critias-第6部分

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immediately　about　and　surrounding　the　city　was　a　level　plain；　itself



surrounded　by　mountains　which　descended　towards　the　sea；　it　was　smooth　and



even；　and　of　an　oblong　shape；　extending　in　one　direction　three　thousand



stadia；　but　across　the　centre　inland　it　was　two　thousand　stadia。　　This　part



of　the　island　looked　towards　the　south；　and　was　sheltered　from　the　north。　



The　surrounding　mountains　were　celebrated　for　their　number　and　size　and



beauty；　far　beyond　any　which　still　exist；　having　in　them　also　many　wealthy



villages　of　country　folk；　and　rivers；　and　lakes；　and　meadows　supplying　food



enough　for　every　animal；　wild　or　tame；　and　much　wood　of　various　sorts；



abundant　for　each　and　every　kind　of　work。







I　will　now　describe　the　plain；　as　it　was　fashioned　by　nature　and　by　the



labours　of　many　generations　of　kings　through　long　ages。　　It　was　for　the



most　part　rectangular　and　oblong；　and　where　falling　out　of　the　straight



line　followed　the　circular　ditch。　　The　depth；　and　width；　and　length　of　this



ditch　were　incredible；　and　gave　the　impression　that　a　work　of　such　extent；



in　addition　to　so　many　others；　could　never　have　been　artificial。



Nevertheless　I　must　say　what　I　was　told。　　It　was　excavated　to　the　depth　of



a　hundred　feet；　and　its　breadth　was　a　stadium　everywhere；　it　was　carried



round　the　whole　of　the　plain；　and　was　ten　thousand　stadia　in　length。　　It



received　the　streams　which　came　down　from　the　mountains；　and　winding　round



the　plain　and　meeting　at　the　city；　was　there　let　off　into　the　sea。　　Further



inland；　likewise；　straight　canals　of　a　hundred　feet　in　width　were　cut　from



it　through　the　plain；　and　again　let　off　into　the　ditch　leading　to　the　sea：　



these　canals　were　at　intervals　of　a　hundred　stadia；　and　by　them　they



brought　down　the　wood　from　the　mountains　to　the　city；　and　conveyed　the



fruits　of　the　earth　in　ships；　cutting　transverse　passages　from　one　canal



into　another；　and　to　the　city。　　Twice　in　the　year　they　gathered　the　fruits



of　the　earthin　winter　having　the　benefit　of　the　rains　of　heaven；　and　in



summer　the　water　which　the　land　supplied　by　introducing　streams　from　the



canals。







As　to　the　population；　each　of　the　lots　in　the　plain　had　to　find　a　leader



for　the　men　who　were　fit　for　military　service；　and　the　size　of　a　lot　was　a



square　of　ten　stadia　each　way；　and　the　total　number　of　all　the　lots　was



sixty　thousand。　　And　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　mountains　and　of　the　rest　of



