common。
  Yet；　before　proceeding　further　in　the　narrative；　I　ought　to　warn　you；　that
  you　must　not　be　surprised　if　you　should　perhaps　hear　Hellenic　names　given
  to　foreigners。　　I　will　tell　you　the　reason　of　this：　　Solon；　who　was
  intending　to　use　the　tale　for　his　poem；　enquired　into　the　meaning　of　the
  names；　and　found　that　the　early　Egyptians　in　writing　them　down　had
  translated　them　into　their　own　language；　and　he　recovered　the　meaning　of
  the　several　names　and　when　copying　them　out　again　translated　them　into　our
  language。　　My　great…grandfather；　Dropides；　had　the　original　writing；　which
  is　still　in　my　possession；　and　was　carefully　studied　by　me　when　I　was　a
  child。　　Therefore　if　you　hear　names　such　as　are　used　in　this　country；　you
  must　not　be　surprised；　for　I　have　told　how　they　came　to　be　introduced。　　The
  tale；　which　was　of　great　length；　began　as　follows：
  I　have　before　remarked　in　speaking　of　the　allotments　of　the　gods；　that　they
  distributed　the　whole　earth　into　portions　differing　in　extent；　and　made　for
  themselves　temples　and　instituted　sacrifices。　　And　Poseidon；　receiving　for
  his　lot　the　island　of　Atlantis；　begat　children　by　a　mortal　woman；　and
  settled　them　in　a　part　of　the　island；　which　I　will　describe。　　Looking
  towards　the　sea；　but　in　the　centre　of　the　whole　island；　there　was　a　plain
  which　is　said　to　have　been　the　fairest　of　all　plains　and　very　fertile。
  Near　the　plain　again；　and　also　in　the　centre　of　the　island　at　a　distance　of
  about　fifty　stadia；　there　was　a　mountain　not　very　high　on　any　side。　　In
  this　mountain　there　dwelt　one　of　the　earth…born　primeval　men　of　that
  country；　whose　name　was　Evenor；　and　he　had　a　wife　named　Leucippe；　and　they
  had　an　only　daughter　who　was　called　Cleito。　　The　maiden　had　already　reached
  womanhood；　when　her　father　and　mother　died；　Poseidon　fell　in　love　with　her
  and　had　intercourse　with　her；　and　breaking　the　ground；　inclosed　the　hill　in
  which　she　dwelt　all　round；　making　alternate　zones　of　sea　and　land　larger
  and　smaller；　encircling　one　another；　there　were　two　of　land　and　three　of
  water；　which　he　turned　as　with　a　lathe；　each　having　its　circumference
  equidistant　every　way　from　the　centre；　so　that　no　man　could　get　to　the
  island；　for　ships　and　voyages　were　not　as　yet。　　He　himself；　being　a　god；
  found　no　difficulty　in　making　special　arrangements　for　the　centre　island；
  bringing　up　two　springs　of　water　from　beneath　the　earth；　one　of　warm　water
  and　the　other　of　cold；　and　making　every　variety　of　food　to　spring　up
  abundantly　from　the　soil。　　He　also　begat　and　brought　up　five　pairs　of　twin
  male　children；　and　dividing　the　island　of　Atlantis　into　ten　portions；　he
  gave　to　the　first…born　of　the　eldest　pair　his　mother's　dwelling　and　the
  surrounding　allotment；　which　was　the　largest　and　best；　and　made　him　king
  over　the　rest；　the　others　he　made　princes；　and　gave　them　rule　over　many
  men；　and　a　large　territory。　　And　he　named　them　all；　the　eldest；　who　was　the
  first　king；　he　named　Atlas；　and　after　him　the　whole　island　and　the　ocean
  were　called　Atlantic。　　To　his　twin　brother；　who　was　born　after　him；　and
  obtained　as　his　lot　the　extremity　of　the　island　towards　the　pillars　of
  Heracles；　facing　the　country　which　is　now　called　the　region　of　Gades　in
  that　part　of　the　world；　he　gave　the　name　which　in　the　Hellenic　language　is
  Eumelus；　in　the　language　of　the　country　which　is　named　after　him；　Gadeirus。
  Of　the　second　pair　of　twins　he　called　one　Ampheres；　and　the　other　Evaemon。
  To　the　elder　of　the　third　pair　of　twins　he　gave　the　name　Mneseus；　and
  Autochthon　to　the　one　who　followed　him。　　Of　the　fourth　pair　of　twins　he
  called　the　elder　Elasippus；　and　the　younger　Mestor。　　And　of　the　fifth　pair
  he　gave　to　the　elder　the　name　of　Azaes；　and　to　the　younger　that　of
  Diaprepes。　　All　these　and　their　descendants　for　many　generations　were　the
  inhabitants　and　rulers　of　divers　islands　in　the　open　sea；　and　also；　as　has
  been　already　said；　they　held　sway　in　our　direction　over　the　country　within
  the　pillars　as　far　as　Egypt　and　Tyrrhenia。　　Now　Atlas　had　a　numerous　and
  honourable　family；　and　they　retained　the　kingdom；　the　eldest　son　handing　it
  on　to　his　eldest　for　many　generations；　and　they　had　such　an　amount　of
  wealth　as　was　never　before　possessed　by　kings　and　potentates；　and　is　not
