Stephanus 118

118a and of its natural character and the manner of its ordering I must now try to preserve the memory. First, then, the whole region was said to rise very high and sheer above the sea, while all about the city lay a plain, encircling that place and itself encircled in a ring by mountains that sank down toward the sea; level and even throughout, elongated as a whole, three thousand stades in one direction and two thousand, at the middle, up from the sea. 118b This district lay turned toward the south of the whole island, sheltered from the north winds. The mountains about it were in those days celebrated as surpassing in multitude and size and beauty all the mountains now in being, holding within them many villages, rich and full of inhabitants, and rivers and lakes and meadows giving food in plenty to all creatures, tame and wild, and timber abundant both in quantity and in variety of kind, ample for every sort of work and for each particular need. Such, then, was the plain by nature, 118c and many kings, over a long stretch of time, labored upon it further. It was for the most part four-square and elongated, with straight sides, and where it fell short of that they made it true by digging a ditch round it in a circle. Of the depth and breadth and length of it, the account is past belief, being, as a work of human hands, greater than the other labors besides; yet we must say what we heard: it was dug to a depth of a plethrum, its breadth was everywhere a stade, 118d and dug as it was about the whole plain, its length came to ten thousand stades. Receiving the streams that came down from the mountains and running round the plain in a circle, it came to the city on this side and on that, and there let itself off to flow toward the sea. From it, running inland, straight canals of about a hundred feet in breadth were cut across the plain, let out again into the ditch that faced the sea, and these lay a hundred stades apart from one another; and by them 118e they brought down the timber from the mountains to the city, and the rest of the season's produce was carried by boat, cutting passages from the canals into the cross-channels and to the city. And twice in the year they gathered in the earth's fruit, in winter using the waters of Zeus, in summer watering what the earth bears with streams led in from the canals.

Critias: As for numbers: of the men in the plain fit for war, it was appointed that each

118a in its natural state and in the way it was laid out, we must now try to recall. First, the whole region was said to rise very high and steep from the sea. But all the land around the city was a plain. It enclosed the city on its own side, and it was itself enclosed in a circle by mountains that ran down to the sea. The plain was smooth and level. It was long in shape through its whole length, three thousand stades in one direction, and two thousand going up from the sea at its middle. 118b This part of the island faced south, and the north winds could not strike it. The mountains around it were then famous beyond all the mountains that now exist, for their number and their size and their beauty. They held many rich villages of country people. They had rivers and lakes and meadows that gave food enough to all their tame and wild creatures. And they had timber, rich in amount and in many kinds, plentiful for every kind of work and for each need. So the plain had been shaped, by its own nature 118c and by many kings over a long time. It was for the most part four-sided and straight, stretched long. Where it fell short, they corrected it with a ditch dug around it in a circle. Its depth and its width and its length were said to be hard to believe, as a work of human hands, on top of all the other labors. But we must say what we heard. The depth was dug a plethrum, and the width was everywhere a stade. 118d Since it was dug around the whole plain, its length came to ten thousand stades. The ditch took in the streams that came down from the mountains and ran its circle around the plain. It came to the city on this side and on that, and there it was let off to flow out to the sea. From the ditch, inland, straight channels were cut across the plain, most of them a hundred feet wide, and these again were let out into the ditch at the sea. Each one lay a hundred stades from the next. They used them to bring down 118e the timber from the mountains into the city, and boats carried down the rest of the season's produce, cutting across from channel to channel sideways, and to the city. They took crops from the land twice in the year: in winter they used the rains from Zeus, and in summer they watered the crops the earth bears with streams led in from the channels.

Critias: As for the number of the men in the plain fit for war, it was ordered that each

118a what its natural character was, and in what fashion it was ordered. In the first place, then, according to the account, the whole region rose sheer out of the sea to a great height, but the part about the city was all a smooth plain, enclosing it round about, and being itself encircled by mountains which stretched as far as to the sea; and this plain had a level surface and was as a whole rectangular in shape, being 3000 stades long on either side and 2000 stades wide at its center, reckoning upwards from the sea. And this region, 118b all along the island, faced towards the South and was sheltered from the Northern blasts. And the mountains which surrounded it were at that time celebrated as surpassing all that now exist in number, magnitude and beauty; for they had upon them many rich villages of country folk, and streams and lakes and meadows which furnished ample nutriment to all the animals both tame and wild, and timber of various sizes and descriptions, abundantly sufficient for the needs of all and every craft.

118c Now as a result of natural forces, together with the labors of many kings which extended over many ages, the condition of the plain was this. It was originally a quadrangle, rectilinear for the most part, and elongated; and what it lacked of this shape they made right by means of a trench dug round about it. Now, as regards the depth of this trench and its breadth and length, it seems incredible that it should be so large as the account states, considering that it was made by hand, and in addition to all the other operations, but none the less we must report what we heard: it was dug out to the depth of a plethrum and to a uniform breadth of a stade, and since it was dug round the whole plain 118d its consequent length was 10,000 stades. It received the streams which came down from the mountains and after circling round the plain, and coming towards the city on this side and on that, it discharged them thereabouts into the sea. And on the inland side of the city channels were cut in straight lines, of about 100 feet in width, across the plain, and these discharged themselves into the trench on the seaward side, the distance between each being 100 stades. It was in this way that they conveyed to the city 118e the timber from the mountains and transported also on boats the seasons' products, by cutting transverse passages from one channel to the next and also to the city. And they cropped the land twice a year, making use of the rains from Heaven in the winter, and the waters that issue from the earth in summer, by conducting the streams from the trenches.

Critias: As regards their manpower, it was ordained that each allotment should furnish one man as leader of all the men in the plain who were fit to bear arms;