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Three Millennia of Greek Literature
 

Plato Bilingual Anthology : MOTIONS OF THE UNIVERSE

from Politicus, * 268.d-274.e, translated by B. Jowett

Greek Fonts / Plato Complete works / Plato Concept


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Page 9

In those days God himself was their shepherd, and ruled over them, just as man, over them, who is by comparison a divine being, still rules over the lower animals. Under him there were no forms of government or separate possession of women and children; for all men rose again from the earth, having no memory, of the past. And although they had nothing of this sort, the earth gave them fruits in abundance, which grew on trees and shrubs unbidden, and were not planted by the hand of man. And they dwelt naked, and mostly in the open air, for the temperature of their seasons, was mild; and they had no beds, but lay on Soft couches of grass, which grew plentifully out of: the earth. Such was the life of man in the days of Cronos, Socrates; the character of our present life which is said to be under Zeus, you know from your own experience. Can you, and will you, determine which of them you deem the happier? YSOC. Impossible. STR. Then shall I determine for you as well as I can? YSOC. By all means. θεὸς ἔνεμεν αὐτοὺς αὐτὸς ἐπιστατῶν͵ καθάπερ νῦν ἄνθρωποι͵ ζῷον ὂν ἕτερον θειότερον͵ ἄλλα γένη φαυλότερα αὑτῶν νομεύουσι· νέμοντος δὲ ἐκείνου πολιτεῖαί τε οὐκ ἦσαν οὐδὲ κτήσεις γυναικῶν καὶ παίδων· ἐκ γῆς γὰρ ἀνεβιώσκοντο πάντες͵ οὐδὲν μεμνημένοι τῶν πρόσθεν· ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν τοιαῦτα ἀπῆν πάντα͵ καρποὺς δὲ ἀφθόνους εἶχον ἀπό τε δένδρων καὶ πολλῆς ὕλης ἄλλης͵ οὐχ ὑπὸ γεωργίας φυομένους͵ ἀλλ΄ αὐτομάτης ἀναδιδούσης τῆς γῆς. γυμνοὶ δὲ καὶ ἄστρωτοι θυραυλοῦντες τὰ πολλὰ ἐνέμοντο· τὸ γὰρ τῶν ὡρῶν αὐτοῖς ἄλυπον ἐκέκρατο͵ μαλακὰς δὲ εὐνὰς εἶχον ἀναφυομένης ἐκ γῆς πόας ἀφθόνου. τὸν δὴ βίον͵ ὦ Σώκρατες͵ ἀκούεις μὲν τὸν τῶν ἐπὶ Κρόνου· τόνδε δ΄ ὃν λόγος ἐπὶ Διὸς εἶναι͵ τὸν νυνί͵ παρὼν αὐτὸς ᾔσθησαι· κρῖναι δ΄ αὐτοῖν τὸν εὐδαιμονέστερον ἆρ΄ ἂν δύναιό τε καὶ ἐθελήσειας; ΝΕ. ΣΩ. Οὐδαμῶς. ΞΕ. Βούλει δῆτα ἐγώ σοι τρόπον τινὰ διακρίνω; ΝΕ. ΣΩ. Πάνυ μὲν οὖν.
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