Did Aristotle's city of Atantis ever exist?

Answer 1

It was Plato - not Aristotle and there is no evidence for it ever having existed where he indicated, i.e. beyond the Pillars of Hercules (and therefore in the Atlantic Ocean).

The best explanation I know of is that the "Pillars of Hercules" has been wrongly translated or that Plato does not mean the pillars that we now know of around Gibraltar, and that therefore allows for Atlantis to be located in the Mediterranean.

This therefore gives the likely explanation that he used the Atlantis story to describe the destruction of the Minoan civilisation. Although the Minoan centre was on Crete, they had a major presence on the island of Santorini which all but destroyed itself in a massive volcanic eruption in 1650 BCE, probably sending a tsunami to destroy the coastal towns of the Minoans on northern Crete.

You must remember that Plato was writing 1300 years after the event and, by then, the Minoan civilisation was probably a "folk memory".

The BBC website (link below) by Dr. Iain Stewart is very good on the subject.

Answer 2

Atlantis was the city described by Plato that was destroyed many years before his date. He believed that it existed a short east of distance from Gilbraltiah(sp) and was destroyed by some natural disaster. Supposedly, it had the most advanced society that had been known to exist up to that time. According to Plato, it was governed along his ideas of the perfect form of government (philocracy-philosophers ruled the land).

Whether it was just a thought of Plato's do describe the "perfect society" or was real is still unknown to this day but many besides Plato believed that it did.

To date, no one has found the ruins of this place (partially because it may be under some very deep ocean water). Most of what is said to be Atlantis today is just the figament of people's imagination.

Answer 3

Probably not as legend made it. However, there are so many structures (including what could be cities) underwater in the Mediterranean that it could have existed. Keep in mind that during the last Ice Age there was a lot more land available all over the world which is now submerged.

We may have people asking if Disneyworld ever existed once Florida is submerged by global warming.

Answer 4

The earlier poster was correct, it was Plato in 2 of his discourses. He used it to illustrate his philosophical point. There is no evidence that Atlantis ever existed.

The only remotely possible historical Atlantis is the Minoan civilization of Crete. When Thera erupted and destroyed that island, it also seriously disrupted Crete itself. The likenesses were that Atlantis had a circular island and a rectangular island, similar to Thera and Crete. Although the eruption obliterated the Minoan civilization on Thera, the resulting tidal wave did not wipe out the island of Crete.

Answer 5

That was not Aristotle's city. He was real. Atlantis was not.

As part of their resort experience the creators of the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas have recreated an underwater city of Atlantis with realistic-looking ancient artifacts. It is pure baloney but it is entertaining to view as the tropical fish in their multi-million gallon aquarium swim around "the dig" of that "fabled city." Great theater and bad science.

Answer 6

Some people think that the Atlantis story is based on an earthquake or tsunami that led to the disappearance under the sea of a Greek island or a part of an island.

Answer 7

Wasn't it Plato?