Essay, Research Paper
Brief Description of the story of Atlantis:
Did the lost continent of Atlantis really exist or is the account of the island paradise destroyed just a moral tale? the answer of this Question is still mystrical. Ithe story of Atlantis was first told by the Greek Philosopher Plato as a parable to show how heaven punishes those who worship false Gods. But at the same time he hints that the story is true, the memory of a terrible cataclysm passed down by word of mouth for hundreads of years. Myth or reality the legend of Atlantis has inspired a search that echoes down the century.
over 11,000 years ago there existed an Island nation located in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. Populated by a noble and powerful race. The largest of these big island was as big as the whole of Asia minor.This was the island of Atlantis, which was more beautiful than anywhere else in the world.The flowers were so reachly Scented that they made the warm air an intoxicating as wine, the water in the stream was as clear as crystal, it was as if heaven in the earth and semmed as god put all the beautiful things on one place.Atlantis was the domain of Poseidon, god of the sea. When Poseidon fell in love with a mortal women, cleito, he created a dwelling at the top of a hill near the middle of the island and surrounded the dwelling with the rings of waters and land to protect her. Clieto gave birth to five sets of twins boys who became the first rulers of Atlantis. The island was divided among the brothers with the eldest, Atlas, first king of Atlantis, being given control over the central hill and surrounding areas. At the top of the central hill, a temple was built to honour Poseidon which housed a giant gold statue of Poseidon riding a chariot pulled by winged horses.It was the place where the rulers of Atlantis come to discuss laws, pass judgements and pay tribute to Poseidon.The city of Atlantis sat just outside the outer ring of water and spread across the plain covering a circle of 11 miles. Surroundings the plain to the north were mountains which soared to the skies. Villages, lakes, rivers, and meadows dotted the mountains.
Besides the harvests, the island provided all kinds of herbs, fruits, and nuts. An abundance of animals, including elephants, roamed the island. For generation the Atlanteans lived simple, virtuous lives. But slowly they began to change. Greed and power began to corrupt them. When Zeus saw the immorality of the Atlandteans he gathered the other gods to determine a suitable punishment. Soon, in one violent surge it was gone. The island of Atlantis, its people, and its memory were swallowed by the sea.
Theories about Atlantis and where it was located.
The prevailing theories about Atlantis are
? Its fiction
? Its an exaggeration based on the fall of the Minoan civilization and the distrution of the island Thera
? It was real
Although many people in each theory consider the case closed there is no definitive proof about it. In the case about fiction theory it is essentially impossible to definitively prove that it was fiction. It was made up to suit the purpose of Plato’s dialogues.
Pros
? Nothing to prove. Timaeus and Critias are simply stories.
Cons
? It is stated several times within the dialogues that the story is true.
? Parts about the impassable sea and the true continent on the other side of Atlantis tend to indicate a more detailed knowledge that a fictional story
? The island of thera a volcanic island was destroyed around 1500 B.C by an explosion which caused more than half of the island to sink into the sea.
? Artifacts found on the island indicate the sophisticated culture, probably the part of the Minoan Civilization.
? There is evidence pointing to trade between the Minoans and Egyptians. The Egyptians would certainly have been aware of the distruction or atleast the tremadous damage done to one of their trading partners.
Against
Proponents of this theory claim that Plato’s date of 9000 years ago should really have been 900 years ago: somewhere along the line either solon or plato made a mistake. If the story was 900 years ago it would place Atlantis in the time frame of the Minoan civilization on Crete and Thera. Conviniently overlooked in this thinking is that in Timaeus the priest tell the Solon that ancient Athens and Atlantis preceeded Egypt by a thousand years. Egypt however existed and was know to have existed since long before 1500 B.C, the time of Create and Thera. The times just don’t add up unless you assume the egyptian Priest was ignorant of his own recorded history.
It Existed
For
? Platos says it’s a true story
Against
? There are no other records of such a civilization existing.
? Current archaeological evidence doesnot support the premise that such sophisticated civilization existed around 9000 BC anywhere in the world.
Metaphysical theories
There are different causes for the fall of Atlantis:
? Poltical corruption
? Abuse of the Crystals
Being hit by something celestial( asteriod, comet, meteor) earth changes ( volcanoes).
Some controversial theories have equated ancient Thera with Atlantis. Thera is a volcanic Greek island in the Aegean Sea which was devastated by a volcanic eruption in 1625 B.C. until then it had been associated with the Minoan civilization on Create.
Most writers who describe ancient Atlantis agree that the atlanteans attained a zenith of luxury and that it led to their downfall. The ancient said Atlanteans became so materialistics and hedonistic that they lost their spritual vision and turned away from the god.
Many researchers both in the Scientific and alternative sciences have claimed to have located the Atlantis site or region based on the writings of Plato. The problem with most is that they usually ignore what plato actually wrote about the subject.
From this account Atlantis was not in the mediterranean Sea at all, it was reached only by goging through the straight of the pillar of Hercules and it was in the Atlantic ocean. The land mass though called an island in translations would said to be very large much larger than the small island that are found in the Mediterranean.
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