One of the most enduring legends in all of history is the one about a lost continent that once existed called Atlantis. This amazing and fascinating ancient civilization is said to have been located somewhere in Europe and Asia.
Some even say that it was somewhere in North America. Although the story of Atlantis has been told and retold for thousands of years, very few people know about it.
Most people have heard about the legend but have no real idea of what the story is about or where the story originates from. That being said, we will explore what this lost continent is and its significance in Greek mythology.
Interpretation Of The Atlantis Myth
The Atlantis myth has been interpreted in a variety of ways by various ancient writers. Some believe the story is real, while others view it as metaphorical.
For instance, Aristotle believed that his teacher Plato invented the island to teach philosophy; however, Crantor (one student of Xenocrates) was cited as believing this story was historical and that he wrote about it before Plato did so.
Location
The name Atlantis has become a general term for lost cities, as there was never any specific location. The main sites suggested in the past are near or in the Mediterranean, and they include islands such as Santorini and Crete that have been suggested before.
A few land-based cities were also cited, including Tartessos, Manisa, and Canaan, all located within the Mediterranean Sea.
Where Did The Legend Of Atlantis Come From?
The legend of Atlantis is a fascinating story. As it turns out, there are many different versions of the story. The earliest known mention of Atlantis was by Plato: a Greek philosopher.
He wrote about Atlantis in two of his dialogues titled Timaeuis and Critias. These dialogues were supposedly conversations between him and his mentor, Socrates.
Plato’s dialogues mentioned that there existed an advanced civilization that had knowledge of mathematics and astronomy and was very prosperous.
This civilization was located in the Atlantic Ocean to the west of Africa and Europe. Plato called this advanced society Atlantis because it was said to be a “sinking city.”
However, according to Plato, this civilization fell because its people became corrupt. They became greedy and violent, which led to their destruction at the hands of gods who were angry with them for their corruption.
There are some historians who believe that Plato’s accounts are actually just legendary stories told by others before him or that they’re based on natural disasters like floods or earthquakes back when he lived in Greece.
What Does Atlantis Mean In Greek Mythology?
Atlantis is a mythical island that is said to have been located somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. According to legend, this lost continent of Atlantis fell into the sea and disappeared following a devastating earthquake.
Most people believe that it was all caused by the Greek gods because they were angry with the Atlanteans for worshipping other gods instead of theirs.
This story has been told since ancient times. The story of Atlantis has captivated countless people throughout history, but there are so many unanswered questions about it.
What Happened To Atlantis?
Many people still wonder what happened to Atlantis. There are many different theories about what might have happened to this ancient civilization or if it ever existed.
It’s not known for sure where or when Atlantis existed or if it ever did exist at all for that matter. All we know for sure is that the mystery of what happened to Atlantis remains unsolved.
Some say that it was destroyed in a great cataclysm and sunk into the ocean depths. Others believe that the continent was never actually real but instead a figment of Plato’s imagination.
However, Plato himself said in his dialogues Timaeus and Critias that he had heard about Atlantis from an old soldier named Solon. If this is true, then it is possible that the lost continent existed at one point in time.
But what happened to Atlantis? Plato doesn’t say specifically what became of Atlantis. He only says that it eventually sank beneath the waves and disappeared forever.
This would likely occur if a natural disaster struck the land found on this supposed continent, causing it to sink into the sea forever.
However, some people believe that Atlantis didn’t sink because of natural disasters but man-made catastrophes like wars or earthquakes.
One such person is Charles Berlitz, who wrote several books on myths and legends, including The Lost Continent of Atlantis and The Mystery of Atlantis.
In these books, he hypothesizes that Atlantis existed around 10,000 years ago during the final ice age before being destroyed by war or natural disaster between 7500 BC and 2500 BC.
So what happened to this ancient civilization? No one knows for sure just yet because there are no definite answers on where it was located or how it came to an end all those.
Is There A Lost Continent In Greek Mythology?
Many people believe that there is a lost continent in Greek mythology. Plato is said to have observed and recorded the legend when he was reading an ancient text.
He also wrote his version called Timaeus, which tells the story of this ancient civilization and its demise. Plato is not the only one who has written about Atlantis; many other philosophers, historians, and scientists have.
They add to or take away pieces from Plato’s original story. However, no one has ever found evidence to support its existence, so it remains classified as myth or fiction.
Possibly Existence Based On Real Events?
According to Ocean Explorer, Robert Ballard, and National Geographic explorer-in-residence who discovered the wreck of Titanic in 1985, “nobody gives a crap” about Plato’s Atlantis.
Still, even though it is logical that the legend of Atlantis exists due to many cataclysmic floods as well as volcanic eruptions happening throughout history, including one event with some similarities to the story of how Atlantis was destroyed.
Approximately 3,600 years ago, there was an event in Santorini where a massive volcanic eruption left it devastated. Long ago, a highly advanced community of Minoans lived on Santorini.
They all vanished suddenly when their island was engulfed by the volcanic eruption at about the same time like it happened. Atlantis played a big role in the Greek mythology
The Importance Of Knowing The Meaning Of Atlantis
l era. Society was so advanced that they were able to create weapons that could withstand any attack and had solutions for just about every problem.
They were also able to build ships capable of flying through the air and seafaring vessels that could traverse seas with ease. Atlanteans were also known as great builders who would go on expeditions looking for new land and build cities on them when they found them.
It’s important to note that Atlantis wasn’t just a mythological society; it’s an actual place that at one time existed somewhere in Eurasia or Africa before disappearing into oblivion around 10,000 BC due mostly because of flooding issues.
Contemporary Significance Of Atlantis Mythology
Atlantis is an interesting subject to study dealing with the past and present. Atlantis has been used as a tool for many different things.
It has been used to get rid of national borders, create new countries, show how advanced humans were in the past, and much more.
The Atlanteans are interesting people because they were able to build incredible structures out of stone that no one today could duplicate.
They also were able to create weapons that could withstand any attack from any kind of weapon or technology, and they also had solutions for just about every problem imaginable.
The Atlantis myth has also been used by many different religions throughout history, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and more.
Some people believe that the Bible talks about Atlantis as well as some other religions use it as a tool for their religion. This is because there are many similarities between the Bible and Atlantis myths.
For example, the Bible talks about a great city that was destroyed by a flood and this is very similar to the Atlantis myth. The story in Genesis talks about a man named Noah who built an ark that saved his family and all animals from the flood.
Movies
Many movies have been based on the myth of Atlantis. These include Undersea Kingdom, Lost Continent, Island of Mutations, and many more.
What is so odd about these myths is that none of them has ever been proven to be true, but there are still numerous stories circulating today about these legends being real.
Summary
There is a myth about Atlantis– it is either true or false. Some scholars say that this story is historical, while other Christians believe it has pagan origins. It may have originated from the Mediterranean, but people claim to find evidence of its existence in the Atlantic.
It may have been an island, but it could also be an idea that has been passed down through the ages. There is evidence of the existence of Atlantis in both ancient and modern times, but none of it can be verified.
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