Lost mainland Atlantis excites the minds of millions of people for almost 2500 years. A mystery covered in the fog of millennia, hundreds of theories and hypotheses. Even despite modern technical means and scientific progress, it has not yet been possible to find not only the location of Atlantis, but also to prove its existence. It is worth noting that on the way to the secrets of the Atlantean civilization, scientists and researchers made many other discoveries. Which sometimes do not fit in the head because of their fantasticness. Many have heard of Atlantis, but few have given much thought to the culture that this great civilization is supposed to have been.

The first mention of the disappeared mainland

The very first mention of Atlantis is considered to be the "Dialogues" of the ancient Greek philosopher and historian Plato. In them, he casually mentioned the location of the mainland in the area of ​​the Strait of Gibraltar. But for the most part he focused on describing the life and culture of the Atlanteans. The accuracy with which Plato describes Atlantis is surprising. Its rich cities and civilization, which has risen to the highest level of development. According to him, the Atlanteans are the descendants of Poseidon. Which, in turn, was their supreme deity.

The wealth and grandeur of the disappeared mainland is amazing. But it can only be judged from the words of Plato. In addition, other information is more interesting. It is proved that Plato himself borrowed stories about the mainland from his uncle Solon. He heard them while in Egypt. The story of Atlantis was told by one of the priests of the goddess of the sky and the mother of the Sun - Neith. At the same time, he showed inscriptions in temples, testifying to the reality of the existence of the deceased continent. It turns out that the Atlanteans knew in advance about the imminent death of their homeland. And they did everything possible to preserve the great secrets and the gene pool of mankind.

Atlantean heritage

Before talking about the possible location of the sunken mainland, it is worth focusing on the achievements of the Atlanteans. The information is extremely interesting, although somewhat worn out by the eternal search for the continent itself. The researchers were so carried away by the search that they completely forgot about why they started it all. In ancient sources, there is evidence that the Atlanteans preserved their knowledge for posterity. And they saved not only information, but also themselves. Shortly before the terrible catastrophe that plunged the country into the ocean, representatives of the great race went to Egypt, Greece and even Tibet.

The information of the famous British esotericist Labsang Rampa is interesting. He claims that in Tibet, under the Potala temple, there are secret caves. In them, Tibetan monks protect three Atlanteans who are in a state of "samadhi". The state itself is mentioned in all religions of the East, so its reality can be taken for granted. Another thing is interesting. Labsang claims that the inhabitants of Atlantis had unique abilities. With the help of the "third eye" they could move heavy objects, possessed advanced science and technology.

His statements coincide with the words of the famous Russian occultist Helena Blavatsky. In her writings, she wrote that the Atlanteans took part in moving huge blocks of stone with the help of magic. In addition, Blavatsky said that the Great Pyramid of Cheops is the repository of the knowledge of the Atlanteans. Her words are partly confirmed by modern research. Scientists have discovered hidden rooms under the base of the pyramid. Their age can be safely attributed to the tenth, and possibly the twelfth millennium BC.

Where did Atlantis go?

If we leave esotericism unattended for a while, and focus on more material things, then it is interesting to find the place where Atlantis is located today. As for this aspect of research, there are many theories and it makes sense to focus on more real ones. In the process of searching for the flooded continent, scientists have explored the entire globe and obtained information that makes us take a fresh look at the history of mankind. For the sake of justice, it is worth noting that these finds were not always somehow connected with Atlantis. Although they had a character no less important for science.

Atlantean civilization in the Aegean?

The most real among modern versions is the location of the disappeared mainland in the Aegean Sea. Researchers claim that Atlantis was associated with the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete and lasted until the 16th century BC. Around this time, a volcano erupted on the island of Santorini, and the legendary Atlanteans sunk into oblivion. Geological studies confirm the theory. Scientists have discovered underwater deposits of volcanic ash several tens of meters thick in this area. But whether the remains of a great race were preserved under the ashes, science is not able to answer. It remains to be hoped that "yet" is not able to.

Atlantis in Antarctica?

