Is the city of Atlantis a realistic or a myth?

Answer 1

Plato wrote a story or summary of a story he said was given him by some in Egypt. The Timaeus and the Critias give the descriptions.

We've known of ancient peoples from mention by other ancient people. Troy was assumed to be a myth but was found in what is today Turkey. Even the Biblical Ninevah, capital of the Assyrians was at times assumed to be a myth, until it too was found. There were Mesopotamian cities that were of note and merit in ancient times and thought to merely be embellishments of ancient historians bragging about the exploits of their kings. Two of the more famous, because of the historical treasure of ancient writings and records, were Ugarit and Ebla.

Many insist that Atlantis has to be a myth because of so many prolific fiction writers who, in the vein of Dan Brown of DaVinci Code fame, make fiction so darned believable, have written fantastic things about Atlantis. But we must also remember, as Atlantis was supposedly sunk beneath the sea so have many other places. Recently, a sunken city off the coast of Egypt was discovered. On Malta, there are ancient roads that lead off into the sea in directions that make no sense as if a road going somewhere now long gone beneath the sea. Underwater explorer Ballard, famous for discovering the Titanic and the Bismark, has been exploring evidence of deluged civilization in the Black sea. A few years ago, undoubtedly not Atlantis but illustrative of the idea, there was news and fascinating pictures of a stepped pyramid that was under the waves of the Pacific off the coasts of Japan.

May I suggest, as a much more plausable possibility you might consider Atlantis of the West: The Case for Britain's Drowned Megolithic Civilization by Paul Dunbavin, Carroll & Graf, 1992. A summary of all the Atlantises might be seen in Atlantis: The Lost Continent Finally Found by Arysio N. Santos, Brazil, Atlantis Publications, 1997. I don't really use this latter as an authority, it is just that he goes over so many of the popular tales that he gives a really good synopsis of all the junk written.

Do I think Atlantis existed? Maybe, but I won't bet on it one way or the other.

Answer 2

I think it is a myth which grew out of the true volcanic eruption on the island of Santarini in 1500 BC. The eruption was so great it literally blew the island in half. It sent earthquakes shuddering across the Mediterranian, and may even have been responsible for some of the Egyptian plagues--it sent an ashcloud over one mile across into the Mediterranean, caused tidal waves, and may have caused volcanic hail (fire and ice falling from the sky at the same time). There is evidence of a Minoan civilization which lived on the island at the time of the eruption. It was highly developed, with beautiful wall art depicting a peaceful people, much like the original descriptions of the Atlantians. Remember, many of the legends about the Atlantians, such as them inventing many modern conveniences, did not come to be until recent years.

Answer 3

Edgar Cayce proposed that Atlantis is not a whimsical legend or metaphoric myth but rather a long-standing culture which actually existed and dated it's final destruction to 10,500 B.C.
He proposed that remnants of the lost continent and it's artifacts can be found under the waters of the Caribbean.
There are some artifacts found, but it's not definitive that it existed. Cayce also suggests the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx were not built around 2600 to 2500 B.C., but some 8,000 years earlier. He also claims that records of pre-historic civilization , including Atlantis, are buried in a chamber hidden in the sands not far from the Sphinx, a chamber as yet not uncovered in spite of diligent efforts over the past 25 years.
Egyptologist John Anthony West and Robert M. Schoch maintain that water erosion on the Sphinx suggests that it's oldest portion was built thousands of years before the widely accepted date of 2500 B.C. In his book, Schoch dates it between 7000 and 5000 B.C.- Not quite as old as suggested by Cayce but nonetheless close.

Answer 4

Will you believe me that Atlantis is a myth not because it didnt exist (I believe it was and dont ask why) but name of this place, its citizens, level of technology and society, origin and such facts were changed and consciously memorised by people as historical myth and warning. Death of civilisation is realy not good to remember even if it seems to be your imaginary or someone other memory that haunts you. Mrok (Gloom)

Answer 5

There are histroians looking into that right now. Since a city that has been mentioned in several cultures of "falling into the ocean" I'd say the myth holds some truth to it

Answer 6

Scientists are still working on it but there has been recent thought that the Atlantians may have been the Minoan civilization of the Greek Islands that was destroyed around 1500 BC.
Very interesting reading can be found on the web about this civilization!

Answer 7

Not sure about the reality of Atlantis itself,but something deffinitely exists or is buried under the waters of the south Atlantic.

Answer 8

Read up on Plato the Greek.
All we know of Atlantis is from Plato's writings.
and he said he got his information from the Egyptians.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

I believe that the atlantis do exist- XD