critias-第6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！





Diaprepes。　　All　these　and　their　descendants　for　many　generations　were　the



inhabitants　and　rulers　of　divers　islands　in　the　open　sea；　and　also；　as　has



been　already　said；　they　held　sway　in　our　direction　over　the　country　within



the　pillars　as　far　as　Egypt　and　Tyrrhenia。　　Now　Atlas　had　a　numerous　and



honourable　family；　and　they　retained　the　kingdom；　the　eldest　son　handing　it



on　to　his　eldest　for　many　generations；　and　they　had　such　an　amount　of



wealth　as　was　never　before　possessed　by　kings　and　potentates；　and　is　not



likely　ever　to　be　again；　and　they　were　furnished　with　everything　which　they



needed；　both　in　the　city　and　country。　　For　because　of　the　greatness　of



their　empire　many　things　were　brought　to　them　from　foreign　countries；　and



the　island　itself　provided　most　of　what　was　required　by　them　for　the　uses



of　life。　　In　the　first　place；　they　dug　out　of　the　earth　whatever　was　to　be



found　there；　solid　as　well　as　fusile；　and　that　which　is　now　only　a　name　and



was　then　something　more　than　a　name；　orichalcum；　was　dug　out　of　the　earth



in　many　parts　of　the　island；　being　more　precious　in　those　days　than



anything　except　gold。　　There　was　an　abundance　of　wood　for　carpenter's　work；



and　sufficient　maintenance　for　tame　and　wild　animals。　　Moreover；　there　were



a　great　number　of　elephants　in　the　island；　for　as　there　was　provision　for



all　other　sorts　of　animals；　both　for　those　which　live　in　lakes　and　marshes



and　rivers；　and　also　for　those　which　live　in　mountains　and　on　plains；　so



there　was　for　the　animal　which　is　the　largest　and　most　voracious　of　all。　



Also　whatever　fragrant　things　there　now　are　in　the　earth；　whether　roots；　or



herbage；　or　woods；　or　essences　which　distil　from　fruit　and　flower；　grew　and



thrived　in　that　land；　also　the　fruit　which　admits　of　cultivation；　both　the



dry　sort；　which　is　given　us　for　nourishment　and　any　other　which　we　use　for



foodwe　call　them　all　by　the　common　name　of　pulse；　and　the　fruits　having　a



hard　rind；　affording　drinks　and　meats　and　ointments；　and　good　store　of



chestnuts　and　the　like；　which　furnish　pleasure　and　amusement；　and　are



fruits　which　spoil　with　keeping；　and　the　pleasant　kinds　of　dessert；　with



which　we　console　ourselves　after　dinner；　when　we　are　tired　of　eatingall



these　that　sacred　island　which　then　beheld　the　light　of　the　sun；　brought



forth　fair　and　wondrous　and　in　infinite　abundance。　　With　such　blessings　the



earth　freely　furnished　them；　meanwhile　they　went　on　constructing　their



temples　and　palaces　and　harbours　and　docks。　　And　they　arranged　the　whole



country　in　the　following　manner：







First　of　all　they　bridged　over　the　zones　of　sea　which　surrounded　the



ancient　metropolis；　making　a　road　to　and　from　the　royal　palace。　　And　at　the



very　beginning　they　built　the　palace　in　the　habitation　of　the　god　and　of



their　ancestors；　which　they　continued　to　ornament　in　successive



generations；　every　king　surpassing　the　one　who　went　before　him　to　the



utmost　of　his　power；　until　they　made　the　building　a　marvel　to　behold　for



size　and　for　beauty。　　And　beginning　from　the　sea　they　bored　a　canal　of



three　hundred　feet　in　width　and　one　hundred　feet　in　depth　and　fifty　stadia



in　length；　which　they　carried　through　to　the　outermost　zone；　making　a



passage　from　the　sea　up　to　this；　which　became　a　harbour；　and　leaving　an



opening　sufficient　to　enable　the　largest　vessels　to　find　ingress。　



Moreover；　they　divided　at　the　bridges　the　zones　of　land　which　parted　the



zones　of　sea；　leaving　room　for　a　single　trireme　to　pass　out　of　one　zone



into　another；　and　they　covered　over　the　channels　so　as　to　leave　a　way



underneath　for　the　ships；　for　the　banks　were　raised　considerably　above　the



water。　　Now　the　largest　of　the　zones　into　which　a　passage　was　cut　from　the



sea　was　three　stadia　in　breadth；　and　the　zone　of　land　which　came　next　of



