Myths and legends about Atlantis ancient world. Atlantis

Atlantis is a legendary island that was located in the modern Atlantic Ocean and sank to the seabed in one day as a result of an earthquake and flood, along with its inhabitants - the Atlanteans. For the first time this legend is presented by Plato in the dialogues "Timaeus" and "Critias" with reference to certain traditions. Plato indicates the time of the catastrophe as "9000 years ago", that is, in the middle of the X millennium BC. e.

The dialogue "Timaeus" begins with the arguments of Socrates and the Pythagorean Timaeus about the best state structure. Having briefly described the ideal state, Socrates complains about the abstractness and schematic nature of the picture obtained. He expresses a desire “to listen to a description of how this state behaves in the struggle with other states, how it enters the war in a worthy manner, how during the war its citizens do what is proper for them, in accordance with their training and education, whether on battlefield or in negotiations with each of the other states. Responding to this wish, the third participant in the dialogue, the Athenian politician Critias, recounts the story of the war between Athens and Atlantis, allegedly from the words of his grandfather Critias Sr., who, in turn, retold to him the story of Solon, heard last from the priests in Egypt. The meaning of the story is this: once, 9 thousand years ago, Athens was the most glorious, powerful and virtuous state. Their main rival was the aforementioned Atlantis. "This island was larger than Libya and Asia combined." A “kingdom of amazing size and power” arose on it, which owned all of Libya to Egypt and Europe to Tirrenia (western Italy). All the forces of this kingdom were thrown into the enslavement of Athens. The Athenians rose to defend their freedom at the head of the Hellenes; and although all the allies betrayed them, they alone, thanks to their valor and virtue, repelled the invasion, crushed the Atlanteans and freed the peoples enslaved by them. After that, however, a grandiose natural disaster occurred, as a result of which the entire Athenian army perished in one day, and Atlantis sank to the bottom of the sea.

The dialogue "Critias", with the same participants, serves as a direct continuation of the "Timaeus" and is entirely devoted to the story of Critias about ancient Athens and Atlantis. Athens, before the earthquake and flood, was the center of a large and extraordinarily fertile country; they were inhabited by a virtuous people who enjoyed an ideal state system. Modest and virtuous Athens is opposed by the haughty and powerful Atlantis. The ancestor of the Atlanteans, according to Plato, was the god Poseidon, who met with the mortal girl Kleito. She gave birth to ten divine sons from him, headed by the eldest, Atlas, between whom Poseidon divided the island and who became the ancestors of his royal families. The island was dominated by temples lined with silver and gold and surrounded by golden statues, a luxurious royal palace, and shipyards filled with ships.

“The island on which the palace stood, as well as the earthen rings and the bridge with a width of pletra (30 m), the kings surrounded with circular stone walls and placed towers and gates everywhere on the bridges near the passages to the sea. They mined white, black and red stone in the bowels of the middle island and in the bowels of the outer and inner earthen rings, and in the quarries, where there were recesses on both sides, covered from above with the same stone, they arranged parking for ships. If some of their buildings they made simple, then in others they skillfully combined stones of different colors for fun, giving them a natural charm; they also sheathed the walls around the outer earthen ring around the entire circumference in copper, applying the metal in molten form, and the wall of the acropolis itself with orichalcum, emitting a fiery brilliance. As long as the divine nature was preserved in the Atlanteans, they neglected wealth, putting virtue above it; but when the divine nature degenerated, mixed with the human, they wallowed in luxury, greed and pride. Outraged by this spectacle, Zeus decided to destroy the Atlanteans and convened a meeting of the gods. This is where the dialogue - at least the text that has come down to us - ends.

There are several versions of the death of Atlantis.

1. If we approach the problem from a geological point of view, then it boils down to the following question: did there exist in historical time a microcontinent or a huge archipelago that submerged catastrophically quickly? From the point of view of this theory, the model of the death of Atlantis looks like this.

The outer shell of the Earth consists of separate, slowly moving lithospheric plates. Where the lithospheric plates converge, the thinner and deeper oceanic lithosphere, colliding with the continental one, breaks and moves under it, dragging the oceanic islands with it. Continental plates collide to form mountains. So, as a result of the fact that Africa "piled up" on Europe, Alpine folding arose, giving rise to the Pyrenees, the Alps, Karadag in the Crimea and the Pamirs. Atlantis was located in a tectonically active zone, which still exhibits volcanic activity.

Seismic data reveal short and long focus earthquakes, an anomalous magnetic field and heat flow in the Azor-Gibraltar region. Studies have revealed signs of a partial subduction of one plate under another, which could have resulted in the death of Atlantis.

