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earthquakes　and　floods；　and　in　a　single　day　and　night　of　misfortune

all　your　warlike　men　in　a　body　sank　into　the　earth；　and　the　island

of　Atlantis　in　like　manner　disappeared　in　the　depths　of　the　sea。　For

which　reason　the　sea　in　those　parts　is　impassable　and　impenetrable；

because　there　is　a　shoal　of　mud　in　the　way；　and　this　was　caused　by　the

subsidence　of　the　island。

　　I　have　told　you　briefly；　Socrates；　what　the　aged　Critias　heard

from　Solon　and　related　to　us。　And　when　you　were　speaking　yesterday

about　your　city　and　citizens；　the　tale　which　I　have　just　been

repeating　to　you　came　into　my　mind；　and　I　remarked　with　astonishment

how；　by　some　mysterious　coincidence；　you　agreed　in　almost　every

particular　with　the　narrative　of　Solon；　but　I　did　not　like　to　speak　at

the　moment。　For　a　long　time　had　elapsed；　and　I　had　forgotten　too　much；

I　thought　that　I　must　first　of　all　run　over　the　narrative　in　my　own

mind；　and　then　I　would　speak。　And　so　I　readily　assented　to　your

request　yesterday；　considering　that　in　all　such　cases　the　chief

difficulty　is　to　find　a　tale　suitable　to　our　purpose；　and　that　with

such　a　tale　we　should　be　fairly　well　provided。

　　And　therefore；　as　Hermocrates　has　told　you；　on　my　way　home　yesterday

I　at　once　communicated　the　tale　to　my　companions　as　I　remembered　it；

and　after　I　left　them；　during　the　night　by　thinking　I　recovered　nearly

the　whole　it。　Truly；　as　is　often　said；　the　lessons　of　our　childhood

make　wonderful　impression　on　our　memories；　for　I　am　not　sure　that　I

could　remember　all　the　discourse　of　yesterday；　but　I　should　be　much

surprised　if　I　forgot　any　of　these　things　which　I　have　heard　very　long

ago。　I　listened　at　the　time　with　childlike　interest　to　the　old　man's

narrative；　he　was　very　ready　to　teach　me；　and　I　asked　him　again　and

again　to　repeat　his　words；　so　that　like　an　indelible　picture　they　were

branded　into　my　mind。　As　soon　as　the　day　broke；　I　rehearsed　them　as　he

spoke　them　to　my　companions；　that　they；　as　well　as　myself；　might

have　something　to　say。　And　now；　Socrates；　to　make　an　end　my　preface；　I

am　ready　to　tell　you　the　whole　tale。　I　will　give　you　not　only　the

general　heads；　but　the　particulars；　as　they　were　told　to　me。　The

city　and　citizens；　which　you　yesterday　described　to　us　in　fiction；

we　will　now　transfer　to　the　world　of　reality。　It　shall　be　the

ancient　city　of　Athens；　and　we　will　suppose　that　the　citizens　whom　you

imagined；　were　our　veritable　ancestors；　of　whom　the　priest　spoke；　they

will　perfectly　harmonise；　and　there　will　be　no　inconsistency　in　saying

that　the　citizens　of　your　republic　are　these　ancient　Athenians。　Let　us

divide　the　subject　among　us；　and　all　endeavour　according　to　our

ability　gracefully　to　execute　the　task　which　you　have　imposed　upon　us。

Consider　then；　Socrates；　if　this　narrative　is　suited　to　the　purpose；

or　whether　we　should　seek　for　some　other　instead。

　　Soc。　And　what　other；　Critias；　can　we　find　that　will　be　better　than

this；　which　is　natural　and　suitable　to　the　festival　of　the　goddess；

and　has　the　very　great　advantage　of　being　a　fact　and　not　a　fiction？

How　or　where　shall　we　find　another　if　we　abandon　this？　We　cannot；

and　therefore　you　must　tell　the　tale；　and　good　luck　to　you；　and　I　in

return　for　my　yesterday's　discourse　will　now　rest　and　be　a　listener。

　　Crit。　Let　me　proceed　to　explain　to　you；　Socrates；　the　order　in　which

