Is Atlantida the lost continent,just a feel good story,or a place that really existed?

Question

Is Atlantida the lost continent,just a feel good story,or a place that really existed?

Answer 1

That depends on what you mean by Atlantis. There is very little plausible evidence to describe anything like what is portrayed in popular portrayal's of the "lost continent." There are some examples of cities that have been washed away and in some cases small islands that have been sunk by volcanic/seismic activity. Perhaps one of these may have lead to the mythology of Atlantis, but the short answer is NO, Atlantis is not something that existed the way you probably mean.  For great reasons why I suggest you do a search for some good myth-busting archaeology books by someone that may be easy/enjoyable to read for even a laymen. Fagan is a great archaeological writer.

Answer 2

All myths have in their beginnings a kernel of truth.  So the initial question may be, "Was there an advanced civilization that existed before but suddenly disappeared?"  The advanced civilization thought should be compared to the notion of what an advanced civilization should be according to ancient Egyptians, who first related the story.  A sudden disappearance of an entire civilization brings to mind the destruction of Pompeii and Herculeneum after Mt. Vesuvius erupted.  I prefer the thought that Atlantis could be the Mycenean civilization which was more advanced than any other civilization at the time.  They even had working toilets!  The Atlantis myth was probably thought up by ancient Greeks to (most likely) reinforce existing religious convictions.

Answer 3

I also believe Atlantis (if it existed) was located in the Mediterranean. Likely, the source of the tale comes from the eruption that decimated civilization on Crete and both civilization and a part of the island of Thera, a satellite of Minoan Crete.

Answer 4

From what I know their is no empirical evidence of a ancient city or continent with technology similar to todays that sank to the bottom of the ocean in the mediteranian sea. Their are cities under the sea found off the coast of india, but these are not atlantis. Some ancient guy wrote about a city called atlantis, but its never been proven. I personaly find the hollow earth myth more interesting.