critias-第2章

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land　between　the　harbour　and　the　sea　was　surrounded　by　a　wall；　and　was



crowded　with　dwellings；　and　the　harbour　and　canal　resounded　with　the　din　of



human　voices。







The　plain　around　the　city　was　highly　cultivated　and　sheltered　from　the



north　by　mountains；　it　was　oblong；　and　where　falling　out　of　the　straight



line　followed　the　circular　ditch；　which　was　of　an　incredible　depth。　　This



depth　received　the　streams　which　came　down　from　the　mountains；　as　well　as



the　canals　of　the　interior；　and　found　a　way　to　the　sea。　　The　entire　country



was　divided　into　sixty　thousand　lots；　each　of　which　was　a　square　of　ten



stadia；　and　the　owner　of　a　lot　was　bound　to　furnish　the　sixth　part　of　a



war…chariot；　so　as　to　make　up　ten　thousand　chariots；　two　horses　and　riders



upon　them；　a　pair　of　chariot…horses　without　a　seat；　and　an　attendant　and



charioteer；　two　hoplites；　two　archers；　two　slingers；　three　stone…shooters；



three　javelin…men；　and　four　sailors　to　make　up　the　complement　of　twelve



hundred　ships。







Each　of　the　ten　kings　was　absolute　in　his　own　city　and　kingdom。　　The



relations　of　the　different　governments　to　one　another　were　determined　by



the　injunctions　of　Poseidon；　which　had　been　inscribed　by　the　first　kings　on



a　column　of　orichalcum　in　the　temple　of　Poseidon；　at　which　the　kings　and



princes　gathered　together　and　held　a　festival　every　fifth　and　every　sixth



year　alternately。　　Around　the　temple　ranged　the　bulls　of　Poseidon；　one　of



which　the　ten　kings　caught　and　sacrificed；　shedding　the　blood　of　the　victim



over　the　inscription；　and　vowing　not　to　transgress　the　laws　of　their　father



Poseidon。　　When　night　came；　they　put　on　azure　robes　and　gave　judgment



against　offenders。　　The　most　important　of　their　laws　related　to　their



dealings　with　one　another。　　They　were　not　to　take　up　arms　against　one



another；　and　were　to　come　to　the　rescue　if　any　of　their　brethren　were



attacked。　　They　were　to　deliberate　in　common　about　war；　and　the　king　was



not　to　have　the　power　of　life　and　death　over　his　kinsmen；　unless　he　had　the



assent　of　the　majority。







For　many　generations；　as　tradition　tells；　the　people　of　Atlantis　were



obedient　to　the　laws　and　to　the　gods；　and　practised　gentleness　and　wisdom



in　their　intercourse　with　one　another。　　They　knew　that　they　could　only　have



the　true　use　of　riches　by　not　caring　about　them。　　But　gradually　the　divine



portion　of　their　souls　became　diluted　with　too　much　of　the　mortal



admixture；　and　they　began　to　degenerate；　though　to　the　outward　eye　they



appeared　glorious　as　ever　at　the　very　time　when　they　were　filled　with　all



iniquity。　　The　all…seeing　Zeus；　wanting　to　punish　them；　held　a　council　of



the　gods；　and　when　he　had　called　them　together；　he　spoke　as　follows：







No　one　knew　better　than　Plato　how　to　invent　'a　noble　lie。'　　Observe　（1）　the



innocent　declaration　of　Socrates；　that　the　truth　of　the　story　is　a　great



advantage：　　（2）　the　manner　in　which　traditional　names　and　indications　of



geography　are　intermingled　（'Why；　here　be　truths！'）：　　（3）　the　extreme



minuteness　with　which　the　numbers　are　given；　as　in　the　Old　Epic　poetry：　



（4）　the　ingenious　reason　assigned　for　the　Greek　names　occurring　in　the



Egyptian　tale：　　（5）　the　remark　that　the　armed　statue　of　Athena　indicated



the　common　warrior　life　of　men　and　women：　　（6）　the　particularity　with　which



the　third　deluge　before　that　of　Deucalion　is　affirmed　to　have　been　the



great　destruction：　　（7）　the　happy　guess　that　great　geological　changes　have