we　have　arranged　our　entertainment。　Our　intention　is；　that　Timaeus；

who　is　the　most　of　an　astronomer　amongst　us；　and　has　made　the　nature

of　the　universe　his　special　study；　should　speak　first；　beginning

with　the　generation　of　the　world　and　going　down　to　the　creation　of

man；　next；　I　am　to　receive　the　men　whom　he　has　created　of　whom　some

will　have　profited　by　the　excellent　education　which　you　have　given

them；　and　then；　in　accordance　with　the　tale　of　Solon；　and　equally　with

his　law；　we　will　bring　them　into　court　and　make　them　citizens；　as　if

they　were　those　very　Athenians　whom　the　sacred　Egyptian　record　has

recovered　from　oblivion；　and　thenceforward　we　will　speak　of　them　as

Athenians　and　fellow…citizens。

　　Soc。　I　see　that　I　shall　receive　in　my　turn　a　perfect　and　splendid

feast　of　reason。　And　now；　Timaeus；　you；　I　suppose；　should　speak

next；　after　duly　calling　upon　the　Gods。

　　Tim。　All　men；　Socrates；　who　have　any　degree　of　right　feeling；　at　the

beginning　of　every　enterprise；　whether　small　or　great；　always　call

upon　God。　And　we；　too；　who　are　going　to　discourse　of　the　nature　of　the

universe；　how　created　or　how　existing　without　creation；　if　we　be　not

altogether　out　of　our　wits；　must　invoke　the　aid　of　Gods　and

Goddesses　and　pray　that　our　words　may　be　acceptable　to　them　and

consistent　with　themselves。　Let　this；　then；　be　our　invocation　of　the

Gods；　to　which　I　add　an　exhortation　of　myself　to　speak　in　such

manner　as　will　be　most　intelligible　to　you；　and　will　most　accord

with　my　own　intent。

　　First　then；　in　my　judgment；　we　must　make　a　distinction　and　ask；　What

is　that　which　always　is　and　has　no　becoming；　and　what　is　that　which　is

always　becoming　and　never　is？　That　which　is　apprehended　by

intelligence　and　reason　is　always　in　the　same　state；　but　that　which　is

conceived　by　opinion　with　the　help　of　sensation　and　without　reason；　is

always　in　a　process　of　becoming　and　perishing　and　never　really　is。　Now

everything　that　becomes　or　is　created　must　of　necessity　be　created

by　some　cause；　for　without　a　cause　nothing　can　be　created。　The　work　of

the　creator；　whenever　he　looks　to　the　unchangeable　and　fashions　the

form　and　nature　of　his　work　after　an　unchangeable　pattern；　must

necessarily　be　made　fair　and　perfect；　but　when　he　looks　to　the　created

only；　and　uses　a　created　pattern；　it　is　not　fair　or　perfect。　Was　the

heaven　then　or　the　world；　whether　called　by　this　or　by　any　other

more　appropriate　name…assuming　the　name；　I　am　asking　a　question

which　has　to　be　asked　at　the　beginning　of　an　enquiry　about

anything…was　the　world；　I　say；　always　in　existence　and　without

beginning？　or　created；　and　had　it　a　beginning？　Created；　I　reply；　being

visible　and　tangible　and　having　a　body；　and　therefore　sensible；　and

all　sensible　things　are　apprehended　by　opinion　and　sense　and　are　in

a　process　of　creation　and　created。　Now　that　which　is　created　must；

as　we　affirm；　of　necessity　be　created　by　a　cause。　But　the　father　and

maker　of　all　this　universe　is　past　finding　out；　and　even　if　we　found

him；　to　tell　of　him　to　all　men　would　be　impossible。　And　there　is　still

a　question　to　be　asked　about　him：　Which　of　the　patterns　had　the

artificer　in　view　when　he　made　the　world…the　pattern　of　the

unchangeable；　or　of　that　which　is　created？　If　the　world　be　indeed　fair

and　the　artificer　good；　it　is　manifest　that　he　must　have　looked　to