In 1981 and 1984, the Institute of Oceanology equipped two expeditions for trial diving of an underwater diving bell and testing other equipment of the Vityaz research vessel. The research was carried out in the area of the Amper Seamount, located in the Atlantic Ocean, about 500 km west of the Strait of Gibraltar.

On the flat top of the mountain, formations resembling the ruins of a city were discovered. The expedition members managed to photograph what looked like masonry walls and made a number of drawings from nature, which caused sensational reports in the newspapers. What he saw was surprisingly reminiscent of ancient dwellings in Chersonese:

firstly, cells ranging in size from 5 to 10 m, very similar to the rooms of houses,

secondly, scientists saw structures resembling stairs and even something like an arch.

Divers chipped off fragments of weathered basalt from one of the alleged masonry, and specialists checked them for traces of tooling. Experts were inclined to the conclusion that the "walls" are still miraculous and no "ruins of the ancient city" exist. Further study showed that the mountain is an old volcano, broken by deep cracks, elongated almost at right angles to each other and giving the impression of "rooms". Another thing was more important: when the basalt was subjected to chemical analysis, it became clear that it was formed not under water, but in air, i.e. in those days when Ampère towered above the surface of the ocean.

2. For one and a half thousand years BC. in the Aegean Sea on the island of Strongele, the largest eruption of the Santorini volcano in the history of mankind occurred. The explosion demolished the central part of the island, and in its place a giant funnel appeared, into which the sea rushed. A huge amount of ash escaped from the mouth of the volcano, and the shock wave, earthquakes and tsunamis destroyed the cities and settlements of the Minoans on Crete and other islands. A cloud of volcanic gases mixed with ash enveloped the Greek archipelago, killed a significant part of the population, burned vegetation and destroyed the animal world. The Cretan-Mycenaean culture, which had flourished so recently, was wiped off the face of the earth. But did the eruption cause the death of Atlantis, or were there some other reasons?

Now more and more researchers are inclined to believe that Atlantis could have died as a result of a strong earthquake or volcanic eruption, and most likely both at the same time. Some scientists believe that Atlantis was destroyed by giant waves - tsunamis, which often occur as a result of earthquakes. Atlantis is a mystery, both for geologists, geophysicists, oceanologists, and for historians, archaeologists, art historians and people studying ancient cultures. There is no hope of finding golden statues of goddesses in the depths of the ocean, a temple of Poseidon, or anything like that. The processes of erosion, sedimentation and other natural processes ruthlessly destroy the traces of ancient civilizations.

In the works of some ancient Greek historians, geographers, mythographers, mathematicians, theologians and astronomers, there are references to one state that has sunk into oblivion: the legendary island of Atlantis. About two thousand years ago, Plato, Herodotus, Diodorus and other respected authors wrote about him in their writings.

Ancient authors about the sunken island of Atlantis

Basic information about the lost Atlantis is contained in the writings of Plato. In the dialogues Timaeus and Critias, he talks about an island state that existed about 11,500 years ago.

According to Plato, the god Poseidon was the ancestor of the Atlanteans. He connected his life with a mortal girl who bore him ten sons. When the children grew up, the father divided the island between them. The best part of the land went to the eldest son of Poseidon: Atlan.

Atlantis was a powerful, wealthy and populous state. Its inhabitants built a serious system of defense against external enemies and built a network of circular canals leading to the sea, as well as an internal port.

Large cities were distinguished by amazing architectural structures and beautiful sculptures: temples made of gold and silver, golden statues and statues. The island was very fertile, with a varied natural world; in the bowels of the earth, people mined copper and silver.

The Atlanteans were a warlike people: the army of the state included a navy of 1000 ships, the number of crews was equal to 240 thousand people; The ground army consisted of 700 thousand people. The descendants of Poseidon fought successfully for many years, conquering new territories and wealth; so it was until Athens stood in their way.

The Athenians, in order to defeat the Atlanteans, created a military alliance with the peoples of the Balkan Peninsula. But on the day of the battle, the allies refused to fight, and the Athenians were left face to face with the enemy. The fearless courageous Greeks defeated the aggressor and liberated the peoples previously enslaved by him.

But early Greek warriors rejoiced at their achievements: they decided to intervene in the affairs of people, who had been following the inhabitants of Atlantis for the last centuries. Zeus considered that the Atlanteans had become greedy, greedy, depraved and decided to punish them to the fullest extent by flooding the island along with its inhabitants and the Athenians who did not have time to celebrate the victory.

