Critias
  by　Plato
  Translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett
  INTRODUCTION　AND　ANALYSIS。
  The　Critias　is　a　fragment　which　breaks　off　in　the　middle　of　a　sentence。　　It
  was　designed　to　be　the　second　part　of　a　trilogy；　which；　like　the　other
  great　Platonic　trilogy　of　the　Sophist；　Statesman；　Philosopher；　was　never
  completed。　　Timaeus　had　brought　down　the　origin　of　the　world　to　the
  creation　of　man；　and　the　dawn　of　history　was　now　to　succeed　the　philosophy
  of　nature。　　The　Critias　is　also　connected　with　the　Republic。　　Plato；　as　he
  has　already　told　us　（Tim。）；　intended　to　represent　the　ideal　state　engaged
  in　a　patriotic　conflict。　　This　mythical　conflict　is　prophetic　or　symbolical
  of　the　struggle　of　Athens　and　Persia；　perhaps　in　some　degree　also　of　the
  wars　of　the　Greeks　and　Carthaginians；　in　the　same　way　that　the　Persian　is
  prefigured　by　the　Trojan　war　to　the　mind　of　Herodotus；　or　as　the　narrative
  of　the　first　part　of　the　Aeneid　is　intended　by　Virgil　to　foreshadow　the
  wars　of　Carthage　and　Rome。　　The　small　number　of　the　primitive　Athenian
  citizens　（20；000）；　'which　is　about　their　present　number'　（Crit。）；　is
  evidently　designed　to　contrast　with　the　myriads　and　barbaric　array　of　the
  Atlantic　hosts。　　The　passing　remark　in　the　Timaeus　that　Athens　was　left
  alone　in　the　struggle；　in　which　she　conquered　and　became　the　liberator　of
  Greece；　is　also　an　allusion　to　the　later　history。　　Hence　we　may　safely
  conclude　that　the　entire　narrative　is　due　to　the　imagination　of　Plato；　who
  has　used　the　name　of　Solon　and　introduced　the　Egyptian　priests　to　give
  verisimilitude　to　his　story。　　To　the　Greek　such　a　tale；　like　that　of　the
  earth…born　men；　would　have　seemed　perfectly　accordant　with　the　character　of
  his　mythology；　and　not　more　marvellous　than　the　wonders　of　the　East
  narrated　by　Herodotus　and　others：　　he　might　have　been　deceived　into
  believing　it。　　But　it　appears　strange　that　later　ages　should　have　been
  imposed　upon　by　the　fiction。　　As　many　attempts　have　been　made　to　find　the
  great　island　of　Atlantis；　as　to　discover　the　country　of　the　lost　tribes。
  Without　regard　to　the　description　of　Plato；　and　without　a　suspicion　that
  the　whole　narrative　is　a　fabrication；　interpreters　have　looked　for　the　spot
  in　every　part　of　the　globe；　America；　Arabia　Felix；　Ceylon；　Palestine；
  Sardinia；　Sweden。
  Timaeus　concludes　with　a　prayer　that　his　words　may　be　acceptable　to　the　God
  whom　he　has　revealed；　and　Critias；　whose　turn　follows；　begs　that　a　larger
  measure　of　indulgence　may　be　conceded　to　him；　because　he　has　to　speak　of
  men　whom　we　know　and　not　of　gods　whom　we　do　not　know。　　Socrates　readily
  grants　his　request；　and　anticipating　that　Hermocrates　will　make　a　similar
  petition；　extends　by　anticipation　a　like　indulgence　to　him。
  Critias　returns　to　his　story；　professing　only　to　repeat　what　Solon　was　told
  by　the　priests。　　The　war　of　which　he　was　about　to　speak　had　occurred　9000
  years　ago。　　One　of　the　combatants　was　the　city　of　Athens；　the　other　was　the
  great　island　of　Atlantis。　　Critias　proposes　to　speak　of　these　rival　powers
  first　of　all；　giving　to　Athens　the　precedence；　the　various　tribes　of　Greeks
  and　barbarians　who　took　part　in　the　war　will　be　dealt　with　as　they
  successively　appear　on　the　scene。
  In　the　beginning　the　gods　agreed　to　divide　the　earth　by　lot　in　a　friendly
  manner；　and　when　they　had　made　the　allotment　they　settled　their　several
  countries；　and　were　the　shepherds　or　rather　the　pilots　of　mankind；　whom
  they　guided　by　persuasion；　and　not　by　force。　　Hephaestus　and　Athena；
  brother　and　sister　deities；　in　mind　and　art　united；　obtained　as　their　lot
  the　land　of　Attica；　a　land　suited　to　the　growth　of　virtue　and　wisdom；　and
  there　they　settled　a　brave　race　of　children　of　the　soil；　and　taught　them
  how　to　order　the　state。　　Some　of　their　names；　such　as　Cecrops；　Erechtheus；
  Erichthonius；　and　Erysichthon；　were　preserved　and　adopted　in　later　times；
  but　the　memory　of　their　deeds　has　passed　away；　for　there　have　since　been
  many　deluges；　and　the　remnant　who　survived　in　the　mountains　were　ignorant
  of　the　art　of　writing；　and　during　many　generations　were　wholly　devoted　to
  acquiring　the　means　of　life。。。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　days；　as　they　ought　always　to　have；　common　virtues