that　which　is　eternal；　but　if　what　cannot　be　said　without　blasphemy　is

true；　then　to　the　created　pattern。　Every　one　will　see　that　he　must

have　looked　to；　the　eternal；　for　the　world　is　the　fairest　of　creations

and　he　is　the　best　of　causes。　And　having　been　created　in　this　way；　the

world　has　been　framed　in　the　likeness　of　that　which　is　apprehended

by　reason　and　mind　and　is　unchangeable；　and　must　therefore　of

necessity；　if　this　is　admitted；　be　a　copy　of　something。　Now　it　is

all…important　that　the　beginning　of　everything　should　be　according

to　nature。　And　in　speaking　of　the　copy　and　the　original　we　may

assume　that　words　are　akin　to　the　matter　which　they　describe；　when

they　relate　to　the　lasting　and　permanent　and　intelligible；　they

ought　to　be　lasting　and　unalterable；　and；　as　far　as　their　nature

allows；　irrefutable　and　immovable…nothing　less。　But　when　they

express　only　the　copy　or　likeness　and　not　the　eternal　things

themselves；　they　need　only　be　likely　and　analogous　to　the　real

words。　As　being　is　to　becoming；　so　is　truth　to　belief。　If　then；

Socrates；　amid　the　many　opinions　about　the　gods　and　the　generation

of　the　universe；　we　are　not　able　to　give　notions　which　are

altogether　and　in　every　respect　exact　and　consistent　with　one　another；

do　not　be　surprised。　Enough；　if　we　adduce　probabilities　as　likely　as

any　others；　for　we　must　remember　that　I　who　am　the　speaker；　and　you

who　are　the　judges；　are　only　mortal　men；　and　we　ought　to　accept　the

tale　which　is　probable　and　enquire　no　further。

　　Soc。　Excellent；　Timaeus；　and　we　will　do　precisely　as　you　bid　us。　The

prelude　is　charming；　and　is　already　accepted　by　us…may　we　beg　of　you

to　proceed　to　the　strain？

　　Tim。　Let　me　tell　you　then　why　the　creator　made　this　world　of

generation。　He　was　good；　and　the　good　can　never　have　any　jealousy　of

anything。　And　being　free　from　jealousy；　he　desired　that　all　things

should　be　as　like　himself　as　they　could　be。　This　is　in　the　truest

sense　the　origin　of　creation　and　of　the　world；　as　we　shall　do　well

in　believing　on　the　testimony　of　wise　men：　God　desired　that　all　things

should　be　good　and　nothing　bad；　so　far　as　this　was　attainable。

Wherefore　also　finding　the　whole　visible　sphere　not　at　rest；　but

moving　in　an　irregular　and　disorderly　fashion；　out　of　disorder　he

brought　order；　considering　that　this　was　in　every　way　better　than

the　other。　Now　the　deeds　of　the　best　could　never　be　or　have　been　other

than　the　fairest；　and　the　creator；　reflecting　on　the　things　which

are　by　nature　visible；　found　that　no　unintelligent　creature　taken　as　a

whole　was　fairer　than　the　intelligent　taken　as　a　whole；　and　that

intelligence　could　not　be　present　in　anything　which　was　devoid　of

soul。　For　which　reason；　when　he　was　framing　the　universe；　he　put

intelligence　in　soul；　and　soul　in　body；　that　he　might　be　the　creator

of　a　work　which　was　by　nature　fairest　and　best。　Wherefore；　using　the

language　of　probability；　we　may　say　that　the　world　became　a　living

creature　truly　endowed　with　soul　and　intelligence　by　the　providence　of

God。

　　This　being　supposed；　let　us　proceed　to　the　next　stage：　In　the

likeness　of　what　animal　did　the　Creator　make　the　world？　It　would　be　an

unworthy　thing　to　liken　it　to　any　nature　which　exists　as　a　part

only；　for　nothing　can　be　beautiful　which　is　like　any　imperfect

thing；　but　let　us　suppose　the　world　to　be　the　very　image　of　that　whole

of　which　all　other　animals　both　indivi