Theosophy - Atlantis - from "The Timaeus and Critias" of Plato
ATLANTIS
from "THE TIMAEUS AND CRITIAS" of Plato
[Reprinted from Lucifer, August, 1888]
[reprinted
also from “Theosophical Siftings” Volume - 3
- ]
[Page
15] AFTER
establishing his famous code of laws, Solon, [Circiter
638–558 B.C.] the renowned Athenian legislator,
left his native country for ten years. At Saïs, in the
Nile delta, he was honourably received by the priests of
Neïth, [Athena] for
both Athens and Saïs were under the protection of
the same goddess. In conversing with the learned guardians
of the temple on the antiquities of their respective countries,
he discovered that there were records in the sacred edifice
of events which had happened nine thousand years previously,
and in which the inhabitants of his own country had played
a conspicuous part. Solon had spoken of the deluge of Deucalion
and Pyrrha, giving the orthodox Greek chronology of the time;
on which an aged priest exclaimed: "O Solon, Solon,
you Greeks are always children, and aged Greek there is none
! " And then he proceeded to explain to the astonished
Athenian the astronomical meaning of the myth of Phaëthon,
and how that there are successive cataclysms of fire and
water, destroying whole nations, and that a noble race had
once inhabited the land of Attica whose deeds and institutions
were said to have been the most excellent of all, and how
they conquered the inhabitants of the Atlantean island, and
both themselves and their enemies were destroyed by terrible
earthquakes and deluges. On his return to Athens, Solon composed
an epic poem embodying the information he had gleaned from
the Saïtic records, but political troubles prevented
the entire accomplishment of his undertaking. Now Dropides,
his fellow kinsman, was his most intimate friend and fully
acquainted with the whole story; this Dropides was father
of Critias the elder, who had many times delighted his young
grandson, the Critias of the dialogue and afterwards the
most notorious of the thirty tyrants, with a recital of these
wonderful chronicles.
Among the many glorious deeds of the noble autochthones of
Attica, was their victory over a mighty hostile power from
the Atlantic Ocean, [Page 16] which
had pushed its conquests over all Europe and Asia. Facing
the Pillars of Hercules [The Straits of Gibraltar] was
an island larger than Africa and Asia [As known
to the Greeks; that is to say, the northern coasts of Africa
as far as Egypt and Asia Minor] put together. Besides
this main island, there were many other smaller ones, so
that it was easy to cross from one to another as far as the
further continent.[America ] And
this continent was indeed a continent, and the sea, the real
sea, in comparison to which "The Sea" [The
Mediterranean] of the Greeks was but a bay with a
narrow mouth.
In the Atlantic island a powerful confederation of kings
was formed, who subdued the island itself and many of the
smaller islands and also parts of the further continent.
They also reduced Africa within the Straits as far as Egypt,
and Europe as far as Tyrrhenia. [The Etruscan
states in early times extended their sway over the greater
part of Italy and furnished Rome with her polity and religious
institutions] Further aggression, however, was stopped
by the heroic action of the then inhabitants of Attica, who,
taking the lead of the oppressed states, finally secured
liberty to all who dwelt within the Pillars of Hercules.
Subsequently both races were destroyed by mighty cataclysms,
which brought destruction in a single day and night, the
natural features of the Attic land were entirely changed,
and the Atlantic island sank bodily beneath the waves.
Such is the general
sketch of this terrible episode in ancient history, given
by Critias in the Timaeus, and so interested were his audience,
that they requested some fuller account of these famous
and highly civilized nations of antiquity. To his Grecian
hearers the primaeval policy and history of their own race
was naturally the greater interest. As, however, the Atlantean
conflict were the climax of the narrative, Critias proceeds
to give an account of their history and institutions. And
thus he begins with their mythical traditions: —
In the centre
of the Atlantic island was a fair and beautiful plain.
In the centre of this plain and fifty stades [ Nearly
six miles] from its confines, was a low range of
hills. There dwelt an earth-born couple, [The names
were originally Egyptian, but Solon, having studied the science
of the power of names, translated them into his own tongue.
Evenor and Leucippe, who had an only daughter, Clito ; after
the death of her parents, the god Poseidon, to whom the island
had been assigned, became enamoured of the maiden. To make
his love a safe dwelling-place, he surrounded the hills with
alternate belts or zones of land and water, two of land and
three of sea, each in its entire circumference equally distant
from the centre. He also caused a hot and cold spring to
flow in the centre island and made [Page
17] every kind of
food to grow abundantly. Ten male children were born to the
god in five twin-births. When they had grown to manhood,
he divided the island into ten parts, giving one to each.
