Plato in Italy

Olimpia, Venus; the three that subdivide it in width are called, of the Hero, of Thurius and of Thurinus. The buildings are magnificent.

The whole people are divided into ten tribes, of which three take their names from the three most illustrious cities of Arcadia: the others are called Boeotian, Amphizidonian, Dorian, Iada, Attic, Euboean, Nasiotean (1). The inhabitants have wished to preserve the memories of their origin; which I deem supreme imprudence, and the cause of infinite envy and dangerous seditions, from which the city of Thurii has not been exempt. That remnant of Sybarites people of Sybaris who, in order to cultivate their own lands, had need to invite new men from Greece, when they had welcomed the new colonists, for what reason did they lose that new happiness which the population, restored from its ancient losses, promised them? Because they did not know, not even in misfortune, how to lay aside the pride of their ancient origin, and they claimed to enjoy alone all the honors and all the power. The new colonists grew tired of this foolish injustice of theirs, and drove them out (2).

Plato wanted to visit the house of Herodotus . . . O holy muses! What force of destiny condemns you to always inhabit the most wretched houses! . . .

(1) Diodorus Siculus.
(2) Arist. Polit. V.