the　country　there　was　also　a　vast　multitude；　which　was　distributed　among



the　lots　and　had　leaders　assigned　to　them　according　to　their　districts　and



villages。　　The　leader　was　required　to　furnish　for　the　war　the　sixth　portion



of　a　war…chariot；　so　as　to　make　up　a　total　of　ten　thousand　chariots；　also



two　horses　and　riders　for　them；　and　a　pair　of　chariot…horses　without　a



seat；　accompanied　by　a　horseman　who　could　fight　on　foot　carrying　a　small



shield；　and　having　a　charioteer　who　stood　behind　the　man…at…arms　to　guide



the　two　horses；　also；　he　was　bound　to　furnish　two　heavy…armed　soldiers；　two



archers；　two　slingers；　three　stone…shooters　and　three　javelin…men；　who　were



light…armed；　and　four　sailors　to　make　up　the　complement　of　twelve　hundred



ships。　　Such　was　the　military　order　of　the　royal　citythe　order　of　the



other　nine　governments　varied；　and　it　would　be　wearisome　to　recount　their



several　differences。







As　to　offices　and　honours；　the　following　was　the　arrangement　from　the



first。　　Each　of　the　ten　kings　in　his　own　division　and　in　his　own　city　had



the　absolute　control　of　the　citizens；　and；　in　most　cases；　of　the　laws；



punishing　and　slaying　whomsoever　he　would。　　Now　the　order　of　precedence



among　them　and　their　mutual　relations　were　regulated　by　the　commands　of



Poseidon　which　the　law　had　handed　down。　　These　were　inscribed　by　the　first



kings　on　a　pillar　of　orichalcum；　which　was　situated　in　the　middle　of　the



island；　at　the　temple　of　Poseidon；　whither　the　kings　were　gathered　together



every　fifth　and　every　sixth　year　alternately；　thus　giving　equal　honour　to



the　odd　and　to　the　even　number。　　And　when　they　were　gathered　together　they



consulted　about　their　common　interests；　and　enquired　if　any　one　had



transgressed　in　anything；　and　passed　judgment；　and　before　they　passed



judgment　they　gave　their　pledges　to　one　another　on　this　wise：There　were



bulls　who　had　the　range　of　the　temple　of　Poseidon；　and　the　ten　kings；　being



left　alone　in　the　temple；　after　they　had　offered　prayers　to　the　god　that



they　might　capture　the　victim　which　was　acceptable　to　him；　hunted　the



bulls；　without　weapons；　but　with　staves　and　nooses；　and　the　bull　which　they



caught　they　led　up　to　the　pillar　and　cut　its　throat　over　the　top　of　it　so



that　the　blood　fell　upon　the　sacred　inscription。　　Now　on　the　pillar；



besides　the　laws；　there　was　inscribed　an　oath　invoking　mighty　curses　on　the



disobedient。　　When　therefore；　after　slaying　the　bull　in　the　accustomed



manner；　they　had　burnt　its　limbs；　they　filled　a　bowl　of　wine　and　cast　in　a



clot　of　blood　for　each　of　them；　the　rest　of　the　victim　they　put　in　the



fire；　after　having　purified　the　column　all　round。　　Then　they　drew　from　the



bowl　in　golden　cups；　and　pouring　a　libation　on　the　fire；　they　swore　that



they　would　judge　according　to　the　laws　on　the　pillar；　and　would　punish　him



who　in　any　point　had　already　transgressed　them；　and　that　for　the　future



they　would　not；　if　they　could　help；　offend　against　the　writing　on　the



pillar；　and　would　neither　command　others；　nor　obey　any　ruler　who　commanded



them；　to　act　otherwise　than　according　to　the　laws　of　their　father　Poseidon。　



This　was　the　prayer　which　each　of　them　offered　up　for　himself　and　for　his



descendants；　at　the　same　time　drinking　and　dedicating　the　cup　out　of　which



he　drank　in　the　temple　of　the　god；　and　after　they　had　supped　and　satisfied



their　needs；　when　darkness　came　on；　and　the　fire　about　the　sacrifice　was



cool；　all　of　them　put　on　most　beautiful　azure　robes；　and；　sitting　on　the



ground；　at　night；　over　the　embers　of　the　sacrifices　by　which　they　had



sworn；　and　extinguishing　all　the　fire　about　the　temple；　they　received　and



gave　judgment；　if　any　of　them　had　an　accusation　to　bring　against　any　one；



and　when　they　had　given　judgment；　at　daybreak　they　wrote　down　their



sentences　on　a　golden　tablet；　and　dedicated　it　together　with　their　robes　to



be　a　memorial。







There　were　many　special　laws　affecting　the　several　kings　inscribed　about



the　temples；　but　the　most　important　was　the　following：　　They　were　not　to



take　up　arms　against　one　another；　and　they　were　all　to　come　to　the　rescue



if　any　one　in　any　of　their　cities　attempted　to　overthrow　the　royal　house；



like　their　ancestors；　they　were　to　deliberate　in　common　about　war　and　other



matters；　giving　the　supremacy　to　the　descendants　of　Atlas。　　And　the　king



was　not　to　have　the　power　of　life　and　death　over　any　of　his　kinsmen　unless



he　had　the　assent　of　the　majority　of　the　ten。







Such　was　the　vast　power　which　the　god　settled　in　the　lost　island　of



Atlantis；　and　this　he　afterwards　directed　against　our　land　for　the



following　reasons；　as　tradition　tells：　　For　many　generations；　as　long　as



the　divine　nature　lasted　in　them；　they　were　obedient　to　the　laws；　and



well…affectioned　towards　the　god；　whose　seed　they　were；　for　they　possessed



true　and　in　every　way　great　spirits；　uniting　gentleness　with　wisdom　in　the



various　chances　of　life；　and　in　their　intercourse　with　one　another。　　They



despised　everything　but　virtue；　caring　little　for　their　present　state　of



life；　and　thinking　lightly　of　the　possession　of　gold　and　other　property；



which　seemed　only　a　burden　to　them；　neither　were　they　intoxicated　by



luxury；　nor　did　wealth　deprive　them　of　their　self…control；　but　they　were



sober；　and　saw　clearly　that　all　these　goods　are　increased　by　virtue　and



friendship　with　one　another；　whereas　by　too　great　regard　and　respect　for



them；　they　are　lost　and　friendship　with　them。　　By　such　reflections　and　by



the　continuance　in　them　of　a　divine　nature；　the　qualities　which　we　have



described　grew　and　increased　among　them；　but　when　the　divine　portion　began



to　fade　away；　and　became　diluted　too　often　and　too　much　with　the　mortal



admixture；　and　the　human　nature　got　the　upper　hand；　they　then；　being　unable



to　bear　their　fortune；　behaved　unseemly；　and　to　him　who　had　an　eye　to　see



grew　visibly　debased；　for　they　were　losing　the　fairest　of　their　precious



gifts；　but　to　those　who　had　no　eye　to　see　the　true　happiness；　they　appeared



glorious　and　blessed　at　the　very　time　when　they　were　full　of　avarice　and



unrighteous　power。　　Zeus；　the　god　of　gods；　who　rules　according　to　law；　and



is　able　to　see　into　such　things；　perceiving　that　an　honourable　race　was　in



a　woeful　plight；　and　wanting　to　inflict　punishment　on　them；　that　they　might



be　chastened　and　improve；　collected　all　the　gods　into　their　most　holy



habitation；　which；　being　placed　in　the　centre　of　the　world；　beholds　all



created　things。　　And　when　he　had　called　them　together；　he　spake　as



follows…







*　The　rest　of　the　Dialogue　of　Critias　has　been　lost。























End