critias-第3章

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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　likeness　to



them；　but　we　are　more　precise　in　our　criticism　of　mortal　and　human　things。　



Wherefore　if　at　the　moment　of　speaking　I　cannot　suitably　express　my



meaning；　you　must　excuse　me；　considering　that　to　form　approved　likenesses



of　human　things　is　the　reverse　of　easy。　　This　is　what　I　want　to　suggest　to



you；　and　at　the　same　time　to　beg；　Socrates；　that　I　may　have　not　less；　but



more　indulgence　conceded　to　me　in　what　I　am　about　to　say。　　Which　favour；　if



I　am　right　in　asking；　I　hope　that　you　will　be　ready　to　grant。







SOCRATES：　　Certainly；　Critias；　we　will　grant　your　request；　and　we　will



grant　the　same　by　anticipation　to　Hermocrates；　as　well　as　to　you　and



Timaeus；　for　I　have　no　doubt　that　when　his　turn　comes　a　little　while　hence；



he　will　make　the　same　request　which　you　have　made。　　In　order；　then；　that　he



may　provide　himself　with　a　fresh　beginning；　and　not　be　compelled　to　say　the



same　things　over　again；　let　him　understand　that　the　indulgence　is　already



extended　by　anticipation　to　him。　　And　now；　friend　Critias；　I　will　announce



to　you　the　judgment　of　the　theatre。　　They　are　of　opinion　that　the　last



performer　was　wonderfully　successful；　and　that　you　will　need　a　great　deal



of　indulgence　before　you　will　be　able　to　take　his　place。







HERMOCRATES：　　The　warning；　Socrates；　which　you　have　addressed　to　him；　I



must　also　take　to　myself。　　But　remember；　Critias；　that　faint　heart　never



yet　raised　a　trophy；　and　therefore　you　must　go　and　attack　the　argument　like



a　man。　　First　invoke　Apollo　and　the　Muses；　and　then　let　us　hear　you　sound



the　praises　and　show　forth　the　virtues　of　your　ancient　citizens。







CRITIAS：　　Friend　Hermocrates；　you；　who　are　stationed　last　and　have　another



in　front　of　you；　have　not　lost　heart　as　yet；　the　gravity　of　the　situation



will　soon　be　revealed　to　you；　meanwhile　I　accept　your　exhortations　and



encouragements。　　But　besides　the　gods　and　goddesses　w