Disputes about the existence of the mysterious land of Atlantis have been going on for millennia. Even the well-known expression "Plato is my friend, but the truth is dearer" goes back to the discussion about this ancient civilization. We tell you what Plato has to do with it, what is known about Atlantis and where researchers are looking for it.
The legend about Atlantis is preserved by two works of Plato: these are the dialogues "Critias" and "Timaeus". The history of the mysterious country in both works is presented on behalf of Cretius, Plato's great-grandfather. His grandfather told him, and Solon told his grandfather, who learned about Atlantis from an Egyptian priest, reports Around the World.
The priest in his story referred to the sacred texts. According to him, Atlantis is a mighty country that perished "in one terrible day and one night." It was inhabited by the Atlanteans - a fearless and mighty people who created a great civilization and waged war with a certain pre-Athenian state.
Where is Atlantis located?
According to Plato, Atlantis was "beyond the Pillars of Hercules", in the Atlantic Ocean beyond Gibraltar, writes "Krugosvet".
Researchers of the secret of Atlantis name a variety of places where to look for the lost country: not only in the Atlantic Ocean, but also in the North Sea, South America, the Mediterranean, Brazil, Scandinavia, Palestine, in the Pas-de-Calais.
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When did Atlantis die and what happened to it?
According to legend, Atlantis died about 12 thousand years ago, plunged into the depths of the ocean due to a global natural disaster. This happened roughly between 9750 and 8570 BC.
Area and population of Atlantis
In a letter from Dr. Nikolai Zhirov to Edgerton Sykes from 1957, it is said that, according to rough estimates, based on Plato's information, the area of Atlantis was no more than 100 thousand square meters: more than 2 thousand km in length, and 500 km or less in width.
The population of Atlantis was about 6 million people (this number is determined based on the size of the army).
Did Atlantis Really Exist?
No one can still say for sure whether Atlantis once existed.
It is believed that Plato completely invented Atlantis. In his dialogues there are many elements of the mythological narrative: for example, the kings of Atlantis are said to be descended from Poseidon. This is pointed out in the article "The Mythological in Plato's Story of Atlantis"
Those who believe Plato's story to be true, hypothesize: where Atlantis was and why it died. There is a popular version of the death of this state due to a strong earthquake, tsunami and (or) volcanic eruption. There are also more exotic versions: the fall of a comet or an asteroid.
Where is Atlantis looking for today?
Since the end of the 19th century, the version of academician Avraham Norov has become popular that Atlantis was an island in the Mediterranean. Researchers pay attention to the islands of Crete and Thira (Strongle), the culture of which perished in a catastrophic volcanic eruption 1.5 thousand years before our era.
But there is a mismatch: according to Plato, Atlantis disappeared between 9750 and 8570 BC.
At the same time, geological data say against the Platonic version that the country was in the Atlantic. For millions of years, there have been no subsidence or uplifts of the earth's crust in the Atlantic Ocean.
But on the other hand, the Platonic time of the death of Atlantis corresponds to the end of the last ice age. And the level of the World Ocean at that time was lower than now.
