critias-第4章

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the　world；　and　abundance　of　water；　and　in　the　heaven　above　an　excellently



attempered　climate。　　Now　the　city　in　those　days　was　arranged　on　this　wise。　



In　the　first　place　the　Acropolis　was　not　as　now。　　For　the　fact　is　that　a



single　night　of　excessive　rain　washed　away　the　earth　and　laid　bare　the



rock；　at　the　same　time　there　were　earthquakes；　and　then　occurred　the



extraordinary　inundation；　which　was　the　third　before　the　great　destruction



of　Deucalion。　　But　in　primitive　times　the　hill　of　the　Acropolis　extended　to



the　Eridanus　and　Ilissus；　and　included　the　Pnyx　on　one　side；　and　the



Lycabettus　as　a　boundary　on　the　opposite　side　to　the　Pnyx；　and　was　all　well



covered　with　soil；　and　level　at　the　top；　except　in　one　or　two　places。　



Outside　the　Acropolis　and　under　the　sides　of　the　hill　there　dwelt　artisans；



and　such　of　the　husbandmen　as　were　tilling　the　ground　near；　the　warrior



class　dwelt　by　themselves　around　the　temples　of　Athene　and　Hephaestus　at



the　summit；　which　moreover　they　had　enclosed　with　a　single　fence　like　the



garden　of　a　single　house。　　On　the　north　side　they　had　dwellings　in　common



and　had　erected　halls　for　dining　in　winter；　and　had　all　the　buildings　which



they　needed　for　their　common　life；　besides　temples；　but　there　was　no



adorning　of　them　with　gold　and　silver；　for　they　made　no　use　of　these　for



any　purpose；　they　took　a　middle　course　between　meanness　and　ostentation；



and　built　modest　houses　in　which　they　and　their　children's　children　grew



old；　and　they　handed　them　down　to　others　who　were　like　themselves；　always



the　same。　　But　in　summer…time　they　left　their　gardens　and　gymnasia　and



dining　halls；　and　then　the　southern　side　of　the　hill　was　made　use　of　by



them　for　the　same　purpose。　　Where　the　Acropolis　now　is　there　was　a



fountain；　which　was　choked　by　the　earthquake；　and　has　left　only　the　few



small　streams　which　still　exist　in　the　vicinity；　but　in　those　days　the



fountain　gave　an　abundant　supply　of　water　for　all　and　of　suitable



temperature　in　summer　and　in　winter。　　This　is　how　they　dwelt；　being　the



guardians　of　their　own　citizens　and　the　leaders　of　the　Hellenes；　who　were



their　willing　followers。　　And　they　took　care　to　preserve　the　same　number　of



men　and　women　through　all　time；　being　so　many　as　were　required　for　warlike



purposes；　then　as　nowthat　is　to　say；　about　twenty　thousand。　　Such　were



the　ancient　Athenians；　and　after　this　manner　they　righteously　administered



their　own　land　and　the　rest　of　Hellas；　they　were　renowned　all　over　Europe



and　Asia　for　the　beauty　of　their　persons　and　for　the　many　virtues　of　their



souls；　and　of　all　men　who　lived　in　those　days　they　were　the　most



illustrious。　　And　next；　if　I　have　not　forgotten　what　I　heard　when　I　was　a



child；　I　will　impart　to　you　the　character　and　origin　of　their　adversaries。　



For　friends　should　not　keep　their　stories　to　themselves；　but　have　them　in



common。







Yet；　before　proceeding　further　in　the　narrative；　I　ought　to　warn　you；　that



you　must　not　be　surprised　if　you　should　perhaps　hear　Hellenic　names　given



to　foreigners。　　I　will　tell　you　the　reason　of　this：　　Solon；　who　was



intending　to　use　the　tale　for　his　poem；　enquired　into　the　meaning　of　the



names；　and　found　that　the　early　Egyptians　in　writing　them　down　had



translated　them　into　their　own　language；　and　he　recovered　the　meaning　of



the　several　names　and　when　copying　them　out　again　translated　them　into　our



language。　　My　great…grandfather；　Dropides；　had　the　original　writing；　which



