Historical narrative and comments given in the dialogue respecting Hipparchus--afford no ground for declaring the dialogue to be spurious _ib._ Minos. Question--What is the characteristic property connoted by the word [Greek: No/mos] or law? 86 This question was discussed by the historical Sokrates, Memorabilia of Xenophon _ib._ Definitions of law--suggested and refuted. Law includes, as a portion of its meaning, justice, goodness, usefulness, &c. Bad decrees are not laws 86 Sokrates affirms that law is everywhere the same--it is the declared judgment and command of the Wise man upon the subject to which it refers--it is truth and reality, found out and certified by him 87 Reasoning of Sokrates in the Minos is unsound, but Platonic. The Good, True, and Real, coalesce in the mind of Plato--he acknowledges nothing to be Law, except what he thinks ought to _be_ Law 88 Plato worships the Ideal of his own mind--the work of systematic constructive theory by the Wise Man 89 Different applications of this general Platonic view, in the Minos, Politikus, Kratylus, &c. _Natural_ Rectitude of Law, Government, Names, &c _ib._ Eulogy on Minos, as having established laws on this divine type or natural rectitude 90 The Minos was arranged by Aristophanes at first in a Trilogy along with the Leges 91 Explanations of the word Law--confusion in its meaning _ib._ CHAPTER XV. THEAGES. Theagês--has been declared spurious by some modern critics--grounds for such opinion not sufficient 98 Persons of the dialogue--Sokrates, with Demodokus and Theagês, father and son. Theagês (the son), eager to acquire knowledge, desires to be placed under the teaching of a Sophist 99 Sokrates questions Theagês, inviting him to specify what he wants _ib._ Theagês desires to acquire that wisdom by which he can govern freemen with their own consent 100 Incompetence of the best practical statesmen to teach any one else. Theagês requests that Sokrates will himself teach him _ib._ Sokrates declares that he is not competent to teach--that he knows nothing except about matters of love. Theagês maintains that many of his young friends have profited largely by the conversation of Sokrates 101 Sokrates explains how this has sometimes happened--he recites his experience of the divine sign or Dæmon _ib._ The Dæmon is favourable to some persons, adverse to others. Upon this circumstance it depends how far any companion profits by the society of Sokrates. Aristeides has not learnt anything from Sokrates, yet has improved much by being near to him 102 Theagês expresses his anxiety to be received as the companion of Sokrates 103 Remarks on the Theagês--analogy with the Lachês 104 Chief peculiarity of the Theagês--stress laid upon the divine sign or Dæmon _ib._ Plato employs this divine sign here to render some explanation of the singularity and eccentricity of Sokrates, and of his unequal influence upon different companions _ib._