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in　particular；　greater　than　all　the　rest。　This　we　will　now　rehearse。

It　will　be　a　fitting　monument　of　our　gratitude　to　you；　and　a　hymn　of

praise　true　and　worthy　of　the　goddess；　on　this　her　day　of　festival。

　　Soc。　Very　good。　And　what　is　this　ancient　famous　action　of　the

Athenians；　which　Critias　declared；　on　the　authority　of　Solon；　to　be

not　a　mere　legend；　but　an　actual　fact？

　　Crit。　I　will　tell　an　old…world　story　which　I　heard　from　an　aged　man；

for　Critias；　at　the　time　of　telling　it；　was　as　he　said；　nearly

ninety　years　of　age；　and　I　was　about　ten。　Now　the　day　was　that　day

of　the　Apaturia　which　is　called　the　Registration　of　Youth；　at　which；

according　to　custom；　our　parents　gave　prizes　for　recitations；　and

the　poems　of　several　poets　were　recited　by　us　boys；　and　many　of　us

sang　the　poems　of　Solon；　which　at　that　time　had　not　gone　out　of

fashion。　One　of　our　tribe；　either　because　he　thought　so　or　to　please

Critias；　said　that　in　his　judgment　Solon　was　not　only　the　wisest　of

men；　but　also　the　noblest　of　poets。　The　old　man；　as　I　very　well

remember；　brightened　up　at　hearing　this　and　said；　smiling：　Yes；

Amynander；　if　Solon　had　only；　like　other　poets；　made　poetry　the

business　of　his　life；　and　had　completed　the　tale　which　he　brought　with

him　from　Egypt；　and　had　not　been　compelled；　by　reason　of　the

factions　and　troubles　which　he　found　stirring　in　his　own　country

when　he　came　home；　to　attend　to　other　matters；　in　my　opinion　he

would　have　been　as　famous　as　Homer　or　Hesiod；　or　any　poet。

　　And　what　was　the　tale　about；　Critias？　said　Amynander。

　　About　the　greatest　action　which　the　Athenians　ever　did；　and　which

ought　to　have　been　the　most　famous；　but；　through　the　lapse　of　time　and

the　destruction　of　the　actors；　it　has　not　come　down　to　us。

　　Tell　us；　said　the　other；　the　whole　story；　and　how　and　from　whom

Solon　heard　this　veritable　tradition。

　　He　replied：…In　the　Egyptian　Delta；　at　the　head　of　which　the　river

Nile　divides；　there　is　a　certain　district　which　is　called　the　district

of　Sais；　and　the　great　city　of　the　district　is　also　called　Sais；　and

is　the　city　from　which　King　Amasis　came。　The　citizens　have　a　deity　for

their　foundress；　she　is　called　in　the　Egyptian　tongue　Neith；　and　is

asserted　by　them　to　be　the　same　whom　the　Hellenes　call　Athene；　they

are　great　lovers　of　the　Athenians；　and　say　that　they　are　in　some　way

related　to　them。　To　this　city　came　Solon；　and　was　received　there

with　great　honour；　he　asked　the　priests　who　were　most　skilful　in

such　matters；　about　antiquity；　and　made　the　discovery　that　neither

he　nor　any　other　Hellene　knew　anything　worth　mentioning　about　the

times　of　old。　On　one　occasion；　wishing　to　draw　them　on　to　speak　of

antiquity；　he　began　to　tell　about　the　most　ancient　things　in　our

part　of　the　world…about　Phoroneus；　who　is　called　〃the　first　man；〃

and　about　Niobe；　and　after　the　Deluge；　of　the　survival　of　Deucalion

and　Pyrrha；　and　he　traced　the　genealogy　of　their　descendants；　and

reckoning　up　the　dates；　tried　to　compute　how　many　years　ago　the　events

of　which　he　was　speaking　happened。　Thereupon　one　of　the　priests；　who

was　of　a　very　great　age；　said：　O　Solon；　Solon；　you　Hellenes　are

never　anything　but　children；　and　there　is　not　an　old　man　among　you。

Solon　in　return　asked　him　what　he　meant。　I　mean　to　say；　he　replied；

that　in　mind　you　are　all　young；　there　is　no　old　opinion　handed　down

among　you　by　ancient　tradition；　nor　any　science　which　is　hoary　with

age。　And　I　will　tell　you　why。　There　have　been；　and　will　be　again；　many

destructions　of　mankind　arising　out　of　many　causes；　the　greatest

have　been　brought　about　by　the　agencies　of　fire　and　water；　and　other

lesser　ones　by　innumerable　other　causes。　There　is　a　story；　which

even　you　have　preserved；　that　once　upon　a　time　Paethon；　the　son　of

Helios；　having　yoked　the　steeds　in　his　father's　chariot；　because　he

was　not　able　to　drive　them　in　the　path　of　his　father；　burnt　up　all

that　was　upon　the　earth；　and　was　himself　destroyed　by　a　thunderbolt。

Now　this　has　the　form　of　a　myth；　but　really　signifies　a　declination　of

the　bodies　moving　in　the　heavens　around　the　earth；　and　a　great

conflagration　of　things　upon　the　earth；　which　recurs　after　long

intervals；　at　such　times　those　who　live　upon　the　mountains　and　in

dry　and　lofty　places　are　more　liable　to　destruction　than　those　who

dwell　by　rivers　or　on　the　seashore。　And　from　this　calamity　the　Nile；

who　is　our　never…failing　saviour；　delivers　and　preserves　us。　When；

on　the　other　hand；　the　gods　purge　the　earth　with　a　deluge　of　water；