been　effected　by　water：　　（8）　the　indulgence　of　the　prejudice　against



sailing　beyond　the　Columns；　and　the　popular　belief　of　the　shallowness　of



the　ocean　in　that　part：　　（9）　the　confession　that　the　depth　of　the　ditch　in



the　Island　of　Atlantis　was　not　to　be　believed；　and　'yet　he　could　only



repeat　what　he　had　heard'；　compared　with　the　statement　made　in　an　earlier



passage　that　Poseidon；　being　a　God；　found　no　difficulty　in　contriving　the



water…supply　of　the　centre　island：　　（10）　the　mention　of　the　old　rivalry　of



Poseidon　and　Athene；　and　the　creation　of　the　first　inhabitants　out　of　the



soil。　　Plato　here；　as　elsewhere；　ingeniously　gives　the　impression　that　he



is　telling　the　truth　which　mythology　had　corrupted。







The　world；　like　a　child；　has　readily；　and　for　the　most　part　unhesitatingly；



accepted　the　tale　of　the　Island　of　Atlantis。　　In　modern　times　we　hardly



seek　for　traces　of　the　submerged　continent；　but　even　Mr。　Grote　is　inclined



to　believe　in　the　Egyptian　poem　of　Solon　of　which　there　is　no　evidence　in



antiquity；　while　others；　like　Martin；　discuss　the　Egyptian　origin　of　the



legend；　or　like　M。　de　Humboldt；　whom　he　quotes；　are　disposed　to　find　in　it



a　vestige　of　a　widely…spread　tradition。　　Others；　adopting　a　different　vein



of　reflection；　regard　the　Island　of　Atlantis　as　the　anticipation　of　a　still



greater　islandthe　Continent　of　America。　　'The　tale；'　says　M。　Martin；



'rests　upon　the　authority　of　the　Egyptian　priests；　and　the　Egyptian　priests



took　a　pleasure　in　deceiving　the　Greeks。'　　He　never　appears　to　suspect　that



there　is　a　greater　deceiver　or　magician　than　the　Egyptian　priests；　that　is



to　say；　Plato　himself；　from　the　dominion　of　whose　genius　the　critic　and



natural　philosopher　of　modern　times　are　not　wholly　emancipated。　　Although



worthless　in　respect　of　any　result　which　can　be　attained　by　them；



discussions　like　those　of　M。　Martin　（Timee）　have　an　interest　of　their　own；



and　may　be　compared　to　the　similar　discussions　regarding　the　Lost　Tribes　（2



Esdras）；　as　showing　how　the　chance　word　of　some　poet　or　philosopher　has



given　birth　to　endless　religious　or　historical　enquiries。　　（See



Introduction　to　the　Timaeus。）







In　contrasting　the　small　Greek　city　numbering　about　twenty　thousand



inhabitants　with　the　barbaric　greatness　of　the　island　of　Atlantis；　Plato



probably　intended　to　show　that　a　state；　such　as　the　ideal　Athens；　was



invincible；　though　matched　against　any　number　of　opponents　（cp。　Rep。）。　



Even　in　a　great　empire　there　might　be　a　degree　of　virtue　and　justice；　such



as　the　Greeks　believed　to　have　existed　under　the　sway　of　the　first　Persian



kings。　　But　all　such　empires　were　liable　to　degenerate；　and　soon　incurred



the　anger　of　the　gods。　　Their　Oriental　wealth；　and　splendour　of　gold　and



silver；　and　variety　of　colours；　seemed　also　to　be　at　variance　with　the



simplicity　of　Greek　notions。　　In　the　island　of　Atlantis；　Plato　is



describing　a　sort　of　Babylonian　or　Egyptian　city；　to　which　he　opposes　the



frugal　life　of　the　true　Hellenic　citizen。　　It　is　remarkable　that　in　his



brief　sketch　of　them；　he　idealizes　the　husbandmen　'who　are　lovers　of　honour



and　true　husbandmen；'　as　well　as　the　warriors　who　are　his　sole　concern　in



the　Republic；　and　that　though　he　speaks　of　the　common　pursuits　of　men　and



women；　he　says　nothing　of　the　community　of　wives　and　children。







It　is　singular　that　Plato　should　have　prefixed　the　most　detested　of



Athenian　names　to　this　dialogue；　and　even　more　singular　that　he　should　have



