,,critias  by ,plato   ,translated by   
,benjamin ,jowett     ,,introduction    
,,and ,,analysis4  ,the ,critias is a   
fragment which breaks off in the middle 
of a sentence4 ,it was designed to be   
the second part of a trilogy1 which1    
like the other great ,platonic trilogy  
of the ,sophist1 ,statesman1            
,philosopher1 was never completed4      
,timaeus had brought down the origin of 
the world to the creation of man1 and   
the dawn of history was now to succeed  
the philosophy of nature4 ,the ,critias 
is also connected with the ,republic4   
,plato1 as he has already told us       
7,tim471 intended to represent the ideal
 state engaged in a patriotic conflict4 
,this mythical conflict is prophetic or 
symbolical of the struggle of ,athens   
and ,persia1 perhaps in some degree also
 of the wars of the ,greeks and         
,carthaginians1 in the same way that the
 ,persian is prefigured by the ,trojan  
war to the mind of ,herodotus1 or as the
 narrative of the first part of the     

,aeneid is intended by ,virgil to       
foreshadow the wars of ,carthage and    
,rome4 ,the small number of the         
primitive ,athenian citizens 7#bj1jjj71 
'which is about their present number'   
7,crit471 is evidently designed to      
contrast with the myriads and barbaric  
array of the ,atlantic hosts4 ,the      
passing remark in the ,timaeus that     
,athens was left alone in the struggle1 
in which she conquered and became the   
liberator of ,greece1 is also an        
allusion to the later history4 ,hence we
 may safely conclude that the entire    
narrative is due to the imagination of  
,plato1 who has used the name of ,solon 
and introduced the ,egyptian priests to 
give verisimilitude to his story4 ,to   
the ,greek such a tale1 like that of the
 earth-born men1 would have seemed      
perfectly accordant with the character  
of his mythology1 and not more          
marvellous than the wonders of the ,east
 narrated by ,herodotus and others3 he  
might have been deceived into believing 

it4 ,but it appears strange that later  
ages should have been imposed upon by   
the fiction4 ,as many attempts have been
 made to find the great island of       
,atlantis1 as to discover the country of
 the lost tribes4 ,without regard to the
 description of ,plato1 and without a   
suspicion that the whole narrative is a 
fabrication1 interpreters have looked   
for the spot in every part of the globe1
 ,america1 ,arabia ,felix1 ,ceylon1     
,palestine1 ,sardinia1 ,sweden4         
,timaeus concludes with a prayer that   
his words may be acceptable to the ,god 
whom he has revealed1 and ,critias1     
whose turn follows1 begs that a larger  
measure of indulgence may be conceded to
 him1 because he has to speak of men    
whom we know and not of gods whom we do 
not know4 ,socrates readily grants his  
request1 and anticipating that          
,hermocrates will make a similar        
petition1 extends by anticipation a like
 indulgence to him4  ,critias returns to
 his story1 professing only to repeat   

what ,solon was told by the priests4    
,the war of which he was about to speak 
had occurred #ijjj years ago4 ,one of   
the combatants was the city of ,athens1 
the other was the great island of       
,atlantis4 ,critias proposes to speak of
 these rival powers first of all1 giving
 to ,athens the precedence2 the various 
tribes of ,greeks and barbarians who    
took part in the war will be dealt with 
as they successively appear on the      
scene4  ,in the beginning the gods      
agreed to divide the earth by lot in a  
friendly manner1 and when they had made 
the allotment they settled their several
 countries1 and were the shepherds or   
rather the pilots of mankind1 whom they 
guided by persuasion1 and not by force4 
,hephaestus and ,athena1 brother and    
sister deities1 in mind and art united1 
obtained as their lot the land of       
,attica1 a land suited to the growth of 
virtue and wisdom2 and there they       
settled a brave race of children of the 
soil1 and taught them how to order the  

state4 ,some of their names1 such as    
,cecrops1 ,erechtheus1 ,erichthonius1   
and ,erysichthon1 were preserved and    
adopted in later times1 but the memory  
of their deeds has passed away2 for     
there have since been many deluges1 and 
the remnant who survived in the         
mountains were ignorant of the art of   
writing1 and during many generations    
were wholly devoted to acquiring the    
means of life444,and the armed image of 
the goddess which was dedicated by the  
ancient ,athenians is an evidence to    
other ages that men and women had in    
those days1 as they ought always to     
have1 common virtues and pursuits4      
,there were various classes of citizens1
 including handicraftsmen and husbandmen
 and a superior class of warriors who   
dwelt apart1 and were educated1 and had 
all things in common1 like our          
guardians4 ,attica in those days        
extended southwards to the ,isthmus1 and
 inland to the heights of ,parnes and   
,cithaeron1 and between them and the sea

 included the district of ,oropus4 ,the 
country was then1 as what remains of it 
still is1 the most fertile in the world1
 and abounded in rich plains and        
pastures4 ,but in the course of ages    
much of the soil was washed away and    
disappeared in the deep sea4 ,and the   
inhabitants of this fair land were      
endowed with intelligence and the love  
of beauty4  ,the ,acropolis of the      
ancient ,athens extended to the ,ilissus
 and ,eridanus1 and included the ,pnyx1 
and the ,lycabettus on the opposite side
 to the ,pnyx1 having a level surface   
and deep soil4 ,the side of the hill was
 inhabited by craftsmen and husbandmen2 
and the warriors dwelt by themselves on 
the summit1 around the temples of       
,hephaestus and ,athene1 in an enclosure
 which was like the garden of a single  
house4 ,in winter they retired into     
houses on the north of the hill1 in     
which they held their syssitia4 ,these  
were modest dwellings1 which they       
bequeathed unaltered to their children's

 children4 ,in summer time the south    
side was inhabited by them1 and then    
they left their gardens and             
dining-halls4 ,in the midst of the      
,acropolis was a fountain1 which gave an
 abundant supply of cool water in summer
 and warm in winter2 of this there are  
still some traces4 ,they were careful to
 preserve the number of fighting men and
 women at #bj1jjj1 which is equal to    
that of the present military force4 ,and
 so they passed their lives as guardians
 of the citizens and leaders of the     
,hellenes4 ,they were a just and famous 
race1 celebrated for their beauty and   
virtue all over ,europe and ,asia4  ,and
 now ,i will speak to you of their      
adversaries1 but first ,i ought to      
explain that the ,greek names were given
 to ,solon in an ,egyptian form1 and he 
enquired their meaning and translated   
them4 ,his manuscript was left with my  
grandfather ,dropides1 and is now in my 
possession444,in the division of the    
earth ,poseidon obtained as his portion 

the island of ,atlantis1 and there he   
begat children whose mother was a       
mortal4 ,towards the sea and in the     
centre of the island there was a very   
fair and fertile plain1 and near the    
centre1 about fifty stadia from the     
plain1 there was a low mountain in which
 dwelt a man named ,evenor and his wife 
,leucippe1 and their daughter ,cleito1  
of whom ,poseidon became enamoured4 ,he 
to secure his love enclosed the mountain
 with rings or zones varying in size1   
two of land and three of sea1 which his 
divine power readily enabled him to     
excavate and fashion1 and1 as there was 
no shipping in those days1 no man could 
get into the place4 ,to the interior    
island he conveyed under the earth      
springs of water hot and cold1 and      
supplied the land with all things needed
 for the life of man4 ,here he begat a  
family consisting of five pairs of twin 
male children4 ,the eldest was ,atlas1  
and him he made king of the centre      
island1 while to his twin brother1      

