Critias
Persons of the Dialogue:
CRITIAS;
HERMOCRATES;
TIMAEUS;
SOCRATES.
[Timaeus] How thankful I am, Socrates, that I have arrived at
last, and, like a weary traveller after a long journey, may be at
rest! And I pray the being who always was of old, and has now
been by me revealed, to grant that my words may endure in so far
as they have been spoken truly and acceptably to him; but if
unintentionally I have said anything wrong, I pray that he will
impose upon me a just retribution, and the just retribution of
him who errs is that he should be set right. Wishing, then, to
speak truly in future concerning the generation of the gods, I
pray him to give me knowledge, which of all medicines is the most
perfect and best. And now having offered my prayer I deliver up
the argument to Critias, who is to speak next according to our
agreement.
[Critias] And I, Timaeus, accept the trust, and as you at
first said that you were going to speak of high matters, and
begged that some forbearance might be shown to you, I too ask the
same or greater forbearance for what I am about to say. And
although I very well know that my request may appear to be
somewhat and discourteous, I must make it nevertheless. For will
any man of sense deny that you have spoken well? I can only
attempt to show that I ought to have more indulgence than you,
because my theme is more difficult; and I shall argue that to
seem to speak well of the gods to men is far easier than to speak
well of men to men: for the inexperience and utter ignorance of
his hearers about any subject is a great assistance to him who
has to speak of it, and we know how ignorant we are concerning
the gods. But I should like to make my meaning clearer, if
Timaeus, you will follow me. All that is said by any of us can
only be imitation and representation. For if we consider the
likenesses which painters make of bodies divine and heavenly, and
the different degrees of gratification with which the eye of the
spectator receives them, we shall see that we are satisfied with
the artist who is able in any degree to imitate the earth and its
mountains, and the rivers, and the woods, and the universe, and
the things that are and move therein, and further, that knowing
nothing precise about such matters, we do not examine or analyze
the painting; all that is required is a sort of indistinct and
deceptive mode of shadowing them forth. But when a person
endeavours to paint the human form we are quick at finding out
defects, and our familiar knowledge makes us severe judges of any
one who does not render every point of similarity. And we may
observe the same thing to happen in discourse; we are satisfied
with a picture of divine and heavenly things which has very
little likeness to them; but we are more precise in our criticism
of mortal and human things. Wherefore if at the moment of
speaking I cannot suitably express my meaning, you must excuse
me, considering that to form approved likenesses of human things
is the reverse of easy. This is what I want to suggest to you,
and at the same time to beg, Socrates, that I may have not less,
but more indulgence conceded to me in what I am about to say.
Which favour, if I am right in asking, I hope that you will be
ready to grant.
[Socrates] Certainly, Critias, we will grant your request, and
we will grant the same by anticipation to Hermocrates, as well as
to you and Timaeus; for I have no doubt that when his turn comes
a little while hence, he will make the same request which you
have made. In order, then, that he may provide himself with a
fresh beginning, and not be compelled to say the same things over
again, let him understand that the indulgence is already extended
by anticipation to him. And now, friend Critias, I will announce
to you the judgment of the theatre. They are of opinion that the
last performer was wonderfully successful, and that you will need
a great deal of indulgence before you will be able to take his
place.
[Hermocrates] The warning, Socrates, which you have addressed
to him, I must also take to myself. But remember, Critias, that
faint heart never yet raised a trophy; and therefore you must go
and attack the argument like a man. First invoke Apollo and the
Muses, and then let us hear you sound the praises and show forth
the virtues of your ancient citizens.
[Crit.] Friend Hermocrates, you, who are stationed last and
have another in front of you, have not lost heart as yet; the
gravity of the situation will soon be revealed to you; meanwhile
I accept your exhortations and encouragements. But besides the
gods and goddesses whom you have mentioned, I would specially
invoke Mnemosyne; for all the important part of my discourse is
dependent on her favour, and if I can recollect and recite enough
of what was said by the priests and brought hither by Solon, I
doubt not that I shall satisfy the requirements of this theatre.
And now, making no more excuses, I will proceed.
Let me begin by observing first of all, that nine thousand was
the sum of years which had elapsed since the war which was said
to have taken place between those who dwelt outside the Pillars
of Heracles and all who dwelt within them; this war I am going to
describe. Of the combatants on the one side, the city of Athens
was reported to have been the leader and to have fought out the
war; the combatants on the other side were commanded by the kings
of Atlantis, which, as was saying, was an island greater in
extent than Libya and Asia, and when afterwards sunk by an
earthquake, became an impassable barrier of mud to voyagers
sailing from hence to any part of the ocean. The progress of the
history will unfold the various nations of barbarians and
families of Hellenes which then existed, as they successively
appear on the scene; but I must describe first of all Athenians
of that day, and their enemies who fought with them, and then the
respective powers and governments of the two kingdoms. Let us
give the precedence to Athens.
In the days of old the gods had the whole earth distributed
among them by allotment. There was no quarrelling; for you cannot
rightly suppose that the gods did not know what was proper for
each of them to have, or, knowing this, that they would seek to
procure for themselves by contention that which more properly
belonged to others. They all of them by just apportionment
obtained what they wanted, and peopled their own districts; and
when they had peopled them they tended us, their nurselings and
possessions, as shepherds tend their flocks, excepting only that
they did not use blows or bodily force, as shepherds do, but
governed us like pilots from the stern of the vessel, which is an
easy way of guiding animals, holding our souls by the rudder of
persuasion according to their own pleasure;-thus did they guide
all mortal creatures.
