Nomoi

Nomoi is the Greek term Νόμοι, literally meaning "laws." In classical Greek usage, nomos could refer to formal statutes enacted by authorities or to customary norms that regulate social conduct. The plural nomoi appears frequently in ancient political and legal writings, reflecting the range of legal and moral rules that governed city-states.

In philosophy and literature, Nomoi commonly designates Plato's dialogue Laws, one of his later works. The dialogue presents a practical examination of how a city-state should be governed, complementing the more idealized considerations of the Republic. It discusses the creation of a comprehensive legal code, education for citizens, religious observances, property arrangements, family life, penalties, and governance, with an emphasis on shaping character and securing social order through law rather than through philosophical abstraction alone. The work is characterized by its sober, procedural tone and its attempt to reconcile moral aims with institutional design.

Outside Plato, nomoi is used in ancient texts to refer to the laws of individual cities, such as Athenian or Spartan statutes, and to broader conceptions of normative rules that regulate behavior. In modern Greek, nomoi simply means laws in the legal sense, and in scholarly usage, the term can denote a body of laws or normative rules within a culture.