§10.4.15τοῦ δὲ ποιητοῦ τὸ μὲν ἑκατόμπολιν λέγοντος τὴν Κρήτην τὸ δὲ ἐνενηκοντάπολιν, Ἔφορος μὲν ὕστερον ἐπικτισθῆναι τὰς δέκα φησὶ μετὰ τὰ Τρωικὰ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀλθαιμένει τῷ Ἀργείῳ συνακολουθησάντων Δωριέων· τὸν μὲν οὖν Ὀδυσσέα λέγει ἐνενηκοντάπολιν ὀνομάσαι·
While the poet calls Crete at one time "of a hundred cities" and at another "of ninety cities," Ephorus says that the ten cities were later founded after the Trojan War by the Dorians who accompanied Althaemenes the Argive; he says, then, that Odysseus named it "of ninety cities." Now, this account is plausible, but others say that the ten cities were rased to the ground by the enemies of Idomeneus.
οὗτος μὲν οὖν πιθανός ἐστιν ὁ λόγος, ἄλλοι δʼ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰδομενέως ἐχθρῶν κατασκαφῆναί φασι τὰς δέκα· ἀλλʼ οὔτε κατὰ τὰ Τρωικά φησιν ὁ ποιητὴς ἑκατοντάπολιν ὑπάρξαι τὴν Κρήτην, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον κατʼ αὐτόν (ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ ἰδίου προσώπου λέγει· εἰ δʼ ἐκ τῶν τότε ὄντων τινὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος, καθάπερ ἐν τῇ Ὀδυσσείᾳ, ἡνίκα ἐνενηκοντάπολιν φράζει, καλῶς εἶχεν οὕτω δέχεσθαι), οὔτʼ εἰ συγχωρήσαιμεν τοῦτό γε, ὁ ἑξῆς λόγος σώζοιτʼ ἄν.
But the poet does not say that Crete was "of a hundred cities" at the time of the Trojan War, but rather in his own time (for he speaks in his own person; but if the speech had been from one of those who existed at that time, as in the Odyssey, when he declares it "of ninety cities," it would be well to accept it in this way), nor, even if we should concede this, could the following account be saved.
οὔτε γὰρ κατὰ τὴν στρατείαν οὔτε μετὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον τὴν ἐκεῖθεν τοῦ Ἰδομενέως εἰκός ἐστιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ τὰς πόλεις ἠφανίσθαι ταύτας· ὁ γὰρ ποιητὴς φήσας
"
πάντας δʼ Ἰδομενεὺς Κρήτην εἰσήγαγʼ ἑταίρους,
οἳ φύγον ἐκ πολέμου, πόντος δέ οἱ οὔτινʼ ἀπηύρα,
"
καὶ τούτου τοῦ πάθους ἐμέμνητʼ ἄν· οὐ γὰρ δήπου Ὀδυσσεὺς μὲν ἔγνω τὸν ἀφανισμὸν τῶν πόλεων ὁ μηδενὶ συμμίξας τῶν Ἑλλήνων μήτε κατὰ τὴν πλάνην μήθʼ ὕστερον, ὁ δὲ καὶ συστρατεύσας τῷ Ἰδομενεῖ καὶ συνανασωθεὶς οὐκ ἔγνω τὰ συμβάντα οἴκοι αὐτῷ.
For it is not likely that these cities were destroyed by his enemies either during the expedition or after the return of Idomeneus from there; for the poet, having said: "And Idomeneus brought back to Crete all his companions who escaped from the war, and the sea robbed him of none, "would also have mentioned this disaster; for surely it cannot be that Odysseus, who met none of the Greeks either during his wanderings or afterwards, knew of the destruction of the cities, while he (Nestor) who both fought alongside Idomeneus and was saved with him did not know what had happened to him at home.
ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ μετὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον· εἰ γὰρ μετὰ πάντων ἐσώθη τῶν ἑταίρων, ἰσχυρὸς ἐπανῆλθεν, ὥστʼ οὐκ ἔμελλον ἰσχύσειν οἱ ἐχθροὶ τοσοῦτον ὅσον δέκα ἀφαιρεῖσθαι πόλεις αὐτόν.
But indeed, neither after the return; for if he was saved with all his companions, he returned strong, so that his enemies were not likely to be so strong as to deprive him of ten cities.
τῆς μὲν οὖν χώρας τῶν Κρητῶν τοιαύτη τις ἡ περιοδεία.
Such, then, is the description of the country of the Cretans.
