Critias.docx

Critias.docx

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Critias

CritiasbyPlatoTranslatedbyBenjaminJowett

INTRODUCTIONANDANALYSIS.

TheCritiasisafragmentwhichbreaksoffinthemiddleofasentence.Itwasdesignedtobethesecondpartofatrilogy,which,liketheothergreatPlatonictrilogyoftheSophist,Statesman,Philosopher,wasnevercompleted.Timaeushadbroughtdowntheoriginoftheworldtothecreationofman,andthedawnofhistorywasnowtosucceedthephilosophyofnature.TheCritiasisalsoconnectedwiththeRepublic.Plato,ashehasalreadytoldus（Tim.）,intendedtorepresenttheidealstateengagedinapatrioticconflict.ThismythicalconflictispropheticorsymbolicalofthestruggleofAthensandPersia,perhapsinsomedegreealsoofthewarsoftheGreeksandCarthaginians,inthesamewaythatthePersianisprefiguredbytheTrojanwartothemindofHerodotus,orasthenarrativeofthefirstpartoftheAeneidisintendedbyVirgiltoforeshadowthewarsofCarthageandRome.ThesmallnumberoftheprimitiveAtheniancitizens（20,000）,'whichisabouttheirpresentnumber'（Crit.）,isevidentlydesignedtocontrastwiththemyriadsandbarbaricarrayoftheAtlantichosts.ThepassingremarkintheTimaeusthatAthenswasleftaloneinthestruggle,inwhichsheconqueredandbecametheliberatorofGreece,isalsoanallusiontothelaterhistory.HencewemaysafelyconcludethattheentirenarrativeisduetotheimaginationofPlato,whohasusedthenameofSolonandintroducedtheEgyptianprieststogiveverisimilitudetohisstory.TotheGreeksuchatale,likethatoftheearth-bornmen,wouldhaveseemedperfectlyaccordantwiththecharacterofhismythology,andnotmoremarvellousthanthewondersoftheEastnarratedbyHerodotusandothers:

hemighthavebeendeceivedintobelievingit.Butitappearsstrangethatlateragesshouldhavebeenimposeduponbythefiction.AsmanyattemptshavebeenmadetofindthegreatislandofAtlantis,astodiscoverthecountryofthelosttribes.

WithoutregardtothedescriptionofPlato,andwithoutasuspicionthatthewholenarrativeisafabrication,interpretershavelookedforthespotineverypartoftheglobe,America,ArabiaFelix,Ceylon,Palestine,Sardinia,Sweden.

TimaeusconcludeswithaprayerthathiswordsmaybeacceptabletotheGodwhomhehasrevealed,andCritias,whoseturnfollows,begsthatalargermeasureofindulgencemaybeconcededtohim,becausehehastospeakofmenwhomweknowandnotofgodswhomwedonotknow.Socratesreadilygrantshisrequest,andanticipatingthatHermocrateswillmakeasimilarpetition,extendsbyanticipationalikeindulgencetohim.

Critiasreturnstohisstory,professingonlytorepeatwhatSolonwastoldbythepriests.Thewarofwhichhewasabouttospeakhadoccurred9000

yearsago.OneofthecombatantswasthecityofAthens,theotherwasthegreatislandofAtlantis.Critiasproposestospeakoftheserivalpowersfirstofall,givingtoAthenstheprecedence;thevarioustribesofGreeksandbarbarianswhotookpartinthewarwillbedealtwithastheysuccessivelyappearonthescene.

Inthebeginningthegodsagreedtodividetheearthbylotinafriendlymanner,andwhentheyhadmadetheallotmenttheysettledtheirseveralcountries,andweretheshepherdsorratherthepilotsofmankind,whomtheyguidedbypersuasion,andnotbyforce.HephaestusandAthena,brotherandsisterdeities,inmindandartunited,obtainedastheirlotthelandofAttica,alandsuitedtothegrowthofvirtueandwisdom;andtheretheysettledabraveraceofchildrenofthesoil,andtaughtthemhowtoorderthestate.Someoftheirnames,suchasCecrops,Erechtheus,Erichthonius,andErysichthon,werepreservedandadoptedinlatertimes,butthememoryoftheirdeedshaspassedaway;fortherehavesincebeenmanydeluges,andtheremnantwhosurvivedinthemountainswereignorantoftheartofwriting,andduringmanygenerationswerewhollydevotedtoacquiringthemeansoflife...AndthearmedimageofthegoddesswhichwasdedicatedbytheancientAtheniansisanevidencetootheragesthatmenandwomenhadinthosedays,astheyoughtalwaystohave,commonvirtuesandpursuits.Therewerevariousclassesofcitizens,includinghandicraftsmenandhusbandmenandasuperiorclassofwarriorswhodweltapart,andwereeducated,andhadallthingsincommon,likeourguardians.

AtticainthosedaysextendedsouthwardstotheIsthmus,andinlandtotheheightsofParnesandCithaeron,andbetweenthemandtheseaincludedthedistrictofOropus.Thecountrywasthen,aswhatremainsofitstillis,themostfertileintheworld,andaboundedinrichplainsandpastures.

Butinthecourseofagesmuchofthesoilwaswashedawayanddisappearedinthedeepsea.Andtheinhabitantsofthisfairlandwereendowedwithintelligenceandtheloveofbeauty.