Another interesting theory is the location of the missing continent under a two-kilometer layer of ice in Antarctica. Upon closer examination, the theory no longer seems fantastic. For starters, you should pay attention to the ancient maps of our planet. In 1665, the work of the German Jesuit Athanasius Kircher saw the light. Among other things, it featured a reproduction of an Egyptian map. The map showed Antarctica in detail without ice. This, according to the Egyptians, it was 12,000 years ago. Surprisingly, the configuration of the island on the map is strikingly similar to the outline of Antarctica obtained using modern equipment.

In addition, ice-free Antarctica is found on many later maps. The fact remains. In the memory of the ancestors, Antarctica was present without ice. Never see her like this again. It is worth noting that many of the ancient maps depicting Atlantis are incredibly detailed and accurate to the minute. How such reliability was achieved also remains a mystery.

How did Atlantis disappear?

Any variations on the theme: "Where to look for Atlantis?" should prove how this continent could disappear in an incredibly short time. According to Plato, Atlantis went under water within a day. Obviously, no cataclysm can produce such a destructive effect. One out of two:

Either Atlantis went into the depths of the sea longer than the stated time;
or the death of the Atlanteans came from outside.

The statement of the same Lama Labsang Rampa fits very smoothly on this hypothesis. In his writings, he stated that the catastrophe was due to a planetoid that collided with the Earth. Thus, displacing it from orbit and forcing it to rotate in the other direction. Let scientists judge the possibility of such an event, but it really explains both the shift of the continents and the disappearance of the first civilization.

The Atlantean Empire is fraught with many secrets, the clues to which are so desirable for enthusiasts. And it is safe to say that research will not subside until Atlantis is found. There is no smoke without fire. So, there is hope that the disappeared continent will come out to meet its descendants.

Movie about Atlantis

If interested, watch the online video film "The Lost World - Atlantis. The Mystery of the Lost Civilization".

Atlantic Ocean

From the text of Plato's dialogues it is absolutely clear that Atlantis was located in the Atlantic Ocean. According to the priest, the Atlantean army "led its way from the Atlantic Sea." The priest says that opposite the Pillars of Hercules lay a large island, larger than Libya and Asia put together, from which it was easy to cross the other islands "to the entire opposite continent", in which America is easily guessed.

Therefore, many of the atlantologists, especially those who believe the date of 9500 BC, believe that Atlantis was once located in the Atlantic Ocean, and traces of it should be sought either at the bottom of the ocean or near the existing islands, which were 11500 years ago high mountain peaks. The main hypotheses related to the Atlantic Ocean will be considered in more detail below.

Mediterranean Sea

About two and a half thousand years ago, the worst catastrophe in the history of mankind occurred in the Mediterranean Sea. The explosion of the Strongile volcano was three times stronger than the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano. This explosion generated a tsunami wave several tens or even a hundred meters high, which hit the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Scientists believe that this catastrophe was the cause of the death of the Cretan-Mycenaean culture that existed 3000 years ago. It is not surprising that such a grandiose natural cataclysm attracted many researchers, some of whom came to the seemingly strange idea that when describing Atlantis, Plato described Thira (where the Strongile volcano was located) or Crete.

This second version, one of the two most popular, I will also consider in more detail.

The Iberian Peninsula

The name of one of the first ten kings of Atlantis - Gadir - has come down to our time in the name of the Gadir region. Gadir is a Phoenician village, the current Cadiz. This name gave reason to individual atlantologists to believe that all of Atlantis was located on the Iberian Peninsula near the mouth of the Quadalquivir River.

Near Gadir lay another famous city, Tartessus. Its inhabitants were Etruscans and claimed that their state was 5,000 years old. The German H. Schulten (1922) believed that Tartessus is Atlantis. In 1973, near Cadiz, at a depth of 30 meters, the remains of an ancient city were discovered.

About a million Basques now live in northern Spain. Their language is not similar to any of the known languages ​​of the world. There is a certain similarity between it and the languages ​​of the American Indians. This suggests that the Basques are direct descendants of the Atlanteans.

