The flooded city of Atlantis. Scientific and technological progress in Atlantis. Location hypotheses

The "fatal" mistake of Plato, Critias (or Solon), which led to
to confusion with the location of Atlantis.

Atlantis has not disappeared, it exists and lies in the depths of the sea. A lot has been said about Atlantis, thousands of research materials have been written. Historians, archaeologists, searchers have proposed fifty versions of a possible location around the world (in Scandinavia, in the Baltic Sea, in Greenland, North and South America, in Africa, the Black, Aegean, Caspian Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, etc.), but exact location not named. Why such confusion?

Starting to figure it out, you discover one pattern that all sentences initially have a binding from some kind of similarity, a find of antiquity, a single description under which (which) subsequently “materials were adjusted”. As a result, nothing worked. There is a similarity, but Atlantis cannot be found.

"We'll go the other way"!

“Aristotle taught me to satisfy my mind only with what reasoning convinces me, and not just the authority of teachers. Such is the power of truth: you try to refute it, but your very attacks elevate it and give it great value. (XVI century, Italian philosopher, physicist, mathematician Galileo Galilei).

So, let's start "cutting the ends." - Atlantis could not be in any far corner world and even in the Atlantic Ocean. The war (according to the history of the story) between Athens and Atlantis - could not be anywhere except in the Mediterranean Sea on this "patch of civilization" due to the limitations of human development. The world is great - but developed is narrow. Athens simply would not have been able to reach the limits of Atlantis with her army and navy. Water and vast distances were an insurmountable obstacle. - "This barrier was insurmountable for people, because ships and shipping did not exist then." (Plato, Critias).

IN ancient Greek mythology, which arose many thousands of years later than the time of the death of Atlantis, the only (!) Hero Hercules (according to Homer - XII century BC) performed a feat, traveling to the farthest western point world - to the edge mediterranean sea. “When the Atlas Mountains arose on the path of Hercules, he did not climb them, but made his way through, thus paving the Strait of Gibraltar and connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic. This point served as the border for navigators in the ancient era, therefore, in figuratively"Hercules (Hercules) pillars", this is the end of the world, the limit of the world and the expression to reach pillars of hercules" means - "to reach the limit." What western limit Hercules reached (“end of the world”) was unattainable by other mortals.

Thus, Atlantis was closer to the center ancient civilization She was in the Mediterranean. But where exactly?

The Pillars of Hercules (according to Plato's story, behind which lay the island of Atlantis) in the Mediterranean Sea, there were seven pairs! (Gibraltar, Dardanelles, Bosporus, Kerch Strait, the mouth of the Nile, etc.). The pillars were located at the entrances to the straits and had the same names - Hercules (later the Latin name - Hercules). The pillars served as landmarks and beacons for ancient sailors.

Pillars of Hercules

“First of all, let us briefly recall that, according to legend, nine thousand years ago there was a war between those peoples who lived on the other side of the Pillars of Hercules, and all those who lived on this side: we have to tell about this war ... As we have already mentioned, it was once an island larger than Libya and Asia (not their entire geographical territory, but rather parts inhabited in antiquity), but now it has collapsed due to earthquakes and has turned into impenetrable silt, blocking the way for sailors who would try to sail from us to the open sea, and making navigation unthinkable. (Plato, Critias).

This information about Atlantis, dating back to the 6th century BC. came from the Egyptian priest Timaeus from the city of Sais (on the coast of Africa, the western Nile Delta, the current name of the village of Sa el-Hagar). When Timaeus said that the barrier from the remains of the sunken Atlantis blocked the way - "from us to the open sea", this clearly testified to the presence of Atlantis on the route from the Egyptian mouth of the Nile to the wide waters of the Mediterranean Sea. In ancient times, the Pillars of Hercules also called the entrance to the main (western) mouth of the Nile, nicknamed the mouth of Heracles, that is, Hercules, where the city of Heracleum and the temple in honor of Hercules were located.

Over time, silt and floating material from the sunken Atlantis it was blown across the sea, and the island itself went even deeper into the abyss. “Since in nine thousand years there have been many great floods (namely, so many years have passed from those times to this day), the earth did not accumulate in the form of any significant shallow, as in other places, but was washed away by waves and then disappeared into the abyss. (Plato, Critias).

We exclude, impossible locations, further.

Atlantis could not be located in the Mediterranean Sea north of the island of Crete. Today in that area there are countless small islands scattered over the water area, which does not correspond to the story of flooding (!) and by this very fact excludes the entire territory. Moreover, there would not have been enough space for Atlantis (according to the description of its size) in the sea north of Crete.

Expedition of a famous explorer sea ​​depths French scientist-oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau in the area north of Crete on the periphery of the islands of Thira (Strongele), Fera discovered the remains of an ancient sunken city, but from the above it follows that it belongs to another civilization rather than Atlantis.

In the archipelago of islands Aegean Sea known earthquakes, catastrophes associated with volcanic activity, which led to local subsidence of the earth, and according to new evidence, they occur in our time (for example, a sunken medieval fortress in the Aegean Sea near the city of Marmaris in a bay on the coast of Turkey).