Here is what Plato writes about Atlantis in his two writings. At first glance, this is just a beautiful legend, an interesting fairy tale. There is no direct evidence for the existence of Atlantis in ancient times, nor any reference to authoritative sources.

But these two dialogues survived not only Plato himself, but also two millennia more - during this time many disputes and theories regarding the lost state arose.

Plato's student Aristotle, who listened to the speeches of the Platonist philosophers for about 20 years, eventually categorically rejected the existence of Atlantis, stating that the dialogues "Timaeus" and "Critias" are just an invention, the nonsense of an old man.

It was because of Aristotle that Atlantis was talked about reluctantly, in an undertone until the end of the 18th century. After all, this venerable philosopher enjoyed unquestioned authority in Europe, especially in the Middle Ages. All statements of Aristotle were perceived by Europeans as the ultimate truth.

So why was Aristotle so sure that Atlantis was fiction, because he did not have irrefutable evidence of this? Why was he so harsh in his judgments? Some sources claim that the philosopher simply did not like his mentor, so he decided in this way to spoil the authority of Plato in the eyes of his admirers and admirers.

Mentions of Atlanteans in the writings of other ancient authors

Other ancient authors wrote very little about Atlantis: Herodotus claimed that the Atlanteans had no names, did not see and were defeated by troglodytes - cavemen; according to the stories of Diodorus, the inhabitants of Atlantis fought with the Amazons. Posidonius, who was interested in the causes of land subsidence, believed that Plato's story was plausible.

Proclus in his writings reports on one follower of the ancient thinker: an Athenian Krantor.

Allegedly, he specially went to 47 years after the death of the philosopher to find evidence in favor of the existence of an island state; returning from a trip, Crantor said that in one of the ancient temples he saw columns with inscriptions retelling the historical events described by Plato.

Search for Atlantis

It is quite difficult to indicate the exact location of the lost Atlantis: there are many hypotheses about where the flooded state may be.

Plato wrote that a huge island was once in the ocean behind the Pillars of Hercules (i.e., behind Gibraltar). But his searches in the area of the Canary, Balearic, Azores and British Islands did not lead to anything.

Some researchers suggest looking for the remains of the material culture of the Atlanteans in the Black Sea, linking the flooding of the island with the "Black Sea flood" that occurred 7-8 millennia ago - then the sea level in less than a year rose, according to various estimates, from 10 to 80 meters.

There is a hypothesis according to which Antarctica is the lost Atlantis. Scientists who adhere to this theory believe that Antarctica in ancient times was shifted to the south pole due to a lithospheric shift, or a sharp shift in the earth's axis as a result of a collision of our planet with a large cosmic body.

There is also an opinion that traces of Atlantis can be found in South America or Brazil. But most interpreters of Plato's dialogues are sure: the lost island should be looked for only in the Atlantic Ocean.

In recent decades, the lost state has been looking for many expeditions, most of which returned empty-handed. True, from time to time the whole world is disturbed by news about the found traces of a flooded island.

Have the Russians found Atlantis?

In 1979, a Soviet expedition, while testing a diving bell, accidentally discovered some objects in the Atlantic Ocean that looked like the ruins of an ancient city.

The action unfolded just behind the “Pillars of Hercules” indicated by Plato, 500 km from Gibraltar, above the Amper seamount, which protruded above the surface of the ocean many millennia ago, but then for some reason went under water.

Three years later, the Soviet ship "Rift" went to the same place to explore the ocean floor with the help of the Argus submersible. The aquanauts were amazed by what they saw; from their words, they opened the panorama of the city ruins: the remains of rooms, squares, streets.

But the expedition that took place in 1984 did not live up to the hopes of the researchers: an analysis of two stones raised from the ocean floor showed that it was just volcanic rock, solidified lava, and not the creation of human hands.

The opinion of modern scientists about Atlantis

Atlantis is a fantasy

Most modern historians and philologists are convinced that Plato's dialogues are just a beautiful legend, of which the philosopher has many. There are no traces of this state either in Greece, or in the west of Europe, or in Africa - this is confirmed by archaeological excavations.

The opinion of scientists that Atlantis is just a figment of the imagination is also based on the following: the philosopher writes about the network of canals built on the island, about the inner port, but such large-scale projects in ancient times were beyond the power of people.

Plato indicated the approximate date of the island's sinking into the ocean depths: 9000 years before he wrote the dialogues (i.e., approximately 9500 BC). But this contradicts the data of modern science: at that time, humanity was just emerging from the Paleolithic era. It is not easy to believe that somewhere in those days there lived a people who overtook the entire human race in their development by thousands of years.

