Even if you aren’t an expert in ancient history or mythology, chances are that you’ve heard of Atlantis.
There have been many ‘lost’ civilizations over the years (the Minoans, the Mayans, and the Aztecs, to name a few), so why is there still so much attention given to Atlantis?
Maybe it’s because scholars have been debating for thousands of years whether Atlantis is fact or fiction. Did this utopian society actually exist? If so, where? Or, did Plato—the Athenian philosopher and author—create Atlantis as a metaphor for the human condition?
Like many stories lost to the ages, there is no physical evidence to help make up our minds. All we can do is listen to the narrative and decide for ourselves.
When did the legend begin?
The first mention of Atlantis appears in Plato’s novels, Timaeus and Critias. In these texts, Plato claims that Atlantis existed about 9,000 years before his time. That means that the story of Atlantis was an ancient one, even back then. But, with the help of his relatives, colleagues, clergymen, and artists—all of whom had knowledge of this ill-fated utopia—Plato eventually pieced together the legend as we know it today.
According to myth, sometime around 10,000 BCE, the deities that roamed Earth began to clash. Instead of starting a global war, they decided to divide the world between themselves. That way, each god and goddess could create a kingdom to rule as they saw fit.
Poseidon, the god of the sea, claimed a remote area in the ocean. With the help of his wife, Cleito, he created an archipelago of ten mountainous islands. They designed the islands in such a way that their fortress would be insulated and protected from the greedy eyes of man.
Poseidon and Cleito had ten children, one for each island. Each child reigned over a region, but their eldest son, Atlas, was given an even greater responsibility—to rule the ocean. Poseidon didn’t give up complete control of the seas, but instead designated a specific territory for his heir.
Any guesses where this might have been?
If you said the Atlantic Ocean, you are spot-on. Rumor has it that the Atlantic Ocean is named after Atlas. It’s where Atlantis was established, where it thrived, fell into decline, and eventually disappeared.
How did it end?
Although part of the old-world, Atlantis was a land of abundance. The islands were rich with edible plants, wildlife, and precious minerals. Atlantean society was also extremely advanced—technologically, spiritually, and politically.
So how could such a prosperous community vanish overnight?
Well, remember when all the deities promised to stick to their own territories? That didn’t last long. As the Atlanteans’ power grew, so did their greed. Poseidon, along with his followers, raided and conquered neighboring lands. With each acquisition, Atlantis grew more powerful. Eventually, Poseidon was completely blinded by the same greed that infected mankind.
For the god of the seas, all was going to plan until he decided to take on Athena and the Athenians.
A great battle ensued, but this time, Poseidon had underestimated his opponent. Athena won the war, and Poseidon retreated to his watery fortress. Despite her victory, Athena was not pleased. She rounded up her fellow gods and goddesses and went to speak with Zeus. Together, they decided that Atlantis was a moral threat to the planet.
Divine punishment was imminent.
The following night, just as the sun was setting, Atlantis was besieged with a great storm. Heavy rains flooded the land and earthquakes rattled the mountains until Atlantis sank into the sea. When the clouds parted and moonlight lit up the night, all that was left was a muddy abyss that not even sailors dared to cross.
Where is Atlantis?
Perhaps one of the greatest intrigues regarding Atlantis is that the location is still up for debate. Some say that Atlantis was near modern-day Morocco, Santorini, or Malta. Others believe that it was part of Indonesia, Antarctica, or Spain. If you agree that Atlantis was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean as the stories suggest, there’s evidence to support that the Azores, Bermuda, or the remote Canary Islands have ties to this ancient civilization.
With little to go off other than one man’s words, a couple of books, and an ever-growing number of theories, we may never know all the details surrounding the lost world of Atlantis. But, like all things that provoke the mind and call for our attention, that shouldn’t stop us from pondering the possibilities.
