timaeu-第3章

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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　tale。　I　will　give　you　not　only　the

general　heads；　but　the　particulars；　as　they　were　told　to　me。　The

city　and　citizens；　which　you　yesterday　described　to　us　in　fiction；

we　will　now　transfer　to　the　world　of　reality。　It　shall　be　the

ancient　city　of　Athens；　and　we　will　suppose　that　the　citizens　whom　you

imagined；　were　our　veritable　ancestors；　of　whom　the　priest　spoke；　they

will　perfectly　harmonise；　and　there　will　be　no　inconsistency　in　saying

that　the　citizens　of　your　republic　are　these　ancient　Athenians。　Let　us

divide　the　subject　among　us；　and　all　endeavour　according　to　our

ability　gracefully　to　execute　the　task　which　you　have　imposed　upon　us。

Consider　then；　Socrates；　if　this　narrative　is　suited　to　the　purpose；

or　whether　we　should　seek　for　some　other　instead。

　　Soc。　And　what　other；　Critias；　can　we　find　that　will　be　better　than

this；　which　is　natural　and　suitable　to　the　festival　of　the　goddess；

and　has　the　very　great　advantage　of　being　a　fact　and　not　a　fiction？

How　or　where　shall　we　find　another　if　we　abandon　this？　We　cannot；

and　therefore　you　must　tell　the　tale；　and　good　luck　to　you；　and　I　in

return　for　my　yesterday's　discourse　will　now　rest　and　be　a　listener。

　　Crit。　Let　me　proceed　to　explain　to　you；　Socrates；　the　order　in　which

we　have　arranged　our　entertainment。　Our　intention　is；　that　Timaeus；

who　is　the　most　of　an　astronomer　amongst　us；　and　has　made　the　nature

of　the　universe　his　special　study；　should　speak　first；　beginning

with　the　generation　of　the　world　and　going　down　to　the　creation　of

man；　next；　I　am　to　receive　the　men　whom　he　has　created　of　whom　some

will　have　profited　by　the　excellent　education　which　you　have　given

them；　and　then；　in　accordance　with　the　tale　of　Solon；　and　equally　with

his　law；　we　will　bring　them　into　court　and　make　them　citizens；　as　if

they　were　those　very　Athenians　whom　the　sacred　Egyptian　record　has

recovered　from　oblivion；　and　thenceforward　we　will　speak　of　them　as

Athenians　and　fellow…citizens。

　　Soc。　I　see　that　I　shall　receive　in　my　turn　a　perfect　and　splendid