Many scientists are convinced that Plato, when writing his works, took as a basis some of the events that took place during his lifetime: for example, the defeat of the Greeks when they tried to conquer the island of Sicily and the flooding of the town of Gelika as a result of an earthquake followed by a flood.

Other researchers believe that the basis for the works of the philosopher was the volcanic eruption on the island of Santorini, which subsequently hit the coast of Crete and other islands of the Mediterranean Sea - this disaster led to the decline of the developed Minoan civilization.

The version is supported by the following fact: the Minoans really fought against the Archeans who inhabited Greece in ancient times and were even defeated by them (just like the Atlanteans were defeated by the Greeks in the dialogues Timaeus and Critias).

In general, many researchers of the thinker's works believe that Plato, being a utopian idealist, with his writings only wanted to call his contemporaries to build an ideal exemplary humane state in which there would be no place for dictatorship, violence and tyranny.

However, the philosopher himself in the dialogues constantly emphasizes that Atlantis is not just a legend, but an island state that once really existed.

Plato doesn't lie

Some researchers nevertheless admit that there is a grain of truth in the writings of the ancient thinker. Excavations carried out in recent years by archaeologists have helped scientists obtain new information about the life and technical achievements of our ancestors living 5-10 thousand years ago.

Modern archaeologists find the remains of grandiose structures created by ancient people everywhere: in Egypt, Sumer, Babylon. Tunnels for collecting groundwater, many kilometers of adits, stone dams, man-made lakes - all these structures operated long before the birth of Plato.

Consequently, the philosopher's dialogues cannot be attributed to fiction only on the grounds that mankind 11 millennia ago was unable to build a network of canals and bridges: recent archaeological excavations prove the opposite.

In addition, since the works of Plato rewritten more than once have come down to us, it is likely that over the two millennia there has been a confusion with dates.

The fact is that in the system of Egyptian hieroglyphs, the number "9000" is indicated by lotus flowers, and the number "900" - rope knots; supporters of the existence of Atlantis believe that the later scribes of the dialogues could easily confuse symbols so similar to each other, thus pushing back the historical event several thousand years ago.

On top of that, Plato, who belongs to a highly revered family in ancient Greece, in his dialogues refers to his ancestor: the wisest of the "seven wise men" legislator Solon. And the ancient Greeks were very kind to their roots, tried to protect the sacred memory of their relatives. Would Plato, given his moral qualities, refer to Solon in his works, because if the whole story with Atlantis is just a fiction, he would tarnish the name of the wisest representative of the family?

Afterword

Atlantis has been shrouded in a halo of mystery for many centuries. People have been trying to find the suddenly disappeared state for almost two thousand years: some - wanting to take possession of the treasures described by Plato, others - out of scientific interest, others - just out of curiosity.

In the 50s of the last century, even a doctrine called "Atlantology" appeared, its main task is to identify true information about Atlantis in historical sources and mythical legends.

The debate about whether the mysterious land once existed or the ancient Greek thinker simply invented it does not subside to this day. Various theories are born and die, conjectures appear and disappear. Some of them are supported by science, while others are more like a beautiful fairy tale.

Perhaps our children or grandchildren will solve the riddle of Atlantis. But it may turn out that another two thousand years will pass, and the mystery of the lost island will remain unsolved, and our descendants, just like we today, will be tormented by conjectures and assumptions.

ARTICLE IN VIDEO FORMAT

42. ATLANTIS

The legend of Atlantis - a sunken island on which a highly developed civilization once existed, a strong, enlightened and happy people - the Atlanteans - has been worrying mankind for more than two thousand years.

The only source of information about Atlantis is the writings of the ancient Greek scientist Plato, who lived in the 4th century BC. e., written in the form of conversations-dialogues. In two such dialogues - Timaeus and Critias - Plato cites the story of his contemporary, writer and politician Critias about Atlantis - "a legend, although very strange, but completely reliable", which Critias heard in childhood from his grandfather, he - from the "wisest of the seven wise" Athenian legislator Solon, and Solon - from the Egyptian priests.

Egyptian priests, based on ancient records, said that once in the "Atlantic Sea" (as the ocean was then called) lay a huge island - "larger than Libya (that is, Africa) and Asia taken together." On this island “a great and formidable power of kings developed, whose power extended to the whole island and many other islands (...). In addition, they (...) owned Libya to Egypt and Europe to Tirrenia ”(as Italy was called at that time). The legend of Atlantis tells that in the original times, when the gods divided the earth among themselves, this island fell into the possession of Poseidon, the god of the seas. Poseidon settled there his ten sons, born of an earthly woman, Clito. The eldest of them was called Atlant, after his name the island was named Atlantis, and the sea - the Atlantic.

