Critias

In this sequel to the Timaeus, Plato describes the mighty island nation of Atlantis, a civilization blessed by Poseidon but corrupted by mortal greed. The text details the city's concentric rings of water and land, its military power, and its eventual war with prehistoric Athens. The dialogue breaks off mid-sentence as Zeus prepares to punish the Atlanteans, leaving the story a tantalizing fragment. It is the origin of the Atlantis myth, serving as a warning against imperial overreach.