Who came up with the myth of Atlantis and why? Atlantis - exact location established Discovery of Atlantis.
Researchers who are confident in the authenticity of information from Plato’s dialogues believe that the destruction of the island occurred in the period from 9593 to 9583 BC. This date is indicated by some data in the dialogues Timaeus and Critias. Critias, a statesman who lived in the second half of the 5th century BC, told Plato the story he read in the notes of his grandfather, Solon, which he kept from the words of an Egyptian priest in 593-583 BC. According to Critias, Atlantis perished exactly 9,000 years before these records, so it turns out that about 11,560 years have passed since the destruction of the island. The author located Atlantis directly behind the Pillars of Hercules or Heracles, i.e. in the Atlantic behind the rocks framing the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. And although some place Atlantis in the Black Sea, the Andes and even the Caribbean Sea, these are the most accurate coordinates and dates available to historians.
The death of the legendary state
According to Plato, Atlantis belonged to the ruler of the seas, Poseidon, who gave it to his sons from a mortal woman to rule over. The state grew and prospered, it was incredibly rich, had big influence to neighboring states and conducted brisk trade with them. But over time, the inhabitants “corrupted” and the ancient gods decided to punish them. Plato's description of the death of Atlantis comes down to two main factors - and the subsequent tsunami. First, the earth began to shake, cracks appeared in the soil, many people died in a few hours, and then a flood began, plunging the island to the bottom.
Skeptics claim that Solon confused the Egyptian hieroglyphs for hundreds and thousands and wrote down 9000 years instead of 900.
Versions of the death of Atlantis
One of the main versions of the death of Atlantis is considered to be the eruption of an underwater volcano, which gave rise to an earthquake and tsunami. No less popular is the version about the death of the continent as a result of the shift of tectonic plates. By the way, in this version Atlantis is called the antipode of Great Britain, i.e. Atlantis sank on one side of the scale, and England on the other. The reason for this shift, according to various researchers, could be the fall of a large asteroid in the area Bermuda Triangle or off the coast of Japan, the Earth’s capture of its current satellite, the Moon, and the change of geographic poles as a result of periodic “castling.” This is indicated by the words from ancient texts that “The Earth has once again been renewed” or “reborn,” i.e. ancient peoples had the knowledge that such processes are natural and periodic.
In different parts of the world, the picture of the cataclysm could differ significantly. In some places, pieces of a falling cosmic body and the consequences of destruction could be visible, in others - only roar and giant waves.
In the myths and traditions of different peoples, there are updated versions of the death of civilizations that existed before the first Egyptian pharaohs. So, for example, the book “Chilam-Balam” describes the fall of some celestial body, the ensuing earthquake and flood: “it rained fire,” “a great serpent fell from the sky,” “and his bones and skin fell to the ground,” “and then terrible waves surged.” Other legends say that “the sky fell” and in a short time, day turned to night several times.
Modern researchers of the Atlantis problem argue that such a catastrophe could happen again. The melting of glaciers in recent decades has become increasingly intense, this can lead to desalination of the waters of the world's oceans, the disappearance of the warm Gulf Stream current and a rise in water levels by several tens of meters. As a result, most of the coastal areas will be flooded, and many lands will repeat the fate of the legendary Atlantis.
The debate about whether the existence of Atlantis was a reality or a beautiful legend has not subsided for many centuries. On this occasion it was put forward a large number of the most controversial theories, but they were all based on information obtained from the texts of ancient Greek authors, none of whom personally saw this mysterious island, but transmitted only information obtained from earlier sources. So how true is the legend of Atlantis and where did it come from? modern world?
An island that has sunk into the abyss of the sea
First of all, let us clarify that the word “Atlantis” is usually understood as a certain fantastic (since there is no direct evidence of its existence) island located in the Atlantic Ocean. His exact location is unknown. According to the most popular legend, Atlantis was located somewhere near the northwestern coast of Africa, bordered by the chain of the Atlas Mountains, and near the Pillars of Hercules, which framed the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar.
The famous ancient Greek philosopher Plato placed it there in his dialogues (works written in the form of a conversation between historical or fictional persons). Based on his works, a very popular legend about Atlantis was subsequently born. It says that around 9500 BC. e. In the area indicated above, a terrible earthquake occurred, as a result of which the island forever plunged into the abyss of the ocean.
On that day, an ancient and highly developed civilization, created by the islanders, whom Plato calls “Atlanteans,” perished. It should immediately be noted that, due to their similar names, they are sometimes mistakenly identified with characters from ancient Greek mythology - the mighty titans holding the vault of heaven on their shoulders. This mistake is so common that when they see the sculptures by the outstanding Russian sculptor A. I. Terebenev (see photo below), decorating the portico of the New Hermitage in St. Petersburg, many people have an association with heroes who once sank deep into the seas.
