What are your theories?

Question

About Atlantis.

It's always interested me, and I would like to hear other people's theories about what might have happened.

Answer 1

Plato wrote about an ancient lost island called Atlantis.

He states that the account was translated from the Egyptian by Solon. He also states that Critias (Plato's close relative) had Solon's original translation in his possession. If the original manuscript actually existed, Plato likely has access to it.

Plato locates it in the Atlantis Ocean just outside the "Pillars of Herakles" (today the Straits of Gibraltar).

He says it was a central plain with Mountains on the West, North, and East. The central plain of Atlantis is described as being 2000 x 3000 Greek stades in size; which equals about 79,212 US square miles (roughly the size of South Dakota).

Nowhere does he call it a Continent.

Nor does he say it sank in a single day and night.

What he says is that in a single day and night, the Greek army was swallowed by the Earth. He then says that "in the same manner" Atlantis was "swallowed by the sea." But nowhere does he indicate the two events happened at the same time.

Every theory I've seen on Atlantis is either based upon Plato or relies on him for at least some support. This makes Plato's writing the only clear common ground, among all interested parties, in discussions about Atlantis. Plato is the foundation upon which most Atlantean theories are based.

Strangely though, many people who discuss Atlantis (both skeptics and true believers) have never actually read the original account; which is actually quite short.

The account is found in Plato's Timaeus and Critias dialogues. The actual Atlantean sections of any book with Timaeus and Critias, are reasonably short. For example, in the Penguin classic edition, the complete dialogue of Timaeus is about 100 pages long, but the Atlantean section is only 8 pages long. Critias is only 17 pages long.

Linguistically, Plato's writings on Atlantis are reasonably straight forward. In nearly all cases, the meaning of the original Greek is clear enough.

As far as I am concerned, people should be free to choose to accept what Plato wrote, or to reject it. However, what I do have a problem with, is when people take what Plato actually said and twist it into what they claim he "meant" in an effort to adjust Plato to support their theory about Atlantis. They often do this just so they can then say "Plato supports my theory."

You can download a free, pdf copy of my "New Atlantis Reference Edition" from my website:

http://www.greekatlantis.org  

This edition contains Jowett's translation with aligned referencing, explanatory essays, and a comprehensive concordance.

Answer 2

I've always been interested in Atlantis but just recently started really exploring the legends.  I don't know exactly what I believe yet but I picture something like the other lost civilizations (for instance in South America) but more European.

Answer 3

It was invented by Plato and never really existed. Geologists say it couldn't be where Plato said it was. He said Egyptians told Greeks about it, but it's not in any Egyptian books. He said Athens defeated Atlantis in a war 9000 years before his time. Athens probably didn't exist then. There's no evidence Atlantis was real but much evidence proves it wasn't.

Answer 4

its not real

Answer 5

Well if you think about it, it is unthinkable. But that's teh best part. I believe that a city could have evolved to underwater life. Almost as if it were meant to be some how.

Answer 6

If you read the "Epic of Gilgamesh" when he goes to meet Utnapishtim to ask questions about Immortality, if you read the book again and read the part where he travels across the ocean and sees the 'city of the gods' shining before he arrived I would classify that as the Atlantis, and that being the oldest mentioning of it according to the Sumerians. That being when Enkidu was created from Aruru a goddess of the 'city of the gods' or Atlantis.  The Egyptian god Thoth is said to have crash landed a space craft in the desert of Giza prior coming from the destruction of Atlantis 36,000 years ago!

Answer 7

a large sink hole.

Answer 8

I think that is was an advanced civilization for its time and there was an earthquake and it sunk.  Sounds odd but it happens. Thats what I think.