Thus many, therefore, great works of the people of your city have been recorded here
and are marveled at, but of all these one especially holds greatness and moral excellence.
For it is said in the writings, that your city stopped a violent [1] power which was proceeding against
Europe and Asia at the same time. It invaded from outside; from out of the Atlantic ocean.
For at the time, that ocean was navigable (even though an island stood just outside [2] the straits [3] of the place called, as you Greeks say, the pillars [4] of Heracles; that island being at once greater [5] than Libya and Asia) [6] so that there was access to other islands, and it was possible at that time to travel from those islands onward to that which was beyond; an entire continent that surrounds that veritable ocean.
But this which is entirely within the straits [3] of which we are speaking seems a narrow harbor, something having a narrow harbor entrance. Yet that outside is truly an ocean and the land surrounding it is altogether [[in reality]] [7] most correctly called a continent.
Now then, on this island of Atlantis was a confederation of great and wondrous kings with power, ruling all those islands entirely and many other islands, and portions of the continent. But also ruling over lands here within [the straits]; Libya as far as Egypt, and Europe as far a Tyrrhenia.
Indeed, these very kings, being assembled as one, made a single assault upon [lands] [8] near to you and upon [lands] [8] near to us, and upon others within the straits [3], all the places at that time to conquer all and enslave them.
At that time, therefore O Solon, your city's power, before all men, became manifestly valorous and strong. For among all you were foremost in courage and great cunning in the midst of battle, so of all the Greeks you took the lead; yet at the same time you came to stand alone out of necessity, for the others deserted. Yet upon finally encountering the danger you conquered; the invaders stood in defeat [9].
So those not yet enslaved, you spared from being enslaved, but all the others, everyone dwelling within the boundary of Heracles, all these together you ungrudgingly [10] set free.
But at a later time, violent earthquakes and floods came. In a single grievous day and night they came, and the ones with you, fighting men, were all together swallowed by the earth, and the island of Atlantis in a similar way plunged into the sea, vanishing; and because of this it is now impassible and unfathomable, that part of the sea became thick mire, a heavily laden [11] hindrance, for this is what the settling down of the island has caused.