Brazil

In 1638, the English scientist and politician Francis Bacon of Verulam in his book "Nova Atlantis" identified Brazil with Atlantis. Soon a new atlas with a map of America was published, compiled by the French geographer Sanson, in which the provinces of the sons of Poseidon in Brazil were even indicated. The same atlas was published in 1762 by Robert Vaugudi. It is said that at the sight of these cards, Voltaire was shaking with laughter.

Scandinavia

In 1675, the Swedish atlantologist Olaus Rudbeck argued that Atlantis was located in Sweden, and Uppsala was its capital. According to him, this was evident from the Bible.

Herodotus, Pomponius Mela, Pliny the Elder and some other ancient historians write about the Atlantean tribe living in North Africa near the Atlas Mountains. Atlanteans, they say, don't dream, don't use names, don't eat anything alive, and curse the rising and setting sun.

Based on these messages, P. Borchardt claims that Atlantis was located on the territory of modern Tunisia, deep in the Sahara Desert. In its southern part there are two lakes, which, according to modern data, are the remains of an ancient sea. In this sea was supposed to be the island of Atlantis.

At the end of the 19th century, the French geographer Etienne Berlu placed Atlantis in Morocco, in the region of the Atlas Mountains.

In 1930, A. Hermann stated that Atlantis was in the Shatt-el-Jerid lowland, between the city of Nefta and the Gulf of Gabes. True, this territory does not fall, but rises ...

German ethnographer Leo Frobenius found Atlantis in the Kingdom of Benin.

Other options

In 1952, German pastor Jurgen Spanut discovered Atlantis on the island of Helgoland in the Baltic Sea.

In general, Atlantis was found in all parts of the Earth. We will not dwell on these theories in detail, but it was found in Central America, in the English Channel (F. Gidon), in the Pacific Ocean, in Cuba, in Peru, in the UK, in the Great Lakes region in the USA, in Greenland, in Iceland, on Svalbard, in France, in the Netherlands, in Denmark, in Persia (Pierre-André Latreille, France, 19th century), Bermuda, Bahamas, Canaries, Antilles (John McCuloch, Scotland), the Azores, the Sea of ​​Azov, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, Palestine, and in many other places.

Evidence for the existence of Atlantis in the Atlantic

An advanced civilization once existed on an island in the Atlantic Ocean. The inhabitants of this country taught the ancient Egyptians and Mayans how to measure time, build pyramids and much more. It was the Atlanteans who put many different numbers into the Egyptian pyramids, as if addressing this message to their descendants.

But 11,500 years ago, a meteorite (or comet) fell to Earth, causing the death of Atlantis. The fall of the meteorite awakened dormant volcanoes. Eruptions and earthquakes began. The fall of the meteorite and the sinking of Atlantis caused a giant wave that temporarily flooded Europe, Egypt, Asia Minor, America, South and East Asia. This wave killed mammoths in distant Siberia, laying them in "cemeteries". Due to the fall of the meteorite, the earth's axis shifted, which caused strong climatic changes. The surviving Atlanteans scattered around the world, spreading the story of the death of Atlantis.

This is the version of the death of Atlantis, which can be considered canonical for the supporters of Atlantis in the Atlantic.

In 1665, in his book "Mundus subterraneus" ("Underworld"), the German Jesuit Athanasius Kircher showed that Atlantis existed in the Atlantic Ocean and provided a map with its outlines. It is very interesting that these outlines exactly correspond to the lines of the depths of the ocean, unknown at that time.

In the 19th century, I. Donelly wrote the book "Atlantis, the antediluvian world", which was considered the "bible" of atlantologists. He places his Atlantis in the same place as Kircher, but reduced in size. For him, Atlantis was a biblical paradise, the seat of the Greek gods and the land of the cult of the Sun!

Donelly considers mythology to be one of the main pillars of the version of the existence of Atlantis. Fairly objectively the mythological aspect of Atlantis is described in the book by L. Stegeni.