A mystery that worries people's minds
During the Middle Ages, the works of Plato, as well as most other ancient historians and philosophers, were consigned to oblivion, but already in the 14th-16th centuries, called the Renaissance, interest in them, and at the same time in Atlantis and the legend associated with its existence , has grown rapidly. It continues unabated to this day, giving rise to heated scientific discussions. Scientists around the world are trying to discover real evidence events described by Plato and a number of his followers, and answer the question of what Atlantis actually was - legend or reality?
The island, inhabited by people who created the highest, at that time, civilization, and then absorbed by the ocean, is a mystery that excites the minds of people and encourages them to look for answers outside the real world. It is known that even in Ancient Greece the legend of Atlantis gave impetus to many mystical teachings, and in modern history she inspired theosophical thinkers. The most famous of them are H. P. Blavatsky and A. P. Sinnett. The authors of various pseudo-scientific and simply fantastic works of various genres, who also turned to the image of Atlantis, did not stand aside.
Where did the legend come from?
But let us return to the works of Plato, since they are the primary source that aroused centuries-old disputes and discussions. As mentioned above, mention of Atlantis is contained in two of his dialogues, called “Timaeus” and “Critius”. Both of them are devoted to the question government system and are conducted on behalf of his contemporaries: the Athenian politician Critias, as well as two philosophers - Socrates and Timaeus. Let us immediately note that Plato makes a reservation that the primary source of all information about Atlantis is the story of the ancient Egyptian priests, which was passed down orally from generation to generation and finally reached him.
The troubles that befell the Atlanteans
The first of the dialogues contains a message from Critias about the war between Athens and Atlantis. According to him, the island, whose army his compatriots had to face, was so large that its size surpassed all of Asia, which gives every right to call it a mainland. As for the state formed there, it amazed everyone with its greatness and, being unusually powerful, conquered Libya, as well as a significant territory of Europe, stretching all the way to Tyrrhenia (Western Italy).
In 9500 BC. e. The Atlanteans, wanting to conquer Athens, brought down the full might of their previously invincible army on them, but, despite the clear superiority of forces, they could not achieve success. The Athenians repelled the invasion and, having defeated the enemy, returned freedom to the peoples who had until then been enslaved by the islanders. However, the troubles did not recede from the prosperous and once prosperous Atlantis. The legend, or rather the story of Critias, which is its basis, further tells about a terrible natural disaster that completely destroyed the island and forced it to plunge into ocean depths. Literally within 24 hours, the raging elements wiped out a huge continent from the face of the earth and put an end to the highly developed culture created on it.
Commune of Athenian rulers
The continuation of this story is the second dialogue that has come down to us, called “Critius”. In it, the same Athenian politician tells in more detail about the two great states of antiquity, whose armies met on the battlefield shortly before the fatal flood. Athens, according to him, was a highly developed state so pleasing to the gods that, according to legend, the end of Atlantis was a foregone conclusion.
The description of the system of government that was established in it is very remarkable. According to Critias, on the Acropolis - a hill that still towers in the center of the Greek capital - there was a certain commune, partly reminiscent of those that the founders of the communist movement imagined in their imagination. Everything in it was equal and there was enough of everything. But it wasn't populated ordinary people, but by rulers and warriors who ensured the maintenance of the order they desired in the country. The working masses were only allowed to reverently look at their shining heights and fulfill the destinies descended from there.
Arrogant descendants of Poseidon
In the same treatise, the author contrasted the humble and virtuous Athenians with the proud Atlanteans. Their ancestor, as is clear from Plato’s work, was the god of the seas himself, Poseidon. One day, having witnessed how an earthly girl named Cleito lay her young body in the waves, he was inflamed with passion and, having evoked reciprocal feelings in her, became the father of ten sons - half-gods, half-humans.
The eldest of them, named Atlas, was put in charge of the island, divided into nine parts, each of which was under the command of one of his brothers. Subsequently, his name was inherited not only by the island, but even by the ocean on which it was located. All his brothers became the founders of dynasties that lived and ruled on this fertile land for many centuries. This is exactly how the legend describes the birth of Atlantis as a powerful and sovereign state.
Island of abundance and wealth
In his work, Plato also gives the known dimensions of this legendary island-mainland. According to him, it reached 540 km in length and was at least 360 km in width. Highest point this vast territory was a hill, the height of which the author does not specify, but writes that it was located approximately 9-10 km from the seashore.
