time of Theseus, such as Cecrops, and Erechtheus, and Erichthonius,
and Erysichthon, and the names of the women in like manner. Moreover,
since military pursuits were then common to men and women, the men of
those days in accordance with the custom of the time set up a figure
and image of the goddess in full armour, to be a testimony that all
animals which associate together, male as well as female, may, if they
please, practise in common the virtue which belongs to them without
distinction of sex.
Now the country was inhabited in those days by various classes of
citizens;-there were artisans, and there were husbandmen, and there
was also a warrior class originally set apart by divine men. The
latter dwelt by themselves, and had all things suitable for nurture
and education; neither had any of them anything of their own, but they
regarded all that they had as common property; nor did they claim to
receive of the other citizens anything more than their necessary food.
And they practised all the pursuits which we yesterday described as
those of our imaginary guardians. Concerning the country the Egyptian
priests said what is not only probable but manifestly true, that the
boundaries were in those days fixed by the Isthmus, and that in the
direction of the continent they extended as far as the heights of
Cithaeron and Parnes; the boundary line came down in the direction of
the sea, having the district of Oropus on the right, and with the
river Asopus as the limit on the left. The land was the best in the
world, and was therefore able in those days to support a vast army,
raised from the surrounding people. Even the remnant of Attica which
now exists may compare with any region in the world for the variety
and excellence of its fruits and the suitableness of its pastures to
every sort of animal, which proves what I am saying; but in those days
the country was fair as now and yielded far more abundant produce. How
shall I establish my words? and what part of it can be truly called a
remnant of the land that then was? The whole country is only a long
promontory extending far into the sea away from the rest of the
continent, while the surrounding basin of the sea is everywhere deep
in the neighbourhood of the shore. Many great deluges have taken place
during the nine thousand years, for that is the number of years which
have elapsed since the time of which I am speaking; and during all
this time and through so many changes, there has never been any
considerable accumulation of the soil coming down from the mountains,
as in other places, but the earth has fallen away all round and sunk
out of sight. The consequence is, that in comparison of what then was,
there are remaining only the bones of the wasted body, as they may be
called, as in the case of small islands, all the richer and softer
parts of the soil having fallen away, and the mere skeleton of the
land being left. But in the primitive state of the country, its
mountains were high hills covered with soil, and the plains, as they
are termed by us, of Phelleus were full of rich earth, and there was
abundance of wood in the mountains. Of this last the traces still
remain, for although some of the mountains now only afford sustenance
to bees, not so very long ago there were still to be seen roofs of
timber cut from trees growing there, which were of a size sufficient
to cover the largest houses; and there were many other high trees,
cultivated by man and bearing abundance of food for cattle. Moreover,
the land reaped the benefit of the annual rainfall, not as now losing
the water which flows off the bare earth into the sea, but, having an
abundant supply in all places, and receiving it into herself and
treasuring it up in the close clay soil, it let off into the hollows
the streams which it absorbed from the heights, providing everywhere
abundant fountains and rivers, of which there may still be observed
sacred memorials in places where fountains once existed; and this
proves the truth of what I am saying.
Such was the natural state of the country, which was cultivated, as we
may well believe, by true husbandmen, who made husbandry their
business, and were lovers of honour, and of a noble nature, and had a
soil the best in the world, and abundance of water, and in the heaven