Narrowing the search circle, we come to the conclusion that Atlantis could only be in one place opposite the mouth of the Nile - to the south and east of the island Crete. She, there, today at a depth and lies, having fallen into a deep basin of the sea. The failure of an almost oval water area with influx from the coast, horizontal wrinkling (from sliding) of sedimentary rocks to the center of the "funnel" is clearly visible from the Internet survey of the seabed from space. The bottom of the sea in this place resembles a pit, sprinkled with soft sedimentary rock on top, there is no solid “crust-mantle” below. A hole not overgrown with a “bone” inside - on the body of the Earth, “poke your finger and you will fail.”

The Egyptian priest Timaeus, in a story about the location of the silt from the flooded Atlantis, gives a reference to the Pillars of Hercules (nearest to him at the mouth of the western Nile). In another case (later), already when Plato described the power of Atlantis, we are talking about other pillars (as already mentioned above, there were seven of them in the Mediterranean). Later, when Plato expounded the text of his essay on the retelling, Timaeus had not been around for 200 years by that time, and there was no one to clarify information about which pillars the conversation was about. From this arose all the subsequent confusion with the location of Atlantis.

“After all, according to our records, your state (Athens) put an end to the insolence of countless military forces that set off to conquer all of Europe and Asia, and kept the path from atlantic sea. [...] On this island, called Atlantis, there arose a kingdom of amazing size and power, whose power extended over the whole island, to many other islands and to part of the mainland, and moreover, on this side of the strait they took possession of Libya right up to to Egypt and Europe up to Tirrenia ( West Coast Italy). (Plato, Timaeus).

The sea that washed the island of Atlantis (between Crete and Egypt) was called the Atlantic in ancient times, it was located in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as modern seas Aegean, Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, Ionian. Subsequently, due to an error in tying Atlantis not to the Nile, but to the Gibraltar pillars, the name "Atlantic" also spread to the ocean beyond the strait. Once the internal Atlantic Sea due to the inaccuracy of the description (Plato, Critias or Solon) - became the Atlantic Ocean. As the Russian proverb says: - “We got lost in three pines” (in seven pairs of pillars). When she went to sea ​​abyss Atlantis, along with it, the Atlantic Sea disappeared.

Timaeus, narrating the history of Atlantis, noted that the victory of Athens brought freedom from slavery to all other peoples (including the Egyptians), who had not yet been enslaved by the Atlanteans - "on this side of the Pillars of Hercules" (speaking about himself - about Egypt).

“It was then, Solon, that your state showed the whole world a brilliant proof of its valor and strength: all, surpassing all in fortitude and experience in military affairs, it first stood at the head of the Hellenes, but because of the betrayal of the allies, it turned out to be left to itself, met alone with extreme dangers and yet defeated the conquerors and erected victorious trophies. Those who were not yet enslaved, it saved from the threat of slavery; all the rest, no matter how much we lived on this side of the Pillars of Heracles, it generously made free. But later, when the time came for unprecedented earthquakes and floods, in one terrible day, all your military strength was swallowed up by the cracked earth; likewise, Atlantis disappeared, plunging into the abyss. After that, the sea in those places has become unnavigable and inaccessible to this day due to the shallowing caused by the huge amount of silt that the settled island left behind. (Plato, Timaeus).

You can even more clarify the place of Atlantis from the description of the island itself.

“Poseidon, having received the island of Atlantis as his inheritance ..., approximately in this place: from the sea to the middle of the island, a plain stretched, according to legend, more beautiful than all other plains and very fertile.” (Plato, Timaeus).

“Firstly, it was said that this whole region lay very high and steeply cut off to the sea, but the whole plain surrounding the city (capital) and itself surrounded by mountains that stretched to the sea itself, was a flat surface, three thousand in length. stages (580 km.), and in the direction from the sea to the middle - two thousand (390 km.). All this part of the island was turned to the south wind, and from the north it was closed by mountains. These mountains are praised by legend because they surpassed all the present ones in their multitude, size and beauty. The plain ... was an oblong quadrangle, mostly rectilinear. (Plato, Critias).

Capital of Atlantis

So, following the description, a rectangular plain 580 by 390 kilometers stretched approximately to the middle of the island, open to the south and closed from the north by large and high mountains. Fitting these dimensions into geographical map"Atlantic" sea north of the mouth of the Nile, we get that southern part Atlantis could adjoin Africa (in the area of ​​​​the current Libyan cities of Tobruk, Derna, Egyptian cities on the coast west of Alexandria), and its northern mountainous part could be (but not a fact) - the island of Crete.

In favor of the fact that Atlantis is more early times(than its mention in the ancient Egyptian papyri), namely, it was connected with Africa tens of thousands of years ago - says the story of the animal world of the island.

“Even elephants were found on the island in great numbers, for there was enough food not only for all other living creatures that inhabit the swamps, lakes and rivers, mountains or plains, but also for this beast, of all the animals, the largest and voracious.” (Plato, Critias).

It should also be taken into account that with the end of the ice age, with the beginning of the melting of the northern glaciers, the level of the world's oceans rose by 50-70 meters and the part of the land that once connected Atlantis and Africa was gradually flooded. Elephants and, by the way, people - the inhabitants of the island (by the name of their king Atlanta - the Atlanteans) who came here earlier from the depths of Africa remained surrounded by the sea. Atlanteans were ordinary people modern look, and not four-meter giants, otherwise Athens would not have been able to defeat them. The island, isolated position of the inhabitants prompted civilization to separate (without wars and external enemies), active, ahead of external warring barbarians - development (fortunately, everything needed was on the island).

