Stephanus 110

110a with their minds fixed on what they lacked and their talk all about these things, they paid no heed to what had happened in earlier ages and long ago.

Critias: For storytelling and the inquiry into things of old come to cities together with leisure, when they see that the necessities of life have already been provided; before that, they do not come. This, then, is how the names of the men of old have come down to us without their deeds. I infer it from this: the names of Cecrops, Erechtheus, Erichthonius, and Erysichthon, 110b of most of the others, and of Theseus as well, are remembered one by one from the earlier account; and Solon said that the priests, in relating the war of those days, applied these names to most of the men of that time, and the women's names likewise. And indeed the very figure and image of the goddess make the point: since in those days the pursuits of war were common to women and to men alike, the goddess was dedicated in armor by the men of that time according to that custom, as a demonstration that of all 110c creatures that live in company, both the female and the male, every kind is by nature capable of cultivating in common the excellence that belongs to it.

In this land, then, in those days, the other classes of the citizens lived by the crafts and by the food the earth provides; but the warrior class, set apart at the beginning by men of divine nature, dwelt apart, with everything it needed provided for its sustenance and training, each of them possessing nothing of his own, 110d but holding everything to belong to all in common, and deeming it right to receive nothing from the other citizens beyond adequate sustenance; and they practiced all the pursuits described yesterday, everything that was said about the Guardians who were put forward. And indeed what was said about our country was plausible and true: first, that its boundaries in those days were fixed toward the Isthmus and along the rest of the mainland as far as the heights of 110e Cithaeron and Parnes; and that the boundaries came down, with Oropia on the right, and on the left, toward the sea, bounded by the Asopus; and that it surpassed all the surrounding land in excellence, which is why the country was able at that time to support a great host, kept free from the work of the land.

Critias: And there is a great proof of its excellence; for what remains of it today can compete with any land in bearing everything and yielding rich crops

110a with their minds on what they lacked and their talk all about those things. They paid no attention to what had happened before and long ago.

Critias: For storytelling and searching into old things come to cities only along with free time. They come when people see that the necessities of life have already been provided for them, and not before. That is why the names of the people of old have been kept without their deeds. I say this based on the fact that the names of Cecrops, Erechtheus, Erichthonius, Erysichthon, 110b most of the others, and Theseus are the ones remembered from those early times I spoke of. Solon said that the priests told him the story of the war of those days, and that people mostly named their children after these, and the women's names in the same way. And in fact the figure and the statue of the goddess show this too. Since warlike pursuits were shared by women and men at that time, the goddess was dedicated in full armor by the people of that time, in keeping with that custom. It was a sign that 110c all creatures that live in groups, both female and male, are by nature able to practice together whatever excellence belongs to each kind.

Now at that time in this land the other groups of citizens were busy with their crafts and with getting food from the earth. But the fighting class, set apart at the beginning by godlike men, lived on its own. It had everything it needed for food and training. No one owned anything of his own. 110d They held everything to be common to all of them. And they thought it right to take nothing from the other citizens beyond enough food. And they practiced all the ways of life that were described yesterday, everything that was said about the guardians who were proposed. And what was said about our land was both plausible and true. First, in those days the land had its borders set toward the Isthmus and toward the rest of the mainland, as far as 110e the peaks of Cithaeron and Parnes. The borders ran down, with Oropia on the right and, on the left toward the sea, the Asopus as the dividing line. In excellence it surpassed every other land. That is why the land was able back then to support a large army that did not have to work the fields.

Critias: And here is a great proof of its excellence. Even now what is left of it can match any other land, since it grows every crop and bears good fruit,

110a and all their talk was about them; and in consequence they paid no regard to the happenings of bygone ages.

Critias: For legendary lore and the investigation of antiquity are visitants that come to cities in company with leisure, when they see that men are already furnished with the necessaries of life, and not before.

In this way, then, the names of the ancients, without their works, have been preserved. And for evidence of what I say I point to the statement of Solon, that the Egyptian priests, in describing the war of that period, mentioned most of those names—such as those of Cecrops and Erechtheus and Erichthonius and Erysichthon and most of the other names 110b which are recorded of the various heroes before Theseus—and in like manner also the names of the women. Moreover, the habit and figure of the goddess indicate that in the case of all animals, 110c male and female, that herd together, every species is naturally capable of practising as a whole and in common its own proper excellence.

Now at that time there dwelt in this country not only the other classes of the citizens who were occupied in the handicrafts and in the raising of food from the soil, but also the military class, which had been separated off at the commencement by divine heroes and dwelt apart. It was supplied with all that was required for its sustenance and training, and none of its members possessed any private property, but they regarded all they had 110d as the common property of all; and from the rest of the citizens they claimed to receive nothing beyond a sufficiency of sustenance; and they practised all those pursuits which were mentioned yesterday, in the description of our proposed Guardians. Moreover, what was related about our country was plausible and true, namely, that, in the first place, it had its boundaries at that time marked off by the Isthmus, and on the inland side reaching to the heights of Cithaeron and Parnes;

110e and that the boundaries ran down with Oropia on the right, and on the seaward side they shut off the Asopus on the left; and that all other lands were surpassed by ours in goodness of soil, so that it was actually able at that period to support a large host which was exempt from the labors of husbandry.

And of its goodness a strong proof is this: what is now left of our soil rivals any other in being all-productive and abundant in crops and rich in pasturage for all kinds of cattle;