timaeu-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


of　Sais；　and　the　great　city　of　the　district　is　also　called　Sais；　and

is　the　city　from　which　King　Amasis　came。　The　citizens　have　a　deity　for

their　foundress；　she　is　called　in　the　Egyptian　tongue　Neith；　and　is

asserted　by　them　to　be　the　same　whom　the　Hellenes　call　Athene；　they

are　great　lovers　of　the　Athenians；　and　say　that　they　are　in　some　way

related　to　them。　To　this　city　came　Solon；　and　was　received　there

with　great　honour；　he　asked　the　priests　who　were　most　skilful　in

such　matters；　about　antiquity；　and　made　the　discovery　that　neither

he　nor　any　other　Hellene　knew　anything　worth　mentioning　about　the

times　of　old。　On　one　occasion；　wishing　to　draw　them　on　to　speak　of

antiquity；　he　began　to　tell　about　the　most　ancient　things　in　our

part　of　the　world…about　Phoroneus；　who　is　called　〃the　first　man；〃

and　about　Niobe；　and　after　the　Deluge；　of　the　survival　of　Deucalion

and　Pyrrha；　and　he　traced　the　genealogy　of　their　descendants；　and

reckoning　up　the　dates；　tried　to　compute　how　many　years　ago　the　events

of　which　he　was　speaking　happened。　Thereupon　one　of　the　priests；　who

was　of　a　very　great　age；　said：　O　Solon；　Solon；　you　Hellenes　are

never　anything　but　children；　and　there　is　not　an　old　man　among　you。

Solon　in　return　asked　him　what　he　meant。　I　mean　to　say；　he　replied；

that　in　mind　you　are　all　young；　there　is　no　old　opinion　handed　down

among　you　by　ancient　tradition；　nor　any　science　which　is　hoary　with

age。　And　I　will　tell　you　why。　There　have　been；　and　will　be　again；　many

destructions　of　mankind　arising　out　of　many　causes；　the　greatest

have　been　brought　about　by　the　agencies　of　fire　and　water；　and　other

lesser　ones　by　innumerable　other　causes。　There　is　a　story；　which

even　you　have　preserved；　that　once　upon　a　time　Paethon；　the　son　of

Helios；　having　yoked　the　steeds　in　his　father's　chariot；　because　he

was　not　able　to　drive　them　in　the　path　of　his　father；　burnt　up　all

that　was　upon　the　earth；　and　was　himself　destroyed　by　a　thunderbolt。

Now　this　has　the　form　of　a　myth；　but　really　signifies　a　declination　of

the　bodies　moving　in　the　heavens　around　the　earth；　and　a　great

conflagration　of　things　upon　the　earth；　which　recurs　after　long

intervals；　at　such　times　those　who　live　upon　the　mountains　and　in

dry　and　lofty　places　are　more　liable　to　destruction　than　those　who

dwell　by　rivers　or　on　the　seashore。　And　from　this　calamity　the　Nile；

who　is　our　never…failing　saviour；　delivers　and　preserves　us。　When；

on　the　other　hand；　the　gods　purge　the　earth　with　a　deluge　of　water；

the　survivors　in　your　country　are　herdsmen　and　shepherds　who　dwell

on　the　mountains；　but　those　who；　like　you；　live　in　cities　are

carried　by　the　rivers　into　the　sea。　Whereas　in　this　land；　neither　then

nor　at　any　other　time；　does　the　water　come　down　from　above　on　the

fields；　having　always　a　tendency　to　come　up　from　below；　for　which

reason　the　traditions　preserved　here　are　the　most　ancient。

　　The　fact　is；　that　wherever　the　extremity　of　winter　frost　or　of

summer　does　not　prevent；　mankind　exist；　sometimes　in　greater；

sometimes　in　lesser　numbers。　And　whatever　happened　either　in　your

country　or　in　ours；　or　in　any　other　region　of　which　we　are　informed…if

there　were　any　actions　noble　or　great　or　in　any　other　way

remarkable；　they　have　all　been　written　down　by　us　of　old；　and　are

preserved　in　our　temples。　Whereas　just　when　you　and　other　nations

are　beginning　to　be　provided　with　letters　and　the　other　requisites

of　civilized　life；　after　the　usual　interval；　the　stream　from　heaven；

like　a　pestilence；　comes　pouring　down；　and　leaves　only　those　of　you

who　are　destitute　of　letters　and　education；　and　so　you　have　to　begin

