Atlantis - In Ancient Writings
Published by Campbell M Gold in Esoteric · Wednesday 19 Jun 2024
Tags: Atlantis, Ancient, Writings, Plato, Naval, Empire, Mystery, Disappearance, 9, 000, years, ago
Tags: Atlantis, Ancient, Writings, Plato, Naval, Empire, Mystery, Disappearance, 9, 000, years, ago
Atlantis – The Legend
Scholars debate whether Atlantis is a myth or a reality. It was actively discussed in ancient times and rediscovered during the Renaissance. Today, Atlantis continues to be a topic of discussion and speculation, especially within the esoteric community.
In which ancient document is Atlantis first mentioned?
Atlantis is first mentioned in Plato's dialogues, Timaeus and Critias, written c.360 B.C. Interestingly and significantly, this is the only ancient document that refers to Atlantis.
What do Timaeus and Critias contain?
In Timaeus and Critias, two stories are told:
Afterwards, violent earthquakes and floods occurred. In a single day and night, all your warriors sank into the earth, and the island of Atlantis disappeared into the depths of the sea. Because of this, the sea in those parts is impassable and impenetrable due to a shoal of mud caused by the island's subsidence."
Further Adaptation from Critias
1) The first story is by Timaeus and is about the creation of the cosmos and everything in it, including a mention of Atlantis.
2) The second story is by Critias and is about the war between ancient Athens and Atlantis. Both stories are told in response to Socrates' request for entertainment after he provided his account of an ideal city like that of the Republic on the previous day.
What was Plato's purpose in writing Timaeus and Critias?
Plato's Timaeus and Critias depict an ideal state in a patriotic conflict, possibly representing the historical struggles of Athens and Persia. Some suggest the narrative is a product of Plato's imagination, while others believe Atlantis is authentic.
Attempts to locate Atlantis based on the account have been made, but none have been objectively verified. The island has been earnestly identified in various locations worldwide. An ideal state in a patriotic conflict, possibly representing the historical struggles of Athens and Persia. The narrative of Atlantis has led to numerous attempts to locate the island, but its existence has never been empirically verified.
Who were Plato, Critias, Solon, and Timaeus?
Plato (427 - 347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher and student of Socrates, known for his philosophical dialogues and as the founder of the Academy in Athens. His uncle Critias was a leading member of the "Thirty Tyrants" and an associate of Socrates. Solon (638 BC–558 BC) was a poet and one of the "Seven Sages of Greece." Timaeus Locrus was a Pythagorean philosopher, possibly a fictional character created by Plato.
What was the substance of the Timaeus and Critias narrative?
In the narrative, Critias claims to be relaying what Solon was told by the Egyptian priests.
The described war occurred 9000 years before, between the ancient city of Athens and the grand island of Atlantis.
Content Adapted from Timaeus
Critias says: "I would like to tell you a strange but true story that Solon, one of the wisest of the seven sages, shared. According to Solon, the ancient Athenian city had remarkable actions that have been forgotten over time. However, one exceptional action stood out the most, and I will share it with you.
There is a place in Egypt called Sais in the Delta region, a big city with the same name. The people there think their deity, Neith, is the same as the Greek goddess Athena. They also believe they have a connection to the people of Athens.
Upon arriving in the city, Solon asked the priests about ancient history. He found that neither he nor any other Greek knew much about it. He discussed the oldest known events in their part of the world, including Phoroneus, Niobe, and the survival of Deucalion and Pyrrha after the Deluge."
The priest said to Solon, "I want to share some vital history with you, both for your benefit and for the benefit of your city, and especially for the sake of the goddess who is the typical protector, creator, and educator of both our cities (Athens and Sais). She established your city a thousand years before ours, receiving the seed of your people from the Earth and Hephaestus. Afterwards, she established our city, and our sacred records show that our city's constitution is eight thousand years old.
Your city is known for its historical accomplishments, especially one courageous deed. Our records show that your city stopped a powerful force attacking Europe and Asia.
This force came from a large island in the Atlantic Ocean called Atlantis, near the Pillars of Heracles (now the Strait of Gibraltar).
The island was a gateway to other islands and provided access to the opposite continent. The water within the straits is like a harbour, while the other sea is a natural ocean. The surrounding land could rightly be called a vast continent.
Atlantis was a powerful empire that aimed to conquer multiple regions, including Greece. Your country stood out for its virtue and strength and bravely defended itself, ultimately defeating the invaders and liberating those not yet enslaved.
Afterwards, violent earthquakes and floods occurred. In a single day and night, all your warriors sank into the earth, and the island of Atlantis disappeared into the depths of the sea. Because of this, the sea in those parts is impassable and impenetrable due to a shoal of mud caused by the island's subsidence."
Content Adapted from Critias
Critias says, "I'd like to tell you a strange but true story passed down through my family. Solon told it, considered the wisest of the seven sages. The story is about excellent and marvellous things that the city of Athens did in the past, but these events have been forgotten. One of these events was the greatest of all, and I want to share this to show our appreciation to you and as praise to the goddess, especially on her festival day.
The war between the people who lived outside the pillars of Heracles and those who lived within them happened 9,000 years ago. The city of Athens fought on one side, and the kings of Atlantis, who ruled a large island, led the other. The island later sank due to an earthquake, becoming an impassable barrier for voyagers.
The story starts like this: The gods gave Poseidon the island of Atlantis. He settled his mortal children on the island, making it prosperous with spring water and plenty of food. The island had valuable resources like elephants, fragrant plants, and fruits.
The ancient city of Atlantis had grand palaces, a royal palace connected by a road, and a harbour. It was surrounded by walls decorated with stones, brass, tin, and an alloy called orichalcum. The city also had a holy temple and hot and cold water fountains.
The island had a stadium-sized racecourse for horses, guardhouses, and docks full of ships and naval supplies. The surrounding area had prosperous villages, rivers, lakes, and meadows that provided plenty of food and various types of wood.
The plain had a circular ditch and canals for water used for agriculture. Each section of the plain had to choose a leader for military service, with a total of sixty thousand sections, and each king controlled their territory with different military orders."
The following story is about a powerful god who gave a gift to the lost island of Atlantis.
"God used this gift against Atlantis for several reasons. For many generations, people have followed the laws and shown a kind and wise spirit in all aspects of life and their interactions. They valued goodness more than anything else, cared little for material possessions and luxury, and kept self-control and sobriety. They believed that these qualities increased through goodness and friendship with each other and that too much focus on material goods led to their loss and the loss of friendship.
These qualities thrived among them as long as they had a divine nature.
However, when the divine nature started to diminish and human nature became dominant, they were unable to handle their fate and began behaving badly, showing a noticeable decline. Nevertheless, they seemed magnificent and fortunate to those who were unable to see their genuine unhappiness.
Zeus, the god of gods, wanted to punish this honourable yet unhappy race to help them improve, so he called all the gods to their most sacred dwelling, which holds all created things from the centre of the world…"
The rest of the Dialogue of Critias has been lost.
There you have it – the Original and only Reference to Atlantis...Source: Timaeus and Critias, by Plato
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