It was on it that the ruler’s palace was built, which Poseidon himself surrounded with three land and two water defensive rings. Later, his Atlantean descendants threw bridges across them and dug additional canals through which ships could easily approach the piers located right next to the walls of the palace. They also erected many temples on the central hill, richly decorated with gold and decorated with statues of the celestials and earthly rulers of Atlantis.
Myths and legends, born from the writings of Plato, are full of descriptions of the treasures owned by the descendants of the sea god, as well as the wealth of nature and the fertility of the island. In the dialogues of the ancient Greek philosopher, it is mentioned, in particular, that, despite the dense population of Atlantis, wild animals lived very freely on its territory, among which there were even elephants that had not yet been tamed or domesticated. At the same time, Plato does not ignore many negative aspects of the life of the islanders, which aroused the anger of the gods and caused the disaster.
The end of Atlantis and the beginning of the legend
The peace and prosperity that reigned there for many centuries collapsed overnight through the fault of the Atlanteans themselves. The author writes that until the inhabitants of the island put virtue above wealth and honors, the inhabitants of heaven were favorable to them, but turned away from them as soon as the shine of gold overshadowed spiritual values in their eyes. Looking at how people who had lost their divine essence were filled with pride, greed and malice, Zeus did not want to restrain his anger and, having gathered the other gods, gave them the right to pronounce their sentence. This is where the manuscript of the ancient Greek philosopher ends, but, judging by the catastrophe that soon befell the evil, proud people, they were considered unworthy of mercy, which ultimately led to such a sad outcome.
The legends of Atlantis (or information about the events that actually happened - this remains unknown) attracted the attention of many ancient Greek historians and writers. In particular, the Athenian Hellanicus, who lived in the 5th century BC. e., also describes this island in one of his works, calling it, however, somewhat differently - Atlantiad - and without mentioning its destruction. However, modern researchers, for a number of reasons, believe that his story is related not to the lost Atlantis, but to Crete, which successfully survived centuries, in whose history the sea god Poseidon also appears, who conceived a son from an earthly maiden.
It is curious that the name “Atlanteans” was applied by ancient Greek and Roman authors not only to the islanders, but also to the inhabitants of continental Africa. In particular, Herodotus, as well as an equally famous historian, so-called a certain tribe that lived in Atlas Mountains near the ocean coast. These African Atlanteans were very warlike and, being at a low stage of development, waged constant wars with foreigners, among whom were the legendary Amazons.
As a result, they were completely exterminated by their neighbors, the troglodytes, who, although they were in a semi-animal state, still managed to win. There is an opinion that Aristotle said on this occasion that it was not the military superiority of the savages that led to the death of the Atlantean tribe, but the creator of the world, Zeus himself, destroyed them for the lawlessness they committed.
A figment of fantasy that has survived centuries
The attitude of modern researchers to the information presented in Plato’s dialogues and in the works of a number of other authors is extremely skeptical. Most of them consider Atlantis a legend that has no basis in reality. Their position is explained primarily by the fact that for many centuries no material evidence of its existence was discovered. This is true. There is completely no archaeological data on the existence of such a developed civilization at the end of the Ice Age, as well as the millennia closest to it. West Africa or Greece.
It is also puzzling that the story, allegedly told to the world by the ancient Greek priests and then reaching Plato in an oral retelling, was not reflected in any of the written monuments discovered on the banks of the Nile. This involuntarily suggests that the ancient Greek philosopher himself composed tragic story Atlantis.
He could well have borrowed the beginning of the legend from the rich Russian mythology, in which gods often became the founders of entire nations and continents. As for the tragic outcome of the plot, he needed it. The fictional island had to be destroyed to give the story external credibility. Otherwise, how could he explain to his contemporaries (and, of course, his descendants) the absence of traces of his existence.
Researchers of antiquity also pay attention to the fact that when talking about the mysterious continent located near the western coast of Africa and its inhabitants, the author cites exclusively Greek names and geographical names. This is very strange and suggests that he came up with them himself.
Tragic mistake
To conclude the article, we will present several very interesting statements made today by ardent supporters of the historicity of the existence of Atlantis. As mentioned above, today it has been raised on the shield by many supporters of occult movements and various kinds of mystics who do not want to reckon with the absurdity of their own theories. Pseudoscientists are not inferior to them, trying to pass off their fabrications as discoveries they allegedly made.
For example, for last years Articles have repeatedly appeared on the pages of the press, as well as on the Internet, that the Atlanteans (whose existence the authors did not question) had achieved such great progress that they conducted extensive research activities in the field of nuclear physics. Even the disappearance of the continent itself is explained by the tragedy that occurred as a result of their unsuccessful nuclear test.