all　over　again　like　children；　and　know　nothing　of　what　happened　in

ancient　times；　either　among　us　or　among　yourselves。　As　for　those

genealogies　of　yours　which　you　just　now　recounted　to　us；　Solon；　they

are　no　better　than　the　tales　of　children。　In　the　first　place　you

remember　a　single　deluge　only；　but　there　were　many　previous　ones；　in

the　next　place；　you　do　not　know　that　there　formerly　dwelt　in　your　land

the　fairest　and　noblest　race　of　men　which　ever　lived；　and　that　you　and

your　whole　city　are　descended　from　a　small　seed　or　remnant　of　them

which　survived。　And　this　was　unknown　to　you；　because；　for　many

generations；　the　survivors　of　that　destruction　died；　leaving　no

written　word。　For　there　was　a　time；　Solon；　before　the　great　deluge

of　all；　when　the　city　which　now　is　Athens　was　first　in　war　and　in

every　way　the　best　governed　of　all　cities；　is　said　to　have　performed

the　noblest　deeds　and　to　have　had　the　fairest　constitution　of　any　of

which　tradition　tells；　under　the　face　of　heaven。

　　Solon　marvelled　at　his　words；　and　earnestly　requested　the　priests　to

inform　him　exactly　and　in　order　about　these　former　citizens。　You　are

welcome　to　hear　about　them；　Solon；　said　the　priest；　both　for　your

own　sake　and　for　that　of　your　city；　and　above　all；　for　the　sake　of　the

goddess　who　is　the　common　patron　and　parent　and　educator　of　both　our

cities。　She　founded　your　city　a　thousand　years　before　ours；

receiving　from　the　Earth　and　Hephaestus　the　seed　of　your　race；　and

afterwards　she　founded　ours；　of　which　the　constitution　is　recorded

in　our　sacred　registers　to　be　eight　thousand　years　old。　As　touching

your　citizens　of　nine　thousand　years　ago；　I　will　briefly　inform　you　of

their　laws　and　of　their　most　famous　action；　the　exact　particulars　of

the　whole　we　will　hereafter　go　through　at　our　leisure　in　the　sacred

registers　themselves。　If　you　compare　these　very　laws　with　ours　you

will　find　that　many　of　ours　are　the　counterpart　of　yours　as　they

were　in　the　olden　time。　In　the　first　place；　there　is　the　caste　of

priests；　which　is　separated　from　all　the　others；　next；　there　are　the

artificers；　who　ply　their　several　crafts　by　themselves　and　do　not

intermix；　and　also　there　is　the　class　of　shepherds　and　of　hunters；

as　well　as　that　of　husbandmen；　and　you　will　observe；　too；　that　the

warriors　in　Egypt　are　distinct　from　all　the　other　classes；　and　are

commanded　by　the　law　to　devote　themselves　solely　to　military　pursuits；

moreover；　the　weapons　which　they　carry　are　shields　and　spears；　a　style

of　equipment　which　the　goddess　taught　of　Asiatics　first　to　us；　as　in

your　part　of　the　world　first　to　you。　Then　as　to　wisdom；　do　you　observe

how　our　law　from　the　very　first　made　a　study　of　the　whole　order　of

things；　extending　even　to　prophecy　and　medicine　which　gives　health；

out　of　these　divine　elements　deriving　what　was　needful　for　human　life；

and　adding　every　sort　of　knowledge　which　was　akin　to　them。　All　this

order　and　arrangement　the　goddess　first　imparted　to　you　when

establishing　your　city；　and　she　chose　the　spot　of　earth　in　which　you

were　born；　because　she　saw　that　the　happy　temperament　of　the　seasons

in　that　land　would　produce　the　wisest　of　men。　Wherefore　the　goddess；

who　was　a　lover　both　of　war　and　of　wisdom；　selected　and　first　of　all

settled　that　spot　which　was　the　most　likely　to　produce　men　likest

herself。　And　there　you　dwelt；　having　such　laws　as　these　and　still

better　ones；　and　excelled　all　mankind　in　all　virtue；　as　became　the

children　and　disciples　of　the　gods。

　　Many　great　and　wonderful　deeds　are　recorded　of　your　state　in　our

histories。　But　one　of　them　exceeds　all　the　rest　in　greatness　and

valour。　For　these　histories　tell　of　a　mighty　power　which　unprovoked

made　an　expedition　against　the　whole　of　Europe　and　Asia；　and　to