,eumelus1 or ,gadeirus1 he assigned that
 part of the country which was nearest  
the ,straits4 ,the other brothers he    
made chiefs over the rest of the island4
 ,and their kingdom extended as far as  
,egypt and ,tyrrhenia4 ,now ,atlas had a
 fair posterity1 and great treasures    
derived from mines--among them that     
precious metal orichalcum2 and there was
 abundance of wood1 and herds of        
elephants1 and pastures for animals of  
all kinds1 and fragrant herbs1 and      
grasses1 and trees bearing fruit4 ,these
 they used1 and employed themselves in  
constructing their temples1 and palaces1
 and harbours1 and docks1 in the        
following manner3--,first1 they bridged 
over the zones of sea1 and made a way to
 and from the royal palace which they   
built in the centre island4 ,this       
ancient palace was ornamented by        
successive generations2 and they dug a  
canal which passed through the zones of 
land from the island to the sea4 ,the   
zones of earth were surrounded by walls 

made of stone of divers colours1 black  
and white and red1 which they sometimes 
intermingled for the sake of ornament2  
and as they quarried they hollowed out  
beneath the edges of the zones double   
docks having roofs of rock4 ,the        
outermost of the walls was coated with  
brass1 the second with tin1 and the     
third1 which was the wall of the        
citadel1 flashed with the red light of  
orichalcum4 ,in the interior of the     
citadel was a holy temple1 dedicated to 
,cleito and ,poseidon1 and surrounded by
 an enclosure of gold1 and there was    
,poseidon's own temple1 which was       
covered with silver1 and the pinnacles  
with gold4 ,the roof was of ivory1      
adorned with gold and silver and        
orichalcum1 and the rest of the interior
 was lined with orichalcum4 ,within was 
an image of the god standing in a       
chariot drawn by six winged horses1 and 
touching the roof with his head2 around 
him were a hundred ,nereids1 riding on  
dolphins4 ,outside the temple were      

placed golden statues of all the        
descendants of the ten kings and of     
their wives2 there was an altar too1 and
 there were palaces1 corresponding to   
the greatness and glory both of the     
kingdom and of the temple4  ,also there 
were fountains of hot and cold water1   
and suitable buildings surrounding them1
 and trees1 and there were baths both of
 the kings and of private individuals1  
and separate baths for women1 and also  
for cattle4 ,the water from the baths   
was carried to the grove of ,poseidon1  
and by aqueducts over the bridges to the
 outer circles4 ,and there were temples 
in the zones1 and in the larger of the  
two there was a racecourse for horses1  
which ran all round the island4 ,the    
guards were distributed in the zones    
according to the trust reposed in them2 
the most trusted of them were stationed 
in the citadel4 ,the docks were full of 
triremes and stores4 ,the land between  
the harbour and the sea was surrounded  
by a wall1 and was crowded with         

dwellings1 and the harbour and canal    
resounded with the din of human voices4 
,the plain around the city was highly   
cultivated and sheltered from the north 
by mountains2 it was oblong1 and where  
falling out of the straight line        
followed the circular ditch1 which was  
of an incredible depth4 ,this depth     
received the streams which came down    
from the mountains1 as well as the      
canals of the interior1 and found a way 
to the sea4 ,the entire country was     
divided into sixty thousand lots1 each  
of which was a square of ten stadia2 and
 the owner of a lot was bound to furnish
 the sixth part of a war-chariot1 so as 
to make up ten thousand chariots1 two   
horses and riders upon them1 a pair of  
chariot-horses without a seat1 and an   
attendant and charioteer1 two hoplites1 
two archers1 two slingers1 three        
stone-shooters1 three javelin-men1 and  
four sailors to make up the complement  
of twelve hundred ships4  ,each of the  
ten kings was absolute in his own city  

and kingdom4 ,the relations of the      
different governments to one another    
were determined by the injunctions of   
,poseidon1 which had been inscribed by  
the first kings on a column of          
orichalcum in the temple of ,poseidon1  
at which the kings and princes gathered 
together and held a festival every fifth
 and every sixth year alternately4      
,around the temple ranged the bulls of  
,poseidon1 one of which the ten kings   
caught and sacrificed1 shedding the     
blood of the victim over the            
inscription1 and vowing not to          
transgress the laws of their father     
,poseidon4 ,when night came1 they put on
 azure robes and gave judgment against  
offenders4 ,the most important of their 
laws related to their dealings with one 
another4 ,they were not to take up arms 
against one another1 and were to come to
 the rescue if any of their brethren    
were attacked4 ,they were to deliberate 
in common about war1 and the king was   
not to have the power of life and death 

over his kinsmen1 unless he had the     
assent of the majority4  ,for many      
generations1 as tradition tells1 the    
people of ,atlantis were obedient to the
 laws and to the gods1 and practised    
gentleness and wisdom in their          
intercourse with one another4 ,they knew
 that they could only have the true use 
of riches by not caring about them4 ,but
 gradually the divine portion of their  
souls became diluted with too much of   
the mortal admixture1 and they began to 
degenerate1 though to the outward eye   
they appeared glorious as ever at the   
very time when they were filled with all
 iniquity4 ,the all-seeing ,zeus1       
wanting to punish them1 held a council  
of the gods1 and when he had called them
 together1 he spoke as follows3--  ,no  
one knew better than ,plato how to      
invent 'a noble lie4' ,observe 7#a7 the 
innocent declaration of ,socrates1 that 
the truth of the story is a great       
advantage3 7#b7 the manner in which     
traditional names and indications of    