According to long-standing legends that have come down to us from the ancient world, Atlantis was the greatest civilization founded by the gods themselves. For a long time, its lands were ruled by divine descendants - the sons of Poseidon, until they were inflamed by human passions and absorbed their vices and weaknesses.
Platonic world of Atlantis
Most famous description lost island found in Plato's dialogues. In his narrative, the ancient philosopher describes the world of Atlantis as a prosperous state of surprisingly high ethics and justice. Ten brothers descended from a mortal woman and the god-lord of the seas were appointed kings and rulers of the wonderful kingdom.
As Plato writes, Poseidon, by his will, established a great power on an island in the middle of the sea called the Atlantic. He separated the island from the surrounding world with rings of water and firmament. And in the middle of it he gave out two streams - with warm and cool water. The spring fed the lands of the entire state, making its soils rich and fertile. Peace, abundance and prosperity reigned in these places.
Kings of Atlantis
The majestic city was divided between the brothers into ten parts, where the eldest, Atlas, became king over the kings. The sons of Poseidon passed on their power from generation to generation to their sons. And they lived according to the laws of friendship and reasonable patience, carved on a metal stele in the very heart of Atlantis, within the walls of the temple of the god of the seas - Poseidon.
None of the rulers then thought about violating divine instructions, since each of them saw and understood the power of beneficence. At that time they only honored the heights of the spirit, and treated material wealth almost as an annoying burden.
Christina Balit. Atlantis A fall
As time passed, Atlantis achieved such power that no other existing civilization could surpass it. The power of the sons of Poseidon extended beyond the borders of their island and reached the lands of Egypt and modern Italy. But one day, as Plato writes, human character prevailed among the rulers of Atlantis. The sons of Poseidon lost their divine nature and they became slaves to their greed, for which the gods decided to bring down the punishment of heaven on them.
The death of the Atlantean civilization
It is interesting that Plato’s story about Atlantis ends at the moment when Zeus the Thunderer, angry at the decline of the morals of the Atlanteans, decides to send down punishment on them. Plato's dialogue with Critias about the lost civilization is mysteriously interrupted, being lost or unfinished by the philosopher for an unknown reason. Plato further mentions the fate that befell the lost city in the Timaeus fragment:
“Atlantis disappeared, plunging into the abyss. After this, the sea in those places became, to this day, unnavigable and inaccessible due to shallowing caused by the huge amount of silt that the settled island left behind.”
Ancient sources tell of the rapid destruction of the once prosperous island. Literally in one day, the world of Atlantis sank beneath the ocean, taking with it thousands of lives, leaving a legacy for future civilizations with more questions than answers.
N. Roerich. Death of Atlantis According to ancient philosophers, Atlantis disappeared from the face of the earth more than 10,000 years ago. However, scientists are still debating about the sunken continent. Where was he, when did he drown, and did he even exist?
Some consider Plato’s works to be a utopia and fiction far from reality. But there are also those who do not get tired in their search and actively explore the topic of the lost civilization of the Atlanteans. Today, the search for Atlantis is concentrated off the coast of Greece, as well as in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. It is true that until now not a single reliable evidence has been found confirming the veracity of this story.
That Atlas and the Emerald Tablets of Hermes
Although there are claims that the history of Atlantis is known only from the works of ancient Greek philosophy, there is another source, albeit no less mysterious than the others. We are talking about the emerald Tablets of Hermes, found, according to one version, by Alexander the Great in Egyptian temples Giza.
About the origin of these mysterious artifacts little is known. But today the texts of the tablets in translation can be found in the public domain under the name “Emerald Tablets of Thoth Atlas.” The author assures that he is the One, the Atlantean priest who managed to escape during the destruction of Atlantis. According to him, after his homeland went under water, he went to the lands of Egypt, where he was engaged in education, transmitting secret knowledge to the world.
In the emerald tablets, Thoth Atlas also describes the cause of the death of the island of Atlantis, revealing that she went under the dark waters because of the pride that flared up in the minds of her “ascended” children.
“They became proud of their knowledge, proud of their position among people. They plunged deeply into the forbidden and opened the gates that led down.”
That Atlas himself was chosen by the supreme being, whom he calls the Dweller, to continue to bring to people the wisdom of the ages. Having left the dying Atlantis with several of his comrades on the Master’s ship, He went to the abode of the children of Khem. Later, these places will receive the name of the Egyptian kingdom, but during the time of Atlantis, as the priest writes, these were wild lands and wild tribes lived on them.
That Hermes is the god of wisdom and writing.