Mythological evidence for the existence of Atlantis

Flood legends

They are found in almost all mankind, with the exception of Africa, except for Egypt, Australia and the northern part of Eurasia. In almost all these myths, the gods (God) once flooded the whole earth with water (beer) (usually for sins), a fire starts (the sky falls, the earth cracks, a mountain appears, spewing flames) and all people drowned (turned into fish, turned into stones ), except for one (two) people whom the gods (God) usually warned about the flood, because they led a righteous life. These people (or one person), usually a husband and wife (or brother and sister, or Noah and family), get into a boat (box, ark) and swim. Then they (not always) sail to the mountain, release the birds for reconnaissance (this is in many cases a skillful introduction of biblical motifs by Christian missionaries into pagan myths).

Legends about aliens from the West (Old World)

They are found among some peoples of the Old World, in particular, among the Egyptians and Babylonians.

An unknown person arrives from the West, speaking in an incomprehensible language. He taught people how to make tools (build cities, use the calendar, make wine, brew beer).

Legends about coming from the East (New World)

Found in some peoples of America.

They say that this people once came from the East (from the island), perhaps some cataclysms occurred at that time (the gods punished humanity), but someone from humanity escaped and came to the West, where he founded this country (city , people).

Legends of space disasters

Found in some nations.

A stone fell from the sky (Moon, Sun, Serpent, Dragon, something else), after which a fire started (flood, the earth shook, something else). Then it all ended and people dispersed around the world.

Encountering such a legend, atlantologists begin to look for (and find) in it proof of the existence of Atlantis. For example, having learned that the Kalevala mentions an earthquake and high tides (usually the height of the tides in the Baltic is several centimeters), atlantologists concluded that a long time ago the Earth captured the Moon, which caused high tides, which people remembered. Myths often give atlantologists the opportunity to "prove" any, even the most insane, statements, adjusting ancient myths to suit them.

Similarity of cultures on both sides of the Atlantic

Atlantologists pay attention to the fact that in Egypt and Mexico they build pyramids, make stone sarcophagi, mummify the dead, use a similar hieroglyphic script, in Egypt and Mexico there is a separate caste of priests, a cult of the Sun, a similar time number system and quite developed astronomy.

Some Atlantologists have decided that the Aztecs, Incas, Mayans and Egyptians were students of the Atlanteans who flew (or sailed) to them after the catastrophe. (Osiris in Egypt, Quetzalcoatl in America)

The eel mystery

Even Aristotle drew attention to the fact that only female eels can be found in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. There have been many theories about the origin of eels, "fatherless fish". Even at the end of the 19th century, it was believed that eels are born alive, and females of one of the fish species produce them. (!?) Only in 1904, the Danish ichthyologist I. Schmidt solved the riddle of eels. Eels hatch from eggs in the Sargasso Sea. In the second year of life, they set sail for the shores of Europe. There, the females go up the rivers, spend about two years in the rivers, return to the sea and swim into the Sargasso Sea. There is a mating season and the females lay their eggs. This behavior of eels can be easily explained if we assume that thousands of years ago, on the site of the Sargasso Sea, there were the shores of Atlantis, where they spent their childhood. The warm current of the Gulf Stream carried them to the shores of Europe, and then the countercurrent brought them back.

Atlantis has been described by many researchers as the most advanced of human civilizations. Some believe that the city was destroyed by one of the biggest natural disasters, known to man, while others are inclined to believe that it is nothing more than a mere figment of Plato's imagination. This article contains some "facts", conceptual images and videos. Let's dream a little together, plunging into the story of Atlantis.

The legend of Atlantis begins with two dialogues: Timaeus and Critias, written by the classical Greek philosopher, Plato. He describes the inhabitants of Atlantis as noble and strong people who lived on an island located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Greek myths tell us that Poseidon created a dwelling for the mortal woman Kleito, with whom he fell in love. To protect her, he surrounded the island with rings of water and earth.

Kleito soon gave birth to 5 pairs of twin boys who became the rulers of the country. Atlas became the first king. Atlantis was a thriving trading center due to its location and natural resources.


