suppose a free person says or does something forbidden before reaching the age for joining the common meals. If the offense becomes known, he should be publicly disgraced and beaten. If someone above that age commits such an offense, he should be treated as a slave because of his disgraceful conduct. Since we forbid young people to say anything prohibited, they must also be kept from seeing obscene stories or pictures. Magistrates must therefore ensure that there are no statues or pictures of this kind. The only exceptions are representations connected with gods for whom the law permits them. The law allows people of a certain age to worship these gods for themselves, their wives, and their children. Young people should also be legally barred from attending iambic performances or comedies. This ban should last until they reach the age when they may share in the pleasures of the table. Indeed, a good education will protect them from all the evils associated with these things. We have only touched on this subject for now. Later, when we reach the proper place, we must decide whether this supervision of children is unnecessary. If it is necessary, we must decide how to carry it out. For now, we have merely stated its necessity. The saying of Theodoras, the tragic actor, was probably sound. He would allow no one, not even the least important actor, to appear onstage before him. He wanted to be the first to capture the audience's attention. The same principle applies to our encounters with people and things. What we encounter first pleases us most. For this reason, children should be kept unfamiliar with everything bad, especially anything indecent or offensive to good manners. Once children turn five, the next two years may very properly be spent watching the exercises they will later learn. Education should be divided into two periods according to the child's age. The first runs from seven to puberty, and the second from puberty to twenty-one. Those who divide ages into periods of seven years [1337a] are generally wrong. It is much better to follow nature's divisions. Every art and every form of instruction aims to complete what nature has left unfinished. We must first consider whether children need any regulation at all. Next, we must ask whether education should be a shared responsibility or left to each person's choice. Leaving education to individual choice is the usual practice in most cities. Third, we must consider what education should be.