Stephanus 24

24a everything, in its turn, we will go through later, at leisure, taking up the records themselves. Consider their laws, then, against those of this place—for you will find here now many examples of what existed among you then: first, the class of the priests, set apart from all the rest; next, that of the craftsmen, each plying his craft by itself and mixing with no other; then the class of herdsmen and of hunters and that of farmers. And you noticed too, I suppose, the warrior class among us, separate from all the other classes, charged by the law to care for nothing else but war; 24b and further, the fashion of their armor, shields and spears, with which we of the lands about Asia were the first to arm ourselves—the goddess having first shown it forth, as in those places of yours she did before all. And as for wisdom, you see how much care our law took from the very beginning, about 24c the ordering of heaven, drawing everything for the sake of health down to divination and medicine, since these are divine, into the things of men, and acquiring all the other learning that follows upon these. This whole ordering and constitution, then, the goddess first established when she settled your city before ours, choosing the place in which you were born, and seeing the temperateness of its seasons, that it would bear the wisest of men; and since the goddess was a lover of war 24d and a lover of wisdom, she chose first and settled the place that was to bear men most like herself. And so you dwelt there, using such laws and governed even better still, surpassing all mankind in virtue, as is fitting for the offspring and pupils of the gods. Many deeds of your city are written here, great and admired; but one of all surpasses in greatness and in virtue. 24e For the records tell how great a power your city once stayed, as it went in its insolence upon all Europe and all Asia together, setting forth from the Atlantic sea beyond.

Critias: For the sea there was then navigable: for there lay an island in front of the mouth which you call, as you say, the Pillars of Heracles, and the island was larger than Libya and Asia together; and from it the voyagers of that time could pass to the other islands, and from the islands

24a everything in order we will go through again later at our leisure, when we take the written records themselves in hand. Compare your laws with the ones here. For you will find here now many examples of the customs that existed among you then: first the class of priests, set apart from the others; then the class of craftsmen, each practicing its own craft and not mixing with any other; and also the class of herdsmen, the class of hunters, 24b and the class of farmers. And you have certainly noticed that here too the class of fighters is separated from all the other classes, and the law has ordered them to care for nothing except matters of war. There is also the way they are armed, with shields and spears, with which we in Asia were the first to arm ourselves, after the goddess showed the pattern to your people first in that part of the world. And again, about practical wisdom: you see how much care the law took here right at the beginning about 24c the ordering of the world, working out everything, down to divination and medicine for health, from divine matters to human ones, and gaining all the other kinds of learning that go with these. So the goddess arranged and ordered all of this for you first, and settled you in the place where you were born, when she saw the good balance of the seasons there, because it would produce the most intelligent men. And so, since the goddess 24d is both fond of war and fond of wisdom, she chose and settled first the place that would produce men most like herself. You lived there, then, under such laws and were governed even better, and in every way you surpassed all other human beings in excellence, as is natural for people who are the offspring and the pupils of gods. Many are the great deeds of your city that are recorded here and admired, but one of them 24e stands above all the rest in size and excellence. For the records tell how great a power your city once stopped, which in its arrogance was marching against all of Europe and Asia at once, having set out from outside, out of the Atlantic Ocean."

Critias: For at that time that ocean could be crossed. For in front of the strait that you call, as you say, the Pillars of Heracles there lay an island, and this island was larger than Libya and Asia together. From it travelers in those days could reach the other islands, and from the islands

24a the full account in precise order and detail we shall go through later at our leisure, taking the actual writings. To get a view of their laws, look at the laws here; for you will find existing here at the present time many examples of the laws which then existed in your city. You see, first, how the priestly class is separated off from the rest; next, the class of craftsmen, of which each sort works by itself without mixing with any other; then the classes of shepherds, hunters, and farmers, each distinct and separate. Moreover, the military class here, 24b as no doubt you have noticed, is kept apart from all the other classes, being enjoined by the law to devote itself solely to the work of training for war. A further feature is the character of their equipment with shields and spears; for we were the first of the peoples of Asia to adopt these weapons, it being the Goddess who instructed us, even as she instructed you first of all the dwellers in yonder lands. Again, with regard to wisdom, you perceive, no doubt, the law here—how much attention 24c it has devoted from the very beginning to the Cosmic Order, by discovering all the effects which the divine causes produce upon human life, down to divination and the art of medicine which aims at health, and by its mastery also of all the other subsidiary studies. So when, at that time, the Goddess had furnished you, before all others, with all this orderly and regular system, she established your State, choosing the spot wherein you were born since she perceived therein a climate duly blended, and how that it would bring forth men of supreme wisdom. 24d So it was that the Goddess, being herself both a lover of war and a lover of wisdom, chose the spot which was likely to bring forth men most like unto herself, and this first she established. Wherefore you lived under the rule of such laws as these,—yea, and laws still better,—and you surpassed all men in every virtue, as became those who were the offspring and nurslings of gods. Many, in truth, and great are the achievements of your State, which are a marvel to men as they are here recorded; but there is one which stands out above all 24e both for magnitude and for nobleness. For it is related in our records how once upon a time your State stayed the course of a mighty host, which, starting from a distant point in the Atlantic ocean, was insolently advancing to attack the whole of Europe, and Asia to boot.

Critias: For the ocean there was at that time navigable; for in front of the mouth which you Greeks call, as you say, ’the pillars of Heracles,’ there lay an island which was larger than Libya and Asia together; and it was possible for the travellers of that time to cross from it to the other islands, and from the islands to the whole of the continent