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THE ANCIENT LEAGUE OF NATIONS

A description of the lost Atlantis was written by Plato;  it introduces the league
formed by the ten benevolent kings who ruled over the lesser nations and the three great continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa;
and who bound themselves by oath to obey the divine laws of enduring empire. ...
This was the philosophic democracy, with all men having the right to become wise through self-disci­pline and self-improvement,
thus achieving the only aristocracy recognized by Natural Law. ... The Atlantis story continues
to the later decision of the kings to use their united power to enslave all the peoples of the earth, and the consequent destruction of Atlantis
by earthquake and fire ....interpreted politically, it is the story of the breaking up of the ideal pattern of government.

THE destruction of Atlantis, as described by Plato in the Critias, can be inter­preted as a political fable.  The tradition of the Lost Empire as descended from Solon was enlarged and embellished according to the formulas of the Orphic theology; but it does not follow necessarily that Plato intended to dispar­age the idea that a lost continent had actually existed west of Europe.  Plato was a philosopher; he saw in the account of the fall of Atlantis an admirable opportunity to summarize his convic­tions concerning government and politics.

The Critias first describes the blessed state of the Atlantean people under the benevolent rulership of ten kings who were bound together in a league.  These kings were monarchs over seven islands and three great continents.  From the fable we can in­fer that the ten rulers of the Atlantic league were philosopher kings, endowed with all virtues and wise guardians of the public good.  These kings obeyed the laws of the divine father of their house, Poseidon, god of the seas.

In the capital city of Atlantis stood the temple of Poseidon, and in it a golden figure of the god.  In this shrine also stood a column of precious substance inscribed with the laws of enduring empire.  The ten kings took their oath together to obey these laws, and they chose one of their number, usually of the family of Atlas, to be the chief of their league.

It was written on the column of the law that the ten kings of Atlantis should not take up arms against each other, for any reason.  If one of them should break this law the other nine were to unite against him to preserve the peace.

In all matters concerning the public good the ten kings were to deliberate together, and each should be mindful of the just needs of the others; for they were the members of one body and re­gents over the lands of a blessed god.

The kings had not the power of life or death over any of their subjects except with the consent of the majority of the ten;  and each was responsible to the whole league for his conduct in the ad­ministration of his own State.

In this way Plato describes the government of the Golden Age, in which men live on earth ac­cording to the laws of heaven.

[....]

Plato describes at some length the prosperity of the Atlantic Isles under this benevolent rulership.  The citizens were happy, and poverty was un­known.  A world trade was established, and the ships of the Atlantean marine traveled the seven seas, bringing rich treasures to the motherland.  There was little crime; the arts flourished; and the sciences were cultivated in great universities.  Men had no enemies, and war was unknown.

From : The secret destiny of America, Manly P. Hall