Plato, Laws 676b

τῶν μεταβολῶν ἐν τῷ τοιούτῳ. πῶς λέγεις; φέρε, ἀφʼ οὗ πόλεις τʼ εἰσὶν καὶ ἄνθρωποι πολιτευόμενοι, δοκεῖς ἄν ποτε κατανοῆσαι χρόνου πλῆθος ὅσον γέγονεν; οὔκουν ῥᾴδιόν γε οὐδαμῶς. τὸ δέ γε ὡς ἄπλετόν τι καὶ ἀμήχανον ἂν εἴη; πάνυ μὲν οὖν τοῦτό γε. μῶν οὖν οὐ μυρίαι μὲν ἐπὶ μυρίαις ἡμῖν γεγόνασι πόλεις ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ, κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ τοῦ πλήθους

and of the variations therein occurring. Explain your meaning. Tell me now: do you think you could ever ascertain the space of time that has passed since cities came into existence and men lived under civic rule? Certainly it would be no easy task. But you can easily see that it is vast and immeasurable? That I most certainly can do. During this time, have not thousands upon thousands of States come into existence, and, on a similar computation, just as many perished?