And to the first-born of the eldest pair he gave his mother's
dwelling and allotment, for it was the largest and best,
and made him king over his brethren and the others governors
of land, giving them dominion over many people and great
territories. And the eldest he named Atlas, and from him
the whole island and sea were called Atlantic. So they and
their descendants dwelt for many generations, holding extensive
sway over the sea of islands, and extending their power as
far as Egypt and Tyrrhenia. By far the most renowned, however,
was the race of Atlas, the kings ever handing down the succession
to their eldest sons, and being possessed of such wealth
as no dynasty ever yet obtained or will easily procure hereafter.
Now this wealth was both drawn from foreign tributary countries
and from Atlantis itself, which was very rich in minerals,
especially its mines of orichalcum, now a mere name, but
then the most precious of all metals save gold. The country
also was exceedingly rich in timber and pasturage. Moreover,
there were vast numbers of elephants. Spices, gums and odorous
plants of every description, flowers, fruit trees and vegetables
of all kinds and many other luxurious products, this wonderful
island, owing to its magnificent climate, brought forth,
sacred, beautiful, wonderful and infinite in number. Nor
were the inhabitants content with the natural advantages
of their glorious island, but displayed a marvellous industry
and skill in engineering and the constructive arts. For in
the centre island they built a Royal palace, each succeeding
king trying to surpass his predecessor in adorning and adding
to the building, so that it struck all beholders with the
greatest admiration. Now the formation of the zones or belts
round the ancient abode of the god was very regular, the
circumference of each zone being equally distant from the
common centre; and the outermost zones of sea and of land
were each three stades [A stade is about 606 feet] broad,
and the next pair of two stades each, the succeeding zone
of sea being of one stade, while the central seat itself
had a diameter of five shades. And they bridged [The
width of the bridges was a plethrum, about 101 feet] over
the water zones, making a way from and to the palace, and
dug a great canal [Three stades broad, a plethrum
wide, and fifty stades long, some six miles] from
the sea to the uttermost zone of water, wide enough to admit
the largest vessels.
They also made water-ways through the zones of land, wide
enough for a trireme [A ship with three banks of
oars] to pass, and roofed them over, for the height
of the land zones above the water was considerable. Moreover,
they enclosed the island, zones, and bridges, with stone
walls, placing towers and gates at the [Page
18] bridges.
The stone they quarried from the face of the centre island
and from both faces of the land zones, at the same time fashioning
a line of docks on each bank of the water zones, leaving
a natural roof of rock.
The stone was
of three colours, white, black, and red, so that many of
the buildings presented a gay appearance. The whole circuit
of the wall of the outer zone was covered with brass, which
they used like plaster, of the inner zone with tin, and
of the acropolis itself with orichalcum, which was of a
glittering appearance. The palace within the acropolis
was constructed as follows: In the centre was the sacred
shrine of Poseidon and Clito, surrounded by a golden enclosure.
Hard by stood the great temple of Poseidon [It was
a stade long, three plethra broad, and of a proportionate
height] of
a different style of architecture to the Greek. The exterior
was covered with silver, except the pediments and pinnacles,
which were lined with gold. Within, the roof was a magnificent
mosaic of gold, ivory, and orichalcum, and all the walls,
pillars, and pavements were covered with orichalcum. The
most remarkable object of the interior was a gigantic statue
of the god, equal in height to the building, mounted on a
chariot drawn by six winged horses, and round the car were
a hundred Nereids riding on dolphins; there were also many
other statues and numerous votive offerings of the citizens.
Round the exterior were placed golden statues of the princes
and princesses of the Royal blood, and statues erected by
the kings and also by private individuals both of the city
and of subject states. There was also an altar of proportionate
magnificence. And they had baths for summer and winter, supplied
by the hot and cold springs, there being baths for the Royal
Family, for men, for women, for horses and other animals.
By a system of aqueducts, the water of the springs was carried
to the two land zones and utilized for the irrigation of
plantations and beautiful gardens. In these zones were many
temples of other gods, gardens and gymnasia both for men
and horses. Indeed, in the larger belt was a splendid race-course,
extending throughout its entire length, a stacle broad, and
lined on either side with barracks for the household troops.
