Ways and Means
[1] For my part I have always held that the
constitution of a state reflects the character
of the leading politicians. 1 But some of
the leading men at Athens have stated that
they recognize justice as clearly as other
men; "but," they have said, "owing
to the poverty of the masses, we are forced
to be somewhat unjust in our treatment of
the cities." This set me thinking whether
by any means the citizens might obtain food
entirely from their own soil, which would
certainly be the fairest way. I felt that,
were this so, they would be relieved of their
poverty, and also of the suspicion with which
they are regarded by the Greek world.
[2] Now as I thought over my ideas, one thing
seemed clear at once, that the country is
by its nature capable of furnishing an ample
revenue. To drive home the truth of this
statement I will first describe the natural
properties of Attica.
[3] The extreme mildness of the seasons here
is shown by the actual products. At any rate,
plants that will not even grow in many countries
bear fruit here. Not less productive than
the land is the sea around the coasts. Notice
too that the good things which the gods send
in their season all come in earlier here
and go out later than elsewhere.
[4] And the pre-eminence of the land is not
only in the things that bloom and wither
annually: she has other good things that
last for ever. Nature has put in her abundance
of stone, from which are fashioned lovely
temples and lovely altars, and goodly statues
for the gods. Many Greeks and barbarians
alike have need of it.
[5] Again, there is land that yields no fruit
if sown, and yet, when quarried, feeds many
times the number it could support if it grew
corn. And recollect, there is silver in the
soil, the gift, beyond doubt, of divine providence:
at any rate, many as are the states near
to her by land and sea, into none of them
does even a thin vein of silver ore extend.
[6] One might reasonably suppose that the
city lies at the centre of Greece, nay of
the whole inhabited world. For the further
we go from her, the more intense is the heat
or cold we meet with; and every traveller
who would cross from one to the other end
of Greece passes Athens as the centre of
a circle, whether he goes by water or by
road. [7] Then, too, though she is not wholly
sea-girt, all the winds of heaven bring to
her the goods she needs and bear away her
exports, as if she were an island; for she
lies between two seas: and she has a vast
land trade as well; for she is of the mainland.
[8] Further, on the borders of most states
dwell barbarians who trouble them: but the
neighbouring states of Athens are themselves
remote from the barbarians.
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