Ifmanexchangeseithermoneyformoney,oranythingwhateverforanythingelse,eitherwithorwithoutlife,lethimgiveandreceivethemgenuineandunadulterated,inaccordancewiththelaw。Andletushaveapreludeaboutallthissortofroguery,likethepreludesofourotherlaws。Everymanshouldregardadulterationasofoneandthesameclasswithfalsehoodanddeceit,concerningwhichthemanyaretoofondofsayingthatatpropertimesandplacesthepracticemayoftenberight。Buttheyleavetheoccasion,andthewhen,andthewhere,undefinedandunsettled,andfromthiswantofdefinitenessintheirlanguagetheydoagreatdealofharmtothemselvesandtoothers。Nowalegislatoroughtnottoleavethematterundetermined;
heoughttoprescribesomelimit,eithergreaterorless。Letthisbetheruleprescribed:-NooneshallcalltheGodstowitness,whenhesaysordoesanythingfalseordeceitfulordishonest,unlesshewouldbethemosthatefulofmankindtothem。Andheismosthatefultothemtakesafalseoath,andpaysnoheedtotheGods;andinthenextdegree,hewhotellsafalsehoodinthepresenceofhissuperiors。Nowbettermenarethesuperiorsofworsemen,andingeneraleldersarethesuperiorsoftheyoung;whereforealsoparentsarethesuperiorsoftheiroffspring,andmenofwomenandchildren,andrulersoftheirsubjects;forallmenoughttoreverenceanyonewhoisinanypositionofauthority,andespeciallythosewhoareinstateoffices。AndthisisthereasonwhyIhavespokenofthesematters。
Foreveryonewhoisguiltyofadulterationintheagoratellsafalsehood,anddeceives,andwhenheinvokestheGods,accordingtothecustomsandcautionsofthewardensoftheagora,hedoesbutswearwithoutanyrespectforGodorman。Certainly,itisanexcellentrulenotlightlytodefilethenamesoftheGods,afterthefashionofmeningeneral,whocarelittleaboutpietyandpurityintheirreligiousactions。Butifamanwillnotconformtothisrule,letthelawbeasfollows:-Hewhosellsanythingintheagorashallnotasktwopricesforthatwhichhesells,butheshallaskoneprice,andifhedonotobtainthis,heshalltakeawayhisgoods;andonthatdayheshallnotvaluethemeitheratmoreorless;
andthereshallbenopraisingofanygoods,oroathtakenaboutthem。
Ifapersondisobeysthiscommand,anycitizenwhoispresent,notbeinglessthanthirtyyearsofage,maywithimpunitychastiseandbeattheswearer,butifinsteadofobeyingthelawshetakesnoheed,heshallbeliabletothechargeofhavingbetrayedthem。Ifamansellsanyadulteratedgoodsandwillnotobeytheseregulations,hewhoknowsandcanprovethefact,anddoesproveitinthepresenceofthemagistrates,ifhebeaslaveorametic,shallhavetheadulteratedgoods;butifhebeacitizen,anddonotpursuethecharge,heshallbecalledarogue,anddeemedtohaverobbedtheGodsoftheagora;orifheprovesthecharge,heshalldedicatethegoodstotheGodsoftheagora。Hewhoisprovedtohavesoldanyadulteratedgoods,inadditiontolosingthegoodsthemselves,shallbebeatenwithstripes-astripeforadrachma,accordingtothepriceofthegoods;andtheheraldshallproclaimintheagoratheoffenceforwhichheisgoingtobebeaten。Thewardenoftheagoraandtheguardiansofthelawshallobtaininformationfromexperiencedpersonsabouttherogueriesandadulterationsofthesellers,andshallwriteupwhattheselleroughtandoughtnottodoineachcase;