According to the mystery described by Thoth, it was he who built the pyramids of Giza, which later became a temple and center of initiation for many millennia. In general, it was to the Egyptian teachers that the philosophers of the ancient world went for mystical knowledge that has reached our days through the ideas of Plato, the sacred science of Pythagoras’ numbers, the spiritual teachings of Jesus, Kabbalah and many other esoteric systems.
Finally
Atlantis has sunk into oblivion, perished under gigantic waves, but its legacy still travels around the world to this day and finds publicity through the mouths of the Great Teachers and educators of mankind. Whether the scientific community will one day find substantiated confirmation of the existence and death of this great civilization is unknown. But today, for many spiritual seekers, this story is an indisputable fact, the proof of which a zealous mystic is able to see in sources that are not direct, but indirect. Atlantis is alive for him, and he feels it in the rapid beating of his heart, which is revealed upon contact with the secret knowledge saved and revealed to the world by the great priest and initiator of Egypt -.
Of all the legendary kingdoms, it is the most popular, although it has never been found. Its fame is quite understandable: Europeans consider themselves heirs of ancient culture, which was the successor to the more ancient civilizations of Egypt and Crete, and those, in turn, to the Atlantean empire. And the evidence of a historical figure, the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, although transmitted by the Egyptian priests through Solon, seems more authoritative compared to the myths of the peoples of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, about Lemuria and Mu.
A wide variety of writings and documentaries have been made about Atlantis, speculating about the island's location and culture. But no one named exactly where to look lost city. Some investigators say that it is in the waters of Santarini, others in the waters of Bimini. According to the scientist Plato, the island was located in front of the Pillars of Hercules, in our time it is the Strait of Gibraltar, which separates the two states of Spain and Africa.
In 2011 in Spain, in national park Donada, where there are many swamps, cities and memorials were found that were similar to the construction of the sunken Atlantis.
Thus, scientists decided that this is one of the Far Eastern parts of Antlantis. Since the city found in the swamps is located near the village of Cadiz, it was previously called Hades.
In the chronicles there are mentions of this city in 1100 BC, in some myths the city is mentioned in earlier years.
The scripture also says that the sunken city-memorial belonged to one of the Atlantean princes, the son of Poseidon.
He gave his first son Atlas a part of the island, which was named Atlantis in his honor, and the coastal waters were also named.
The “non-findability” of Atlantis may have its own explanation: in the fact that they do not want to recognize it as a reality, preferring to see in it a utopian ideal state invented by Plato. Here is the will of the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, who discovered Troy, which was previously considered to exist only in the poetic imagination of Homer. Henry, dying in Naples in 1890, gave the antique vase to his friends along with a letter in which the following was written: “Permission is given to open it to one of the family members who swears that he will devote his life to the search mentioned here.” An hour before his death, he wrote a note: “You must break the vase with the owl’s head, examine its contents. It concerns Atlantis. Conduct excavations in the eastern part of the Sais temple and in the Shakkuna cemetery. It is important. You will find evidence to support my theory. Night is coming, goodbye."
Henry's son, named Agamemnon after the Greek king, did not dare to open the vase and devote his life to the search for Atlantis. This was done by his son, the grandson of Heinrich Schliemann - Paul, Doctor of Historical Sciences. With a feeling of deep regret, he broke an ancient vase, finding archaeological antiquities there, about which his grandfather wrote: “I came to the conclusion that Atlantis was not only a large continent between America and west coast Africa and Europe, but also the cradle of our entire culture...
During excavations in 1873 at the ruins of Troy in Hisarlik... I found an unusual-looking bronze vase. It contained small gold items, coins and objects made from fossilized bones. Some of them, like the bronze vase, bore the inscription in Egyptian hieroglyphs: “From King Chronos of Atlantis.”
Fulfilling Henry's will, Paul Schliemann followed in his footsteps to Egypt and began excavations in the Sais ruins. At first he was unlucky, but soon he received from one of the aborigines a collection of old coins found in the tomb of a priest from the time of the first dynasty. Paul writes about this: “Who could describe my amazement when in this collection I recognized two coins that were almost no different from the coin in the Trojan vase! Isn't this a success? Thus, I had a coin from a Trojan vase, which, if my grandfather was right, came from Atlandita, as well as two other similar coins from the sarcophagus of a priest of the Sais temple, which contained information about Atlantis, transmitted by the priests to Solon.
Later, the researcher discovered the same coins found in Central America, in Mexico, which, judging by many evidences, was once one of the colonies of the Atlantic Empire.
