Stephanus 109

109a over the whole open sea, so that no one can make the crossing any longer—that was the obstacle it put in their way.

Critias: The many peoples who were barbarians, and whatever Greek tribes existed at the time, the course of the account will reveal one by one as it unrolls, taking up whatever it meets along the way; but the Athenians of that day and the opponents they fought, it is necessary to go through first at the outset—the power of each side and their forms of government. And of these, we must give first place to telling of what happened here in earlier times. 109b

For the gods once portioned out the whole earth by regions—not through strife, for it would not be right to suppose that the gods do not know what belongs fittingly to each of them, nor again that, knowing what better suits others, they would strive to win it for themselves through conflict—so by just allotments, each receiving the portion it held dear, they settled the regions; and having settled them, like herdsmen with the flocks of a pasture, they reared us as their own possession and their own nurslings, not by 109c compelling bodies with bodies, as shepherds drive their beasts with blows, but turning the creature from the stern, where it is most easily guided, and laying hold of its soul with persuasion as with a tiller, in accordance with their own design—so they steered and guided the whole mortal race. Others, then, taking their lots in other regions, set those lands in order; but Hephaestus and Athena, having a common nature—brother and sister of the same father, and alike come together in their love of wisdom and love of craft upon the same pursuits—these two received this land as a single allotment, as their own, by nature fitted for 109d excellence and good sense; and implanting good men, children of the soil, they set in order the structure of the constitution. Of these men the names have survived, but the deeds have vanished, through the destructions that came upon those who inherited them and through the length of time. For the stock that was always left over, as was said before, remained mountain-dwelling and without letters, having heard only the names of the rulers of the land, and of their deeds only a little. The names, then, they bestowed on their descendants 109e gladly, but the achievements and the laws of their predecessors they did not know—save for some dim reports about each—and for many generations they and their children, being in want of the necessities of life,

109a to sail out over the whole open sea, so that no one can get through any more. It stands in the way.

Critias: As for the many foreign peoples and all the Greek peoples there were then, my account as it unrolls will show each of them as it comes up in turn. But first I must go through the story of the Athenians of that time and of the opponents they fought: the power of each side and their forms of government. And before these things, I must give first place to the earlier story of our land here. 109b

For the gods once divided all the earth among themselves by regions. It was not by strife. It would not make sense that gods do not know what suits each of them. Nor would they, knowing that what they wanted belonged rather to others, try to win it for themselves through quarrels. By just lots each received what it loved and settled the regions. And once they had settled us, like a shepherd raising flocks, they raised us as their own possessions and creatures. But they did not use bodies 109c to force bodies, the way herdsmen drive their animals with blows. Instead, as with a creature that turns most easily, they steered it from the stern. As if with a tiller, they took hold of the soul by persuasion, in line with their own plan. Leading it this way, they guided all of mortal life. So other gods, who had received other regions by lot, set those places in order. But Hephaestus and Athena, who share one nature, as sister and brother from the same father, and who both came to the same place through their love of wisdom and their love of skill, received this one land as their common lot. By nature it was suited to courage 109d and good judgment. They put good men into it, born of the land, and set the order of the state in their minds. Their names have been saved, but their deeds were lost, because of the destructions that came upon the people who received them and the long stretches of time. For the group that always survived was left, as was said before, living in the mountains and without writing. It had heard only the names of the rulers in the land, and a few of their deeds besides. So they were glad to give those names to their children. 109e But they did not know the virtues and the laws of the people before them, except for a few dim reports about each of them. And for many generations they and their children were in want of the necessities of life,

109a which prevents those who are sailing out from here to the ocean beyond from proceeding further.

Critias: Now as regards the numerous barbaric tribes and all the Hellenic nations that then existed, the sequel of our story, when it is, as it were, unrolled, will disclose what happened in each locality; but the facts about the Athenians of that age and the enemies with whom they fought we must necessarily describe first, at the outset,—the military power, that is to say, of each and their forms of government. And of these two we must give the priority in our account to the state of Athens.

109b Once upon a time the gods were taking over by lot the whole earth according to its regions,—not according to the results of strife: for it would not be reasonable to suppose that the gods were ignorant of their own several rights, nor yet that they attempted to obtain for themselves by means of strife a possession to which others, as they knew, had a better claim. So by just allotments they received each one his own, and they settled their countries; and when they had thus settled them, they reared us up, even as herdsmen 109c rear their flocks, to be their cattle and nurslings; only it was not our bodies that they constrained by bodily force, like shepherds guiding their flocks with stroke of staff, but they directed from the stern where the living creature is easiest to turn about, laying hold on the soul by persuasion, as by a rudder, according to their own disposition; and thus they drove and steered all the mortal kind. Now in other regions others of the gods had their allotments and ordered the affairs, but inasmuch as Hephaestus and Athena were of a like nature, being born of the same father, and agreeing, moreover, in their love of wisdom and of craftsmanship, they both took for their joint portion this land of ours as being naturally congenial and adapted for virtue 109d and for wisdom, and therein they planted as native to the soil men of virtue and ordained to their mind the mode of government. And of these citizens the names are preserved, but their works have vanished owing to the repeated destruction of their successors and the length of the intervening periods. For, as was said before, the stock that survived on each occasion was a remnant of unlettered mountaineers which had heard the names only of the rulers, and but little besides of their works. So though they gladly passed on these names 109e to their descendants, concerning the mighty deeds and the laws of their predecessors they had no knowledge, save for some invariably obscure reports; and since, moreover, they and their children for many generations were themselves in want of the necessaries of life, their attention was given to their own needs