the　survivors　in　your　country　are　herdsmen　and　shepherds　who　dwell

on　the　mountains；　but　those　who；　like　you；　live　in　cities　are

carried　by　the　rivers　into　the　sea。　Whereas　in　this　land；　neither　then

nor　at　any　other　time；　does　the　water　come　down　from　above　on　the

fields；　having　always　a　tendency　to　come　up　from　below；　for　which

reason　the　traditions　preserved　here　are　the　most　ancient。

　　The　fact　is；　that　wherever　the　extremity　of　winter　frost　or　of

summer　does　not　prevent；　mankind　exist；　sometimes　in　greater；

sometimes　in　lesser　numbers。　And　whatever　happened　either　in　your

country　or　in　ours；　or　in　any　other　region　of　which　we　are　informed…if

there　were　any　actions　noble　or　great　or　in　any　other　way

remarkable；　they　have　all　been　written　down　by　us　of　old；　and　are

preserved　in　our　temples。　Whereas　just　when　you　and　other　nations

are　beginning　to　be　provided　with　letters　and　the　other　requisites

of　civilized　life；　after　the　usual　interval；　the　stream　from　heaven；

like　a　pestilence；　comes　pouring　down；　and　leaves　only　those　of　you

who　are　destitute　of　letters　and　education；　and　so　you　have　to　begin

all　over　again　like　children；　and　know　nothing　of　what　happened　in

ancient　times；　either　among　us　or　among　yourselves。　As　for　those

genealogies　of　yours　which　you　just　now　recounted　to　us；　Solon；　they

are　no　better　than　the　tales　of　children。　In　the　first　place　you

remember　a　single　deluge　only；　but　there　were　many　previous　ones；　in

the　next　place；　you　do　not　know　that　there　formerly　dwelt　in　your　land

the　fairest　and　noblest　race　of　men　which　ever　lived；　and　that　you　and

your　whole　city　are　descended　from　a　small　seed　or　remnant　of　them

which　survived。　And　this　was　unknown　to　you；　because；　for　many

generations；　the　survivors　of　that　destruction　died；　leaving　no

written　word。　For　there　was　a　time；　Solon；　before　the　great　deluge

of　all；　when　the　city　which　now　is　Athens　was　first　in　war　and　in

every　way　the　best　governed　of　all　cities；　is　said　to　have　performed

the　noblest　deeds　and　to　have　had　the　fairest　constitution　of　any　of

which　tradition　tells；　under　the　face　of　heaven。

　　Solon　marvelled　at　his　words；　and　earnestly　requested　the　priests　to

inform　him　exactly　and　in　order　about　these　former　citizens。　You　are

welcome　to　hear　about　them；　Solon；　said　the　priest；　both　for　your

own　sake　and　for　that　of　your　city；　and　above　all；　for　the　sake　of　the

goddess　who　is　the　common　patron　and　parent　and　educator　of　both　our

cities。　She　founded　your　city　a　thousand　years　before　ours；

receiving　from　the　Earth　and　Hephaestus　the　seed　of　your　race；　and

afterwards　she　founded　ours；　of　which　the　constitution　is　recorded

in　our　sacred　registers　to　be　eight　thousand　years　old。　As　touching

your　citizens　of　nine　thousand　years　ago；　I　will　briefly　inform　you　of

their　laws　and　of　their　most　famous　action；　the　exact　particulars　of

the　whole　we　will　hereafter　go　through　at　our　leisure　in　the　sacred

registers　themselves。　If　you　compare　these　very　laws　with　ours　you

will　find　that　many　of　ours　are　the　counterpart　of　yours　as　they

were　in　the　olden　time。　In　the　first　place；　there　is　the　caste　of

priests；　which　is　separated　from　all　the　others；　next；　there　are　the

artificers；　who　ply　their　several　crafts　by　themselves　and　do　not

intermix；　and　also　there　is　the　class　of　shepherds　and　of　hunters；

as　well　as　that　of　husbandmen；　and　you　will　observe；　too；　that　the

warriors　in　Egypt　are　distinct　from　all　the　other　classes；　and　are

commanded　by　the　law　to　devote　themselves　solely　to　military　pursuits；

moreover；　the　weapons　which　they　carry　are　shields　and　spears；　a　style

of　equipment　which　the　goddess　taught　of　Asiatics　first　to　us；　as　in

your　part　of　the　world　first　to　you。　Then　as　to　wisdom；　do　you　observe

how　our　law　from　the　very　first　made　a　study　of　the　whole　order　of

things；　extending　even　to　prophecy　and　medicine　which　gives　health；

out　of　these　divine　elements　deriving　what　was　needful　for　human　life；

and　adding　every　sort　of　knowledge　which　was　akin　to　them。　All　this

order　and　arrangement　the　goddess　first　imparted　to　you　when

establishing　your　city；　and　she　chose　the　spot　of　earth　in　which　you

were　born；　because　she　saw　that　the　happy　temperament　of　the　seasons

in　that　land　would　produce　the　wisest　of　men。　Wherefore　the　goddess；

who　was　a　lover　both　of　war　and　of　wisdom；　selected　and　first　of　all

settled　that　spot　which　was　the　most　likely　to　produce　men　likest

herself。　And　there　you　dwelt；　having　such　laws　as　these　and　still

better　ones；　and　excelled　all　mankind　in　all　virtue；　as　became　the

children　an