kings　on　a　pillar　of　orichalcum；　which　was　situated　in　the　middle　of　the
  island；　at　the　temple　of　Poseidon；　whither　the　kings　were　gathered　together
  every　fifth　and　every　sixth　year　alternately；　thus　giving　equal　honour　to
  the　odd　and　to　the　even　number。　　And　when　they　were　gathered　together　they
  consulted　about　their　common　interests；　and　enquired　if　any　one　had
  transgressed　in　anything；　and　passed　judgment；　and　before　they　passed
  judgment　they　gave　their　pledges　to　one　another　on　this　wise：There　were
  bulls　who　had　the　range　of　the　temple　of　Poseidon；　and　the　ten　kings；　being
  left　alone　in　the　temple；　after　they　had　offered　prayers　to　the　god　that
  they　might　capture　the　victim　which　was　acceptable　to　him；　hunted　the
  bulls；　without　weapons；　but　with　staves　and　nooses；　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　inscription。　　Now　on　the　pillar；
  besides　the　laws；　there　was　inscribed　an　oath　invoking　mighty　curses　on　the
  disobedient。　　When　therefore；　after　slaying　the　bull　in　the　accustomed
  manner；　they　had　burnt　its　limbs；　they　filled　a　bowl　of　wine　and　cast　in　a
  clot　of　blood　for　each　of　them；　the　rest　of　the　victim　they　put　in　the
  fire；　after　having　purified　the　column　all　round。　　Then　they　drew　from　the
  bowl　in　golden　cups；　and　pouring　a　libation　on　the　fire；　they　swore　that
  they　would　judge　according　to　the　laws　on　the　pillar；　and　would　punish　him
  who　in　any　point　had　already　transgressed　them；　and　that　for　the　future
  they　would　not；　if　they　could　help；　offend　against　the　writing　on　the
  pillar；　and　would　neither　command　others；　nor　obey　any　ruler　who　commanded
  them；　to　act　otherwise　than　according　to　the　laws　of　their　father　Poseidon。
  This　was　the　prayer　which　each　of　them　offered　up　for　himself　and　for　his
  descendants；　at　the　same　time　drinking　and　dedicating　the　cup　out　of　which
  he　drank　in　the　temple　of　the　god；　and　after　they　had　supped　and　satisfied
  their　needs；　when　darkness　came　on；　and　the　fire　about　the　sacrifice　was
  cool；　all　of　them　put　on　most　beautiful　azure　robes；　and；　sitting　on　the
  ground；　at　night；　over　the　embers　of　the　sacrifices　by　which　they　had
  sworn；　and　extinguishing　all　the　fire　about　the　temple；　they　received　and
  gave　judgment；　if　any　of　them　had　an　accusation　to　bring　against　any　one；
  and　when　they　had　given　judgment；　at　daybreak　they　wrote　down　their
  sentences　on　a　golden　tablet；　and　dedicated　it　together　with　their　robes　to
  be　a　memorial。
  There　were　many　special　laws　affecting　the　several　kings　inscribed　about
  the　temples；　but　the　most　important　was　the　following：　　They　were　not　to
  take　up　arms　against　one　another；　and　they　were　all　to　come　to　the　rescue
  if　any　one　in　any　of　their　cities　attempted　to　overthrow　the　royal　house；
  like　their　ancestors；　they　were　to　deliberate　in　common　about　war　and　other
  matters；　giving　the　supremacy　to　the　descendants　of　Atlas。　　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　ten。
  Such　was　the　vast　power　which　the　god　settled　in　the　lost　island　of
  Atlantis；　and　this　he　afterwards　directed　against　our　land　for　the
  following　reasons；　as　tradition　tells：　　For　many　generations；　as　long　as
  the　divine　nature　lasted　in　them；　they　were　obedient　to　the　laws；　and
  well…affectioned　towards　the　god；　whose　seed　they　were；　for　they　possessed
  true　and　in　every　way　great　spirits；　uniting　gentleness　with　wisdom　in　the
  various　chances　of　life；　and　in　their　intercourse　with　one　another。　　They
  despised　everything　but　virtue；　caring　little　for　their　present　state　of
  life；　and　thinking　lightly　of　the　possession　of　gold　and　other　property；
  which　seemed　only　a　burden　to　them；　neither　were　they　intoxicated　by
  luxury；　nor　did　wealth　deprive　them　of　their　self…control；　but　they　were
  sober；　and　saw　clearly　that　all　these　goods　are　increased　by　virtue　and
  friendship　with　one　another；　whereas　by　too　great　regard　and　respect　for
  them；　they　are　lost　and　friendship　with　them。　　By　such　reflections　and　by
  the　continuance　in　them　of　a　divine　nature；　the　qualities　which　we　have
  described　grew　and　increased　among　them；　but　when　the　divine　portion　began
  to　fade　away；　and　became　diluted　too　often　and　too　much　with　the　mortal
  admixture；　and　the　human　nature　got　the　upper　hand；　they　then；　being　unable
  to　bear　their　fortune；　behaved　unseemly；　and　to　him　who　had　an　eye　to　see
  grew　visibly　debased；　for　they　were　losing　the　fairest　of　their　precious
  gifts；　but　to　those　who　had　no　eye　to　see　the　true　happiness；　they　appeared
  glorious　and　blessed　at　the　very　time　when　they　were　full　of　avarice　and
  unrighteous　power。　　Zeus；　the　god　of　gods；　who　rules　according　to　law；　and
  is　able　to　see　into　such　things；　perceiving　that　an　honourable　race　was　in
  a　woeful　plight；　and　wanting　to　inflict　punishment　on　them；　that　they　might
  be　chastened　and　improve；　collected　all　the　gods　into　their　most　holy
  habitation；　which；　being　placed　in　the　centre　of　the　world；　beholds　all
  created　things。　　And　when　he　had　called　them　together；　he　spake　as
  follows…
  *　The　rest　of　the　Dialogue　of　Critias　has　been　lost。
  End