These and other material finds indicated that Atlantis was by no means a fiction, but scientists considered them... the invention of Paul Schliemann! He himself was shot by the British as a German, and his collection disappeared, like many other things that sunk into oblivion during the Second World War.
Another piece of evidence belongs to the English traveler Fossett and relates to a mysterious figurine, whose origin the leading experts of the British Museum could not explain. The traveler turned to a psychometrist or, as we would now say, a psychic. He left quite clear descriptions of his visions caused by contact with the figurine: “I see a large, irregularly shaped continent stretching from northern shore Africa to South America. Numerous mountains rise on its surface and in some places volcanoes are visible, as if ready to erupt. The vegetation is abundant and of a subtropical or tropical character.”
It is unlikely that the psychic was familiar with Plato’s work “Timaeus”, which says: “It was possible to cross this sea (the Atlantic) in those days, for there was still an island that lay in front of that strait, which is called in your language the Pillars of Hercules (modern Gibraltar) . This island was larger in size than Libya and Asia combined, and from it it was easy for travelers of that time to move to other islands, and from the islands to the entire opposite continent (America)... On this island, called Atlantis, arose a great and amazing union of kings..."
And further, already in Critias, Plato writes about the nature of Atlantis: “The forest provided in abundance everything that the builders needed for their work, as well as for feeding wild and domestic animals. There were even a great many elephants on the island... Further, all the incense that the earth now nourishes... - she gave birth to all this and cultivated it perfectly.”
The Russian visionary writer Daniil Andreev wrote about Atlantis in “The Rose of the World”: “Atlantis was located on an archipelago of islands, the largest and most important of which was similar in size to Sicily. It was inhabited by the red race... Of the cultures well known to us, Atlantis would be closest to Egypt and partly to the Aztecs, but darker and heavier... Main Island and the small ones surrounding it died from a series of seismic disasters. Small groups of residents escaped to America, one - to Africa, where they disappeared into the Negroid population of Sudan.”
Interesting views about the Atlanteans are expressed by the mystic Eduard Schure in “Divine Evolution”: “...From a physiological point of view, the primitive Atlas was closer to an animal than to a modern man... But, on the other hand, he occupied a higher level in some psychological capabilities, atrophied in subsequent generations: instinctive perception of the soul of things, second sight in a state of wakefulness and sleep, and with it an amazing acuity of feelings, wonderful memory and impulsive will... He was endowed with a kind of natural magic... He commanded nature with his gaze and voice... He charmed snakes , conquered predators. His influence on the plant kingdom was especially energetic. He knew how to obtain the magnetic living force of plants..."
Atlantis was discovered more than once, but they did not want to recognize it! In 1898, when laying a telegraph cable from Europe to North America at Azores rocks were discovered covered with a glassy mass, which can only be formed during the eruption of an above-ground, but not an underwater volcano. In 1917, near the island of Bimini, rectangular structures were found at the bottom, which were examined in 1968 by Dr. Manson Valentine. He opened a transport route and a pier. In 1973, the research vessel Akademik Petrovsky, near Gibraltar, photographed an underwater structure similar to the wall of a building. The picture clearly showed the blocks laid in strict order. Cuban archaeologists found an obsidian lens near their shores. Despite the fact that it was concave, the image through it was not distorted. Modern optics cannot explain this phenomenon.
And finally, the flights of birds from Europe to South America, unprecedented in their range. This path turns out to be so long and difficult that calluses the size of a man’s fist form under their wings. Why should they fly far away from warm lands to the North? There can be only one answer: once this path was much shorter and it ended in the warm, flowering gardens of the land of Atlantis. Instinct drives birds from year to year from South America across the Atlantic... and further - to cold Europe.
Russian writer Vladimir Shcherbakov promises us a meeting with legendary country: “Astrologers predicted that Atlantis will emerge from the depths of the ocean in the 21st century. If so, then the wait won't be that long. If you’re lucky, we’ll see everything with our own eyes.”
In the works of some ancient Greek historians, geographers, mythographers, mathematicians, theologians and astronomers, there is mention of one state that has sunk into eternity: the legendary island of Atlantis. About two thousand years ago, Plato, Herodotus, Diodorus and other respected authors wrote about it in their works.
Ancient authors about the sunken island of Atlantis
Basic information about the lost Atlantis is contained in the writings of Plato. In the dialogues Timaeus and Critias, he talks about an island state that existed about 11,500 years ago.
According to Plato, the ancestor of the Atlanteans was the god Poseidon. He connected his life with a mortal girl, who bore him ten sons. When the children grew up, the father divided the island between them. The best part sushi went to Poseidon's eldest son: Atlan.
