Plato, Laws 769a

καλῶς τοίνυν ἂν ἡμῖν ἡ πρεσβυτῶν ἔμφρων παιδιὰ μέχρι δεῦρʼ εἴη τὰ νῦν διαπεπαισμένη. καλὴν τὴν σπουδὴν ἔοικας δηλοῦν τῶν ἀνδρῶν. εἰκός γε· τόδε δʼ ἐννοήσωμεν εἰ σοὶ δοκεῖ καθάπερ ἐμοί. τὸ ποῖον δὴ καὶ περὶ τίνων; οἶσθʼ ὅτι καθάπερ ζωγράφων οὐδὲν πέρας ἔχειν ἡ πραγματεία δοκεῖ περὶ ἑκάστων τῶν ζῴων, ἀλλʼ ἢ τοῦ χραίνειν ἢ ἀποχραίνειν, ἢ ὁτιδήποτε καλοῦσι τὸ τοιοῦτον οἱ

It seems, then, that up to now our ancients’ game of reason has been finely played. You are showing, I think, how fine is the serious work of our citizens. Very probably: but let us see whether you agree with me about another point. What is it, and whom does it concern? You know how, for instance, the painter’s art in depicting each several subject seems never to get to an end, and in its embellishing it seems as if it would never stop