Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/231

i6, 17] CROWDING OF THE CITY II5 Citadel is called by the Athenians Polis, or City, because that neighbourhood was first inhabited. Thus for a long time the ancient Athenians enjoyed 16 a country life in self-governing communities ; and although they were now united in a single city, they and their de- scendants, down to the time of this war, from old habit generally resided with their households in the country where they had been born. For this reason, and also because they had recently restored their country-houses and estates after the Persian War, they had a disinclina- tion to move. They were depressed at the thought of forsaking their homes and the temples which had come down to them from their fathers and were the abiding memorials of their early constitution. They were going to change their manner of life, and in leaving their villages were in fact each of them going into exile. When they came to Athens, only a few of them had 17 houses or could find homes among _ friends or kmdred. The majority took h,g no hcnes of ihdr up their abode in the vacant spaces of ottm, occupy the ionpUs the city, and in the temples and shrines "!"^ "'*'^ ^^"^^^ * ^^'^ of heroes, with the exception of those on the Acropolis, the Eleusinium, and any other precinct which could be securely closed. The Pelasgian ground, as it was called, which lay at the foot of the citadel, was under a curse forbidding its occupation. There was also a half- line of a Pythian oracle to the same effect : — 'Better the Pelasgian ground left waste.' Yet even this was filled under the sudden pressure of necessity. And to my mind the oracle came true in a sense exactly contrary to the popular expectation ; for the unlaw- ful occupation to which men were driven was not the cause of the calamities which befell the city, but the war was the cause of the occupation ; and the oracle without mentioning the war foresaw that the place would be inhabited some day for no good. Many also established themselves in I 2