Atlantis was a powerful, rich and populous state. Its inhabitants erected a serious defense system against external enemies and built a network of circular canals leading to the sea, as well as an internal port.
Large cities were distinguished by amazing architectural structures and beautiful sculptures: temples made of gold and silver, golden statues and sculptures. The island was very fertile, with a variety of natural world; people mined copper and silver in the depths of the earth.
The Atlanteans were a warlike people: the army of the state included a navy of 1000 ships, the number of crews was 240 thousand people; The ground army numbered 700 thousand people. The descendants of Poseidon successfully fought for many years, conquering new territories and wealth; This was the case until Athens stood in their way.
To defeat the Atlanteans, the Athenians created a military alliance with the peoples of the Balkan Peninsula. But on the day of the battle, the allies refused to fight, and the Athenians were left alone with the enemy. Fearless, courageous Greeks defeated the aggressor and liberated the peoples previously enslaved by him.
But early on, the Greek warriors rejoiced at their achievements: they decided to intervene in the affairs of people, who had been monitoring the inhabitants of Atlantis for the last centuries. Zeus considered that the Atlanteans had become greedy, greedy, depraved and decided to punish them to the fullest extent by flooding the island along with its inhabitants and the Athenians who did not have time to celebrate the victory.
This is what Plato writes about Atlantis in his two works. At first glance, this is just a beautiful legend, an interesting fairy tale. There is no direct evidence of the existence of Atlantis in ancient times, nor any references to authoritative sources.
But these two dialogues survived not only Plato himself, but also two more millennia - during which time many disputes and theories arose regarding the lost state.
Plato’s student Aristotle, who listened to the speeches of Platonist philosophers for about 20 years, eventually categorically rejected the existence of Atlantis, declaring that the dialogues “Timaeus” and “Critias” were simply fiction, the ravings of an old man.
It was because of Aristotle that Atlantis was talked about reluctantly, in a low voice, until the end of the 18th century. After all, this venerable philosopher enjoyed unquestioned authority in Europe, especially in the Middle Ages. All of Aristotle's statements were perceived by Europeans as the ultimate truth.
So why was Aristotle so sure that Atlantis was a fiction, because he had no irrefutable evidence? Why was he so harsh in his judgments? Some sources claim that the philosopher simply did not like his mentor, so he decided in this way to spoil Plato’s authority in the eyes of his fans and admirers.
Mentions of the Atlanteans in the works of other ancient authors
Other ancient authors wrote very little about Atlantis: Herodotus claimed that the Atlanteans had no names, did not see and were defeated by troglodytes - cavemen; According to the stories of Diodorus, the inhabitants of Atlantis fought with the Amazons. Posidonius, interested in the causes of land subsidence, believed that Plato’s story was plausible.
Proclus in his writings talks about one follower of the ancient thinker: a resident of Athens, Krantor.
Allegedly, he specially went to 47 years after the death of the philosopher to find evidence in favor of the existence island state; Having returned from his trip, Krantor said that in one of the ancient temples he saw columns with inscriptions retelling the historical events described by Plato.
Search for Atlantis
It is quite difficult to indicate the exact location of the lost Atlantis: there are many hypotheses about where the sunken state could be located.
Plato wrote that a huge island was once located in the ocean beyond the Pillars of Hercules (i.e., beyond Gibraltar). But his search in the Canary, Balearic, Azores and British Isles came to nothing.
Some researchers propose to look for the remains of the material culture of the Atlanteans in the Black Sea, linking the flooding of the island with the “Black Sea flood” that occurred 7-8 thousand years ago - then the sea level rose in less than a year, according to various estimates, from 10 to 80 meters.
There is a hypothesis according to which Antarctica is the lost Atlantis. Scientists who adhere to this theory believe that Antarctica in ancient times was shifted to the south pole due to lithospheric shift, or a sharp displacement of the earth's axis as a result of the collision of our planet with a large cosmic body.
There is also an opinion that traces of Atlantis can be found in South America or Brazil. But most interpreters of Plato’s dialogues are sure: the lost island must be looked for only in the Atlantic Ocean.
In recent decades, the lost state has sought many expeditions, most of which returned empty-handed. True, from time to time the whole world is excited by news about the found traces of a submerged island.
Did the Russians find Atlantis?
In 1979, a Soviet expedition, while testing a diving bell, accidentally discovered some objects in the Atlantic Ocean that looked like the ruins of an ancient city.
The action took place just behind the “Pillars of Hercules” indicated by Plato, 500 km from Gibraltar, above the Ampere seamount, which many thousands of years ago protruded above the surface of the ocean, but then for some reason went under water.
