Stephanus 112

112a at that time not as it is now. For now, after one night of exceptionally heavy rain stripped it bare of earth, it has been left so—by earthquakes, and before that by the destruction in the time of Deucalion, when the extraordinary flood came third of such disasters; but in an earlier age its size was such that it reached down to the Eridanus and the Ilissus, and enclosed within it the Pnyx, with Lycabettus as its boundary on the side facing the Pnyx; and it was all of earth, and level on top except for a little. 112b The lower outer parts, along its very flanks, were inhabited by the craftsmen and by the farmers who tilled the fields close by; but the heights were inhabited by the warrior class alone, keeping to itself, around the temple of Athena and Hephaestus, as if they had enclosed the garden of a single house within one surrounding wall. For on the northern side of it they lived, having built common dwellings and winter mess halls, together with everything that was fitting for the common 112c life to have in the way of buildings, for themselves and for their temples, without gold or silver—for these they made use of nowhere at all, but pursuing the mean between arrogance and meanness they built themselves orderly houses, in which they grew old, they and their children's children after them, always handing them on to others like themselves; while on the southern side they laid out gardens and gymnasia and summer mess halls, and used them for these purposes. There was a single spring on the site of the present acropolis, and when it was 112d choked by the earthquakes only small streams were left around it, but in those days it furnished an abundant flow, being tempered to suit winter and summer alike. In this fashion they dwelt—guardians of their own citizens and leaders of the rest of the Greeks who followed of their own will—keeping their numbers as nearly constant as they could from generation to generation, of men and women fit for war, both those already of age and those yet to come, about two 112e myriads in all. Such were these men, and since they always governed their own land and Hellas in the same spirit and with justice, they were renowned throughout all Europe and Asia for the beauty of their bodies and for every kind of excellence of their souls, and were the most celebrated of all the people of those days; and how their opponents fared, and how the whole story came about from the beginning, we shall now set before you, our friends, to share in common, if only we are not robbed of the memory of what we heard when we were still children.

112a not as it is now. Now one single night of unusually heavy rain has stripped it bare and made it what it is, along with earthquakes, and this happened before the destruction in the time of Deucalion, with an extraordinary flood of water coming third before it. In an earlier period it came down to the Eridanus and the Ilissus and enclosed the Pnyx within it, with Lycabettus as its boundary on the side opposite the Pnyx. It was all made of earth, and flat on top except for a small part. 112b The outer parts, right along its lower slopes, were lived in by craftsmen and by the farmers who farmed nearby. But up above, the fighting class by itself, alone, lived around the sanctuary of Athena and Hephaestus, as if they had put one fence around the garden of a single house. On its north side they lived in shared houses with winter dining halls. They had buildings that provided everything fitting for the common 112c life of the state, for themselves and for the temples, but without gold or silver. They made no use of these at all anywhere. They aimed at the middle ground between arrogance and meanness, and so they built orderly houses. In these they and their children's children grew old and always handed the same houses on to people like themselves. On the south side they set out gardens, gymnasiums, and summer dining halls, and used them for these purposes. There was one spring on the site of the present acropolis. 112d It was put out by the earthquakes, and today only small streams are left around it. But in those days it gave everyone an abundant flow, and it was equally good in winter and in summer. In this arrangement they lived, as guardians of their own citizens and as leaders of the other Greeks, who followed willingly. They kept the number of their people as nearly the same as possible for all time, both men and women, those already old enough to fight and those still to come, about two 112e myriads in all. These people, being like this and always governing their own land and Greece in justice, were famous across the whole of Europe and Asia both for the beauty of their bodies and for every kind of excellence of their souls, and they were the most renowned of all people at that time. As for the people who fought against them, what they were like and how it all came about from the beginning, we shall now set out in the open for you, our friends, to share, if we do not lose the memory of what we heard when we were still children.

112a what it is now. For as it is now, the action of a single night of extraordinary rain has crumbled it away and made it bare of soil, when earthquakes occurred simultaneously with the third of the disastrous floods which preceded the destructive deluge in the time of Deucalion. But in its former extent, at an earlier period, it went down towards the Eridanus and the Ilissus, and embraced within it the Pnyx; and had the Lycabettus as its boundary over against the Pnyx; and it was all rich in soil and, save for a small space, level on the top.

112b And its outer parts, under its slopes, were inhabited by the craftsmen and by such of the husbandmen as had their farms close by; but on the topmost part only the military class by itself had its dwellings round about the temple of Athene and Hephaestus, surrounding themselves with a single ring-fence, which formed, as it were, the enclosure of a single dwelling. On the northward side of it they had established their public dwellings and winter mess-rooms, and all the arrangements in the way of buildings which were required for the community life 112c of themselves and the priests; but all was devoid of gold or silver, of which they made no use anywhere; on the contrary, they aimed at the mean between luxurious display and meanness, and built themselves tasteful houses, wherein they and their children's children grew old and handed them on in succession unaltered to others like themselves. As for the southward parts, when they vacated their gardens and gymnasia and mess-rooms as was natural in summer, they used them for these purposes. And near the place of the present Acropolis 112d there was one spring— which was choked up by the earthquakes so that but small tricklings of it are now left round about; but to the men of that time it afforded a plentiful stream for them all, being well tempered both for winter and summer. In this fashion, then, they dwelt, acting as guardians of their own citizens and as leaders, by their own consent, of the rest of the Greeks and they watched carefully that their own numbers, of both men and women, who were neither too young nor too old to fight, should remain for all time as nearly as possible the same, namely, about 20,000.

112e So it was that these men, being themselves of the character described and always justly administering in some such fashion both their own land and Hellas, were famous throughout all Europe and Asia both for their bodily beauty and for the perfection of their moral excellence, and were of all men then living the most renowned. And now, if we have not lost recollection of what we heard when we were still children, we will frankly impart to you all, as friends, our story of the men who warred against our Athenians, what their state was and how it originally came about.