which　your　city　put　an　end。　This　power　came　forth　out　of　the

Atlantic　Ocean；　for　in　those　days　the　Atlantic　was　navigable；　and

there　was　an　island　situated　in　front　of　the　straits　which　are　by

you　called　the　Pillars　of　Heracles；　the　island　was　larger　than　Libya

and　Asia　put　together；　and　was　the　way　to　other　islands；　and　from

these　you　might　pass　to　the　whole　of　the　opposite　continent　which

surrounded　the　true　ocean；　for　this　sea　which　is　within　the　Straits　of

Heracles　is　only　a　harbour；　having　a　narrow　entrance；　but　that　other

is　a　real　sea；　and　the　surrounding　land　may　be　most　truly　called　a

boundless　continent。　Now　in　this　island　of　Atlantis　there　was　a

great　and　wonderful　empire　which　had　rule　over　the　whole　island　and

several　others；　and　over　parts　of　the　continent；　and；　furthermore；　the

men　of　Atlantis　had　subjected　the　parts　of　Libya　within　the　columns　of

Heracles　as　far　as　Egypt；　and　of　Europe　as　far　as　Tyrrhenia。　This　vast

power；　gathered　into　one；　endeavoured　to　subdue　at　a　blow　our

country　and　yours　and　the　whole　of　the　region　within　the　straits；

and　then；　Solon；　your　country　shone　forth；　in　the　excellence　of　her

virtue　and　strength；　among　all　mankind。　She　was　pre…eminent　in　courage

and　military　skill；　and　was　the　leader　of　the　Hellenes。　And　when　the

rest　fell　off　from　her；　being　compelled　to　stand　alone；　after　having

undergone　the　very　extremity　of　danger；　she　defeated　and　triumphed

over　the　invaders；　and　preserved　from　slavery　those　who　were　not　yet

subjugated；　and　generously　liberated　all　the　rest　of　us　who　dwell

within　the　pillars。　But　afterwards　there　occurred　violent

earthquakes　and　floods；　and　in　a　single　day　and　night　of　misfortune

all　your　warlike　men　in　a　body　sank　into　the　earth；　and　the　island

of　Atlantis　in　like　manner　disappeared　in　the　depths　of　the　sea。　For

which　reason　the　sea　in　those　parts　is　impassable　and　impenetrable；

because　there　is　a　shoal　of　mud　in　the　way；　and　this　was　caused　by　the

subsidence　of　the　island。

　　I　have　told　you　briefly；　Socrates；　what　the　aged　Critias　heard

from　Solon　and　related　to　us。　And　when　you　were　speaking　yesterday

about　your　city　and　citizens；　the　tale　which　I　have　just　been

repeating　to　you　came　into　my　mind；　and　I　remarked　with　astonishment

how；　by　some　mysterious　coincidence；　you　agreed　in　almost　every

particular　with　the　narrative　of　Solon；　but　I　did　not　like　to　speak　at

the　moment。　For　a　long　time　had　elapsed；　and　I　had　forgotten　too　much；

I　thought　that　I　must　first　of　all　run　over　the　narrative　in　my　own

mind；　and　then　I　would　speak。　And　so　I　readily　assented　to　your

request　yesterday；　considering　that　in　all　such　cases　the　chief

difficulty　is　to　find　a　tale　suitable　to　our　purpose；　and　that　with

such　a　tale　we　should　be　fairly　well　provided。

　　And　therefore；　as　Hermocrates　has　told　you；　on　my　way　home　yesterday

I　at　once　communicated　the　tale　to　my　companions　as　I　remembered　it；

and　after　I　left　them；　during　the　night　by　thinking　I　recovered　nearly

the　whole　it。　Truly；　as　is　often　said；　the　lessons　of　our　childhood

make　wonderful　impression　on　our　memories；　for　I　am　not　sure　that　I

could　remember　all　the　discourse　of　yesterday；　but　I　should　be　much

surprised　if　I　forgot　any　of　these　things　which　I　have　heard　very　long

ago。　I　listened　at　the　time　with　childlike　interest　to　the　old　man's

narrative；　he　was　very　ready　to　teach　me；　and　I　asked　him　again　and

again　to　repeat　his　words；　so　that　like　an　indelible　picture　they　were

branded　into　my　mind。　As　soon　as　the　day　broke；　I　rehearsed　them　as　he

spoke　them　to　my　companions；　that　they；　as　well　as　myself；　might

have　something　to　say。　And　now；　Socrates；　to　make　an　end　my　preface；　I

am　ready　to　tell　you　the　whole