Three years later, the Soviet ship "Rift" went to the same place to explore the ocean floor using underwater vehicle"Argus". The aquanauts were amazed by what they saw; from their words, a panorama of city ruins opened up to them: the remains of rooms, squares, streets.
But the expedition that took place in 1984 did not live up to the hopes of the researchers: an analysis of two stones raised from the ocean floor showed that it was just volcanic rock, frozen lava, and not the creation of human hands.
The opinion of modern scientists about Atlantis
Atlantis is a fiction
Most modern historians and philologists are convinced: Plato’s dialogues are just a beautiful legend, of which the philosopher has many. There are no traces of this state either in Greece, or in western Europe, or in Africa - this is confirmed by archaeological excavations.
The opinion of scientists that Atlantis is only a figment of the imagination is also based on the following: the philosopher writes about a network of canals built on the island, about an inland port, but such large-scale projects in ancient times were beyond the power of people.
Plato indicated the approximate date of the island's immersion in the ocean depths: 9000 years before he wrote his dialogues (i.e. approximately 9500 BC). But this contradicts the data of modern science: at that time, humanity was just emerging from the Paleolithic era. It is not easy to believe that somewhere in those times there lived a people who were thousands of years ahead of the entire human race in their development.
Many scientists are convinced that Plato, when writing his works, took as a basis some events that occurred during his life: for example, the defeat of the Greeks during their attempt to conquer the island of Sicily and the flooding of the town of Gelica as a result of an earthquake followed by flooding.
Other researchers believe that the basis for the philosopher’s works was the eruption of a volcano on the island of Santorini, which subsequently hit the coast of Crete and other islands. Mediterranean Sea tsunami - this disaster led to the decline of the developed Minoan civilization.
The version is supported by the following fact: the Minoans really fought with the Archeans who inhabited Greece in ancient times and were even defeated by them (just as the Atlanteans were defeated by the Greeks in the dialogues “Timaeus” and “Critias”).
In general, many researchers of the thinker’s works believe that Plato, being an idealistic utopian, with his writings only wanted to call on his contemporaries to build an ideal exemplary humane state in which there would be no place for dictatorship, violence and tyranny.
However, the philosopher himself constantly emphasizes in his dialogues that Atlantis is not just a legend, but a real island state that once existed.
Plato doesn't lie
Some researchers still admit: there is a grain of truth in the works of the ancient thinker. Excavations carried out by archaeologists in recent years have helped scientists obtain new information about the life and technical achievements of our ancestors living 5-10 thousand years ago.
Modern archaeologists find the remains of grandiose structures created by ancient people everywhere: in Egypt, Sumer, Babylon. Tunnels for collecting groundwater, many kilometers of adits, stone dams, man-made lakes- all these structures were in operation long before the birth of Plato.
Consequently, the philosopher’s dialogues cannot be attributed to fiction only on the grounds that humanity 11 thousand years ago was unable to build a network of canals and bridges: the latter archaeological excavations prove the opposite.
In addition, since Plato’s works have come down to us, rewritten more than once, there is a possibility that over two millennia there has been confusion with the dates.
The fact is that in the system of Egyptian hieroglyphs, the number “9000” is indicated by lotus flowers, and the number “900” by rope knots; supporters of the existence of Atlantis believe that later copyists of dialogues could easily confuse symbols that were so similar to each other, thus pushing the historical event back several thousand years.
On top of that, Plato, who belongs to a highly revered family in Ancient Greece, refers in his dialogues to his ancestor: the wisest of the “seven wise men,” the legislator Solon. And the ancient Greeks were very sensitive to their roots and tried to preserve the sacred memory of their relatives. Would Plato, given his moral qualities, have referred to Solon in his works, because if this whole story with Atlantis was just a fiction, he would have tarnished the name of the wisest representative of the family?
Afterword
Atlantis has been shrouded in an aura of mystery for many centuries. People have been trying to find the suddenly disappeared state for almost two thousand years: some wanting to take possession of the treasures described by Plato, others out of scientific interest, others simply out of curiosity.
In the 50s of the last century, a doctrine called “Atlantology” even appeared; its main task is to identify true information about Atlantis in historical sources and mythical legends.
Disputes about whether there once existed mysterious land or the ancient Greek thinker simply made it up, continues to this day. Various theories are born and die, guesses appear and disappear. Some of them are supported by science, while others are more like a beautiful fairy tale.
Perhaps our children or grandchildren will solve the riddle of Atlantis. But it may happen that another two thousand years will pass, and the mystery of the lost island will remain unsolved, and our descendants, just like us today, will be tormented by guesses and assumptions.
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