is　still　in　my　possession；　and　was　carefully　studied　by　me　when　I　was　a



child。　　Therefore　if　you　hear　names　such　as　are　used　in　this　country；　you



must　not　be　surprised；　for　I　have　told　how　they　came　to　be　introduced。　　The



tale；　which　was　of　great　length；　began　as　follows：







I　have　before　remarked　in　speaking　of　the　allotments　of　the　gods；　that　they



distributed　the　whole　earth　into　portions　differing　in　extent；　and　made　for



themselves　temples　and　instituted　sacrifices。　　And　Poseidon；　receiving　for



his　lot　the　island　of　Atlantis；　begat　children　by　a　mortal　woman；　and



settled　them　in　a　part　of　the　island；　which　I　will　describe。　　Looking



towards　the　sea；　but　in　the　centre　of　the　whole　island；　there　was　a　plain



which　is　said　to　have　been　the　fairest　of　all　plains　and　very　fertile。　



Near　the　plain　again；　and　also　in　the　centre　of　the　island　at　a　distance　of



about　fifty　stadia；　there　was　a　mountain　not　very　high　on　any　side。　　In



this　mountain　there　dwelt　one　of　the　earth…born　primeval　men　of　that



country；　whose　name　was　Evenor；　and　he　had　a　wife　named　Leucippe；　and　they



had　an　only　daughter　who　was　called　Cleito。　　The　maiden　had　already　reached



womanhood；　when　her　father　and　mother　died；　Poseidon　fell　in　love　with　her



and　had　intercourse　with　her；　and　breaking　the　ground；　inclosed　the　hill　in



which　she　dwelt　all　round；　making　alternate　zones　of　sea　and　land　larger



and　smaller；　encircling　one　another；　there　were　two　of　land　and　three　of



water；　which　he　turned　as　with　a　lathe；　each　having　its　circumference



equidistant　every　way　from　the　centre；　so　that　no　man　could　get　to　the



island；　for　ships　and　voyages　were　not　as　yet。　　He　himself；　being　a　god；



found　no　difficulty　in　making　special　arrangements　for　the　centre　island；



bringing　up　two　springs　of　water　from　beneath　the　earth；　one　of　warm　water



and　the　other　of　cold；　and　making　every　variety　of　food　to　spring　up



abundantly　from　the　soil。　　He　also　begat　and　brought　up　five　pairs　of　twin



male　children；　and　dividing　the　island　of　Atlantis　into　ten　portions；　he



gave　to　the　first…born　of　the　eldest　pair　his　mother's　dwelling　and　the



surrounding　allotment；　which　was　the　largest　and　best；　and　made　him　king



over　the　rest；　the　others　he　made　princes；　and　gave　them　rule　over　many



men；　and　a　large　territory。　　And　he　named　them　all；　the　eldest；　who　was　the



first　king；　he　named　Atlas；　and　after　him　the　whole　island　and　the　ocean



were　called　Atlantic。　　To　his　twin　brother；　who　was　born　after　him；　and



obtained　as　his　lot　the　extremity　of　the　island　towards　the　pillars　of



Heracles；　facing　the　country　which　is　now　called　the　region　of　Gades　in



that　part　of　the　world；　he　gave　the　name　which　in　the　Hellenic　language　is



Eumelus；　in　the　language　of　the　country　which　is　named　after　him；　Gadeirus。　



Of　the　second　pair　of　twins　he　called　one　Ampheres；　and　the　other　Evaemon。　



To　the　elder　of　the　third　pair　of　twins　he　gave　the　name　Mneseus；　and



Autochthon　to　the　one　who　followed　him。　　Of　the　fourth　pair　of　twins　he



called　the　elder　Elasippus；　and　the　younger　Mestor。　　And　of　the　fifth　pair



he　gave　to　the　elder　the　name　of　Azaes；　and　to　the　younger　that　of



Diaprepes。　　All　these　and　their　descendants　for　many　generations　were　the



inhabitants　and　rulers　of　divers　islands　in　the　open　sea；　and　also；　as　has



been　already　said；　they　held　sway　in　our　direction　over　the　country　within



the　pillars　as　far　as　Egypt　and　Tyrrhenia。　　Now　Atlas　had　a　numerous　and