§10.4.16τῆς δὲ πολιτείας ἧς Ἔφορος ἀνέγραψε τὰ κυριώτατα ἐπιδραμεῖν ἀποχρώντως ἂν ἔχοι.
But of the constitution of which Ephorus recorded the most important features, it would be sufficient to run over them.
δοκεῖ δέ, φησίν, ὁ νομοθέτης μέγιστον ὑποθέσθαι ταῖς πόλεσιν ἀγαθὸν τὴν ἐλευθερίαν· μόνην γὰρ ταύτην ἴδια ποιεῖν τῶν κτησαμένων τὰ ἀγαθά, τὰ δʼ ἐν δουλείᾳ τῶν ἀρχόντων ἀλλʼ οὐχὶ τῶν ἀρχομένων εἶναι· τοῖς δʼ ἔχουσι ταύτην φυλακῆς δεῖν·
He says that the lawgiver seems to have assumed freedom as the greatest good for cities; for this alone makes the goods of those who have acquired them their own, whereas those in slavery belong to the rulers and not to the ruled; and those who have this freedom need a guard.
τὴν μὲν οὖν ὁμόνοιαν διχοστασίας αἰρομένης ἀπαντᾶν, ἣ γίνεται διὰ πλεονεξίαν καὶ τρυφήν· σωφρόνως γὰρ καὶ λιτῶς ζῶσιν ἅπασιν οὔτε φθόνον οὔθʼ ὕβριν οὔτε μῖσος ἀπαντᾶν πρὸς τοὺς ὁμοίους·
Now, harmony arises when dissension is removed, which occurs because of greed and luxury; for to all who live temperately and simply, neither envy nor insolence nor hatred arises towards their equals.
διόπερ τοὺς μὲν παῖδας εἰς τὰς ὀνομαζομένας ἀγέλας κελεῦσαι φοιτᾶν, τοὺς δὲ τελείους ἐν τοῖς συσσιτίοις ἃ καλοῦσιν ἀνδρεῖα συσσιτεῖν, ὅπως τῶν ἴσων μετάσχοιεν τοῖς εὐπόροις οἱ πενέστεροι δημοσίᾳ τρεφόμενοι·
Therefore, he ordered the boys to attend the so-called "herds," and the adults to eat together in the common messes which they call "andreia," so that the poorer, being maintained at public expense, might share in the same things as the wealthy.
πρὸς δὲ τὸ μὴ δειλίαν ἀλλʼ ἀνδρείαν κρατεῖν ἐκ παίδων ὅπλοις καὶ πόνοις συντρέφειν, ὥστε καταφρονεῖν καύματος καὶ ψύχους καὶ τραχείας ὁδοῦ καὶ ἀνάντους καὶ πληγῶν τῶν ἐν γυμνασίοις καὶ μάχαις ταῖς κατὰ σύνταγμα·
And in order that courage, not cowardice, should prevail, to train them from childhood in arms and hardships, so that they despise heat and cold and rough and steep roads, and blows received in gymnasia and in battles in military formation.
ἀσκεῖν δὲ καὶ τοξικῇ καὶ ἐνοπλίῳ ὀρχήσει, ἣν καταδεῖξαι Κουρῆτα πρῶτον, ὕστερον δὲ καὶ συντάξαντα τὴν κληθεῖσαν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ πυρρίχην, ὥστε μηδὲ τὴν παιδιὰν ἄμοιρον εἶναι τῶν πρὸς πόλεμον χρησίμων·
And that they also practice archery and the dance in armor, which a Curete first introduced, and later also organized the pyrrichē, which was named after him, so that not even their play should be without a share in things useful for war.
ὡς δʼ αὕτως καὶ τοῖς ῥυθμοῖς Κρητικοῖς χρῆσθαι κατὰ τὰς ᾠδὰς συντονωτάτοις οὖσιν οὓς Θάλητα ἀνευρεῖν, ᾧ καὶ τοὺς παιᾶνας καὶ τὰς ἄλλας τὰς ἐπιχωρίους ᾠδὰς ἀνατιθέασι καὶ πολλὰ τῶν νομίμων·
Likewise, they use the Cretan rhythms in their songs, which are very intense, which Thaletas discovered, to whom they attribute both the paeans and the other native songs and many of their customs.
καὶ ἐσθῆτι δὲ καὶ ὑποδέσει πολεμικῇ χρῆσθαι, καὶ τῶν δώρων τιμιώτατα αὐτοῖς εἶναι τὰ ὅπλα.
And they use military dress and footwear, and for them the most honorable of gifts are weapons.