Did the Lost Continent of Atlantis Ever Exist?

In 335 B.C., the Greek philosopher and writer, Plato, wrote a tale about a splendid empire on a mythical island in ‘ the Atlantic Ocean. He called this empire Atlantis. But historians and writers down through the ages have questioned whether Plato’s tale was truth or fiction.

According to Plato, Atlantis had a very advanced civilization, with written laws, with people highly skilled in engineering, and with magnificent temples of gold, silver, and ivory. Plato described how the armies of Atlantis conquered parts of Europe and Africa, but were defeated by the Greeks.

Stories differ, however, on how Atlantis disappeared, if it ever really existed! Some say that after a ‘day and night of rain, Atlantis sank to the bottom of the sea. Others claim that a sudden volcanic eruption caused its disappearance. The date of its disappearance also varies, from as early as 9600 B.C. to as late as 1500 B.C.

Since Plato’s time, explorers who believed that Atlantis did exist have been searching for the lost continent. They have searched in the Atlantic, in the Mediterranean, and in the Aegean Sea. They have searched near such countries as Morocco, Mexico, Spain, France, and Brazil.

The most popular theory today is that the tiny Greek island of Santorin, which is a gigantic volcanic crater in the Aegean, is none other than the long-lost Atlantis. But no actual remains of this real or mythical civilization have yet been found.

Many writers of adventure tales have told of Atlantis. One of the most famous, perhaps, is Jules Verne. In 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Verne takes his heroes on an exploration of Atlantis on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.

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6 Comments

  1. Anonymous
    Posted 2008/05/07 at 5:13 pm | Permalink

    runescape rocks

  2. Joe Santinoah
    Posted 2008/06/18 at 9:53 pm | Permalink

    Atlantis was located Under Europe and Asia and on top of Africa

  3. Karen
    Posted 2008/11/11 at 6:04 am | Permalink

    My last visit to Greece didn’t include this island on my itinerary, it’s also true that you can’t see all in just one single trip so now I am making plans to go back through and see more of what Greece can offer including Atlantis, of course.

  4. Eduardo Camacho Vidal
    Posted 2009/04/18 at 4:44 pm | Permalink

    I discovered a group of pyramids, and not knowing how to do it?
    One of them is 8 stories high and is in the form of a snail. The other smaller, all in stone, finely finished, has its ceremonial center of 12 hectares. Found in Peru. Please whoever can help me to know this can be done to contact me.
    plese`me

    sorry I speak Spanish
    apueduardo@hotmail.com

  5. ne ne
    Posted 2009/08/28 at 8:51 am | Permalink

    put more information about atlantis

  6. Richard Welch
    Posted 2010/01/30 at 10:34 am | Permalink

    Atlantis did exist but Plato never called it a continent, only an island. It did attack the eastern Mediterranean area ca.1700 BC but was beaten back by the Athenians. The Atlantean isle, located off the coast of Portugal, was the site of a supervolcano. It exploded and sank ca. 1640 BC, leaving nothing but a giant caldera on the seafloor. (See Roots of Cataclysm, Algora publ. NY 2009.)

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