critias-第7章

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



beauty；　owing　to　the　excellence　of　the　soil；　while　the　remainder　was



conveyed　by　aqueducts　along　the　bridges　to　the　outer　circles；　and　there



were　many　temples　built　and　dedicated　to　many　gods；　also　gardens　and　places



of　exercise；　some　for　men；　and　others　for　horses　in　both　of　the　two　islands



formed　by　the　zones；　and　in　the　centre　of　the　larger　of　the　two　there　was



set　apart　a　race…course　of　a　stadium　in　width；　and　in　length　allowed　to



extend　all　round　the　island；　for　horses　to　race　in。　　Also　there　were　guard…



houses　at　intervals　for　the　guards；　the　more　trusted　of　whom　were　appointed



to　keep　watch　in　the　lesser　zone；　which　was　nearer　the　Acropolis；　while　the



most　trusted　of　all　had　houses　given　them　within　the　citadel；　near　the



persons　of　the　kings。　　The　docks　were　full　of　triremes　and　naval　stores；



and　all　things　were　quite　ready　for　use。　　Enough　of　the　plan　of　the　royal



palace。







Leaving　the　palace　and　passing　out　across　the　three　harbours；　you　came　to　a



wall　which　began　at　the　sea　and　went　all　round：　　this　was　everywhere



distant　fifty　stadia　from　the　largest　zone　or　harbour；　and　enclosed　the



whole；　the　ends　meeting　at　the　mouth　of　the　channel　which　led　to　the　sea。　



The　entire　area　was　densely　crowded　with　habitations；　and　the　canal　and　the



largest　of　the　harbours　were　full　of　vessels　and　merchants　coming　from　all



parts；　who；　from　their　numbers；　kept　up　a　multitudinous　sound　of　human



voices；　and　din　and　clatter　of　all　sorts　night　and　day。







I　have　described　the　city　and　the　environs　of　the　ancient　palace　nearly　in



the　words　of　Solon；　and　now　I　must　endeavour　to　represent　to　you　the　nature



and　arrangement　of　the　rest　of　the　land。　　The　whole　country　was　said　by　him



to　be　very　lofty　and　precipitous　on　the　side　of　the　sea；　but　the　country



immediately　about　and　surrounding　the　city　was　a　level　plain；　itself



surrounded　by　mountains　which　descended　towards　the　sea；　it　was　smooth　and



even；　and　of　an　oblong　shape；　extending　in　one　direction　three　thousand



stadia；　but　across　the　centre　inland　it　was　two　thousand　stadia。　　This　part



of　the　island　looked　towards　the　south；　and　was　sheltered　from　the　north。　



The　surrounding　mountains　were　celebrated　for　their　number　and　size　and



beauty；　far　beyond　any　which　still　exist；　having　in　them　also　many　wealthy



villages　of　country　folk；　and　rivers；　and　lakes；　and　meadows　supplying　food



enough　for　every　animal；　wild　or　tame；　and　much　wood　of　various　sorts；



abundant　for　each　and　every　kind　of　work。







I　will　now　describe　the　plain；　as　it　was　fashioned　by　nature　and　by　the



labours　of　many　generations　of　kings　through　long　ages。　　It　was　for　the



most　part　rectangular　and　oblong；　and　where　falling　out　of　the　straight



line　followed　the　circular　ditch。　　The　depth；　and　width；　and　length　of　this



ditch　were　incredible；　and　gave　the　impression　that　a　work　of　such　extent；



in　addition　to　so　many　others；　could　never　have　been　artificial。



Nevertheless　I　must　say　what　I　was　told。　　It　was　excavated　to　the　depth　of



a　hundred　feet；　and　its　breadth　was　a　stadium　everywhere；　it　was　carried



round　the　whole　of　the　plain；　and　was　ten　thousand　stadia　in　length。　　It



received　the　streams　which　came　down　from　the　mountains；　and　winding　round



the　plain　and　meeting　at　the　city；　was　there　let　off　into　the　sea。　　Further



inland；　likewise；　straight　canals　of　a　hundred　feet　in　width　were　cut　from



it　through　the　plain；　and　again　let　off　into　the　ditch　leading　to　the　sea：　



these　canals　were　at　intervals　of　a　hundred　stadia；　and　by　them　they



brought　down　the　wood　from　the　mountains　to　the　city；　and　conveyed　the



fruits　of　the　earth　in　ships；　cutting　transverse　passages　from　one　canal



into　another；　and　to　the　city。　　Twice　in　the　year　they　gathered　the　fruits



of　the　earthin　winter　having　the　benefit　of　the　rains　of　heaven；　and　in



summer　the　water　which　the　land　supplied　by　introducing　streams　from　the



canals。







As　to　the　population；　each　of　the　lots　in　the　plain　had　to　find　a　leader



for　the　men　who　were　fit　for　military　service；　and　the　size　of　a　lot　was　a



square　of　ten　stadia　each　way；　and　the　total　number　of　all　the　lots　was



sixty　thousand。　　And　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　mountains　and　of　the　rest　of



the　country　there　was　also　a　vast　multitude；　which　was　distributed　among



the　lots　and　had　leaders　assigned　to　them　according　to　their　districts　and



villages。　　The　leader　was　required　to　furnish　for　the　war　the　sixth　portion



of　a　war…chariot；　so　as　to　make　up　a　total　of　ten　thousand　chariots；　also



two　horses　and　riders　for　them；　and　a　pair　of　chariot…horses　without　a



seat；　accompanied　by　a　horseman　who　could　fight　on　foot　carrying　a　small



shield；　and　having　a　charioteer　who　stood　behind　the　man…at…arms　to　guide



the　two　horses；　also；　he　was　bound　to　furnish　two　heavy…armed　soldiers；　two



archers；　two　slingers；　three　stone…shooters　and　three　javelin…men；　who　were



light…armed；　and　four　sailors　to　make　up　the　complement　of　twelve　hundred



ships。　　Such　was　the　military　order　of　the　royal　citythe　order　of　the



other　nine　governments　varied；　and　it　would　be　wearisome　to　recount　their



several　differences。







As　to　offices　and　honours；　the　following　was　the　arrangement　from　the



first。　　Each　of　the　ten　kings　in　his　own　division　and　in　his　own　city　had



the　absolute　control　of　the　citizens；　and；　in　most　cases；　of　the　laws；



punishing　and　slaying　whomsoever　he　would。　　Now　the　order　of　precedence



among　them　and　their　mutual　relations　were　regulated　by　the　commands　of



Poseidon　which　the　law　had　handed　down。　　These　were　inscribed　by　the　first



kings　on　a　pillar　of　orichalcum；　which　was　situated　in　the　middle　of　the



island；　at　the　temple　of　Poseidon；　whither　the　kings　were　gathered　together



every　fifth　and　every　sixth　year　alternately；　thus　giving　equal　honour　to



the　odd　and　to　the　even　number。　　And　when　they　were　gathered　together　they



consulted　about　their　common　interests；　and　enquired　if　any　one　had



transgressed　in　anything；　and　passed　judgment；　and　before　they　passed



judgment　they　gave　their　pledges　to　one　another　on　this　wise：There　were



bulls　who　had　the　range　of　the　temple　of　Poseidon；　and　the　ten　kings；　being



left　alone　in　the　temple；　after　they　had　offered　prayers　to　the　god　that



they　might　capture　the　victim　which　was　acceptable　to　him；　hunted　the



bulls；　without　weapons；　but　with　staves　and　nooses；　and　the　bull　which　they



caught　they　led　up　to　the　pillar　and　cut　its　throat　over　the　top　of　it　so



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　g