Professor Edith Hall

So he says a speech was once made by Solon, who's many generations ago ruler of Athens. Solon's relative, Dropedes. And Dropedes was Critias' great-grandfather. So the grandfather then told it to Critias, who's now telling it to Socrates. Ha! So we've got it back to Solon via four or five hands in this family. All right. Critias is already six in the train.

So he says a speech was once made by Solon, who's many generations ago ruler of Athens. Solon's relative, Dropedes. And Dropedes was Critias' great-grandfather. So the grandfather then told it to Critias, who's now telling it to Socrates. Ha! So we've got it back to Solon via four or five hands in this family. All right. Critias is already six in the train.

So he says a speech was once made by Solon, who's many generations ago ruler of Athens. Solon's relative, Dropedes. And Dropedes was Critias' great-grandfather. So the grandfather then told it to Critias, who's now telling it to Socrates. Ha! So we've got it back to Solon via four or five hands in this family. All right. Critias is already six in the train.

But the trouble is that Solon said he'd got it off a priest in Egypt. OK, so we're now hearing it from Plato. So we are actually ninth in the chain from the original source, which is an Egyptian priest, at least 200 years before the date of the dialogue where it's said. So why does Plato bother to complicate all that?

But the trouble is that Solon said he'd got it off a priest in Egypt. OK, so we're now hearing it from Plato. So we are actually ninth in the chain from the original source, which is an Egyptian priest, at least 200 years before the date of the dialogue where it's said. So why does Plato bother to complicate all that?

But the trouble is that Solon said he'd got it off a priest in Egypt. OK, so we're now hearing it from Plato. So we are actually ninth in the chain from the original source, which is an Egyptian priest, at least 200 years before the date of the dialogue where it's said. So why does Plato bother to complicate all that?

I think he's actually shouting to us, people tell stories that are completely unreliable and elaborated over many generations, while also wanting us to enjoy it. So it's a very peculiar way of setting up what's purportedly truth.

I think he's actually shouting to us, people tell stories that are completely unreliable and elaborated over many generations, while also wanting us to enjoy it. So it's a very peculiar way of setting up what's purportedly truth.

I think he's actually shouting to us, people tell stories that are completely unreliable and elaborated over many generations, while also wanting us to enjoy it. So it's a very peculiar way of setting up what's purportedly truth.

The fact that I even have trouble remembering the detail in Plato's dialogue of these many hands is an example of how memory doesn't work when you're reporting it. This is always, Plato is such a clever writer. He's shouting at us all, this is an unreliable, orally transmitted account, but I'm still going to let you have it anyway.

The fact that I even have trouble remembering the detail in Plato's dialogue of these many hands is an example of how memory doesn't work when you're reporting it. This is always, Plato is such a clever writer. He's shouting at us all, this is an unreliable, orally transmitted account, but I'm still going to let you have it anyway.

The fact that I even have trouble remembering the detail in Plato's dialogue of these many hands is an example of how memory doesn't work when you're reporting it. This is always, Plato is such a clever writer. He's shouting at us all, this is an unreliable, orally transmitted account, but I'm still going to let you have it anyway.

So I think if we read these texts properly, Plato's admitting that it's as good as fiction.

So I think if we read these texts properly, Plato's admitting that it's as good as fiction.

So I think if we read these texts properly, Plato's admitting that it's as good as fiction.

Oh, yes, it's beautiful. Listen, and it creates it very visually in your mind. Atlantis is founded basically by the god Poseidon. And Poseidon goes to these islands and these islands lie beyond the pillars of Hercules. So somewhere in the Eastern Atlantic, but these islands stretch from Egypt and sort of Spain and France. Okay. So these islands in the Eastern Atlantic, it's called Atlantis.

Oh, yes, it's beautiful. Listen, and it creates it very visually in your mind. Atlantis is founded basically by the god Poseidon. And Poseidon goes to these islands and these islands lie beyond the pillars of Hercules. So somewhere in the Eastern Atlantic, but these islands stretch from Egypt and sort of Spain and France. Okay. So these islands in the Eastern Atlantic, it's called Atlantis.

Oh, yes, it's beautiful. Listen, and it creates it very visually in your mind. Atlantis is founded basically by the god Poseidon. And Poseidon goes to these islands and these islands lie beyond the pillars of Hercules. So somewhere in the Eastern Atlantic, but these islands stretch from Egypt and sort of Spain and France. Okay. So these islands in the Eastern Atlantic, it's called Atlantis.

And Poseidon goes in and decides to actually set up people that, you know, it's not a proper community. It's not a proper civilization. And he goes in And he actually changes the whole geological constitution by creating this central island. And that is then surrounded by concentric marine canals. So if you can imagine a sort of circular island...

And Poseidon goes in and decides to actually set up people that, you know, it's not a proper community. It's not a proper civilization. And he goes in And he actually changes the whole geological constitution by creating this central island. And that is then surrounded by concentric marine canals. So if you can imagine a sort of circular island...