Lost City of Atlantis
Riya Patel
What Is It?
For many years there has been a great controversy as to whether Atlantis is actually real. Although Plato had mentioned this ancient city in his dialogues, no evidence fully supports this. He described is as a advanced and powerful kingdom, but at the same time a "morally bankrupt evil kingdom". (as summarized by Ken Feder) Plato, also, stated that Atlantis was beyond "The Pillars of Heracles" (Strait of Gibraltar), yet after searching this area and the Mediterranean Sea no buildings of any sort were found. Because of this, people all over the world ponder over the same question...Is the lost city fictional or real?
Where is the lost city?
The city is said to be truly lost in the sea. Historians and scientists have found many possible areas, but they are not very sure if it actually is Atlantis. Potential areas include the Atlantic Ocean, Antarctica, Bolivia, Turkey, Germany, Malta, and the Caribbean (mostly like in the Bahamas. None of these areas have been confirmed to be the location of the lost city of Atlantis.
An Advanced Society
Throughout the years Atlantis is depicted as a Utopian society filled with wisdom that would bring peace to the world.
Map of The Lost City
This is said to be a map of Atlantis before the ancient city sunk.
Plato's Dialogues
Plato had referenced Atlantis in two dialogues-" Timaeus" and "Critias".
Modern Research and Theories
Real research started in 1881 when Ignatius Donnelly argued that Atlantis was not really. He argued that the advanced inventions and methods shouldn't have just developed in ancient civilization. Ken Feder, also, believed that Atlantis was not real and stated "There was no Atlantic continent; There was no great civilization called Atlantis." This being said there are some people that do believe the lost city is real, for example, in 1969 Charles Berlitz wrote the "Mystery of Atlantis" and believed that Atlantis was linked to the Bermuda Triangle somehow. Furthermore, some people had a theory that the Bahamas was Atlantis being that the coastline seemed "street like" and the roads seemed man made, but this theory was torn down when scientists confirmed that these features were naturally made. On the other hand, many believe that Plato made up Atlantis purely for entertainment purposes. In conclusion, there is a very broad spectrum of theories on the lost city.
Fun Facts
- Plato did not hear about Atlantis directly, but from his grandfather who heard from an Athenian Statesman who heard from an Egyptian priest who said Atlantis was here 9,000 years ago.
- Atlantis is thought of as a Utopian society filled with wisdom and solutions to world peace.
- This city was said to be protected by Poseidon, and his his son Atlas was named king
- Also, Poseidon had named the city Atlantis in honor of his son
Citations
Works Cited
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Radford, By Benjamin. "'Lost' City of Atlantis: Fact & Fable." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 31 Oct. 2014. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.
Staff, History.com. "Atlantis." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2010. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.
Tennant, Meredith. "Plato Part 2 - World History For Kids - By KidsPast.com." Plato Part 2 - World History For Kids - By KidsPast.com. KidsKnowIt, 2015. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
"The Top Ten Theories about the Lost City of Atlantis." Great Discoveries in Archaeology. WordPress, 28 Feb. 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.