Those, however, of them who were conspicuous for their loyalty,
were lodged in the smaller zone, and the most faithful of
all in the citadel itself. Moreover, the docks were filled
with shipping and naval stores of every description. At fifty
stades from the outer water belt or harbour in every direction,
another wall was built, enclosing the whole city and meeting
the great canal at the sea entrance. The space between this
wall and the first water belt was thickly built over and
inhabited by a dense population; and the canal and largest
harbour were crowded with merchant shipping from all parts,
and the din and tumult of their commerce continued all day
long and the night through. Such is a general sketch of their
wonderful city. Now, as regards the rest of the country;
it was very mountainous, with exceedingly precipitous [Page
19] coasts, and the plain surrounding the city was
itself surrounded by mountain chains, broken only at the
sea entrance. And the plain was smooth and level, and of
an oblong shape, lying north and south, three thousand stades
in one direction and two thousand in the other. And the mountains
were said to be the grandest in the world for their number,
size and beauty; they were inhabited, moreover, by many prosperous
and wealthy villages, for there was an abundance of rivers
and lakes, meadows and pasturage for all kinds of cattle
and quantities of timber. They surrounded the plain by an
enormous canal or dike, the size of which is almost incredible
for a work of human undertaking. [One hundred and
one feet deep, 606 feet broad, and upwards of 1,250 miles
in length] By it the water from the mountains was
conducted round the plain and flowed out to sea near the
entrance of the great canal. Moreover, parallel dikes [One
hundred and one feet broad] were cut from the upper
bounding canal to that on the sea-side, one hundred stades
distant from each other, and these were again joined by transverse
water-ways. They also employed the canals for irrigation,
and so raised two crops in the year. And the plain was divided
into sixty thousand wards or sections, each supplying a certain
contingent of men to the army and navy; and the army consisted
of war-chariots and a kind of light car, holding two warriors,
one of whom dismounted and fought, and the other drove, men-at-arms,
archers, slingers, stone-shooters, javelin-men, and light-armed
troops. [Their standing army consisted of upwards
of a million men; their navy of 240,000 and 1,200 ships] Such
was the military system of the city. And the other nine cities
of the confederation had slightly different systems, which
it would be tedious to narrate.
Now, as regards
the polity of the Atlanteans, the kings exercised an autocracy
over the people; but in their dealings with each other
and for the common welfare, they followed the traditional
law of their divine progenitor, which was also inscribed
on a column of orichalcum by the first kings, and the column
placed in the temple of the deity. Thither they assembled
every alternate fifth and sixth year to decide any disputes
that might have arisen between them. And these are the
ceremonies they performed before proceeding to their decision.
There were sacred bulls grazing in the precincts of the
temple. And the ten kings, after first praying to the deity,
armed only with staves and nooses, proceeded to capture
one of the herd, and sacrificed him on the column over
the inscription.
There was also
an oath written on the column, invoking dire curses on
those of them who infringed the statutes of their divine
parent. And filling the sacrificial chalice, [Crater
or mixing bowl] they cast in a clot of blood for each,
and [Page
20] purifying the column, they burnt the rest with
fire. Then, with golden cups they dipped from the chalice
and poured a libation on the fire of sacrifice; and swearing
to do justice according to the laws on the column, and neither
to rule nor suffer the rule of any of their number, contrary
to these ancestral laws, after invoking the prescribed curses
both on themselves and their descendants, if untrue to their
solemn pledge, they drank and deposited the cups in the temple.
Then, having eaten the sacrificial meal and busied themselves
with the other necessary offices, when evening grew on, clad
in most beautiful dark blue robes, they sat in darkness
on the ground round the now cold embers of the sacrificial
fire; and through the night they judged and were judged,
but when morning came, they inscribed their decisions on
a golden tablet and deposited it, with their robes, in the
temple as a memorial. And the chief of these enactments were
that the kings should never wage war one against the other,
but should ever give mutual aid should any of the cities
try to destroy the Royal race; and the chief power was assigned
to the Atlantic race; nor could any king put to death a kinsman,
without first getting a majority of votes from his Royal
colleagues. For many generations, then, so long as the nature
of their divine ancestry was strong within them, they remained
obedient to these laws and well affected to their divine
kinship. For they possessed true and altogether lofty ideas,
and exercised mildness and practical wisdom, both in the
ordinary vicissitudes of life and in their mutual relations;
and looking above everything except virtue, they considered
things present of small importance and contentedly bore their
weight of riches as a burden; nor were they intoxicated with
luxury, but clearly perceived that wealth and possessions
are increased by mutual friendship and the practice of true
virtue, whereas, by a too anxious pursuit of riches, both
possessions themselves are corrupted and friendship likewise
perishes therewith. And so it was that they reached the great
prosperity that we have described.
But when their mortal natures began to dominate the divine
within them, through their inability to bear present events,
to those who can truly perceive, they began to display unbecoming
conduct and to degenerate, destroying the fairest of their
most valuable possessions. To those, however, who cannot
perceive that true mode of life which leads to real happiness,
they appeared most glorious and happy, though actually full
of aggrandizement and unjust power. Zeus, however, the god
of gods, who rules according to Law, and can perceive such
things, wishing to recall a once honourable race to the practice
of virtue, assembled all the gods and said
E. E. O.
[Here, unfortunately, the text of the dialogue ceases abruptly.]