On Atlantis (in its capital, similar to a hill extinct volcano) were hot springs mineral water, this indicates the high seismic activity of the territory and the "thin" mantle of the earth's crust ... "a spring of cold and a spring hot water which gave water in abundance, and, moreover, amazing both in taste and in healing power. (Plato, Critias).

I will not assume what caused the “internal hiccups of the Earth”, as a result of which Atlantis fell into the basin of the Mediterranean Sea in a day, and later even deeper. Perhaps there was a tectonic shift of the plates, or a "blow" of a giant meteorite in North America from which was formed Gulf of Mexico and as a result, there was an inertial "sigh" in the Mediterranean.

It is possible (but not a fact) that the island of Crete - the former northern highest mountainous part of Atlantis, did not fall into the abyss of the sea, but stayed on the "European continental cornice". On the other hand, if you look at Crete on the map, then it is not on the very cliff of the mantle of the European mainland, but about 100 km away. from the basin of the Mediterranean (Atlantic) Sea. This means that the catastrophic collapse of Atlantis on the current coastline there was no island of Crete, it was only, as an independent unit, part of the archipelago of island Atlantis.

Historians and archaeologists write: - “Excavations in Crete show that even four or five millennia after the alleged death of Atlantis, the inhabitants of this Mediterranean island sought to settle away from the coast. (Memory of ancestors). Unknown fear drove them to the mountains. The first centers of agriculture and culture are also located at some distance from the sea”…

The proximity of the location of Atlantis to the mouth of the Nile and Africa is indirectly evidenced by the extensive Kattara depression (minus 133 meters below sea level) in the Libyan Desert, in Egypt, 50 km away. from the coast, as well as the lowland near Alexandria. These depressions are indicative of a general territorial trend towards subsidence.

What gives the establishment of the exact location of Atlantis?

Perhaps not much. The Mediterranean basin is too deep (2000 to 4000 meters). At first, silt, earth, subsequent sedimentary deposits and landslide rocks, which first rose and then settled to the bottom, densely covered Atlantis. The golden capital, with its countless treasures in the temple of Poseidon, was located closest to Africa and turned out to be at the very depths (in the center of the depression). It is possible that searches in the southern part of the coast of Crete will bring something, but this is unlikely, since the South Cretan European mainland “ledge-cornice” is literally “licked by the sea to bare stone”, and everything that was from the Atlanteans is a long time ago washed into the basin. Who will dig in the depths of the sea, who will look for the fallen “necklace in the mouth of a volcano”? That's why they didn't find anything.

But the only thing that is inspiring is that the confusion with the "Pillars of Hercules" has been successfully resolved, and the location of Atlantis has finally been established.

For the sake of historical truth - the Mediterranean basin, at the bottom of which lies the legendary island (between the islands of Crete, Cyprus and the mouth of the Nile) in memory of Atlantis, you can return it ancient name Atlantic Sea. This will be the first, important, world event in the search and discovery of Atlantis.

Atlantis has been described by many researchers as the most advanced of human civilizations. Some believe that the city was destroyed by one of the largest natural Disasters, known to man, while others are inclined to believe that it is nothing more than a mere figment of Plato's imagination. This article contains some "facts", conceptual images and videos. Let's dream a little together, plunging into the story of Atlantis.

The legend of Atlantis begins with two dialogues: Timaeus and Critias, written by the classical Greek philosopher, Plato. He describes the inhabitants of Atlantis as noble and strong people who lived on an island located in the middle Atlantic Ocean. Greek myths tell us that Poseidon created a dwelling for the mortal woman Kleito, with whom he fell in love. To protect her, he surrounded the island with rings of water and earth.

Kleito soon gave birth to 5 pairs of twin boys who became the rulers of the country. Atlas became the first king. Atlantis was a thriving trading center due to its location and natural resources.


Unfortunately, as happened with all lost civilizations, greed and power began to corrupt the inhabitants of Atlantis. Zeus was outraged by the immorality of people and had to decide the fate of Atlantis by gathering other gods and determining punishment. At the peak of its greatness, Atlantis was swallowed up by sea waves after a terrible earthquake.


It is believed that the center of Atlantis was connected to the sea by an extremely large and deep channel - almost 9 km long, 100 m wide and 30 m deep. He was even deeper than Panama Canal, which reaches 18 meters at its deepest location.

At the very top central mountain A temple was built in honor of Poseidon. Inside was a statue of Poseidon on a chariot with winged horses (Pegases). The statue was usually surrounded by the senior rulers of Atlantis, who discussed laws here, made decisions and paid tribute to Poseidon.


The main city of Atlantis was located outside the 1st ring of water and covered 17 km of land. It was very densely populated, most of the inhabitants lived here. Outside the city were fertile fields and farms 530 km long and 190 km wide, surrounded by another canal used to collect water from rivers and mountain streams. Each year, the climate of Atlantis allowed 2 harvests. One in winter, which was fed by rains, and one in summer, which was fed by irrigation from canals.

High mountains surrounded the plain in the north of the 3rd circle. small villages, lakes, rivers and grasslands covered most of this area. In addition to lush vegetation, the island was very rich in various metals (gold, copper, bronze, silver) and several types of stone. It is also believed that elephants lived here.


Due to the size of the army and navy, which consisted of approximately 1,200 ships, Atlantis was able to control lands far beyond its territory, including Egypt.