  and　pursuits。　　There　were　various　classes　of　citizens；　including
  handicraftsmen　and　husbandmen　and　a　superior　class　of　warriors　who　dwelt
  apart；　and　were　educated；　and　had　all　things　in　common；　like　our　guardians。
  Attica　in　those　days　extended　southwards　to　the　Isthmus；　and　inland　to　the
  heights　of　Parnes　and　Cithaeron；　and　between　them　and　the　sea　included　the
  district　of　Oropus。　　The　country　was　then；　as　what　remains　of　it　still　is；
  the　most　fertile　in　the　world；　and　abounded　in　rich　plains　and　pastures。
  But　in　the　course　of　ages　much　of　the　soil　was　washed　away　and　disappeared
  in　the　deep　sea。　　And　the　inhabitants　of　this　fair　land　were　endowed　with
  intelligence　and　the　love　of　beauty。
  The　Acropolis　of　the　ancient　Athens　extended　to　the　Ilissus　and　Eridanus；
  and　included　the　Pnyx；　and　the　Lycabettus　on　the　opposite　side　to　the　Pnyx；
  having　a　level　surface　and　deep　soil。　　The　side　of　the　hill　was　inhabited
  by　craftsmen　and　husbandmen；　and　the　warriors　dwelt　by　themselves　on　the
  summit；　around　the　temples　of　Hephaestus　and　Athene；　in　an　enclosure　which
  was　like　the　garden　of　a　single　house。　　In　winter　they　retired　into　houses
  on　the　north　of　the　hill；　in　which　they　held　their　syssitia。　　These　were
  modest　dwellings；　which　they　bequeathed　unaltered　to　their　children's
  children。　　In　summer　time　the　south　side　was　inhabited　by　them；　and　then
  they　left　their　gardens　and　dining…halls。　　In　the　midst　of　the　Acropolis
  was　a　fountain；　which　gave　an　abundant　supply　of　cool　water　in　summer　and
  warm　in　winter；　of　this　there　are　still　some　traces。　　They　were　careful　to
  preserve　the　number　of　fighting　men　and　women　at　20；000；　which　is　equal　to
  that　of　the　present　military　force。　　And　so　they　passed　their　lives　as
  guardians　of　the　citizens　and　leaders　of　the　Hellenes。　　They　were　a　just
  and　famous　race；　celebrated　for　their　beauty　and　virtue　all　over　Europe　and
  Asia。
  And　now　I　will　speak　to　you　of　their　adversaries；　but　first　I　ought　to
  explain　that　the　Greek　names　were　given　to　Solon　in　an　Egyptian　form；　and
  he　enquired　their　meaning　and　translated　them。　　His　manuscript　was　left
  with　my　grandfather　Dropides；　and　is　now　in　my　possession。。。In　the　division
  of　the　earth　Poseidon　obtained　as　his　portion　the　island　of　Atlantis；　and
  there　he　begat　children　whose　mother　was　a　mortal。　　Towards　the　sea　and　in
  the　centre　of　the　island　there　was　a　very　fair　and　fertile　plain；　and　near
  the　centre；　about　fifty　stadia　from　the　plain；　there　was　a　low　mountain　in
  which　dwelt　a　man　named　Evenor　and　his　wife　Leucippe；　and　their　daughter
  Cleito；　of　whom　Poseidon　became　enamoured。　　He　to　secure　his　love　enclosed
  the　mountain　with　rings　or　zones　varying　in　size；　two　of　land　and　three　of
  sea；　which　his　divine　power　readily　enabled　him　to　excavate　and　fashion；
  and；　as　there　was　no　shipping　in　those　days；　no　man　could　get　into　the
  place。　　To　the　interior　island　he　conveyed　under　the　earth　springs　of　water
  hot　and　cold；　and　supplied　the　land　with　all　things　needed　for　the　life　of
  man。　　Here　he　begat　a　family　consisting　of　five　pairs　of　twin　male
  children。　　The　eldest　was　Atlas；　and　him　he　made　king　of　the　centre　island；
  while　to　his　twin　brother；　Eumelus；　or　Gadeirus；　he　assigned　that　part　of
  the　country　which　was　nearest　the　Straits。　　The　other　brothers　he　made
  chiefs　over　the　rest　of　the　island。　　And　their　kingdom　extended　as　far　as
  Egypt　and　Tyrrhenia。　　Now　Atlas　had　a　fair　posterity；　and　great　treasures
  derived　from　minesamong　them　that　precious　metal　orichalcum；　and　there
  was　abundance　of　wood；　and　herds　of　elephants；　and　pastures　for　animals　of
  all　kinds；　and　fragrant　herbs；　and　grasses；　and　trees　bearing　fruit。　　These
  they　used；　and　employed　themselves　in　constructing　their　temples；　and
  palaces；　and　harbours；　and　docks；　in　the　following　manner：First；　they
  bridged　over　the　zones　of　sea；　and　made　a　way　to　and　from　the　royal　palace
  which　they　built　in　the　centre　island。　　This　ancient　palace　was　ornamented
  by　successive　generations；　and　they　dug　a　canal　which　passed　through　the
  zones　of　land　from　the　island　to　the　sea。　　The　zones　of　earth　were
  surrounded　by　walls　made　o