Atlantis Pyramids Floods by Dennis Brooks

Socrates, if
this narrative is suited to the purpose, or whether we should seek
for some other instead.
    Timaeus: How thankful I am, Socrates,
that I have arrived at last, and, like a weary traveller after a
long journey, may be at rest! And I pray the being who always was
of old, and has now been by me revealed, to grant that my words may
endure in so far as they have been spoken truly and acceptably to
him; but if unintentionally I have said anything wrong, I pray that
he will impose upon me a just retribution, and the just retribution
of him who errs is that he should be set right.
    Wishing, then, to speak truly in
future concerning the generation of the gods, I pray him to give me
knowledge, which of all medicines is the most perfect and best. And
now having offered my prayer I deliver up the argument to Critias,
who is to speak next according to our agreement.
    Critias: And I, Timaeus, accept the
trust, and as you at first said that you were going to speak of
high matters, and begged that some forbearance might be shown to
you, I too ask the same or greater forbearance for what I am about
to say. And although I very well know that my request may appear to
be somewhat discourteous, I must make it nevertheless. For will any
man of sense deny that you have spoken well?
    I can only attempt to show that I
ought to have more indulgence than you, because my theme is more
difficult; and I shall argue that to seem to speak well of the gods
to men is far easier than to speak well of men to men: for the
inexperience and utter ignorance of his hearers about any subject
is a great assistance to him who has to speak of it, and we know
how ignorant we are concerning the gods. But I should like to make
my meaning clearer, if Timaeus, you will follow me.
    All that is said by any of us can only
be imitation and representation. For if we consider the likenesses
which painters make of bodies divine and heavenly, and the
different degrees of gratification with which the eye of the
spectator receives them, we shall see that we are satisfied with
the artist who is able in any degree to imitate the earth and its
mountains, and the rivers, and the woods, and the universe, and the
things that are and move therein, and further, that knowing nothing
precise about such matters, we do not examine or analyze the
painting; all that is required is a sort of indistinct and
deceptive mode of shadowing them forth.
    But when a person endeavors to paint
the human form we are quick at finding out defects, and our
familiar knowledge makes us severe judges of any one who does not
render every point of similarity. And we may observe the same thing
to happen in discourse; we are satisfied with a picture of divine
and heavenly things which has very little likeness to them; but we
are more precise in our criticism of mortal and human
things.
    Wherefore if at the moment of speaking
I cannot suitably express my meaning, you must excuse me,
considering that to form approved likenesses of human things is the
reverse of easy. This is what I want to suggest to you, and at the
same time to beg, Socrates, that I may have not less, but more
indulgence conceded to me in what I am about to say. Which favor,
if I am right in asking, I hope that you will be ready to
grant.
    Socrates: Certainly, Critias, we will
grant your request, and we will grant the same by anticipation to
Hermocrates, as well as to you and Timaeus; for I have no doubt
that when his turn comes a little while hence, he will make the
same request which you have made.
    In order, then, that he may provide
himself with a fresh beginning, and not be compelled to say the
same things over again, let him understand that the indulgence is
already extended by anticipation to him. And now, friend Critias, I
will announce to you the judgment of the theatre. They are of
opinion that the last performer was wonderfully successful, and
that you will need a great deal of indulgence before you will be
able to take his