Today, there are few places in the world where you can experience a small fraction of the atmosphere of Atlantis: the Dubai Palm and Atlantic Paradise (Bahamas). Here are some photos of these places:










It's always interesting to see how other people feel and imagine Atlantis. Below are some artwork artists from different corners peace. Enjoy! Mankind can only hope that soon Atlantis will become one of the new

The history of an ancient almost mythical civilization, Atlantis, still excites the imagination. The thought that the city simply went under water due to natural disasters excites the mind. Therefore, in every new settlement that is found under water, they see mythical Atlantis.

The Greeks called this city Heraklion, and the Egyptians - Thronis. Once on the northern coast of Egypt and considered one of the most important port cities in the Mediterranean, it is now at the bottom of the sea it once served. Recently, a 1200-year-old city has been found underwater and is slowly revealing its secrets. Artifacts that are raised to the surface indicate that at one time it was a large shopping mall and busy port. More than 60 ancient ships that were sunk in the port area for various reasons were also found, along with hundreds of anchors, coins, tablets with inscriptions in Greek and Egyptian, and large sculptures from temples. These temples dedicated to the gods remained almost intact.

The city was the official port of Egypt from 664 to 332 BC. e. Now it is located far from the coast, at a distance of 6.5 km. As in many other sunken cities, the artifacts have been preserved in good condition, which helps to accurately recreate the pictures of the life of cities, their architecture and layout. If you answer the question of how the cities ended up at the bottom of the sea, then, most likely, as a result of an earthquake. Since the city was located on the coast, due to geological processes, it could easily go under water.

9. Fanagoria, Russia/Greece

The ancient city of Phanagoria, the hero of myths and works of art, really existed. If you read the history of Rome, it becomes known that in 63 BC. e. the uprising ended with most of the city was burned, the wife and children of Mithridates VI were killed by an angry mob. For a long period it was believed that this was just a myth, until archaeologists studied the underwater necropolis of Phanagoria and discovered a tombstone, the inscription on which read: “Gypsicrates, wife of Mithridates VI.” Hypsicrates is the masculine version of the name Hypsicratia. This tombstone confirmed the reality of the legend that Hypsicratia was bald, taciturn and courageous, so her husband addressed her, calling her a male name.

Phanagoria is the largest Greek city which is now in Russia. It was founded on the Black Sea coast in the 6th century BC. and today is the third sunken city that may be the legendary Atlantis. Although most of it today is covered with a thick layer of sand, scientists distinguish port structures and a large necropolis. Plinths were also found on which stood big statues, and a large number of urban artifacts. Having existed for 1500 years, the city was abandoned in the 10th century, but the reason for this is not known. Since the 18th century, the city has attracted the attention of archaeologists, but excavations are very slow due to the peculiarities of the bottom and the ball of sand, the width of which in some places is 7 m.

Part of ancient Alexandria is at the bottom of the ocean. The city, which is 2000 years old, has been the object for decades archaeological sites. This is a long and difficult process that overcomes a number of difficulties related to the depth and lack of visibility that hides part of the city that has sunk in the earthquake. Except royal palace, temples, quarters, military buildings and outposts, large private complexes have been found - everything has been preserved in excellent condition over the centuries. Archaeologists have also found palace complex Cleopatra, which she called her and Mark Antony's home, the place where she committed suicide in order not to surrender to her captors.

Huge granite statues remain at the bottom of the ocean, where they once fell, as a result of a series of earthquake shocks from the 4th to 8th centuries BC. e .. There is also the house of Mark Antony, Timomium, where he hid during difficult periods of life. Archaeologists managed to clear the temple of Isis, the statues of Cleopatra's father and son and other artifacts, including dishes, jewelry, amulets, small statues, ritual boats that were raised to the surface from the sand. In 1994, archaeologists explored the ruins Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In order for those who wish to see the finds, it is planned to create an underwater museum that will allow tourists to stay dry, going down under the water and walking around the sunken city. Difficulties with financing and construction hinder the implementation of plans.

Chinese Shicheng city was founded 1300 years ago, and most of the buildings appeared over the next 300 years after its foundation. Unique architecture includes buildings dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties of the 14th century. Nothing can resist progress, and the city of Shincheng did not resist, in 1959 it was flooded as a result of the construction of a hydroelectric power station. More than 300,000 inhabitants have left their ancestral homes. Today the city is under water at a depth of 40 m and is well preserved.

The city is not completely lost. In 2001, the Chinese government became interested in its fate and found that it was quite well preserved, if not for the water, it seems that the city continues to live. The walls date back to the 16th century and are still standing today, including the city gates and numerous statues. Today, divers are discovering this city and its greatness in a new way for themselves and the world.

If most of the sunken cities are difficult to access physically or because they are heavily excavated, the ruins of the city of Olus are accessible to everyone. It was based on northeast coast Crete, and it had between 30,000 and 40,000 inhabitants. The city was not built on stones, like all Cretan cities, but on sand, like most sunken cities. A powerful earthquake shock, and he was under water. Today, scuba divers and snorkelers can take exciting underwater walks exploring the ruins and finding sunken artifacts such as coins. Some structures, such as walls, are partly above the sea surface.

The Lapita tribe, settlers of Micronesia and Polynesia, settled on the islands after they left Taiwan and East Asia around 2000 BC e .. In 500 BC. they founded several settlements on the islands Pacific Ocean. These people were talented sailors and craftsmen, especially in the field of making dishes. More than 4,000 pieces of Lapita pottery have been found on the Samoan Islands.

