15a
The lawmakers, whose very task it was to inquire and consider what is good for a city and what is bad, and what benefits and what harms the community — did not all of these judge that the most advantageous thing for cities is the multiplication of the households of the citizens, and the most harmful thing their diminution? And did they not suppose that childlessness or having few children on the part of the citizens is unprofitable, while having children, and indeed having many, is profitable? For this reason they forbade women to induce abortion and imposed a penalty on those who disobeyed; for this reason they prohibited them from resorting to contraception and from preventing conception; and for this reason they established rewards for those with many children, for both husband and wife, and made childlessness subject to penalty. How then would we not be acting unjustly and unlawfully if we act contrary to the will of the lawmakers — men divine and dear to the gods, whom it is held noble and advantageous to follow? And we would be acting contrary to it if we hindered our own having of many children. And how would we not also be sinning against the gods of our fathers and against Zeus, guardian of the family, in doing these things? For just as the man who acts unjustly toward strangers sins against Zeus, protector of strangers, and the man who acts unjustly toward friends sins against Zeus, protector of friendship, so whoever acts unjustly toward his own family sins against the gods of his fathers and against Zeus, guardian of the family, the overseer of offenses concerning families; and the man who sins against the gods is impious. And indeed, that the rearing of many children is a noble and profitable thing one may learn by considering how honored in a city is the man of many children, how he commands respect from those near him, how he has more power than all his equals — provided they are not equally well supplied with children. For just as, I think, the man of many friends is more powerful than the man without friends, so too, and much more, the man of many children is more powerful than the man without children or the man who has few; and by so much the more, inasmuch as a son is closer to each man than a friend. And it is worth considering what a sight it is when a man of many children, or a woman, is seen together with all their children gathered around them. For one could not behold a procession sent forth to the gods so beautiful, nor a dance of those dancing in due order at sacred rites so worthy to be seen, as a chorus of many children walking before their own father or mother in a city, leading their parents by the hand or attending on them in some other way with devoted care. What is more beautiful than this sight? And what parents are more enviable than these, especially if they are decent people? For whom else would one so eagerly join in praying for good things from the gods, or lend a hand in whatever they might need? Yes, by Zeus, he says; but . . . .