53° 
royal palaces were difpofed. But having 
paffed beyond the external ports, which 
were three in number, a circular wall 
prefented itfelf to the view, beginning 
from the fea, and every way diftant from 
the greateft of the circles and the port, 
by an interval of fifty ftadia. This wall 
terminated in the mouth of the trench 
which was towards the fea. The whole 
fpace too enclofed by the wall, was 
trouded with houfes: and the bay and 
the- greateft harbour were full of thips 
and merchants, that came frem all parts. 
Hence, through the great multitude that 
were here aflembled, there was an all- 
Various clamor and tumult, both by day 
and night. And thus we have nearly re- 
lated the particulars refpecting the city, 
and the ancient habitation, as they were 
then unfolded by the Egyptian priefts. 
In the next place we fhall endeavour to 
relate what was the nature, and what 
the arrangement of the reft of the region. 
Firft then, every place is faid to have 
been very elevated and abrupt which 
was fituated near the fea: but all the 
Jand round the city was a plain, which 
circularly invefted the city, but was itfelf 
circularly enclofed by mountains, which 
extended as far'as tothefea. This plain 
too was {mooth and equable: and its 
whole length, from one fide-to the other, 
was three thoufand ftadia; but accord- 
ing to its middle, from the fea upwards, 
it was two thoufand fladia. The whole 
land likewife was fituated towards the 
fouth, but from its extremities was ex- 
pofed tothe north. Its mountains were 
then celebrated as furpafling all that 
exift at prefent, in multitude, magni- 
tude, and beauty ; and contained many 
villages, whofe inhabitants were wealthy. 
Here too there were rivers, lakes, and 
meadows, which afforded fufticient nutri- 
ment for all tame and favage animals ; 
together with woods, varicus both in 
multitude and kind, and in abundance 
adequate to the feveral purpofes to which 
they are fubfervient. This plain, there- 
fore, both by nature, and the labours of 
many kings in a long period of ume, 
was replete with fertility. Its figure too 
was that of a fquare, for the meft part 
ftraight and long; but, on account of 
the trench which was dug round if, it 
was deficient in Graightnefs. The depth, 
breadth, and length of this trench are 
incredible, when compared with other 
labours accomplifhed by the hands of 
men: but, at the fametime, we muft re- 
late what we have heard. Its depth was 
@ne acre, and its breadth every where a 
Curious Tranflation from Plato, by Mr. Taylor. 

[Sup 
ftadium. And as it was dug round the 
whole plain, its length was confequently 
ten thoufand ftadia*. This trench re- 
ceived the fireams falling from the moun- 
tains, and which circularly flowing round 
the plain towards the city, and being 
collected from different parts, at length 
poured themfelves from the trench into 
the fea. Ditches one hundred feet in 
breadth being cut ina right line from 
this part, were again fent through the 
piain into the trench near the fea. But 
thefe were feparated from each other by 
an interval of one hundred ftadia. The 
inhabitants brought wood to the city 
from the mountains, and other feafonable 
articles,-in twofold veffels, through the 
trenches: for the trenches -interfeéted 
with each other obliquely, and towards 
the city. Every year t6o they twice 
colle€ted the fruits ef the earth ; in win- 
ter ufing the waters from Jupiter, and 
in fummer bringing the productions of 
the earth through the ftreams deduced _ 
from the trenches. . Wirh-ref{peét to the 
multitude of men in the-plain, ufeful 
for the purpofes of war, it was ordered 
that a commaider in chief fhould be 
taken out of each allotment. But the 
magnitude of each allotted portion of 
land was ten times ten’ ftadia: and the 
number of ali the °aliouments was fixty 
thoufand. ‘There is faid to have been 
an infinite number of men from the 
mountains and the reft of the region ; 
and all of them ~vere difiributed accord- 
ing to places and villages into thefe al= 
lotments, under their refpeétive leaders. 
The commander in chief, therefore, of 
each divifion, was ordered to bring into 
the field of battle a fixth part of the war 
chariots, the whole amount of which was 
ten thoufand, together with two horfes 
and two charioteers: and again, it was 
decreed that he fhould bring two horfes 
yoked by the fide of each other, but 
without a feat, together with a man who 
might defcend, armed with a {mall fhield, 
and who, after the charidteer, might. 
govern the two horfes : hkewife that he 
thould bring two heavy-armed foldiers, 
two flingers, three light-armed foldiers, 
three hurlers of ftones, and three jacu- 
lators, together with four failors, in order 
to fill up the number of men fufficient 
for one thoufand two hundred fhips. 
And in this manner were the warlike 
affairs of the, royal city difpofed. - But 


_* That is 1250 miles. This trench, how- 
every was not a more furprifing effort of human 
induftry thanjis the prefent wall of China. 
thofe 