equal　breadth；　but　the　next　two　zones；　the　one　of　water；　the　other　of　land；



were　two　stadia；　and　the　one　which　surrounded　the　central　island　was　a



stadium　only　in　width。　　The　island　in　which　the　palace　was　situated　had　a



diameter　of　five　stadia。　　All　this　including　the　zones　and　the　bridge；



which　was　the　sixth　part　of　a　stadium　in　width；　they　surrounded　by　a　stone



wall　on　every　side；　placing　towers　and　gates　on　the　bridges　where　the　sea



passed　in。　　The　stone　which　was　used　in　the　work　they　quarried　from



underneath　the　centre　island；　and　from　underneath　the　zones；　on　the　outer



as　well　as　the　inner　side。　　One　kind　was　white；　another　black；　and　a　third



red；　and　as　they　quarried；　they　at　the　same　time　hollowed　out　double　docks；



having　roofs　formed　out　of　the　native　rock。　　Some　of　their　buildings　were



simple；　but　in　others　they　put　together　different　stones；　varying　the



colour　to　please　the　eye；　and　to　be　a　natural　source　of　delight。　　The



entire　circuit　of　the　wall；　which　went　round　the　outermost　zone；　they



covered　with　a　coating　of　brass；　and　the　circuit　of　the　next　wall　they



coated　with　tin；　and　the　third；　which　encompassed　the　citadel；　flashed　with



the　red　light　of　orichalcum。　　The　palaces　in　the　interior　of　the　citadel



were　constructed　on　this　wise：In　the　centre　was　a　holy　temple　dedicated



to　Cleito　and　Poseidon；　which　remained　inaccessible；　and　was　surrounded　by



an　enclosure　of　gold；　this　was　the　spot　where　the　family　of　the　ten　princes



first　saw　the　light；　and　thither　the　people　annually　brought　the　fruits　of



the　earth　in　their　season　from　all　the　ten　portions；　to　be　an　offering　to



each　of　the　ten。　　Here　was　Poseidon's　own　temple　which　was　a　stadium　in



length；　and　half　a　stadium　in　width；　and　of　a　proportionate　height；　having



a　strange　barbaric　appearance。　　All　the　outside　of　the　temple；　with　the



exception　of　the　pinnacles；　they　covered　with　silver；　and　the　pinnacles



with　gold。　　In　the　interior　of　the　temple　the　roof　was　of　ivory；　curiously



wrought　everywhere　with　gold　and　silver　and　orichalcum；　and　all　the　other



parts；　the　walls　and　pillars　and　floor；　they　coated　with　orichalcum。　　In



the　temple　they　placed　statues　of　gold：　　there　was　the　god　himself　standing



in　a　chariotthe　charioteer　of　six　winged　horsesand　of　such　a　size　that



he　touched　the　roof　of　the　building　with　his　head；　around　him　there　were　a



hundred　Nereids　riding　on　dolphins；　for　such　was　thought　to　be　the　number



of　them　by　the　men　of　those　days。　　There　were　also　in　the　interior　of　the



temple　other　images　which　had　been　dedicated　by　private　persons。　　And



around　the　temple　on　the　outside　were　placed　statues　of　gold　of　all　the



descendants　of　the　ten　kings　and　of　their　wives；　and　there　were　many　other



great　offerings　of　kings　and　of　private　persons；　coming　both　from　the　city



itself　and　from　the　foreign　cities　over　which　they　held　sway。　　There　was　an



altar　too；　which　in　size　and　workmanship　corresponded　to　this　magnificence；



and　the　palaces；　in　like　manner；　answered　to　the　greatness　of　the　kingdom



and　the　glory　of　the　temple。







In　the　next　place；　they　had　fountains；　one　of　cold　and　another　of　hot



water；　in　gracious　plenty　flowing；　and　they　were　wonderfully　adapted　for



use　by　reason　of　the　pleasantness　and　excellence　of　their　waters。　　They



constructed　buildings　about　them　and　planted　suitable　trees；　also　they　made



cisterns；　some　open　to　the　heaven；　others　roofed　over；　to　be　used　in　winter



as　warm　baths；　there　were　the　kings'　baths；　and　the　baths　of　private



persons；　which　were　kept　apart；　and　there　were　separate　baths　for　women；



and　for　horses　and　cattle；　and　to　each　of　them　they　gave　as　much　adornment



as　was　suitable。　　Of　the　water　which　ran　off　they　carried　some　to　the　grove



of　Poseidon；　where　were　growing　all　manner　of　trees　of　wonderful　height　and



beauty；