From Atlantis came a powerful and noble family of kings of Atlantis. This family "gathered such huge wealth, which had not yet happened before in the possession of kings, and later on it will never be easy to form such."

Earth fruits grew in abundance on the island, various animals were found - “both tame and wild”, minerals were mined in its depths, including “one breed, which is now known only by name, (...) - the orichalcum breed, extracted from the earth in many places of the island, and after gold, which had the greatest value among the people of that time.

The inhabitants of Atlantis built beautiful cities with fortress walls, temples and palaces on their island, built harbors and shipyards.

The main city of Atlantis was surrounded by several rows of earthen ramparts and canals - "rings of the sea". The city walls were covered, "like mastic", with copper, tin and orichalcum, "which emitted a fiery sheen", and the houses were built of red, white and black stone.

A temple to Poseidon and Clito was erected in the center of the city. The walls of the temple were lined with silver, the roof was covered with gold, and inside “there was an ivory ceiling, colored with gold, silver and orichalcum. They also erected golden idols inside the temple - a god that, standing in a chariot, ruled by six winged horses, and himself, due to the enormity of his size, touched the crown of the ceiling.

The Atlanteans carried on a lively trade, the harbors of Atlantis "swarmed with ships and merchants from everywhere, who in their mass day and night deafened the area with screams, knocks and mixed noise."

Atlantis had a strong army and navy, consisting of one thousand two hundred warships.

The code of laws that Poseidon himself gave to the Atlanteans was inscribed on a high orichalcum pillar, installed in the middle of the island. Atlantis was ruled by ten kings - each with his own part of the island. Once every five or six years, they gathered in front of this pillar and "conferred about common affairs or sorted out if anyone had committed any misconduct, and made a judgment."

The Atlanteans were distinguished by their nobility and lofty way of thinking, “looking at everything except virtue with disdain, they valued little that they had a lot of gold and other possessions, were indifferent to wealth as a burden, and did not fall to the ground in the intoxication of luxury, losing power over himself."

But time passed - and the Atlanteans changed, filled with "the wrong spirit of self-interest and power." They began to use their knowledge and the achievements of their culture for evil. In the end, Zeus became angry with them and "in one day and a disastrous night (...) the island of Atlantis disappeared, plunging into the sea." According to Plato, this happened in the X millennium BC. e. Modern scientists are of the opinion that the death of the island was caused by a catastrophe caused by some of the man-made achievements of the ancient Atlanteans.

Disputes about whether Atlantis really existed or was invented by Plato began in ancient times. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, a friend and student of Plato, argued that Atlantis is completely fictional (according to legend, it was on this occasion that Aristotle uttered the famous saying: “Plato is my friend, but the truth is dearer”). However, many believed that Atlantis really existed and traces of it could be found.

Interest in Atlantis over the following centuries faded, then awakened again, but never completely disappeared.

It is estimated that about 3,600 scientific papers have been written about Atlantis to date (not to mention numerous works of fiction). Atlantology has become an independent branch of science. Scientists-atlantologists expressed many guesses about the location of Atlantis and the reasons for its death, put forward a hypothesis about the influence of the Atlantean civilization on the development of world civilization.

Poet V.Ya. Bryusov, who was professionally engaged in atlantology and taught a scientific course on this topic, wrote at the beginning of the 20th century - “We still have no right to assert (...) that“ Atlantis has been proven ”. But it is certain that science must accept Atlantis as a necessary "working hypothesis." Without the assumption of Atlantis, much in early antiquity will remain unclear, inexplicable (...). Atlantis is necessary for history and therefore must be discovered!”

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History of Atlantis: myths, conjectures, riddles and real facts

More than one generation of researchers has been arguing about the existence of Atlantis, a mighty ancient state that once and for all disappeared from the face of the Earth. Interest in this topic arose after the works of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato saw the light. It was Plato who first wrote about Atlantis, described the ancient civilization, the strength and power of the Atlanteans. Whether it was a deliberately and skillfully created myth, or we are dealing with a description of the real facts of the ancient history of human civilization - remains a mystery. Neither before nor after it was possible to obtain and find evidence of the existence of the Atlantean state. The secrets of Atlantis remain unsolved until now, forcing historians to put forward new hypotheses, and researchers to look for the place of the disappeared island-state on the planet's map.