Unfortunately, as happened with all lost civilizations, greed and power began to corrupt the inhabitants of Atlantis. Zeus was outraged by the immorality of people and had to decide the fate of Atlantis by gathering other gods and determining punishment. At the height of its glory, Atlantis was swallowed up sea ​​waves after a terrible earthquake.


It is believed that the center of Atlantis was connected to the sea by an extremely large and deep channel - almost 9 km long, 100 m wide and 30 m deep. It was even deeper than the Panama Canal, which reaches 18 meters at its deepest location.

At the very top of the central mountain, a temple was built in honor of Poseidon. Inside was a statue of Poseidon on a chariot with winged horses (Pegases). The statue was usually surrounded by the senior rulers of Atlantis, who discussed laws here, made decisions and paid tribute to Poseidon.


The main city of Atlantis was located outside the 1st ring of water and covered 17 km of land. It was very densely populated, most of the inhabitants lived here. Outside the city were fertile fields and farms 530 km long and 190 km wide, surrounded by another canal used to collect water from rivers and mountain streams. Each year, the climate of Atlantis allowed 2 harvests. One in winter, which was fed by rains, and one in summer, which was fed by irrigation from canals.

High mountains surrounded the plain in the north of the 3rd circle. Small villages, lakes, rivers and grasslands covered most of this area. In addition to lush vegetation, the island was very rich in various metals (gold, copper, bronze, silver) and several types of stone. It is also believed that elephants lived here.


Due to the size of the army and navy, which consisted of approximately 1,200 ships, Atlantis was able to control lands far beyond its territory, including Egypt.


Today, there are few places in the world where you can experience a small fraction of the atmosphere of Atlantis: the Palm of Dubai and the Atlantic Paradise (Bahamas). Here are some photos of these places:










It's always interesting to see how other people feel and imagine Atlantis. Below are some artworks by artists from different parts of the world. Enjoy! Mankind can only hope that soon Atlantis will become one of the new

G. ALEKSANDROVSKY.

In the dialogues of the ancient thinker Plato, there is still a grain that speaks of the reality of the legendary island. The legend of Atlantis has been alive for more than two thousand years. But only a few decades ago, people, desperate to find traces of a once prosperous state, ranked Plato's writings as utopias. And here is a sensational twist: in our days, some historians and archaeologists have recognized that Plato's dialogues do contain a grain of real facts. We present three newest hypotheses suggesting where and when Atlantis died.

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Tradition of the Egyptian priests

In 421 BC. e. the Greek philosopher Plato in his two writings - Timaeus and Critias - outlined the history and the sad end island nation Atlantis. The story in the form of a dialogue is conducted by Plato's great-grandfather, Critias: he conveys the content of the conversation with his grandfather, who heard the story about Atlantis from a contemporary, Solon, an Athenian legislator and poet, who, in turn, learned about Atlantis from an Egyptian priest. And Plato in his texts repeatedly emphasizes that this is not a myth, but a true story of historical events.

Atlantis, according to Plato, is a huge island that lay in the ocean behind the Pillars of Hercules, that is, behind Gibraltar. In the center of the island there was a hill, on which temples and the royal palace stood. The Acropolis - the upper city - was protected by two rows of earth embankments and three water ring channels. The outer ring was connected to the sea by a 500-meter canal through which ships entered the inner port. The life of Atlantis appears to be full of prosperity.

The temple of the main deity of the islanders - Poseidon, the ruler of the seas, was, Plato narrates, lined with gold, silver and orchilac (a recently unraveled word means an alloy of copper and zinc). Another temple dedicated to Poseidon and his wife Kleito, the progenitor of all Atlanteans, is surrounded by a golden wall. There were also a golden statue of Poseidon and golden statues of Nereids - numerous daughters of the sea deity. The Atlanteans had bronze weapons and thousands of war chariots. The bowels gave copper and silver.

The people had fun horse racing, thermal baths were at their service: two springs beat on the island - cold and hot water. Ships hurried to the harbor of Atlantis with ceramic dishes, spices, and rare ores. To supply the port with fresh water, the river bed was turned.

