Plato’s Timaeus

it extended as far as the failure of the islands and the beginning of the mainland, neighboring the sea: for this strait within the mouth, or the Pillars of Hercules The Strait of Gibraltar, is divided from the mainland by a narrow shore, in which even now the traces of an ancient harbor appear. But indeed, that vast ocean of immeasurable and inestimable magnitude is the true sea. Therefore, in this island of Atlantis, there arose a great and marvelous power of Kings, who held the entire island and many others nearby, and ruled over the greatest part of the mainland. Indeed, they commanded a third part of the world, which is called Libya North Africa, as far as Egypt, and Europe as far as the Tyrrhenian Sea The sea off the west coast of Italy. This force and power, having been gathered and armed, O Solon, sought to attack and conquer your region and ours, and furthermore, all those nations which dwell within the Pillars of Hercules. Then, therefore, the virtue of your city shone forth beyond all glory: for the common safety and liberty of all, when others were despairing and withdrawing out of fear for the common defense, she achieved this through greatness of soul and the arts of war. Bursting forth through the most extreme dangers, she first put the enemies of the human race to flight, then utterly routed them; she restored liberty to those who had been subjugated and preserved those who were untouched in their genuine freedom. Not long afterward, it happened that by an earthquake and a flood lasting a day and a night, that noble military youth of yours perished, and the entire island of Atlantis was submerged without a trace of its prior existence—except that the sea there is considered more sluggish than others, thick with the mud of the gaping island and clotted by the waves above. These are the things, O Socrates, which the elder Critias narrated as having been related and explained to him by Solon. But when on the previous day you were treating the subject of the Republic and of peaceful and military duties, a certain wonder came over me from memory: that what you said was not spoken without divine influence. For the Republic which you were establishing in your discourse seemed either the same as, or certainly A of the closest similarity to, that which I had learned from the account of Critias. I remained silent, however, fearing that if something were asked of me, I might not be able to explain it properly due to the inconvenience of forgetfulness, and I would be ridiculous. I preferred first to test my memory within myself; from which it happened that I quickly agreed to your command, for I was confident that I could easily recall it if I exercised my memory. Therefore, as he just said, yesterday immediately after our departure I related these things to those present, and by searching through nightly vigils I recovered everything. I have found it to be a certain truth: that the memory of things learned in the first stage of life is more tenacious. Indeed, I would not trust that I could repeat tomorrow what I heard yesterday, yet I can clearly retrace what I learned as a boy with an unimpaired memory. Unless perhaps the greater pleasure of learning at that age fixes things more deeply in the mind. It may also be that the studious and constant narration of the old man impressed a pure and unfading mark upon the soul. Therefore, to speak of that to which all these things pertain, I am ready to speak—not to retrace a mere narrative, but so that the Republic and the people sketched by the discourse of Socrates in yesterday's discussion (not a painted image of a blessed city, but a truly blessed city and a people that once existed) might be shown to be our ancestors. Those defenders whom he established for the endurance of labors and virtue of soul through gymnastics and the gentleness of music were the very ones whom the Egyptian priest proclaimed; for their deeds agree with the nourishment and institutions mentioned by him. Indeed, I think we can satisfy the command given to us by Socrates in no other way than by the consensus of all participants in this duty, proving that the City he described in various discourse was ancient Athens. Therefore, my Socrates, consider yourself satisfied by a repayment of this kind. SOCRATES: Truly, Critias, I approve of no other more than this, which is especially appropriate for the present festival. For it is a magnificent thing, not a fictional or made-up story...