Archaeologists believe that the settlement of Mulifanua was founded 3000 years ago, during the period of the great island migration in the Pacific Ocean. It is a confirmation of the existence of lapita. At that time the island was sandy and wide. It is not known how many other settlements were located here, since over the centuries water and sand have hidden material evidence, except for potsherds that are found on the coast.

In 2002 in indian gulf ruins were found ancient city. Since they are located at a depth of 40 m, they were found quite by accident by a team that investigated the level of pollution in the water area. This discovery forced archaeologists to reconsider the time frame for the existence of civilization in this region. The city was founded 5,000 years ago. Initially, the 4000-year-old Harappa was considered the oldest city, which was considered the cradle of civilization. The Mesopotamian city was famous for its sewage and water collection systems, well-planned streets, ports, and fortifications. Rumor has it that it was founded by direct descendants who survived after their first city sank.

Shards, beads, sculptures and human bones were found at the site of the newly found sunken city. According to the results of carbon analysis, the remains of people are 9,500 years old. At that time, the ocean level was much lower. The city was on the very shore and was swallowed up by a wave of rising water, as a result of the melting of glaciers. The remains of the settlement were built along the riverbed.

There are many legends around Lake Titicaca. Even today locals consider it sacred. The depth of the lake and poor visibility complicate the study of the bottom, and ignorance breeds legends. Recently, a team of research divers from the Akakor Geographical Exploring Society made 200 dives to the ruins of the sunken city. At the bottom, the ruins of temples, fragments of roads, walls and terraces were found, on which agricultural plants were once grown. For a long time, among the locals, one could hear talk about the sunken city, but only thanks to the development of technology, diving became possible. Remains temple complex were found at a depth of 20 meters when divers followed the road found at the bottom, which led them to the find.

From the mythology of the Incas, it is known that the lake is the cradle of the birth of their civilization. Here was the city of Wanaku and the burial place of the golden statues of the gods, which were hidden from the conquerors and then lost. At the bottom of the lake, the researchers found many artifacts, among which were fragments of gold items, ceramic statues, stone statues, boats, bones of people and animals and containers with incense.

Atlit-Yam is the name given to several buildings from the Neolithic period that have been discovered on the banks of the Carmel. These buildings were stone walls, foundations of houses and other buildings, round foundations and ancient roads. It was estimated that the structures were built 7,550 and 8,000 years ago, and were destroyed as a result of a tsunami caused by volcanic activity. In the center of the settlement there was a structure in the form of stones laid out in a circle, reminiscent of a place of sacrifice, there was also a source of water. Some stones stood upright, while others lay, most likely they played the role of a table for sacrifices.

Human remains have also been found here, including the skeletons of 65 men, women and children. A detailed examination of the finds led to the fact that traces of tuberculosis were revealed, as a result of which people died. This is the world's first manifestation of a deadly disease, dating back 7000-8000 years. They also found stone, flint and bone tools. In addition, seeds of local plants were found: flax and barley. The finds indicate that people not only fished, but also bred livestock and cultivated crops.

Bailly is an ancient Roman city whose lifestyle was similar to that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Here was going to know for games and recreation. It was visited by Julius Caesar and Nero. The city had many hot springs, as it stood in the zone of active geological processes, which contributed to the development of the bath business and spa treatments. In the 8th century, the Saracens captured the city, after which the former glory never returned to it, and around 1500 the inhabitants left it. After some time, the city gradually sank into the waters of the bay.

Today these places are valuable from an archaeological point of view. Many tourists come here by boat to dive in search of artifacts. A statue of Odysseus, villas, arcades and ruins were found here artificial ponds for breeding oysters and fish. The researchers also found the famous villa of Nero, which was built in the 1st century BC. Divers "walk" along the underwater city streets and swim in the once famous Roman baths. Although it should be recognized that there are many more sunken ships, so the chance of finding is much higher than finding the lost Atlantis.

We all heard about Atlantis, the legendary island that went under water in one day. Who was the first to know about it? Did Atlantis really exist? What else do we not know about her? The story of Atlantis came to us in the retelling of the Greek philosopher Plato. Or rather, from two of his works, Timaeus and Critias. It is believed that these books were written in 360 BC. e.

In them, Plato wrote that the Greek sage Solon became aware of this story when he served as a priest in Egypt. Upon his return, Solon told it to his relative Dropid. Then Dropid gave it to his son Critias, who told her grandson, also Critias, the latter shared it with Socrates and his entourage.

This list should not be taken as historical or scientific fact, but as a true retelling of Plato. Whether we believe in the legend is a personal choice for everyone. Science does not yet give accurate data about Atlantis, but the lost cities have been found and will be found. One day it may become a legendary island.

many books and documentaries was created on the subject of the possible location of Atlantis. A quick Google search will reveal that some point to Santorini as Atlantis in the past; others believe that the waters of Bimini hide the road to lost city. If we take the text of Plato as a basis, he will tell us where the city was once submerged under water.

The text says that Atlantis "came out of the Atlantic Ocean." It goes on to say that "there was an island in front of the Pillars of Hercules." Today these pillars must be in place Strait of Gibraltar where Spain and Africa are separated by a narrow strip of sea. While these are certainly not GPS coordinates, the island's location narrows down.

In 2011, University of Hartford archaeologist Richard Freund and his team discovered "memorial cities," or cities built in the image of Atlantis. A number of cities were found buried in bolts national park Donana, north of Cadiz, Spain.

