WE ALL KNOW OF THE LOST CITY/ISLAND/CONTINENT OF ATLANTIS FROM WHAT POPULAR CULTURE HAS TAUGHT US. HOWEVER, VERY FEW HAVE BOTHERED TO READ THE VERY FIRST ACCOUNTS OF THE PLACE, AND INVESTIGATE THE CONTEXT OF ITS ORIGINS PLATO'S TIMAEUS AND CRITIAS. WHEN THIS IS EXAMINED CLOSER SUGGESTS THAT PERHAPS ATLANTIS WAS IN FACT A WORK OF FICTION, AND TREASURE SEEKERS AND ADVENTURERS HAVE BEEN CHASING NOTHING MORE THAN A FIGMENT OF PLATO'S IMAGINATION.
TIMAESU AND CRITIAS WAS A WORK OF PLATO. OF COURSE MOST KNOW PLATO TO BE A GREAT PHILOSOPHER, AND QUESTION WHY IT IS HE WOULD MENTION SUCH A PLACE IF IT IN FACT DID NOT EXIST (ANALOGIES ANYONE).
NOW, WHAT MOST PEOPLE FAIL TO MENTION WHEN THEY TALK OF PLATO, EITHER TO LACK OF KNOWING OR BECAUSE IN KNOWING WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO HOW THE IDEA OF THE LOST CITY IS LOOKED UPON, IS THAT EVEN THOUGH PLATO WAS ONE OF THE GREAT MINDS OF ANTIQUITY, EVEN HIS GREATEST KNOWN WORK
REPUBLIC, WAS A FICTIONAL DIALOGUE. THIS FACT LENDS CREDENCE TO THE IDEA THAT HIS TIMAEUS AND CRITIAS ALSO FOLLOWED SUIT, THUS MAKING IT MORE PLAUSABLE THAT THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIS WAS ALSO FICTICOUS ....TO A POINT (I PERSONALLY BELEIVE THAT IT WAS BASED OFF ACTAUL EVENTS.. BUT I WILL ADDRESS THAT IN ANOTHER POST).
WHILE TIMAEUS AND CRITIAS WAS NEVER FINISHED, IT DOES HAVE ALL THE EARMARKS OF BEING NOTHING MORE THAN A MORALITY TALE. WHICH IS WHY ONE SHOULD NOT TOTALLY DISMISS THE IDEA THAT STORY OF ATLANTIS WAS NOT ONLY AN ANALOGY, BUT ALSO PROPOGANDA PIECE. A PIECE THAT WOULD BE USED TO SPREAD PRIDE AND PROMOTE THE IDEA OF THE ATHENIAN SUPERIORITY, FOR ACCORDING TO TIMEAUS, DUE TO THE ATLANTEAN'S WAYWARD PRACTICES, NOT ONLY DID THE ATHENIANS DEFEAT THE MIGHTY ATLANTEANS, THE GODS SAW FIT TO COMPLETELTY DESTROY THEIR CIVILIZATION. SO THE MORAL OF THE STORY GOES, FOLLOW THE GODS LEAST YE BE DESTROYED AS WELL AS GIVE THE ATHENEAN PEOPLE PRIDE IN BEING SUPERIOR.
BUT DONT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.. PLEASE READ TIMAEUS AND CRITIAS FOR YOURSELF AND COME TO YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS.
Subject: ATLANTIS IN TIMAEUS AND CRITIAS 