geography are intermingled 7',why1 here 
be truths6'73 7#c7 the extreme          
minuteness with which the numbers are   
given1 as in the ,old ,epic poetry3 7#d7
 the ingenious reason assigned for the  
,greek names occurring in the ,egyptian 
tale3 7#e7 the remark that the armed    
statue of ,athena indicated the common  
warrior life of men and women3 7#f7 the 
particularity with which the third      
deluge before that of ,deucalion is     
affirmed to have been the great         
destruction3 7#g7 the happy guess that  
great geological changes have been      
effected by water3 7#h7 the indulgence  
of the prejudice against sailing beyond 
the ,columns1 and the popular belief of 
the shallowness of the ocean in that    
part3 7#i7 the confession that the depth
 of the ditch in the ,island of         
,atlantis was not to be believed1 and   
'yet he could only repeat what he had   
heard'1 compared with the statement made
 in an earlier passage that ,poseidon1  
being a ,god1 found no difficulty in    

contriving the water-supply of the      
centre island3 7#aj7 the mention of the 
old rivalry of ,poseidon and ,athene1   
and the creation of the first           
inhabitants out of the soil4 ,plato     
here1 as elsewhere1 ingeniously gives   
the impression that he is telling the   
truth which mythology had corrupted4    
,the world1 like a child1 has readily1  
and for the most part unhesitatingly1   
accepted the tale of the ,island of     
,atlantis4 ,in modern times we hardly   
seek for traces of the submerged        
continent2 but even ,mr4 ,grote is      
inclined to believe in the ,egyptian    
poem of ,solon of which there is no     
evidence in antiquity2 while others1    
like ,martin1 discuss the ,egyptian     
origin of the legend1 or like ,m4 de    
,humboldt1 whom he quotes1 are disposed 
to find in it a vestige of a            
widely-spread tradition4 ,others1       
adopting a different vein of reflection1
 regard the ,island of ,atlantis as the 
anticipation of a still greater         

island--the ,continent of ,america4     
',the tale1' says ,m4 ,martin1 'rests   
upon the authority of the ,egyptian     
priests2 and the ,egyptian priests took 
a pleasure in deceiving the ,greeks4'   
,he never appears to suspect that there 
is a greater deceiver or magician than  
the ,egyptian priests1 that is to say1  
,plato himself1 from the dominion of    
whose genius the critic and natural     
philosopher of modern times are not     
wholly emancipated4 ,although worthless 
in respect of any result which can be   
attained by them1 discussions like those
 of ,m4 ,martin 7,timee7 have an        
interest of their own1 and may be       
compared to the similar discussions     
regarding the ,lost ,tribes 7#b         
,esdras71 as showing how the chance word
 of some poet or philosopher has given  
birth to endless religious or historical
 enquiries4 7,see ,introduction to the  
,timaeus47  ,in contrasting the small   
,greek city numbering about twenty      
thousand inhabitants with the barbaric  

greatness of the island of ,atlantis1   
,plato probably intended to show that a 
state1 such as the ideal ,athens1 was   
invincible1 though matched against any  
number of opponents 7cp4 ,rep474 ,even  
in a great empire there might be a      
degree of virtue and justice1 such as   
the ,greeks believed to have existed    
under the sway of the first ,persian    
kings4 ,but all such empires were liable
 to degenerate1 and soon incurred the   
anger of the gods4 ,their ,oriental     
wealth1 and splendour of gold and       
silver1 and variety of colours1 seemed  
also to be at variance with the         
simplicity of ,greek notions4 ,in the   
island of ,atlantis1 ,plato is          
describing a sort of ,babylonian or     
,egyptian city1 to which he opposes the 
frugal life of the true ,hellenic       
citizen4 ,it is remarkable that in his  
brief sketch of them1 he idealizes the  
husbandmen 'who are lovers of honour and
 true husbandmen1' as well as the       
warriors who are his sole concern in the

 ,republic2 and that though he speaks of
 the common pursuits of men and women1  
he says nothing of the community of     
wives and children4  ,it is singular    
that ,plato should have prefixed the    
most detested of ,athenian names to this
 dialogue1 and even more singular that  
he should have put into the mouth of    
,socrates a panegyric on him 7,tim474   
,yet we know that his character was     
accounted infamous by ,xenophon1 and    
that the mere acquaintance with him was 
made a subject of accusation against    
,socrates4 ,we can only infer that in   
this1 and perhaps in some other cases1  
,plato's characters have no reference to
 the actual facts4 ,the desire to do    
honour to his own family1 and the       
connection with ,solon1 may have        
suggested the introduction of his name4 
,why the ,critias was never completed1  
whether from accident1 or from advancing
 age1 or from a sense of the artistic   
difficulty of the design1 cannot be     
determined4      ,,critias4   ,,persons 

,,of ,,the ,,dialogue3 ,critias1        
,hermocrates1 ,timaeus1 ,socrates4      
,,timaeus3 ,how thankful ,i am1         
,socrates1 that ,i have arrived at last1
 and1 like a weary traveller after a    
long journey1 may be at rest6 ,and ,i   
pray the being who always was of old1   
and has now been by me revealed1 to     
grant that my words may endure in so far
 as they have been spoken truly and     
acceptably to him2 but if               
unintentionally ,i have said anything   
wrong1 ,i pray that he will impose upon 
me a just retribution1 and the just     
retribution of him who errs is that he  
should be set right4 ,wishing1 then1 to 
speak truly in future concerning the    
generation of the gods1 ,i pray him to  
give me knowledge1 which of all         
medicines is the most perfect and best4 
,and now having offered my prayer ,i    
deliver up the argument to ,critias1 who
 is to speak next according to our      
agreement4 7,tim47  ,,critias3 ,and ,i1 
,timaeus1 accept the trust1 and as you  

at first said that you were going to    
speak of high matters1 and begged that  
some forbearance might be shown to you1 
,i too ask the same or greater          
forbearance for what ,i am about to say4
 ,and although ,i very well know that my
 request may appear to be somewhat      
ambitious and discourteous1 ,i must make
 it nevertheless4 ,for will any man of  
sense deny that you have spoken well8 ,i
 can only attempt to show that ,i ought 
to have more indulgence than you1       
because my theme is more difficult2 and 
,i shall argue that to seem to speak    
well of the gods to men is far easier   
than to speak well of men to men3 for   
the inexperience and utter ignorance of 
his hearers about any subject is a great
 assistance to him who has to speak of  
it1 and we know how ignorant we are     
concerning the gods4 ,but ,i should like
 to make my meaning clearer1 if you will
 follow me4 ,all that is said by any of 
us can only be imitation and            
representation4 ,for if we consider the 