put　into　the　mouth　of　Socrates　a　panegyric　on　him　（Tim。）。　　Yet　we　know　that



his　character　was　accounted　infamous　by　Xenophon；　and　that　the　mere



acquaintance　with　him　was　made　a　subject　of　accusation　against　Socrates。　



We　can　only　infer　that　in　this；　and　perhaps　in　some　other　cases；　Plato's



characters　have　no　reference　to　the　actual　facts。　　The　desire　to　do　honour



to　his　own　family；　and　the　connection　with　Solon；　may　have　suggested　the



introduction　of　his　name。　　Why　the　Critias　was　never　completed；　whether



from　accident；　or　from　advancing　age；　or　from　a　sense　of　the　artistic



difficulty　of　the　design；　cannot　be　determined。















CRITIAS。











PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　　Critias；　Hermocrates；　Timaeus；　Socrates。











TIMAEUS：　　How　thankful　I　am；　Socrates；　that　I　have　arrived　at　last；　and；



like　a　weary　traveller　after　a　long　journey；　may　be　at　rest！　　And　I　pray



the　being　who　always　was　of　old；　and　has　now　been　by　me　revealed；　to　grant



that　my　words　may　endure　in　so　far　as　they　have　been　spoken　truly　and



acceptably　to　him；　but　if　unintentionally　I　have　said　anything　wrong；　I



pray　that　he　will　impose　upon　me　a　just　retribution；　and　the　just



retribution　of　him　who　errs　is　that　he　should　be　set　right。　　Wishing；　then；



to　speak　truly　in　future　concerning　the　generation　of　the　gods；　I　pray　him



to　give　me　knowledge；　which　of　all　medicines　is　the　most　perfect　and　best。　



And　now　having　offered　my　prayer　I　deliver　up　the　argument　to　Critias；　who



is　to　speak　next　according　to　our　agreement。　　（Tim。）







CRITIAS：　　And　I；　Timaeus；　accept　the　trust；　and　as　you　at　first　said　that



you　were　going　to　speak　of　high　matters；　and　begged　that　some　forbearance



might　be　shown　to　you；　I　too　ask　the　same　or　greater　forbearance　for　what　I



am　about　to　say。　　And　although　I　very　well　know　that　my　request　may　appear



to　be　somewhat　ambitious　and　discourteous；　I　must　make　it　nevertheless。　



For　will　any　man　of　sense　deny　that　you　have　spoken　well？　　I　can　only



attempt　to　show　that　I　ought　to　have　more　indulgence　than　you；　because　my



theme　is　more　difficult；　and　I　shall　argue　that　to　seem　to　speak　well　of



the　gods　to　men　is　far　easier　than　to　speak　well　of　men　to　men：　　for　the



inexperience　and　utter　ignorance　of　his　hearers　about　any　subject　is　a



great　assistance　to　him　who　has　to　speak　of　it；　and　we　know　how　ignorant　we



are　concerning　the　gods。　　But　I　should　like　to　make　my　meaning　clearer；　if



you　will　follow　me。　　All　that　is　said　by　any　of　us　can　only　be　imitation



and　representation。　　For　if　we　consider　the　likenesses　which　painters　make



of　bodies　divine　and　heavenly；　and　the　different　degrees　of　gratification



with　which　the　eye　of　the　spectator　receives　them；　we　shall　see　that　we　are



satisfied　with　the　artist　who　is　able　in　any　degree　to　imitate　the　earth



and　its　mountains；　and　the　rivers；　and　the　woods；　and　the　universe；　and　the



things　that　are　and　move　therein；　and　further；　that　knowing　nothing　precise



about　such　matters；　we　do　not　examine　or　analyze　the　painting；　all　that　is



required　is　a　sort　of　indistinct　and　deceptive　mode　of　shadowing　them



forth。　　But　when　a　person　endeavours　to　paint　the　human　form　we　are　quick



at　finding　out　defects；　and　our　familiar　knowledge　makes　us　severe　judges



of　any　one　who　does　not　render　every　point　of　similarity。　　And　we　may



observe　the　same　thing　to　happen　in　discourse；　we　are　satisfied　with　a



picture　of　divine　and　heavenly　things　which　has　very　little　likenes