It turned out that Cadiz is right in front of the pillars. This made Freund think that the real Atlantis was buried in the mud swamps of the Atlantic. Its results coincide with the text of the plot that “the sea in these parts is impassable and impenetrable, because there is fine mud on the way; and this happened because of the subsidence of the island.

Cadiz is also considered one of the oldest cities that are still in Western Europe. It is believed to have been built by the Phoenicians around 700 BC. e., but some records claim that the city was already in 1100 BC. e. Greek myths say that this city is even bigger.

Why is it important? Because a long time ago this city was called Hades. This fits because the text speaks of an Atlantean prince who was called Gadeir by the prehistoric citizens of Hades. He owned the far eastern part of Atlantis.

This part of the island was supposed to look at modern Cadiz. Therefore, the story goes that Cadiz, or Hades, was named after the prince. Of course, Plato wrote all this at least 340 years after the discovery of the city, so he could take liberties in naming the Atlantean princes.

Atlantis is named after a demigod

Most people believe that Atlantis got its name from the Atlantic Ocean, but in reality it was exactly the opposite. Legend has it that Poseidon, the Greek god of the seas, had five twins by an Atlantean mortal woman named Clito.

God gave each of his 10 sons a different part of the island to rule over. Gadeir was the second in seniority. And although a city in Spain was named after him, it was his older brother Atlas who got the honor of naming the city after himself. As the firstborn, Atlas got whole island, and even the surrounding ocean was named after him. His children were also to rule Atlantis forever.

Half the story is missing

We know that Plato wrote at least two books about Atlantis. Today we have the full version of Timaeus, but full version"Critia" is not.

"Critias" breaks off on the fact that Zeus, the head Greek gods, "gathered all the gods into their very holy dwelling, which, being placed in the center of the world, contemplates all created things. And when he gathered them together, he said the following. That's all.

It is not known whether Plato deliberately left the book unfinished, or whether the completed version was long lost. Not only do we miss the end of Critias, but we also believe that Plato wrote or at least planned to write a third book about Atlantis - Hermocrates.

There are several facts in support of this theory. A line in the Critias reads: "Critias, we will grant your request and provide, if necessary, to Hermocrates the same thing that you and Timaeus." Therefore, the third part of the story must be dedicated to Hermocrates.

Also, the titles of the three books may contain a hidden message, especially when looking at the order in which Plato wrote or should have written them. Timaeus comes from the Greek "thio", which means "to honor". Critias comes from the Greek "krim", which means "judgment". Hermocrates comes from "Hermes", the messenger of the Greek gods. Timaeus reveres prehistoric Athens for their heroism. Critias, presumably, ends with the judgment of Zeus over Atlantis. But what message could Hermocrates convey?

The answer may lie in what we know about Hermocrates himself. He was a true military leader who helped lead the successful defense of Syracuse against Athens during the Peloponnesian War. Sounds like the story of Atlantis. In this story, the Athenian state from prehistoric times repels the attack of the superior forces of Atlantis.

Perhaps Hermocrates' message was about why the Athenian attack on Syracuse failed and how Syracuse was able to fight off the conquest. Unless someone finds a copy of this book, we may never know. complete history Atlantis.

Atlantis must have been at least 11,500 years old

Solon was considered the wisest of all the Greek sages. The texts say that the story of Atlantis was retold to Solon in Egypt when he wanted to "pull out" the most ancient stories from the priests.

To do this, Solon decided to tell the priests about the most ancient Greek stories he could remember. He spoke to them about the great flood and the first man. After listening to Solon, one priest replied: “Oh, Solon, Solon ... There are no old people among you ... You are all young in consciousness; there is no old opinion among you carried over by tradition.”

Then the priest told that Athens, hometown Solon, were much older than he thought. The records of the Egyptians in Sais (where they were) said that Sais was founded 8000 years before. And it was also recorded that Athens was founded 1000 years before Sais and that the Athenians of that time were at war with the Atlanteans.

Solon lived from about 630 BC. e. until 560 BC. e. If this story is correct, the fall of Atlantis happened around 9500 BC. e. And so, Atlantis must be as old as Gobekli Tepe, which appeared 10,000 years ago. e. and is considered the oldest temple in the world.

History is starting to take shape. But for now, everything is cloudy.

The story is true...according to Plato

We said that this list cannot be considered a historical summary. In the text, however, Critias claims that his story is true. "Listen to the story, which, though strange, is certainly true and confirmed by Solon." It is very important for Plato to distinguish fact from history. Plato frankly says that some myths are symbolic in nature. However, in his book, he claims that Atlantis was real and not mythical. If Atlantis were a fantasy of Plato, why would he claim that the story of Atlantis is true, but not say that the Greek myth was created to represent something else?

Atlantis was an empire

Most of us probably picture a lush green island surrounded by deep blues. ocean waters when thinking about Atlantis. Although the story takes place on an island, most of us probably assume that Atlantis was limited to this island. But Plato says that Atlantis was an empire that was ruled from this island.

"In this island of Atlantis there was a great and beautiful empire, which ruled over the whole island and several others, as well as over parts of the continent, and, in addition, the people of Atlantis conquered Libya to the pillars of Hercules, to Egypt, and Europe to Tyrrhenia."

Tirrenia is another name for Etruria, now known as central Italy. This means that Atlantis would have extended to present-day Tuscany in Europe and to Egypt in Africa. We would like to know how the Athenians defeated such big empire? Maybe Plato himself did not know, so he decided not to finish the ending.