likenesses which painters make of bodies
 divine and heavenly1 and the different 
degrees of gratification with which the 
eye of the spectator receives them1 we  
shall see that we are satisfied with the
 artist who is able in any degree to    
imitate the earth and its mountains1 and
 the rivers1 and the woods1 and the     
universe1 and the things that are and   
move therein1 and further1 that knowing 
nothing precise about such matters1 we  
do not examine or analyze the painting2 
all that is required is a sort of       
indistinct and deceptive mode of        
shadowing them forth4 ,but when a person
 endeavours to paint the human form we  
are quick at finding out defects1 and   
our familiar knowledge makes us severe  
judges of any one who does not render   
every point of similarity4 ,and we may  
observe the same thing to happen in     
discourse2 we are satisfied with a      
picture of divine and heavenly things   
which has very little likeness to them2 
but we are more precise in our criticism

 of mortal and human things4 ,wherefore 
if at the moment of speaking ,i cannot  
suitably express my meaning1 you must   
excuse me1 considering that to form     
approved likenesses of human things is  
the reverse of easy4 ,this is what ,i   
want to suggest to you1 and at the same 
time to beg1 ,socrates1 that ,i may have
 not less1 but more indulgence conceded 
to me in what ,i am about to say4 ,which
 favour1 if ,i am right in asking1 ,i   
hope that you will be ready to grant4   
,,socrates3 ,certainly1 ,critias1 we    
will grant your request1 and we will    
grant the same by anticipation to       
,hermocrates1 as well as to you and     
,timaeus2 for ,i have no doubt that when
 his turn comes a little while hence1 he
 will make the same request which you   
have made4 ,in order1 then1 that he may 
provide himself with a fresh beginning1 
and not be compelled to say the same    
things over again1 let him understand   
that the indulgence is already extended 
by anticipation to him4 ,and now1 friend

 ,critias1 ,i will announce to you the  
judgment of the theatre4 ,they are of   
opinion that the last performer was     
wonderfully successful1 and that you    
will need a great deal of indulgence    
before you will be able to take his     
place4  ,,hermocrates3 ,the warning1    
,socrates1 which you have addressed to  
him1 ,i must also take to myself4 ,but  
remember1 ,critias1 that faint heart    
never yet raised a trophy2 and therefore
 you must go and attack the argument    
like a man4 ,first invoke ,apollo and   
the ,muses1 and then let us hear you    
sound the praises and show forth the    
virtues of your ancient citizens4       
,,critias3 ,friend ,hermocrates1 you1   
who are stationed last and have another 
in front of you1 have not lost heart as 
yet2 the gravity of the situation will  
soon be revealed to you2 meanwhile ,i   
accept your exhortations and            
encouragements4 ,but besides the gods   
and goddesses whom you have mentioned1  
,i would specially invoke ,mnemosyne2   

for all the important part of my        
discourse is dependent on her favour1   
and if ,i can recollect and recite      
enough of what was said by the priests  
and brought hither by ,solon1 ,i doubt  
not that ,i shall satisfy the           
requirements of this theatre4 ,and now1 
making no more excuses1 ,i will proceed4
  ,let me begin by observing first of   
all1 that nine thousand was the sum of  
years which had elapsed since the war   
which was said to have taken place      
between those who dwelt outside the     
pillars of ,heracles and all who dwelt  
within them2 this war ,i am going to    
describe4 ,of the combatants on the one 
side1 the city of ,athens was reported  
to have been the leader and to have     
fought out the war2 the combatants on   
the other side were commanded by the    
kings of ,atlantis1 which1 as ,i was    
saying1 was an island greater in extent 
than ,libya and ,asia1 and when         
afterwards sunk by an earthquake1 became
 an impassable barrier of mud to        

voyagers sailing from hence to any part 
of the ocean4 ,the progress of the      
history will unfold the various nations 
of barbarians and families of ,hellenes 
which then existed1 as they successively
 appear on the scene2 but ,i must       
describe first of all the ,athenians of 
that day1 and their enemies who fought  
with them1 and then the respective      
powers and governments of the two       
kingdoms4 ,let us give the precedence to
 ,athens4  ,in the days of old1 the gods
 had the whole earth distributed among  
them by allotment 7,cp4 ,polit47 ,there 
was no quarrelling2 for you cannot      
rightly suppose that the gods did not   
know what was proper for each of them to
 have1 or1 knowing this1 that they would
 seek to procure for themselves by      
contention that which more properly     
belonged to others4 ,they all of them by
 just apportionment obtained what they  
wanted1 and peopled their own districts2
 and when they had peopled them they    
tended us1 their nurselings and         

possessions1 as shepherds tend their    
flocks1 excepting only that they did not
 use blows or bodily force1 as shepherds
 do1 but governed us like pilots from   
the stern of the vessel1 which is an    
easy way of guiding animals1 holding our
 souls by the rudder of persuasion      
according to their own pleasure2--thus  
did they guide all mortal creatures4    
,now different gods had their allotments
 in different places which they set in  
order4 ,hephaestus and ,athene1 who were
 brother and sister1 and sprang from the
 same father1 having a common nature1   
and being united also in the love of    
philosophy and art1 both obtained as    
their common portion this land1 which   
was naturally adapted for wisdom and    
virtue2 and there they implanted brave  
children of the soil1 and put into their
 minds the order of government2 their   
names are preserved1 but their actions  
have disappeared by reason of the       
destruction of those who received the   
tradition1 and the lapse of ages4 ,for  

when there were any survivors1 as ,i    
have already said1 they were men who    
dwelt in the mountains2 and they were   
ignorant of the art of writing1 and had 
heard only the names of the chiefs of   
the land1 but very little about their   
actions4 ,the names they were willing   
enough to give to their children2 but   
the virtues and the laws of their       
predecessors1 they knew only by obscure 
traditions2 and as they themselves and  
their children lacked for many          
generations the necessaries of life1    
they directed their attention to the    
supply of their wants1 and of them they 
conversed1 to the neglect of events that
 had happened in times long past2 for   
mythology and the enquiry into antiquity
 are first introduced into cities when  
they begin to have leisure 7,cp4 ,arist4
 ,metaphys471 and when they see that the
 necessaries of life have already been  
provided1 but not before4 ,and this is  
the reason why the names of the ancients
 have been preserved to us and not their

 actions4 ,this ,i infer because ,solon 
said that the priests in their narrative
 of that war mentioned most of the names
 which are recorded prior to the time of
 ,theseus1 such as ,cecrops1 and        
,erechtheus1 and ,erichthonius1 and     
,erysichthon1 and the names of the women
 in like manner4 ,moreover1 since       
military pursuits were then common to   
men and women1 the men of those days in 
accordance with the custom of the time  
set up a figure and image of the goddess
 in full armour1 to be a testimony that 
all animals which associate together1   
male as well as female1 may1 if they    
please1 practise in common the virtue   
which belongs to them without           
distinction of sex4  ,now the country   
was inhabited in those days by various  
classes of citizens2--there were        
artisans1 and there were husbandmen1 and
 there was also a warrior class         
originally set apart by divine men4 ,the
 latter dwelt by themselves1 and had all
 things suitable for nurture and        