The civilization of Atlantis is a source of controversy

Today, a huge number of works have been written about the disappeared mighty civilization of the ancient world, starting with poetic essays and literary descriptions, ending with serious scientific treatises. In each individual case, you have to deal with a huge set of assumptions and hypotheses that the ancient world looked different than today's map of the world looks like. Another new hypothesis gives rise to a new myth, which instantly acquires new details, assumptions and details. Another thing is the complete absence of facts capable of answering the question: did Atlantis exist in reality or not. This meager research material remains the lot of science fiction writers and atlantologists. Skeptics believe that the history of Atlantis is an artificially created phenomenon in modern historical science.

It is necessary to consider the problem of Atlantis in two aspects: from the point of view of the historical epic, and using a scientific approach. In the first case, one has to deal with the evidence base and materials, the existence of which is never disputed by anyone. The palm in this area belongs to the works of Plato. The ancient Greek philosopher mentioned the mighty state of antiquity in the dialogues Critias and Timaeus, which were compiled on the basis of the diaries of another prominent ancient Greek philosopher Solon, who was Plato's great-grandfather. With the light hand of Plato, the name of the ancient state appeared, and its inhabitants began to be called Atlanteans.

In his notes and books, the ancient philosopher relied on a legend according to which the ancient Greeks fought against the state of the Atlanteans. The confrontation ended with a grandiose cataclysm that led to the death of Atlantis. According to the ancients, it was this catastrophe that led to the fact that the city-island of Atlantis disappeared forever from the face of the planet. What catastrophe on a planetary scale has led to such consequences is still not known and has not been proven. Another question is that in the scientific community at the moment there is a point of view that 12 thousand years BC. the world really suffered a major catastrophe that changed the geography of the planet.

Plato's dialogue "Timaeus" quite accurately indicates the location of the country of the Atlantes, is full of descriptions of the details of the culture and life of the Atlanteans. Thanks to the efforts of the ancient Greek philosopher, the lost civilization is being persistently searched for in the Atlantic Ocean. Just one phrase "opposite the Pillars of Hercules", recorded by Plato, indicates the location of the legendary country. More accurate data on the location of the mysterious ancient state are not available, so many researchers on this topic believe that Atlantis could be located in any other part of the ancient world.

The inconsistency of many of the facts set forth in the works of Plato raised a number of questions for subsequent generations. The main secrets of Atlantis are as follows:

whether there is a high probability of the existence of an island of such a large size, traces of which are almost completely absent today;
what catastrophe that occurred in antiquity could lead to the instant death of a large state;
could there have existed in such ancient times a civilization with such a high level of development, which is attributed to the Atlanteans by ancient and modern researchers;
why today there are no real traces from the past, indicating the existence of Atlantis;
whether we are descendants of a highly developed culture of the Atlanteans.

How did the contemporaries of the ancient Greeks see Atlantis

Studying Plato's works, one can briefly summarize the information that has come down to us. We are dealing with the history of the existence and mystical disappearance of a large archipelago or a large island, which was located in the west of the then ancient world. The central city of the superpower was Atlantis, which owes its name to the first king of the state, Atlantis. The island location explains the state structure of the empire. Probably Atlantis, like many cities of ancient Greece, was a union of island rulers united under imperial rule. Perhaps there was a different state system in Atlantis, but Plato's dialogues give the names of kings, after whom other islands of the empire are named. Hence, ancient civilization took the form of a union or confederation.

Another question lies in Plato's detailed description of the life order of the mysterious power. All the main buildings and structures of the state are located on the central island. The acropolis, royal palace and temples are protected by several rows of earthen ramparts and a system of water channels. The inner regions of the island are connected to the sea by a huge shipping channel, so we can safely say that the power of Atlantis was focused on achieving sea power. Moreover, according to Plato, the Atlanteans worship Poseidon (the ancient Greek god, the ruler of the seas and oceans - the brother of Zeus). In Plato, the temples of the Atlanteans, their architecture and home improvement shine with luxury and wealth. Reaching the shores of Atlantis, surrounded on all sides by water, and the path to the island lay only by sea, was not an easy task for sailors of that time.

Plato in his narratives is very fond of describing the improvement of the capital of the Atlanteans. The most interesting thing in this aspect is that the descriptions of the ancient Greek philosopher strongly resemble the descriptions of other ancient Greek cities found in other ancient sources. The described infrastructure, weapons, ships, religion and lifestyle of the inhabitants of Atlantis look like the height of human perfection and a model of well-being.

The mystery of Atlantis in Plato's descriptions is present at every turn. Is it not surprising that people live far from the centers of civilization known to the then world, but they have a fairly high level of development, they can make long sea voyages, trade with everyone around, eat spices and other cultures. The Atlanteans have a powerful army and a numerous fleet capable of confronting the armies of the ancient states of the Mediterranean.