TheAcropolisoftheancientAthensextendedtotheIlissusandEridanus,andincludedthePnyx,andtheLycabettusontheoppositesidetothePnyx,havingalevelsurfaceanddeepsoil.Thesideofthehillwasinhabitedbycraftsmenandhusbandmen;andthewarriorsdweltbythemselvesonthesummit,aroundthetemplesofHephaestusandAthene,inanenclosurewhichwaslikethegardenofasinglehouse.Inwintertheyretiredintohousesonthenorthofthehill,inwhichtheyheldtheirsyssitia.Theseweremodestdwellings,whichtheybequeathedunalteredtotheirchildren'schildren.Insummertimethesouthsidewasinhabitedbythem,andthentheylefttheirgardensanddining-halls.InthemidstoftheAcropoliswasafountain,whichgaveanabundantsupplyofcoolwaterinsummerandwarminwinter;ofthistherearestillsometraces.Theywerecarefultopreservethenumberoffightingmenandwomenat20,000,whichisequaltothatofthepresentmilitaryforce.AndsotheypassedtheirlivesasguardiansofthecitizensandleadersoftheHellenes.Theywereajustandfamousrace,celebratedfortheirbeautyandvirtuealloverEuropeandAsia.

AndnowIwillspeaktoyouoftheiradversaries,butfirstIoughttoexplainthattheGreeknamesweregiventoSoloninanEgyptianform,andheenquiredtheirmeaningandtranslatedthem.HismanuscriptwasleftwithmygrandfatherDropides,andisnowinmypossession...InthedivisionoftheearthPoseidonobtainedashisportiontheislandofAtlantis,andtherehebegatchildrenwhosemotherwasamortal.Towardstheseaandinthecentreoftheislandtherewasaveryfairandfertileplain,andnearthecentre,aboutfiftystadiafromtheplain,therewasalowmountaininwhichdweltamannamedEvenorandhiswifeLeucippe,andtheirdaughterCleito,ofwhomPoseidonbecameenamoured.Hetosecurehisloveenclosedthemountainwithringsorzonesvaryinginsize,twooflandandthreeofsea,whichhisdivinepowerreadilyenabledhimtoexcavateandfashion,and,astherewasnoshippinginthosedays,nomancouldgetintotheplace.Totheinteriorislandheconveyedundertheearthspringsofwaterhotandcold,andsuppliedthelandwithallthingsneededforthelifeofman.Herehebegatafamilyconsistingoffivepairsoftwinmalechildren.TheeldestwasAtlas,andhimhemadekingofthecentreisland,whiletohistwinbrother,Eumelus,orGadeirus,heassignedthatpartofthecountrywhichwasnearesttheStraits.Theotherbrothershemadechiefsovertherestoftheisland.AndtheirkingdomextendedasfarasEgyptandTyrrhenia.NowAtlashadafairposterity,andgreattreasuresderivedfrommines--amongthemthatpreciousmetalorichalcum;andtherewasabundanceofwood,andherdsofelephants,andpasturesforanimalsofallkinds,andfragrantherbs,andgrasses,andtreesbearingfruit.Thesetheyused,andemployedthemselvesinconstructingtheirtemples,andpalaces,andharbours,anddocks,inthefollowingmanner:

--First,theybridgedoverthezonesofsea,andmadeawaytoandfromtheroyalpalacewhichtheybuiltinthecentreisland.Thisancientpalacewasornamentedbysuccessivegenerations;andtheydugacanalwhichpassedthroughthezonesoflandfromtheislandtothesea.Thezonesofearthweresurroundedbywallsmadeofstoneofdiverscolours,blackandwhiteandred,whichtheysometimesintermingledforthesakeofornament;andastheyquarriedtheyhollowedoutbeneaththeedgesofthezonesdoubledockshavingroofsofrock.Theoutermostofthewallswascoatedwithbrass,thesecondwithtin,andthethird,whichwasthewallofthecitadel,flashedwiththeredlightoforichalcum.Intheinteriorofthecitadelwasaholytemple,dedicatedtoCleitoandPoseidon,andsurroundedbyanenclosureofgold,andtherewasPoseidon'sowntemple,whichwascoveredwithsilver,andthepinnacleswithgold.Theroofwasofivory,adornedwithgoldandsilverandorichalcum,andtherestoftheinteriorwaslinedwithorichalcum.Withinwasanimageofthegodstandinginachariotdrawnbysixwingedhorses,andtouchingtheroofwithhishead;aroundhimwereahundredNereids,ridingondolphins.Outsidethetemplewereplacedgoldenstatuesofallthedescendantsofthetenkingsandoftheirwives;

therewasanaltartoo,andtherewerepalaces,correspondingtothegreatnessandglorybothofthekingdomandofthetemple.

Alsotherewerefountainsofhotandcoldwater,andsuitablebuildingssurroundingthem,andtrees,andtherewerebathsbothofthekingsandofprivateindividuals,andseparatebathsforwomen,andalsoforcattle.

ThewaterfromthebathswascarriedtothegroveofPoseidon,andbyaqueductsoverthebridgestotheoutercircles.Andthereweretemplesinthezones,andinthelargerofthetwotherewasaracecourseforhorses,whichranallroundtheisland.Theguardsweredistri