education2 neither had any of them      
anything of their own1 but they regarded
 all that they had as common property2  
nor did they claim to receive of the    
other citizens anything more than their 
necessary food4 ,and they practised all 
the pursuits which we yesterday         
described as those of our imaginary     
guardians4 ,concerning the country the  
,egyptian priests said what is not only 
probable but manifestly true1 that the  
boundaries were in those days fixed by  
the ,isthmus1 and that in the direction 
of the continent they extended as far as
 the heights of ,cithaeron and ,parnes2 
the boundary line came down in the      
direction of the sea1 having the        
district of ,oropus on the right1 and   
with the river ,asopus as the limit on  
the left4 ,the land was the best in the 
world1 and was therefore able in those  
days to support a vast army1 raised from
 the surrounding people4 ,even the      
remnant of ,attica which now exists may 
compare with any region in the world for

 the variety and excellence of its      
fruits and the suitableness of its      
pastures to every sort of animal1 which 
proves what ,i am saying2 but in those  
days the country was fair as now and    
yielded far more abundant produce4 ,how 
shall ,i establish my words8 and what   
part of it can be truly called a remnant
 of the land that then was8 ,the whole  
country is only a long promontory       
extending far into the sea away from the
 rest of the continent1 while the       
surrounding basin of the sea is         
everywhere deep in the neighbourhood of 
the shore4 ,many great deluges have     
taken place during the nine thousand    
years1 for that is the number of years  
which have elapsed since the time of    
which ,i am speaking2 and during all    
this time and through so many changes1  
there has never been any considerable   
accumulation of the soil coming down    
from the mountains1 as in other places1 
but the earth has fallen away all round 
and sunk out of sight4 ,the consequence 

is1 that in comparison of what then was1
 there are remaining only the bones of  
the wasted body1 as they may be called1 
as in the case of small islands1 all the
 richer and softer parts of the soil    
having fallen away1 and the mere        
skeleton of the land being left4 ,but in
 the primitive state of the country1 its
 mountains were high hills covered with 
soil1 and the plains1 as they are termed
 by us1 of ,phelleus were full of rich  
earth1 and there was abundance of wood  
in the mountains4 ,of this last the     
traces still remain1 for although some  
of the mountains now only afford        
sustenance to bees1 not so very long ago
 there were still to be seen roofs of   
timber cut from trees growing there1    
which were of a size sufficient to cover
 the largest houses2 and there were many
 other high trees1 cultivated by man and
 bearing abundance of food for cattle4  
,moreover1 the land reaped the benefit  
of the annual rainfall1 not as now      
losing the water which flows off the    

bare earth into the sea1 but1 having an 
abundant supply in all places1 and      
receiving it into herself and treasuring
 it up in the close clay soil1 it let   
off into the hollows the streams which  
it absorbed from the heights1 providing 
everywhere abundant fountains and       
rivers1 of which there may still be     
observed sacred memorials in places     
where fountains once existed2 and this  
proves the truth of what ,i am saying4  
,such was the natural state of the      
country1 which was cultivated1 as we may
 well believe1 by true husbandmen1 who  
made husbandry their business1 and were 
lovers of honour1 and of a noble nature1
 and had a soil the best in the world1  
and abundance of water1 and in the      
heaven above an excellently attempered  
climate4 ,now the city in those days was
 arranged on this wise4 ,in the first   
place the ,acropolis was not as now4    
,for the fact is that a single night of 
excessive rain washed away the earth and
 laid bare the rock2 at the same time   

there were earthquakes1 and then        
occurred the extraordinary inundation1  
which was the third before the great    
destruction of ,deucalion4 ,but in      
primitive times the hill of the         
,acropolis extended to the ,eridanus and
 ,ilissus1 and included the ,pnyx on one
 side1 and the ,lycabettus as a boundary
 on the opposite side to the ,pnyx1 and 
was all well covered with soil1 and     
level at the top1 except in one or two  
places4 ,outside the ,acropolis and     
under the sides of the hill there dwelt 
artisans1 and such of the husbandmen as 
were tilling the ground near2 the       
warrior class dwelt by themselves around
 the temples of ,athene and ,hephaestus 
at the summit1 which moreover they had  
enclosed with a single fence like the   
garden of a single house4 ,on the north 
side they had dwellings in common and   
had erected halls for dining in winter1 
and had all the buildings which they    
needed for their common life1 besides   
temples1 but there was no adorning of   

them with gold and silver1 for they made
 no use of these for any purpose2 they  
took a middle course between meanness   
and ostentation1 and built modest houses
 in which they and their children's     
children grew old1 and they handed them 
down to others who were like themselves1
 always the same4 ,but in summer-time   
they left their gardens and gymnasia and
 dining halls1 and then the southern    
side of the hill was made use of by them
 for the same purpose4 ,where the       
,acropolis now is there was a fountain1 
which was choked by the earthquake1 and 
has left only the few small streams     
which still exist in the vicinity1 but  
in those days the fountain gave an      
abundant supply of water for all and of 
suitable temperature in summer and in   
winter4 ,this is how they dwelt1 being  
the guardians of their own citizens and 
the leaders of the ,hellenes1 who were  
their willing followers4 ,and they took 
care to preserve the same number of men 
and women through all time1 being so    

many as were required for warlike       
purposes1 then as now--that is to say1  
about twenty thousand4 ,such were the   
ancient ,athenians1 and after this      
manner they righteously administered    
their own land and the rest of ,hellas2 
they were renowned all over ,europe and 
,asia for the beauty of their persons   
and for the many virtues of their souls1
 and of all men who lived in those days 
they were the most illustrious4 ,and    
next1 if ,i have not forgotten what ,i  
heard when ,i was a child1 ,i will      
impart to you the character and origin  
of their adversaries4 ,for friends      
should not keep their stories to        
themselves1 but have them in common4    
,yet1 before proceeding further in the  
narrative1 ,i ought to warn you1 that   
you must not be surprised if you should 
perhaps hear ,hellenic names given to   
foreigners4 ,i will tell you the reason 
of this3 ,solon1 who was intending to   
use the tale for his poem1 enquired into
 the meaning of the names1 and found    