  likely　ever　to　be　again；　and　they　were　furnished　with　everything　which　they
  needed；　both　in　the　city　and　country。　　For　because　of　the　greatness　of
  their　empire　many　things　were　brought　to　them　from　foreign　countries；　and
  the　island　itself　provided　most　of　what　was　required　by　them　for　the　uses
  of　life。　　In　the　first　place；　they　dug　out　of　the　earth　whatever　was　to　be
  found　there；　solid　as　well　as　fusile；　and　that　which　is　now　only　a　name　and
  was　then　something　more　than　a　name；　orichalcum；　was　dug　out　of　the　earth
  in　many　parts　of　the　island；　being　more　precious　in　those　days　than
  anything　except　gold。　　There　was　an　abundance　of　wood　for　carpenter's　work；
  and　sufficient　maintenance　for　tame　and　wild　animals。　　Moreover；　there　were
  a　great　number　of　elephants　in　the　island；　for　as　there　was　provision　for
  all　other　sorts　of　animals；　both　for　those　which　live　in　lakes　and　marshes
  and　rivers；　and　also　for　those　which　live　in　mountains　and　on　plains；　so
  there　was　for　the　animal　which　is　the　largest　and　most　voracious　of　all。
  Also　whatever　fragrant　things　there　now　are　in　the　earth；　whether　roots；　or
  herbage；　or　woods；　or　essences　which　distil　from　fruit　and　flower；　grew　and
  thrived　in　that　land；　also　the　fruit　which　admits　of　cultivation；　both　the
  dry　sort；　which　is　given　us　for　nourishment　and　any　other　which　we　use　for
  foodwe　call　them　all　by　the　common　name　of　pulse；　and　the　fruits　having　a
  hard　rind；　affording　drinks　and　meats　and　ointments；　and　good　store　of
  chestnuts　and　the　like；　which　furnish　pleasure　and　amusement；　and　are
  fruits　which　spoil　with　keeping；　and　the　pleasant　kinds　of　dessert；　with
  which　we　console　ourselves　after　dinner；　when　we　are　tired　of　eatingall
  these　that　sacred　island　which　then　beheld　the　light　of　the　sun；　brought
  forth　fair　and　wondrous　and　in　infinite　abundance。　　With　such　blessings　the
  earth　freely　furnished　them；　meanwhile　they　went　on　constructing　their
  temples　and　palaces　and　harbours　and　docks。　　And　they　arranged　the　whole
  country　in　the　following　manner：
  First　of　all　they　bridged　over　the　zones　of　sea　which　surrounded　the
  ancient　metropolis；　making　a　road　to　and　from　the　royal　palace。　　And　at　the
  very　beginning　they　built　the　palace　in　the　habitation　of　the　god　and　of
  their　ancestors；　which　they　continued　to　ornament　in　successive
  generations；　every　king　surpassing　the　one　who　went　before　him　to　the
  utmost　of　his　power；　until　they　made　the　building　a　marvel　to　behold　for
  size　and　for　beauty。　　And　beginning　from　the　sea　they　bored　a　canal　of
  three　hundred　feet　in　width　and　one　hundred　feet　in　depth　and　fifty　stadia
  in　length；　which　they　carried　through　to　the　outermost　zone；　making　a
  passage　from　the　sea　up　to　this；　which　became　a　harbour；　and　leaving　an
  opening　sufficient　to　enable　the　largest　vessels　to　find　ingress。
  Moreover；　they　divided　at　the　bridges　the　zones　of　land　which　parted　the
  zones　of　sea；　leaving　room　for　a　single　trireme　to　pass　out　of　one　zone
  into　another；　and　they　covered　over　the　channels　so　as　to　leave　a　way
  underneath　for　the　ships；　for　the　banks　were　raised　considerably　above　the
  water。　　Now　the　largest　of　the　zones　into　which　a　passage　was　cut　from　the
  sea　was　three　stadia　in　breadth；　and　the　zone　of　land　which　came　next　of
  equal　breadth；　but　the　next　two　zones；　the　one　of　water；　the　other　of　land；
  were　two　stadia；　and　the　one　which　surrounded　the　central　island　was　a
  stadium　only　in　width。　　The　island　in　which　the　palace　was　situated　had　a
  diameter　of　five　stadia。　　All　this　including　the　zones　and　the　bridge；
  which　was　the　sixth　part　of　a　stadium　in　width；　they　surrounded　by　a　stone
  wall　on　every　side；　placing　towers　and　gates　on　the　bridges　where　the　sea
  passed　in。　　The　stone　which　was　used　in　the　work　they　quarried　from
  underneath　the　centre　island；　and　from　underneath　the　zones；　on　the　outer
  as　well　as　the　inner　side。　　One　kind　was　white；　another　black；　and　a　third
  red；　and　as　they　quarried；　they　at　the　same　time　hollowed　out　double　docks；
  having　roofs　formed　out　of　the　native　rock。　　Some　of　their　buildings　were
  simple；　but　in　others　they　put　together　different　stones；　varying　the
  colour　to　please　the　eye；　and　to　be　a　natural　source　of　delight。　　The
  entire　circuit　of　the　wall；　which　went　round　the