The island belonged to a powerful union of kings. And then the moment came when he decided to subjugate other countries, including Greece. However, Athens, having shown valor and strength in the war, won. But, as Plato says, the Olympic gods, dissatisfied with the warring peoples, decided to punish them for their greed and violence. A monstrous earthquake and flood "in one terrible day and one night" destroyed the Athenian army and all of Atlantis. The ocean waters swallowed the island.

47 years after the death of Plato, an Athenian citizen, Krantor, went to Egypt to see if the origins of the information used by the philosopher were really there. And he found, according to him, in the temple of Neith hieroglyphs with a text about the events described.

Search

The search for Atlantis began already at the very beginning of a new era - in the 50th year from the birth of Christ. Almost two thousand years since that time, there have been many hypotheses about the location of Atlantis. Many were attracted by the wealth mentioned by Plato. Just think: take possession of the golden walls and statues! Most of the interpreters of Critias and Timaeus pointed to the present-day islands of the Atlantic Ocean. But there were other guidelines as well. Among the 50 points on Earth identified by enthusiasts for the search for Atlantis, there are also quite fantastic ones, for example, Brazil or Siberia, the existence of which the ancient philosopher did not suspect.

A new surge of interest in the search for the legendary island arose after the First World War. Underwater technology, improved in wartime, prompted adventurous businessmen to organize companies in several countries to search for the mysterious Atlantis. For example, in the French newspaper "Figaro" there was such a note: "A society for the study and exploitation of Atlantis has been created in Paris." The companies, of course, burst one after another, but the Russian writer Alexander Belyaev found in a newspaper publication the plot for his fantastic story "The Last Man from Atlantis."

More than 50 thousand publications are devoted to the problem of the sunken island. Movies and television have also contributed to this story. Over 20 expeditions explored the places where, according to their organizers, the people of Atlantis once prospered. But they all returned empty-handed.

To two main questions - where? and when? - already in our century, the objections of archaeologists were added, who considered the story of the abundance of gold and silver on the island a fantasy. They attributed the network of canals - circular and leading to the sea, the inner port and other hydraulic structures to Plato's inventions: such large-scale cases were beyond their strength in those days. Researchers of the philosophical and literary heritage of Plato considered that, telling about the prosperous Atlantis, the ancient idealist thinker called on his contemporaries to build an exemplary state without dictatorship and tyranny. And in this sense, Plato is called the creator of the utopian genre. (Plato, indeed, in some of his writings, called for the construction of an ideal state based on goodness and justice. He traveled from Athens to Syracuse three times, the last time as a very old man, hoping in vain to inspire humane ideas in the tyrants there.) As for the time of the death of the island in deep ocean, Plato named a date that contradicts all the data of modern science: according to his information, the catastrophe occurred 11,500 years ago to the present day, or 9,000 years, counting up to the time of Plato himself. 12-10 thousand years ago, humanity was just emerging from the Paleolithic, the ancient Stone Age, and it is difficult to imagine that a people lived somewhere, in its development ahead of the human race by many thousands of years. The primary source of such an error could be incorrect determinations of the age of the Egyptian state, carried out in ancient times. For example, Herodotus counted Egypt 11340 years.

Is it Atlantis?

"The Russians have found Atlantis!" - with such sensational full houses, many newspapers Western Europe accompanied in 1979 by photographs of the seabed. In the photographs, vertical ridges were clearly visible under a layer of sand, reminiscent of the walls of a destroyed city. The impression of ancient city ruins was enhanced by the fact that other ridges ran along the bottom at right angles to the first ones.

Underwater images were taken by the research vessel of the Moscow University "Akademik Petrovsky". Actions unfolded where Plato pointed out - "behind the Pillars of Hercules." Out in the Atlantic Ocean, the ship stopped over the shallows to test its underwater equipment. Pure chance helped to choose a parking spot just above the underwater volcano Ampère. It was possible to establish that the Amper volcano once protruded from the water and was an island.

