If reading history and mythology is your favorite pastime activity, the myth of Atlantis is worth reading. The mythology’s narrator is the Greek philosopher Plato. According to him, Atlantis was a mythical Island in the Atlantic, home to an advanced civilization. However, the civilization sank beneath the abyss of the Atlantic not out of a natural disaster but because of a divine punishment. God obliterated the civilization due to its excessive greed and corruption which enraged him and he decided to punish it by its destruction. While Plato captivated the readers with his philosophical work ” Atlantis”, most scholars reputed that the story is an allegory rather than a real one created by the philosopher to warn people about the danger of excessive pride and greed.
The myth of Atlantis never lost its allurement because human beings can’t lost sight of a lost civilization, unprecedented charm for the unknown, great fascination for knowing advanced ancient knowledge, and acquiring valuable lessons regarding how greed and corruption can lead to a tragic extinction.
The purpose of this article is how the myth of Atlantis originated and what are the interpretations of this story.
The Origins of the Atlantis Myth
The Greek Philosopher Plato is the storyteller of the Atlantis myth. The myth appeared in Plato’s two dialogues ” Timaeus ” and “Critias” in 360 BC. According to Plato, an Egyptian priest first described the Atlantis which has been passing through for generations. Plato’s Atlantis was a fabulously wealthy, and advanced civilization. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean, the Strait of Gibraltar will help you to understand the position of the civilization since it was located on the west side of it.
According to Plato, demi-gods which are a special species of kind being made of half-men and half-gods founded the Atlantis civilization which was a utopian state. It was a powerful state because of its unmatched naval power. The Atlantis perished in the waves of the sea and was lost forever as its peoples’ corruption and greed angered god which prompted him to obliterate it.
Plato’s description of the Atlantis contains the unmistakable flavor of moral allegory. However, the way the Greek philosopher provided exclusive geographical, and historical details about Atlantis, his story might have been written based on another historical event of that time.
Over the centuries, Atlantis became a subject of research and spawned countless theories surmising what could be the place, or the state of the civilization. Some of these theories are supported by archeological evidence while others are speculative ideas with no scientific backing.
Among these theories, the Minoan hypothesis is the most credible and accepted theory. The civilization was situated in modern-day on the Island of Crete, and Santorini.
Evidence
Keeping conformity with Plato’s Atlantis, the Minoans were an advanced maritime society that flourished during the Bronze Age( circa 2000 to 1500 BCE.)
The eruption of Thera, which refers to modern-day Santorini around 1600 BCE is another conclusive evidence in favor of the Minoan civilization as the probable place of Plato’s Atlantis. The volcanic eruption resulted in massive destruction along with a tsunami that submerged the entire coastal region. There is a good architectural similarity found between the Palaces of Plato’s Atlantis and Knossos, one of the palaces of the Minoan.
Interpretations Throughout History
Ancient and Classical Views
Classical writers’ views on Atlantis are not positive. Although many of them alluded to or referred to this story in their work, no writer has been found who argued in favor of the place. One potential reason why ancient writers didn’t mention much about Atlantis is because the place had different names to different people and different times. Had the place known by a unique name, it would have got so much focus which would lead to different theories by different scholars.
Medieval and Renaissance Interpretation
The mystery of Atlantis has fascinated people for thousands of years. Since medieval times were characterized by seeking knowledge, scholars of the Renaissance were enchanted with the prospect of discovering lost knowledge sunk beneath the sea with Atlantis.
Modern Theories
Modern theories
Contemporary theories consist of both pseudoscientific claims and real-world events that can support the story of Atlantis.
An unscientific theory centering on Atlantis states that some extraterritorial aliens once visited the Earth, and established it. This theory is similar to the other speculations that aliens taught advanced knowledge of science to ancient societies and established them. Egypt’s Pyramid is one good example of it. Many argued that aliens taught Egyptians about the construction of this architectural marvel which was not possible with a human brain.
Atlantis in Popular Culture
Although the Ocean waves engulfed Atlantis many centuries ago, it is still present in literature, television shows, and cinemas. Several of Disney’s famous and widely popular animated films on Atlantis showed how the story is entrenched in today’s contemporary film industry. The popularity of Disney’s animations The Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and The Little Mermaid showed this lost city’s never-ending influences. A conspiracy theory surrounding Atlantis is another good reason why people can’t forget this lost civilization. The main narrative of this theory is Atlantis was a highly advanced civilization. The Atlanteans possessed advanced knowledge like electricity, flying machines, or even psychic abilities. A few people of new age acquired it. However, they deliberately hide the Atlanteans’ advanced knowledge and spread misinformation about its potential obliteration.
While most researchers and historians will support that Atlantis is a brilliant tale narrated by Plato which had no true existence, however, is the story pertinent to contemporary times? Every Grek mythological tale is not only captivating to read, it also conveys important moral lessons. Atlantis is no exception. The lesson from Atlantis is more relevant for contemporary times. Similar to the present time, the Atlanteans enjoyed a prosperous time. Unfortunately, because of their hubris, the gods destroyed them with natural calamity. The valuable lesson we extract from Atlantis is this contemporary civilization which is of course the most progressive in history may embrace the same Atlanteans’ fate because of our several destructive activities most noticeably nuclear war, climate change, and over-exploitation of natural resources.
