critias-第6章

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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