that the early ,egyptians in writing    
them down had translated them into their
 own language1 and he recovered the     
meaning of the several names and when   
copying them out again translated them  
into our language4 ,my                  
great-grandfather1 ,dropides1 had the   
original writing1 which is still in my  
possession1 and was carefully studied by
 me when ,i was a child4 ,therefore if  
you hear names such as are used in this 
country1 you must not be surprised1 for 
,i have told how they came to be        
introduced4 ,the tale1 which was of     
great length1 began as follows3--  ,i   
have before remarked in speaking of the 
allotments of the gods1 that they       
distributed the whole earth into        
portions differing in extent1 and made  
for themselves temples and instituted   
sacrifices4 ,and ,poseidon1 receiving   
for his lot the island of ,atlantis1    
begat children by a mortal woman1 and   
settled them in a part of the island1   
which ,i will describe4 ,looking towards

 the sea1 but in the centre of the whole
 island1 there was a plain which is said
 to have been the fairest of all plains 
and very fertile4 ,near the plain again1
 and also in the centre of the island at
 a distance of about fifty stadia1 there
 was a mountain not very high on any    
side4 ,in this mountain there dwelt one 
of the earth-born primeval men of that  
country1 whose name was ,evenor1 and he 
had a wife named ,leucippe1 and they had
 an only daughter who was called        
,cleito4 ,the maiden had already reached
 womanhood1 when her father and mother  
died2 ,poseidon fell in love with her   
and had intercourse with her1 and       
breaking the ground1 inclosed the hill  
in which she dwelt all round1 making    
alternate zones of sea and land larger  
and smaller1 encircling one another2    
there were two of land and three of     
water1 which he turned as with a lathe1 
each having its circumference           
equidistant every way from the centre1  
so that no man could get to the island1 

for ships and voyages were not as yet4  
,he himself1 being a god1 found no      
difficulty in making special            
arrangements for the centre island1     
bringing up two springs of water from   
beneath the earth1 one of warm water and
 the other of cold1 and making every    
variety of food to spring up abundantly 
from the soil4 ,he also begat and       
brought up five pairs of twin male      
children2 and dividing the island of    
,atlantis into ten portions1 he gave to 
the first-born of the eldest pair his   
mother's dwelling and the surrounding   
allotment1 which was the largest and    
best1 and made him king over the rest2  
the others he made princes1 and gave    
them rule over many men1 and a large    
territory4 ,and he named them all2 the  
eldest1 who was the first king1 he named
 ,atlas1 and after him the whole island 
and the ocean were called ,atlantic4 ,to
 his twin brother1 who was born after   
him1 and obtained as his lot the        
extremity of the island towards the     

pillars of ,heracles1 facing the country
 which is now called the region of      
,gades in that part of the world1 he    
gave the name which in the ,hellenic    
language is ,eumelus1 in the language of
 the country which is named after him1  
,gadeirus4 ,of the second pair of twins 
he called one ,ampheres1 and the other  
,evaemon4 ,to the elder of the third    
pair of twins he gave the name ,mneseus1
 and ,autochthon to the one who followed
 him4 ,of the fourth pair of twins he   
called the elder ,elasippus1 and the    
younger ,mestor4 ,and of the fifth pair 
he gave to the elder the name of ,azaes1
 and to the younger that of ,diaprepes4 
,all these and their descendants for    
many generations were the inhabitants   
and rulers of divers islands in the open
 sea2 and also1 as has been already     
said1 they held sway in our direction   
over the country within the pillars as  
far as ,egypt and ,tyrrhenia4 ,now      
,atlas had a numerous and honourable    
family1 and they retained the kingdom1  

the eldest son handing it on to his     
eldest for many generations2 and they   
had such an amount of wealth as was     
never before possessed by kings and     
potentates1 and is not likely ever to be
 again1 and they were furnished with    
everything which they needed1 both in   
the city and country4 ,for because of   
the greatness of their empire many      
things were brought to them from foreign
 countries1 and the island itself       
provided most of what was required by   
them for the uses of life4 ,in the first
 place1 they dug out of the earth       
whatever was to be found there1 solid as
 well as fusile1 and that which is now  
only a name and was then something more 
than a name1 orichalcum1 was dug out of 
the earth in many parts of the island1  
being more precious in those days than  
anything except gold4 ,there was an     
abundance of wood for carpenter's work1 
and sufficient maintenance for tame and 
wild animals4 ,moreover1 there were a   
great number of elephants in the island2

 for as there was provision for all     
other sorts of animals1 both for those  
which live in lakes and marshes and     
rivers1 and also for those which live in
 mountains and on plains1 so there was  
for the animal which is the largest and 
most voracious of all4 ,also whatever   
fragrant things there now are in the    
earth1 whether roots1 or herbage1 or    
woods1 or essences which distil from    
fruit and flower1 grew and thrived in   
that land2 also the fruit which admits  
of cultivation1 both the dry sort1 which
 is given us for nourishment and any    
other which we use for food--we call    
them all by the common name of pulse1   
and the fruits having a hard rind1      
affording drinks and meats and          
ointments1 and good store of chestnuts  
and the like1 which furnish pleasure and
 amusement1 and are fruits which spoil  
with keeping1 and the pleasant kinds of 
dessert1 with which we console ourselves
 after dinner1 when we are tired of     
eating--all these that sacred island    

which then beheld the light of the sun1 
brought forth fair and wondrous and in  
infinite abundance4 ,with such blessings
 the earth freely furnished them2       
meanwhile they went on constructing     
their temples and palaces and harbours  
and docks4 ,and they arranged the whole 
country in the following manner3--      
,first of all they bridged over the     
zones of sea which surrounded the       
ancient metropolis1 making a road to and
 from the royal palace4 ,and at the very
 beginning they built the palace in the 
habitation of the god and of their      
ancestors1 which they continued to      
ornament in successive generations1     
every king surpassing the one who went  
before him to the utmost of his power1  
until they made the building a marvel to
 behold for size and for beauty4 ,and   
beginning from the sea they bored a     
canal of three hundred feet in width and
 one hundred feet in depth and fifty    
stadia in length1 which they carried    
through to the outermost zone1 making a 

passage from the sea up to this1 which  
became a harbour1 and leaving an opening
 sufficient to enable the largest       
vessels to find ingress4 ,moreover1 they
 divided at the bridges the zones of    
land which parted the zones of sea1     
leaving room for a single trireme to    
pass out of one zone into another1 and  
they covered over the channels so as to 
leave a way underneath for the ships2   
for the banks were raised considerably  
above the water4 ,now the largest of the
 zones into which a passage was cut from
 the sea was three stadia in breadth1   
and the zone of land which came next of 
equal breadth2 but the next two zones1  
the one of water1 the other of land1    
were two stadia1 and the one which      
surrounded the central island was a     
stadium only in width4 ,the island in   
which the palace was situated had a     
diameter of five stadia4 ,all this      
including the zones and the bridge1     
which was the sixth part of a stadium in
 width1 they surrounded by a stone wall 