Ancient Mediterraneans might have known about the Americas

While it may well be that Plato created Atlantis for the sake of philosophy, there is one part of this story that would be difficult to fabricate. In a story, an Egyptian priest says to Solon: “This island opened the way to other islands, and from them you could go to the opposite continent, which surrounded a real ocean. The adjacent land can be called a truly endless continent.

What kind of continent was on the other side of the Atlantic, so large that it seemed as if it surrounded an entire ocean? Could this mean that the ancient Greeks and perhaps the ancient Egyptians knew about the Americas and even visited them?

In 1970, the famous navigator Thor Heyerdahl set sail with a crew of six in a reed ship called the Ra II. They sailed from Safi to Morocco, across the Atlantic, to Barbados in 57 days.

This voyage proved that reed boats could survive ocean travel and that ancient people could actually cross the Atlantic in them. This feat was once considered impossible.

But this does not prove that the Egyptians or the Greeks made their way to the Americas. Heyerdahl proved only that this is possible.

In ancient Athens, women were allowed to serve

The issue of women in the armed forces is often raised in developed countries. Should we allow women to serve in combat formations? Should women sign a service contract?

2500 years ago, the Greeks would have laughed at our questions. Actually, Plato's student Aristotle once said: "Silence is the glory of a woman."

And what would the Spartans do if a woman tried to join their ranks? They wouldn't like it. This is Sparta!

But in Athens in 9500 B.C. e. everything was different. According to Plato, “military service was common for men and women; men and women, in full armor and under the auspices of the goddess Athena, could practice the same martial arts practices, without any gender differences.”

Perhaps Plato simply dreamed of an ideal state, or maybe not. Perhaps the Athenians 9500 BC. e. did everything possible to contain the enemy.

Plato wanted to keep people away from the ocean

If the Greeks really knew what lay beyond the Mediterranean, would they want other people to know too? Maybe not. Perhaps that is why Plato wrote that no one should sail into the Atlantic Ocean.

“But then there were great earthquakes and floods; and in one day and one night of misfortune all the men capable of fighting went underground, and the island of Atlantis in the same way went into the abyss of the sea. According to Plato, as a result of this, impenetrable mud deposits appeared near the Strait of Gibraltar.

This may have stopped the curious from crossing the strait. Plato insisted that it was impossible to swim in the Atlantic during his lifetime, "for in those days the Atlantic was navigable."

Was Plato really trying to keep people from leaving for the Atlantic? Did he really think that shallow water was blocking ocean travel? Or was the Atlantic too muddy for boats to pass at that time? If it was too shallow for the boats, why not just walk?

Mankind has been and will be destroyed many times

The Egyptian priest told Solon that none of his stories were "truly ancient" compared to his own. According to the priest, the reason that Solon lacked "truly ancient" knowledge is that humanity was destroyed again and again.

“There have been and will again be destruction of mankind for various reasons; the greatest of them brought manifestations of fire and water, the lesser - innumerable other causes.

If the only people who survive cataclysms are mountain dwellers unaware of their distant past, it is easy to see how the entire history of civilization is lost over time. The priest believed that Egypt experienced these cataclysms, while others did not, because in Egypt it hardly rained at all. Instead, there were annual floods due to the flooding of the Nile, which rose enough to feed the crops, but not destroy their world. Somewhere too wet, somewhere too dry. And in Egypt, everything is as it should be (but in fact it is very, very dry there).

G. ALEKSANDROVSKY.

In the dialogues of the ancient thinker Plato, there is still a grain that speaks of the reality of the legendary island. The legend of Atlantis has been alive for more than two thousand years. But only a few decades ago, people, desperate to find traces of a once prosperous state, ranked Plato's writings as utopias. And here is a sensational twist: in our days, some historians and archaeologists have recognized that Plato's dialogues do contain a grain of real facts. We present three newest hypotheses suggesting where and when Atlantis died.

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Tradition of the Egyptian priests

In 421 BC. e. the Greek philosopher Plato in his two writings - Timaeus and Critias - outlined the history and the sad end island nation Atlantis. The story in the form of a dialogue is conducted by Plato's great-grandfather, Critias: he conveys the content of the conversation with his grandfather, who heard the story about Atlantis from a contemporary, Solon, an Athenian legislator and poet, who, in turn, learned about Atlantis from an Egyptian priest. And Plato in his texts repeatedly emphasizes that this is not a myth, but a true story of historical events.

Atlantis, according to Plato, is a huge island that lay in the ocean behind the Pillars of Hercules, that is, behind Gibraltar. In the center of the island there was a hill, on which temples and the royal palace stood. Acropolis - upper city- defended two rows of earthen embankments and three water annular channels. The outer ring was connected to the sea by a 500-meter canal through which ships entered the inner port. The life of Atlantis appears to be full of prosperity.

The temple of the main deity of the islanders - Poseidon, the ruler of the seas, was, Plato narrates, lined with gold, silver and orchilac (a recently unraveled word means an alloy of copper and zinc). Another temple dedicated to Poseidon and his wife Kleito, the progenitor of all Atlanteans, is surrounded by a golden wall. There were also a golden statue of Poseidon and golden statues of Nereids - numerous daughters of the sea deity. The Atlanteans had bronze weapons and thousands of war chariots. The bowels gave copper and silver.