This should be the point. Only Plato was able to describe the life and structure of the legendary state in such a clear and detailed way. To find other sources that would point to such facts was not, is not, and probably will not be. Neither the Sumerians nor the ancient Egyptians say anything about a large state in the Western Hemisphere. The ancient ruins of the Indian civilizations of North and South America are silent about interaction with the mysterious and powerful state. How many years ago could such a powerful civilization be located in the central Atlantic, about which there is still no real evidence.

Secrets of Atlantis: myths and legends against real facts

Some researchers continue to feed the world with illusions that Atlantis really was. Following the lead of Plato, who indicated the exact location of the island, researchers in search of Atlantis check the territory in the Azores, in the Bahamas. This is facilitated by the consonance of the names of the Atlantic Ocean and the legendary island.

According to one version, Atlantis was located in the Azores. Studies of the seamount Ampere, located on the way from Europe to America, and the adjacent areas of the Atlantic mid-ridge did not give any results. The geological and morphological structure of the seabed does not give grounds to believe that a large geological formation existed in this area of the earth's crust in ancient times. Even a gigantic cataclysm that wiped out such a large island or archipelago from the face of the earth would have left behind indisputable evidence. If the island sank as a result of a successive chain of earthquakes and floods, then its remains could be found today.

Modern scientists do not have data on a major geological and tectonic catastrophe that befell the earth in antiquity. The biblical data about the global flood that befell the Earth and mankind take us to a completely different era. All information, events and facts that speak in favor of the existence of Atlantis in this part of the globe do not stand up to criticism, if you rely on the theory proposed by Plato.

Supporters of another hypothesis, the Mediterranean one, have stronger evidence in their favor. However, there are also a number of points that cause controversy. What were the real boundaries of such a powerful union, and where could such a large island or a small mainland be located. The western border of the world known to people of that time lies along the Pillars of Hercules - now the Strait of Gibraltar, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic. Why, with such eventfulness and closeness, the ancient world did not have cartographic data on the location of a large state that influences the political and economic structure of the world. On maps compiled by the ancient Greeks, Phoenicians and Egyptians that have come down to our times, known areas are limited to the Mediterranean region, the territories of Southern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Many atlantologists increasingly agree that a civilization of this size could exist in the Eastern Mediterranean, in the explored sphere of political and economic interests of ancient states. The disappearance of the island and the death of the country of the Atlanteans can be tied to the catastrophic eruption of the Santorin volcano, which erupted around the 17th century BC. This hypothesis takes place, since it is during this period that the heyday of the Cretan state falls. According to this theory, the volcanic eruption not only destroyed half of the island of Thera, but also destroyed the numerous city-states that existed in this region. If we put aside the question of names and the link to Plato's statements about the Pillars of Hercules, such a picture of the ancient world has the right to life.

In this context, the version about the existence in ancient times of a powerful state that competes with the ancient Greek cities-policies coexists perfectly. The facts of the strongest cataclysm of that time were also noted in ancient sources. Today, volcanologists and oceanologists reasonably consider this version of the death of Atlantis to be quite real. Scientists have found evidence that the Minoan civilization really had a huge military power and had a high level of development, allowing it to confront the Greek states.

Sparta and Athens are located 300-400 kilometers north of the islands of Thira and Crete, which are ideal for the location of the Atlantean state. The explosion of the volcano, which destroyed a mighty state in one night, destroyed the balance in the world that existed until that moment. The consequences of such a large-scale disaster affected the entire southern Europe, North Africa and the coast of the Middle East.

Versions in favor of another location of the legendary power today have no basis. Researchers are increasingly linking the existence of Atlantis with Plato's philosophical view of the existing world. This is echoed by other sources in which the land of the Atlanteans is associated with other mythical territories and states that existed in the imagination of the ancient Greeks.

Hyperborea and Atlantis - ancient mythical states

When asked where to look for Atlantis today, the answer may sound prosaic. You have to search everywhere. Relying on ancient sources is possible only in those cases when the question is raised about the cultural heritage that has come down to our times. In the sense in which we perceive Atlantis today as an imaginary country and highly developed civilization, the ancient Greeks at one time represented Hyperborea. This mythical country, located in the far north, a thousand kilometers from the coast of Ancient Greece, was considered by the Greeks as the habitat of the Hyperboreans, the descendants of the gods. Is this not the Atlantis that Plato wanted to tell the world about when writing his treatises?

Hyperborean lands, according to modern scientists, should have been located on the territory of the current Scandinavian countries: in Iceland or in Greenland. The Greeks directly pointed out that even Apollo himself, the god of the sun, was considered the patron of this people. What are these lands, do they really exist? It was assumed that Hyperborea is a fictional country for the ancient Greeks, where perfect and powerful people live, the gods rest. The country that Apollo regularly visits may be the same Atlantis - the state that the ancient Greeks aspired to in their development.

