Stephanus 115

115a that graze upon the mountains, and those that feed on the plains—as well as for this animal, the largest by nature and the most ravenous of eaters. And besides these, whatever fragrant things the earth rears even now—roots, or herbage, or wood, or the distilled juices of gums and flowers and fruits—it bore all these and nourished them well; and further, the cultivated crop: both the dry kind that is our food, and the kinds we use to season our food—for we call all its parts 115b pulses—and the crop of trees, yielding drink and food and unguents, and the fruit of orchards, hard to store, which came into being for our sport and pleasure; and all those after-dinner comforts of repletion which we set out for the guest grown weary, so welcome to him in his weariness—all this the sacred island, then [once] lying beneath the sun, bore in beauty and wonder and in quantities past counting. Receiving all these things from the earth, they furnished out their temples 115c and the dwellings of the kings and the harbors and the docks and the whole of the rest of the country, ordering it in the manner that follows.

First they bridged the rings of sea that lay about the ancient metropolis, making a road outward and toward the palace. The palace itself they built on this site, the dwelling-place of the god and of their fathers, from the very beginning, each king receiving it from the one before him and, adorning what he received, 115d always surpassing his predecessor as far as he was able, until they had made the residence a thing to astonish the eye in the size and the beauty of its works. For, beginning at the sea, they cut a canal through to the outermost ring, three plethra in breadth, a hundred feet in depth, and fifty stades in length, and they made it the passage for ships from the sea into that ring, as into a harbor, opening a mouth wide enough for the largest vessels to sail in. And they cut through the rings of land as well, those that divided the rings 115e of sea, at the bridges, leaving a passage from one to another just wide enough for a single trireme, and roofed them over above, so that the passage beneath was covered; for the lips of the rings of land had depth enough to stand well above the sea. Now the largest of the rings, into which the sea had been cut, was three stades across, and the ring of land next to it was equal to that; of the second pair, the water ring was two stades across, and the dry ring once more equal to the water ring before it; while the

115a that graze in the mountains and those that feed on the plains—for all of them alike there was abundance, and for this animal too, the largest by nature and the one that eats the most. Beyond these, the island bore all the sweet-smelling things the earth now grows, and grew them well: things from roots, or from herbage, or from wood, or from juices that drip, or from flowers, or from fruits. And still further, the cultivated fruit: the dry kind, which is our food, and the kinds we use along with our bread grain—we call 115b all the parts of it pulses—and the fruit of trees, which gives drinks and food and ointments; and the fruit of orchard trees, which has come to be for play and pleasure and is hard to store; and the after-dinner comforts against being overfull, which we set out for the tired, so dear to them. All these the sacred island, as it was then under the sun, bore, beautiful and wonderful and beyond counting in amount. Taking all these things from the earth, they furnished 115c the temples, the royal homes, the harbors, the shipyards, and the whole rest of the country, arranging everything in this order:

The rings of sea around the ancient mother city they bridged first, making a road from outside to the royal palace. The palace had been built at the very beginning in this dwelling place of the god and their ancestors. Each king received it from the one before, and each one, as he made it beautiful, 115d went beyond the last, as far as he could, until they had made the home an amazing sight in the size and the beauty of its works. They cut through, starting from the sea, a canal three plethra wide, a hundred feet deep, and fifty stades long, and it ran through to the outermost ring. They made this the ship passage from the sea up to that ring, as to a harbor, cutting an entrance wide enough for the largest ships to sail in. They also cut the rings of land, which separated 115e the rings of sea, at the bridges, leaving a passage from one to the next just wide enough for one trireme. They roofed these over on top, so the sailing could pass below; for the banks of the land rings stood high enough above the sea. The largest ring, the one into which the sea had been cut, was three stades wide, and the next land ring was equal to it. Of the second pair, the water ring was two stades wide, and the land ring again equal to the water ring before it; and the ring

115a or the mountains or the plains, but likewise also for this animal, which of its nature is the largest and most voracious. And in addition to all this, it produced and brought to perfection all those sweet-scented stuffs which the earth produces now, whether made of roots or herbs or trees, or of liquid gums derived from flowers or fruits. The cultivated fruit also, and the dry, which serves us for nutriment, and all the other kinds that we use for our meals—the various species of which are comprehended under the name vegetables—

115b and all the produce of trees which affords liquid and solid food and unguents, and the fruit of the orchard-trees, so hard to store, which is grown for the sake of amusement and pleasure, and all the after-dinner fruits that we serve up as welcome remedies for the sufferer from repletion,—all these that hallowed island, as it lay then beneath the sun, produced in marvellous beauty and endless abundance. And thus, receiving from the earth all these products, they furnished forth 115c their temples and royal dwellings, their harbors and their docks, and all the rest of their country, ordering all in the fashion following. First of all they bridged over the circles of sea which surrounded the ancient metropolis, making thereby a road towards and from the royal palace. And they had built the palace at the very beginning where the settlement was first made by their God and their ancestors; and as each king received it from his predecessor, he added to its adornment 115d and did all he could to surpass the king before him, until finally they made of it an abode amazing to behold for the magnitude and beauty of its workmanship. For, beginning at the sea, they bored a channel right through to the outermost circle, which was three plethra in breadth, one hundred feet in depth, and fifty stades in length; and thus they made the entrance to it from the sea like that to a harbor by opening out a mouth large enough for the greatest ships to sail through. Moreover, through the circles of land, 115e which divided those of sea, over against the bridges they opened out a channel leading from circle to circle, large enough to give passage to a single trireme; and this they roofed over above so that the sea-way was subterranean; for the lips of the landcircles were raised a sufficient height above the level of the sea. The greatest of the circles into which a boring was made for the sea was three stades in breadth, and the circle of land next to it was of equal breadth; and of the second pair of circles that of water was two stades in breadth and that of dry land equal again to the preceding one of water; and the circle which ran round the central island itself was of a stade's breadth.

Critias: And this island,