The people had fun with horse races, thermal baths were at their service: two sources beat on the island - cold and hot water. Ships hurried to the harbor of Atlantis with ceramic dishes, spices, and rare ores. To supply the port with fresh water, the river bed was turned.

The island belonged to a powerful union of kings. And then the moment came when he decided to subjugate other countries, including Greece. However, Athens, having shown valor and strength in the war, won. But, as Plato says, the Olympic gods, dissatisfied with the warring peoples, decided to punish them for their greed and violence. A monstrous earthquake and flood "in one terrible day and one night" destroyed the Athenian army and all of Atlantis. The ocean waters swallowed the island.

47 years after the death of Plato, an Athenian citizen, Krantor, went to Egypt to see if the origins of the information used by the philosopher were really there. And he found, according to him, in the temple of Neith hieroglyphs with a text about the events described.

Search

The search for Atlantis began already at the very beginning of a new era - in the 50th year from the birth of Christ. Almost two thousand years since that time, there have been many hypotheses about the location of Atlantis. Many were attracted by the wealth mentioned by Plato. Just think: take possession of the golden walls and statues! Most interpreters of Critias and Timaeus pointed to the present existing islands Atlantic Ocean. But there were other guidelines as well. Among the 50 points on Earth identified by enthusiasts for the search for Atlantis, there are also quite fantastic ones, for example, Brazil or Siberia, the existence of which the ancient philosopher did not suspect.

A new surge of interest in the search for the legendary island arose after the First World War. Underwater technology, improved in wartime, prompted adventurous businessmen to organize companies in several countries to search for the mysterious Atlantis. For example, in the French newspaper "Figaro" there was such a note: "A society for the study and exploitation of Atlantis has been created in Paris." Companies, of course, burst one after another, but the Russian writer Alexander Belyaev found in a newspaper publication the plot for his fantastic story "The Last Man from Atlantis."

More than 50 thousand publications are devoted to the problem of the sunken island. Movies and television have also contributed to this story. Over 20 expeditions explored the places where, according to their organizers, the people of Atlantis once prospered. But they all returned empty-handed.

To two main questions - where? and when? - already in our century, the objections of archaeologists were added, who considered the story of the abundance of gold and silver on the island a fantasy. They attributed the network of canals - circular and leading to the sea, the inner port and other hydraulic structures to Plato's inventions: such large-scale cases were beyond their strength in those days. Researchers of the philosophical and literary heritage of Plato considered that, telling about the prosperous Atlantis, the ancient idealist thinker called on his contemporaries to build an exemplary state without dictatorship and tyranny. And in this sense, Plato is called the creator of the utopian genre. (In fact, in some of his writings, Plato called for the construction of an ideal state based on goodness and justice. He traveled from Athens to Syracuse three times, the last time as a very old man, hoping in vain to inspire humane ideas in the tyrants there.) As for the time of the death of the island in deep ocean, Plato named a date that contradicts all the data of modern science: according to his information, the catastrophe occurred 11,500 years ago to the present day, or 9,000 years, counting up to the time of Plato himself. 12-10 thousand years ago, humanity was just emerging from the Paleolithic, the ancient Stone Age, and it is difficult to imagine that a people lived somewhere, in its development ahead of the human race by many thousands of years. The primary source of such an error could be incorrect determinations of the age of the Egyptian state, carried out in ancient times. For example, Herodotus counted Egypt 11340 years.

Is it Atlantis?

"The Russians have found Atlantis!" - with such sensational full houses, many newspapers of Western Europe accompanied in 1979 photographs of the seabed. In the photographs, vertical ridges were clearly visible under a layer of sand, reminiscent of the walls of a destroyed city. The impression of ancient city ruins was enhanced by the fact that other ridges ran along the bottom at right angles to the first ones.

Underwater images were taken by the research vessel of the Moscow University "Akademik Petrovsky". Actions unfolded where Plato pointed out - "behind the Pillars of Hercules." Out in the Atlantic Ocean, the ship stopped over the shallows to test its underwater equipment. Pure chance helped to choose a parking spot just above the underwater volcano Ampère. It was possible to establish that the Amper volcano once protruded from the water and was an island.

In 1982, the Soviet ship "Rift" lowered the underwater vehicle "Argus" into the ocean. "The panorama of the ruins of the city opened up to us, since the walls very similarly imitated the remains of rooms, streets, squares," commander of the "Argus" V. Bulyga reported to the Institute of Oceanology of the Academy of Sciences. Unfortunately, the next Vityaz expedition, which took place in the summer of 1984, did not confirm such encouraging impressions of the aquanaut. From one of the walls, two stones of a fairly regular shape were raised up, but their analysis showed that this was not a creation of human hands, but a volcanic rock. The commander of the Argus crew, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences A. Gorodnitsky, writes: "Most likely, the stone is a frozen lava that once poured out through the cracks of the volcano." Another seamount, Josephine, was also surveyed ancient volcano, and in the past - an island.

A. Gorodnitsky proposed his own model of a grandiose geological catastrophe of the distant past. It arose due to a sharp shift in the northern direction of the African tectonic plate. Its collision with the European plate caused the eruption of the Santorin volcano in the east, and in the west - a sinking into the ocean of the mentioned volcanic islands. This hypothesis does not contradict the geological and geophysical data of modern science. However, once again, Atlantis turned out to be not a fascinating hypothesis, but only a myth: scientists did not find any traces of the remains of the material culture of the Atlanteans.