Atlantis is the mirror of the sun. They did not know a more beautiful country. Babylon and Egypt marveled at the wealth of the Atlanteans. In the cities of Atlantis, strong with green jade and black basalt, chambers and temples glowed like heat. Lords, priests and men, in gold-woven robes, sparkled in precious stones. Light fabrics, bracelets and rings, and earrings, and necklaces adorned wives, but open faces were better than stones.

Foreigners sailed to the Atlanteans. Everyone praised their wisdom willingly. They bowed before the ruler of the country.

But the oracle's prediction happened. The sacred ship Atlantis brought a great prophetic word:

The waves will rise. The sea will cover the land of Atlantis. For the rejected love, the sea will avenge.

Since that day, love has not been rejected in Atlantis. Sailors were greeted with love and affection. The Atlanteans smiled happily at each other. And the lord's smile was reflected in the precious, shining walls of the palace chambers. And the hand reached out to meet with greetings, and the tears among the people were replaced by a quiet smile. And the people forgot the power to hate. And the authorities forgot the forged sword and armor.

But the boy, the son of the lord, surprised everyone especially. The sun itself, the gods of the sea themselves, seemed to have sent him to save the great country.

Here he was good! And welcoming! And caring about everyone! He had brothers great and small. A good word lived in him for everyone. About each he remembered his best deed. He didn't remember a single mistake. He certainly could not see the anger and rudeness. And everything evil hid before him, and the recent villains wanted to become good forever, just like him.

A crowd of people followed him. Everywhere his gaze met only faces full of joy, waiting for his smile and a kind, wise word. That was the boy! And when the lord-father rested in this life, and the lad, foggy with quiet sadness, went out to the people; everyone, like madmen, forgot about death and sang a hymn of praise to the desired lord. And Atlantis bloomed brighter. And the Egyptians called it the land of love.

For many quiet years, the lord of light ruled. And the rays of his happiness shone on the people. Instead of a temple, the people aspired to the lord. Sang:

He loves us. Without it, we are nothing. He is our ray, our sun, our warmth, our eyes, our smile. Glory to you, our beloved!

In awe of the delight of the people, Vladyka reached the last day. And the last day began, and the lord lay powerless, and his eyes were closed.

As one man, the Atlanteans stood up, and the steps of the chambers were flooded with a continuous sea. The doctors and bed-keepers were taken away. They crouched down to the deathbed and, crying, yelled:

Lord, look! Give us your glance. We've come to defend you. May our, the Atlanteans, desire strengthen you. Look - all Atlantis has gathered to your palace. We stood like a tight wall from the palace to the sea, from the palace to the cliffs. We, dear one, have come to hold you. We will not let you be taken away, leave us all. We are all, the whole country, all men, and wives, and children. Lord, look!

The lord of the priest beckoned with his hand and wanted to say his last will, and he asked everyone to leave, at least for a short time.

But the Atlanteans remained. They rallied, grew into the steps of the bed. Frozen, and mute and deaf. Didn't leave.

Then the lord rose up on the couch and, turning his gaze to the people, asked them to leave him alone and allow him to say his last will to the priest. The Lord asked. And once again Vladyka asked in vain. And once again they were deaf. They didn't leave. And that's what happened then. Vladyka got up on the couch and wanted to push everyone away with his hand. But the crowd was silent and caught the glance of the beloved bishop.

Then the lord said:

You didn't leave? Don't you want to leave? Are you here now? Now I know. Well, I'll tell you. I will say one word. I hate you. I reject your love. You took everything from me. You took the laughter of childhood. You rejoiced when I was left alone for your sake. You filled the silence of mature years with noise and shouting. You despised the deathbed... Only I knew your happiness and your pain. Only your speeches the wind conveyed to me. You have taken my sun! I did not see the sun; I have only seen your shadows. Dali, blue gave! You didn’t let me go to them… I can’t return to the sacred greenery of the forest… I can’t walk on the fragrant grasses anymore… I can’t climb the mountain range anymore… I can’t see the bends of the rivers and green meadows anymore… I can’t rush along the waves… I can’t fly with my eye anymore behind the swift gyrfalcon... I can no longer look at the stars... You won... I could no longer hear the voices of the night... The commands of God were no longer available to me... But I could recognize them... I could smell the light, the sun and the will... You won... You are all from I was shielded... You took everything away from me... I hate you... I rejected your love...