on every side1 placing towers and gates 
on the bridges where the sea passed in4 
,the stone which was used in the work   
they quarried from underneath the centre
 island1 and from underneath the zones1 
on the outer as well as the inner side4 
,one kind was white1 another black1 and 
a third red1 and as they quarried1 they 
at the same time hollowed out double    
docks1 having roofs formed out of the   
native rock4 ,some of their buildings   
were simple1 but in others they put     
together different stones1 varying the  
colour to please the eye1 and to be a   
natural source of delight4 ,the entire  
circuit of the wall1 which went round   
the outermost zone1 they covered with a 
coating of brass1 and the circuit of the
 next wall they coated with tin1 and the
 third1 which encompassed the citadel1  
flashed with the red light of           
orichalcum4 ,the palaces in the interior
 of the citadel were constructed on this
 wise3--,in the centre was a holy temple
 dedicated to ,cleito and ,poseidon1    

which remained inaccessible1 and was    
surrounded by an enclosure of gold2 this
 was the spot where the family of the   
ten princes first saw the light1 and    
thither the people annually brought the 
fruits of the earth in their season from
 all the ten portions1 to be an offering
 to each of the ten4 ,here was          
,poseidon's own temple which was a      
stadium in length1 and half a stadium in
 width1 and of a proportionate height1  
having a strange barbaric appearance4   
,all the outside of the temple1 with the
 exception of the pinnacles1 they       
covered with silver1 and the pinnacles  
with gold4 ,in the interior of the      
temple the roof was of ivory1 curiously 
wrought everywhere with gold and silver 
and orichalcum2 and all the other parts1
 the walls and pillars and floor1 they  
coated with orichalcum4 ,in the temple  
they placed statues of gold3 there was  
the god himself standing in a           
chariot--the charioteer of six winged   
horses--and of such a size that he      

touched the roof of the building with   
his head2 around him there were a       
hundred ,nereids riding on dolphins1 for
 such was thought to be the number of   
them by the men of those days4 ,there   
were also in the interior of the temple 
other images which had been dedicated by
 private persons4 ,and around the temple
 on the outside were placed statues of  
gold of all the descendants of the ten  
kings and of their wives1 and there were
 many other great offerings of kings and
 of private persons1 coming both from   
the city itself and from the foreign    
cities over which they held sway4 ,there
 was an altar too1 which in size and    
workmanship corresponded to this        
magnificence1 and the palaces1 in like  
manner1 answered to the greatness of the
 kingdom and the glory of the temple4   
,in the next place1 they had fountains1 
one of cold and another of hot water1 in
 gracious plenty flowing2 and they were 
wonderfully adapted for use by reason of
 the pleasantness and excellence of     

their waters4 ,they constructed         
buildings about them and planted        
suitable trees1 also they made cisterns1
 some open to the heaven1 others roofed 
over1 to be used in winter as warm      
baths2 there were the kings' baths1 and 
the baths of private persons1 which were
 kept apart2 and there were separate    
baths for women1 and for horses and     
cattle1 and to each of them they gave as
 much adornment as was suitable4 ,of the
 water which ran off they carried some  
to the grove of ,poseidon1 where were   
growing all manner of trees of wonderful
 height and beauty1 owing to the        
excellence of the soil1 while the       
remainder was conveyed by aqueducts     
along the bridges to the outer circles2 
and there were many temples built and   
dedicated to many gods2 also gardens and
 places of exercise1 some for men1 and  
others for horses in both of the two    
islands formed by the zones2 and in the 
centre of the larger of the two there   
was set apart a race-course of a stadium

 in width1 and in length allowed to     
extend all round the island1 for horses 
to race in4 ,also there were            
guard-houses at intervals for the       
guards1 the more trusted of whom were   
appointed to keep watch in the lesser   
zone1 which was nearer the ,acropolis2  
while the most trusted of all had houses
 given them within the citadel1 near the
 persons of the kings4 ,the docks were  
full of triremes and naval stores1 and  
all things were quite ready for use4    
,enough of the plan of the royal palace4
  ,leaving the palace and passing out   
across the three harbours1 you came to a
 wall which began at the sea and went   
all round3 this was everywhere distant  
fifty stadia from the largest zone or   
harbour1 and enclosed the whole1 the    
ends meeting at the mouth of the channel
 which led to the sea4 ,the entire area 
was densely crowded with habitations2   
and the canal and the largest of the    
harbours were full of vessels and       
merchants coming from all parts1 who1   

from their numbers1 kept up a           
multitudinous sound of human voices1 and
 din and clatter of all sorts night and 
day4  ,i have described the city and the
 environs of the ancient palace nearly  
in the words of ,solon1 and now ,i must 
endeavour to represent to you the nature
 and arrangement of the rest of the     
land4 ,the whole country was said by him
 to be very lofty and precipitous on the
 side of the sea1 but the country       
immediately about and surrounding the   
city was a level plain1 itself          
surrounded by mountains which descended 
towards the sea2 it was smooth and even1
 and of an oblong shape1 extending in   
one direction three thousand stadia1 but
 across the centre inland it was two    
thousand stadia4 ,this part of the      
island looked towards the south1 and was
 sheltered from the north4 ,the         
surrounding mountains were celebrated   
for their number and size and beauty1   
far beyond any which still exist1 having
 in them also many wealthy villages of  

country folk1 and rivers1 and lakes1 and
 meadows supplying food enough for every
 animal1 wild or tame1 and much wood of 
various sorts1 abundant for each and    
every kind of work4  ,i will now        
describe the plain1 as it was fashioned 
by nature and by the labours of many    
generations of kings through long ages4 
,it was for the most part rectangular   
and oblong1 and where falling out of the
 straight line followed the circular    
ditch4 ,the depth1 and width1 and length
 of this ditch were incredible1 and gave
 the impression that a work of such     
extent1 in addition to so many others1  
could never have been artificial4       
,nevertheless ,i must say what ,i was   
told4 ,it was excavated to the depth of 
a hundred feet1 and its breadth was a   
stadium everywhere2 it was carried round
 the whole of the plain1 and was ten    
thousand stadia in length4 ,it received 
the streams which came down from the    
mountains1 and winding round the plain  
and meeting at the city1 was there let  