In 1982, the Soviet ship "Rift" lowered the underwater vehicle "Argus" into the ocean. "The panorama of the ruins of the city opened up to us, since the walls very similarly imitated the remains of rooms, streets, squares," commander of the "Argus" V. Bulyga reported to the Institute of Oceanology of the Academy of Sciences. Unfortunately, the next Vityaz expedition, which took place in the summer of 1984, did not confirm such encouraging impressions of the aquanaut. From one of the walls, two stones of a fairly regular shape were raised up, but their analysis showed that this was not a creation of human hands, but a volcanic rock. The commander of the Argus crew, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences A. Gorodnitsky, writes: "Most likely, the stone is a frozen lava that once poured out through the cracks of the volcano." Another seamount, Josephine, was also surveyed, also an ancient volcano, and in the past an island.

A. Gorodnitsky proposed his own model of a grandiose geological catastrophe of the distant past. It arose due to a sharp shift in the northern direction of the African tectonic plate. Its collision with the European plate caused the eruption of the Santorin volcano in the east, and the sinking of the mentioned volcanic islands into the ocean in the west. This hypothesis does not contradict the geological and geophysical data of modern science. However, once again, Atlantis turned out to be not a fascinating hypothesis, but only a myth: scientists did not find any traces of the remains of the material culture of the Atlanteans.

History of Atlantis is a mystery that researchers have been trying to penetrate for thousands of years. It is rooted in deep antiquity, inaccessible to direct research, but interest in this problem has only become stronger over the years. Perhaps this is due to the fact that something very important for all mankind is connected with the history of Atlantis.

Lemuria and Atlantis

In ancient times, the appearance of the Earth was different than it is now, at that time there were continents and islands, which have long been gone. The Flood and other cataclysms forever changed the face of the planet. And of course, it is very difficult today to judge the ancient states that existed at that time. However, fragmentary information about them in the form of legends and legends has come down to us.

Perhaps the greatest interest among scientists is Lemuria and Atlantis, as once the most highly developed civilizations. Lemuria is reminiscent of the mysterious Easter Island, which is believed to have been part of a large mainland. As for Atlantis, no one can definitely say about its location yet. There is no such piece of land that could be tied to Atlantis. A fairly specific indication is the prediction of the clairvoyant Edward Casey, who claimed that Atlantis was located in the Bermuda Triangle. This prediction later found a number of confirmations - at the bottom of the ocean in this area, as Cayce predicted, large, well-preserved pyramids containing crystals on their tops were discovered. However, there are interesting finds in other places of the planet. Therefore, it is not yet possible to unequivocally answer which of the versions of the location of Atlantis is more correct, and therefore they are looking for a mysterious country all over the face of the Earth.

The legend of Atlantis has become known to modern mankind from the works of the ancient Greek thinker Plato. In his dialogues "Timaeus" and "Critias" he describes the history of Atlantis. In the first dialogue, Plato speaks of Atlantis only in passing. As for the Critias dialogue, it is entirely devoted to the description of Atlantis.

Dialogue Timaeus

Dialogue Timaeus It begins with the fact that Socrates and the Pythagorean Timaeus are talking about an ideal state. However, after describing his ideas about the ideal state, Socrates began to complain that the picture turned out to be abstract. He wanted to see how such a state would behave in a real life situation, how it would build relations with other states, whether it would be able to go to war, and whether citizens in this case would perform feats "according to their training and upbringing."

Another participant in the conversation, the Athenian politician Critias, unexpectedly responded to Socrates' question. He spoke about an ancient war that took place about 9,500 years ago (11,500 years for us) between Athens and the mysterious Atlantis. Critias himself learned about this story from his grandfather, and he learned about this war from Solon, while Egyptian priests told Solon about Atlantis.

Both Athens and Atlantis were very powerful powers, while Atlantis had a very large territory under its control, conquering more and more new nations. The aggressive policy of Atlantis eventually led to a war with Athens. The entire Athenian people, realizing the danger that hung over them, rose to the defense of the Fatherland. Abandoned by the allies, the Athenian warriors, having shown courage and valor, managed to defeat the conquerors. This victory also returned freedom to the peoples who were enslaved by the Atlanteans. But suddenly a terrible catastrophe broke out, ending the history of Atlantis. In one day and night, the country of powerful Atlanteans went under water. Alas, the Athenian army perished along with Atlantis.