honourable　family；　and　they　retained　the　kingdom；　the　eldest　son　handing　it



on　to　his　eldest　for　many　generations；　and　they　had　such　an　amount　of



wealth　as　was　never　before　possessed　by　kings　and　potentates；　and　is　not



likely　ever　to　be　again；　and　they　were　furnished　with　everything　which　they



needed；　both　in　the　city　and　country。　　For　because　of　the　greatness　of



their　empire　many　things　were　brought　to　them　from　foreign　countries；　and



the　island　itself　provided　most　of　what　was　required　by　them　for　the　uses



of　life。　　In　the　first　place；　they　dug　out　of　the　earth　whatever　was　to　be



found　there；　solid　as　well　as　fusile；　and　that　which　is　now　only　a　name　and



was　then　something　more　than　a　name；　orichalcum；　was　dug　out　of　the　earth



in　many　parts　of　the　island；　being　more　precious　in　those　days　than



anything　except　gold。　　There　was　an　abundance　of　wood　for　carpenter's　work；



and　sufficient　maintenance　for　tame　and　wild　animals。　　Moreover；　there　were



a　great　number　of　elephants　in　the　island；　for　as　there　was　provision　for



all　other　sorts　of　animals；　both　for　those　which　live　in　lakes　and　marshes



and　rivers；　and　also　for　those　which　live　in　mountains　and　on　plains；　so



there　was　for　the　animal　which　is　the　largest　and　most　voracious　of　all。　



Also　whatever　fragrant　things　there　now　are　in　the　earth；　whether　roots；　or



herbage；　or　woods；　or　essences　which　distil　from　fruit　and　flower；　grew　and



thrived　in　that　land；　also　the　fruit　which　admits　of　cultivation；　both　the



dry　sort；　which　is　given　us　for　nourishment　and　any　other　which　we　use　for



foodwe　call　them　all　by　the　common　name　of　pulse；　and　the　fruits　having　a



hard　rind；　affording　drinks　and　meats　and　ointments；　and　good　store　of



chestnuts　and　the　like；　which　furnish　pleasure　and　amusement；　and　are



fruits　which　spoil　with　keeping；　and　the　pleasant　kinds　of　dessert；　with



which　we　console　ourselves　after　dinner；　when　we　are　tired　of　eatingall



these　that　sacred　island　which　then　beheld　the　light　of　the　sun；　brought



forth　fair　and　wondrous　and　in　infinite　abundance。　　With　such　blessings　the



earth　freely　furnished　them；　meanwhile　they　went　on　constructing　their



temples　and　palaces　and　harbours　and　docks。　　And　they　arranged　the　whole



country　in　the　following　manner：







First　of　all　they　bridged　over　the　zones　of　sea　which　surrounded　the



ancient　metropolis；　making　a　road　to　and　from　the　royal　palace。　　And　at　the



very　beginning　they　built　the　palace　in　the　habitation　of　the　god　and　of



their　ancestors；　which　they　continued　to　ornament　in　successive



generations；　every　king　surpassing　the　one　who　went　before　him　to　the



utmost　of　his　power；　until　they　made　the　building　a　marvel　to　behold　for



size　and　for　beauty。　　And　beginning　from　the　sea　they　bored　a　canal　of



three　hundred　feet　in　width　and　one　hundred　feet　in　depth　and　fifty　stadia



in　length；　which　they　carried　through　to　the　outermost　zone；　making　a



passage　from　the　sea　up　to　this；　which　became　a　harbour；　and　leaving　an



opening　sufficient　to　enable　the　largest　vessels　to　find　ingress。　



Moreover；　they　divided　at　the　bridges　the　zones　of　land　which　parted　the



zones　of　sea；　leaving　room　for　a　single　trireme　to　pass　out　of　one　zone



into　another；　and　they　covered　over　the　channels　so　as　to　leave　a　way



underneath　for　the　ships；　for　the　banks　were　raised　considerably　above　the



water。　　Now　the　largest　of　the　zones　into　which　a　passage　was　cut　from　the



sea　was　three　stadia　in　breadth；　and　the　zone　of　land　which　came　next　of



equal　breadth；　but　the　next