off into the sea4 ,further inland1      
likewise1 straight canals of a hundred  
feet in width were cut from it through  
the plain1 and again let off into the   
ditch leading to the sea3 these canals  
were at intervals of a hundred stadia1  
and by them they brought down the wood  
from the mountains to the city1 and     
conveyed the fruits of the earth in     
ships1 cutting transverse passages from 
one canal into another1 and to the city4
 ,twice in the year they gathered the   
fruits of the earth--in winter having   
the benefit of the rains of heaven1 and 
in summer the water which the land      
supplied by introducing streams from the
 canals4  ,as to the population1 each of
 the lots in the plain had to find a    
leader for the men who were fit for     
military service1 and the size of a lot 
was a square of ten stadia each way1 and
 the total number of all the lots was   
sixty thousand4 ,and of the inhabitants 
of the mountains and of the rest of the 
country there was also a vast multitude1

 which was distributed among the lots   
and had leaders assigned to them        
according to their districts and        
villages4 ,the leader was required to   
furnish for the war the sixth portion of
 a war-chariot1 so as to make up a total
 of ten thousand chariots2 also two     
horses and riders for them1 and a pair  
of chariot-horses without a seat1       
accompanied by a horseman who could     
fight on foot carrying a small shield1  
and having a charioteer who stood behind
 the man-at-arms to guide the two       
horses2 also1 he was bound to furnish   
two heavy-armed soldiers1 two archers1  
two slingers1 three stone-shooters and  
three javelin-men1 who were light-armed1
 and four sailors to make up the        
complement of twelve hundred ships4     
,such was the military order of the     
royal city--the order of the other nine 
governments varied1 and it would be     
wearisome to recount their several      
differences4  ,as to offices and        
honours1 the following was the          

arrangement from the first4 ,each of the
 ten kings in his own division and in   
his own city had the absolute control of
 the citizens1 and1 in most cases1 of   
the laws1 punishing and slaying         
whomsoever he would4 ,now the order of  
precedence among them and their mutual  
relations were regulated by the commands
 of ,poseidon which the law had handed  
down4 ,these were inscribed by the first
 kings on a pillar of orichalcum1 which 
was situated in the middle of the       
island1 at the temple of ,poseidon1     
whither the kings were gathered together
 every fifth and every sixth year       
alternately1 thus giving equal honour to
 the odd and to the even number4 ,and   
when they were gathered together they   
consulted about their common interests1 
and enquired if any one had transgressed
 in anything1 and passed judgment1 and  
before they passed judgment they gave   
their pledges to one another on this    
wise3--,there were bulls who had the    
range of the temple of ,poseidon2 and   

the ten kings1 being left alone in the  
temple1 after they had offered prayers  
to the god that they might capture the  
victim which was acceptable to him1     
hunted the bulls1 without weapons1 but  
with staves and nooses2 and the bull    
which they caught they led up to the    
pillar and cut its throat over the top  
of it so that the blood fell upon the   
sacred inscription4 ,now on the pillar1 
besides the laws1 there was inscribed an
 oath invoking mighty curses on the     
disobedient4 ,when therefore1 after     
slaying the bull in the accustomed      
manner1 they had burnt its limbs1 they  
filled a bowl of wine and cast in a clot
 of blood for each of them2 the rest of 
the victim they put in the fire1 after  
having purified the column all round4   
,then they drew from the bowl in golden 
cups1 and pouring a libation on the     
fire1 they swore that they would judge  
according to the laws on the pillar1 and
 would punish him who in any point had  
already transgressed them1 and that for 

the future they would not1 if they could
 help1 offend against the writing on the
 pillar1 and would neither command      
others1 nor obey any ruler who commanded
 them1 to act otherwise than according  
to the laws of their father ,poseidon4  
,this was the prayer which each of them 
offered up for himself and for his      
descendants1 at the same time drinking  
and dedicating the cup out of which he  
drank in the temple of the god2 and     
after they had supped and satisfied     
their needs1 when darkness came on1 and 
the fire about the sacrifice was cool1  
all of them put on most beautiful azure 
robes1 and1 sitting on the ground1 at   
night1 over the embers of the sacrifices
 by which they had sworn1 and           
extinguishing all the fire about the    
temple1 they received and gave judgment1
 if any of them had an accusation to    
bring against any one2 and when they had
 given judgment1 at daybreak they wrote 
down their sentences on a golden tablet1
 and dedicated it together with their   

robes to be a memorial4  ,there were    
many special laws affecting the several 
kings inscribed about the temples1 but  
the most important was the following3   
,they were not to take up arms against  
one another1 and they were all to come  
to the rescue if any one in any of their
 cities attempted to overthrow the royal
 house2 like their ancestors1 they were 
to deliberate in common about war and   
other matters1 giving the supremacy to  
the descendants of ,atlas4 ,and the king
 was not to have the power of life and  
death over any of his kinsmen unless he 
had the assent of the majority of the   
ten4  ,such was the vast power which the
 god settled in the lost island of      
,atlantis2 and this he afterwards       
directed against our land for the       
following reasons1 as tradition tells3  
,for many generations1 as long as the   
divine nature lasted in them1 they were 
obedient to the laws1 and               
well-affectioned towards the god1 whose 
seed they were2 for they possessed true 

and in every way great spirits1 uniting 
gentleness with wisdom in the various   
chances of life1 and in their           
intercourse with one another4 ,they     
despised everything but virtue1 caring  
little for their present state of life1 
and thinking lightly of the possession  
of gold and other property1 which seemed
 only a burden to them2 neither were    
they intoxicated by luxury2 nor did     
wealth deprive them of their            
self-control2 but they were sober1 and  
saw clearly that all these goods are    
increased by virtue and friendship with 
one another1 whereas by too great regard
 and respect for them1 they are lost and
 friendship with them4 ,by such         
reflections and by the continuance in   
them of a divine nature1 the qualities  
which we have described grew and        
increased among them2 but when the      
divine portion began to fade away1 and  
became diluted too often and too much   
with the mortal admixture1 and the human
 nature got the upper hand1 they then1  

being unable to bear their fortune1     
behaved unseemly1 and to him who had an 
eye to see grew visibly debased1 for    
they were losing the fairest of their   
precious gifts2 but to those who had no 
eye to see the true happiness1 they     
appeared glorious and blessed at the    
very time when they were full of avarice
 and unrighteous power4 ,zeus1 the god  
of gods1 who rules according to law1 and
 is able to see into such things1       
perceiving that an honourable race was  
in a woeful plight1 and wanting to      
inflict punishment on them1 that they   
might be chastened and improve1         
collected all the gods into their most  
holy habitation1 which1 being placed in 
the centre of the world1 beholds all    
created things4 ,and when he had called 
them together1 he spake as follows--99  
99 ,the rest of the ,dialogue of        
,critias has been lost4