Dialogue Critias

Dialogue Critias is a direct continuation of the dialogue Timaeus. Through the mouth of Critias, Plato here speaks in detail and authentically about Atlantis.

The history of Atlantis began with the relationship between Poseidon and the mortal girl Kleito, whom the lord of the seas fell in love with. From their union came 10 sons, the eldest of whom was called Atlas. Poseidon divided the island between his sons, which later became known as Atlantis. The children of Poseidon and Kleito were considered demigods and laid the foundation for the 10 royal families of Atlantis.

Plato accurately described the legendary land and gave specific figures. The central plain of Atlantis reached 3000 stadia (which is 540 km) by 2000 stadia (360 km). In the center of the island there was a hill, which the father of the rulers of Atlantis surrounded by three water channels, separated by earthen ramparts. In the center of the fortification, a city or central island was created, which had a diameter of 5 stadia (slightly less than a kilometer). Here, in the heart of Atlantis, magnificent temples and a magnificent royal palace were built. The inhabitants of Atlantis made deep channels through the protective rings so that ships could sail directly to the capital.

Here is what Plato says about Atlantis. The island on which the palace is located was five stadia in diameter. And the island, and the earthen rings, as well as the bridge in the width of the plethra, the rulers surrounded with circular walls of stone, and towers and gates were placed everywhere on the bridges at the exits to the sea. In the bowels of the middle island, as well as the outer and inner earthen rings, the Atlanteans mined white, black and red stone. In the quarries they organized parking for their ships. Some of their buildings are simply made, others are skillfully decorated with stones. different color which gave them a natural beauty. The walls around the outer earthen ring along the entire circumference of the Atlanteans were covered with copper, by applying metal in molten form. The wall of the inner shaft was covered with tin also by casting. The wall of the acropolis itself was trimmed with orichalcum, which radiated a fiery brilliance.

The place where the rulers of Atlantis lived inside the acropolis was arranged like this. In the very center was the inaccessible holy temple of Kleito and Poseidon. It was surrounded by a golden wall - it was the place where the generation of ten kings came from. In honor of this event, every year each of them brought sacrificial firstfruits from all ten destinies of Atlantis. Nearby was the temple of Poseidon, which was 1 stage long, three spans wide, and also a height corresponding to this size. The outer surface of the temple, except for the acroteria, was lined with silver, while the acroteria were trimmed with gold. The ceiling in the temple was made of Ivory and decorated with gold, silver and orichal-com. Walls, pillars and floors were completely covered with orichalcum. There were golden statues in the temple, one of which was up to the ceiling. It depicted a god on a chariot, who ruled with six winged horses, around which there were one hundred Nereids on dolphins. Many of the statues in the temple were donated by private individuals. Outside, the temple was surrounded by images made of gold of wives and those who descended from ten kings. The size and decoration of the altar corresponded to this richness. The royal palace, in its splendor, also corresponded to both the temples and the grandeur of the state.

Plato, in addition to all this, described many different details from the way of life of the Atlanteans, including data on the size of the army of Atlantis.

The laws by which Atlantis lived were established by Poseidon and inscribed on an orichalcum pillar. Despite the incredible wealth of the island, the inhabitants of Atlantis, being direct descendants of the gods, did not know greed. However, marriages with mere mortals gradually led to the degeneration of the divine nature of the Atlanteans, human vices prevailed in the hearts of the Atlanteans with great power. They were filled with greed, pride and the desire for conquest. Then Zeus decided to punish the inhabitants of Atlantis so that they "learned goodness." The Thunderer gathered all the gods and addressed the audience with a speech ... Plato did not say what was said by Zeus - Critias dialogue at this mysteriously breaks off. For what reason Plato did not finish his work on Atlantis is not known.

This is the story of Atlantis from Plato's story. Many secrets would be revealed if this mysterious country could be discovered. However, the time has not yet come and the ocean reliably stores the ancient mysteries of Atlantis.

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