Socrates expresses a longing to hear a saga that shows such a city proving itself in war and in

diplomatic interactions with other cities (15^3c8). His companions charge is to return
hospitality by joining together to provide such an account (2ob7ci). ( 2 ) It emerges that
Critias already has the wherewithal to do so (20C4di): a narrative of actual events, matching
Socratess request, has been handed down in Critiass family (2ody2id8). This is the story of
the victory of the original Athens over the aggressor Atlantis, of which Critias now gives an
outline (24C42jd6; cf. 26C57). (3) Critias next proposes to tell that story in detail, and says,
speaking for himself, Timaeus, and Hermocrates collectively