Atlantis is an antediluvian world. The mysterious history of Atlantis, which is not widely known (9 photos). In art and literature

The inhabitants of La Venta lived under the sign of the jaguar. When researchers of American Indian history and culture ponder the customs of the amazing people of La Venta, they often speak of a true "jaguar obsession." But where did this religious obsession come from?

I try to read the answer right there, on the altars and steles left to us by the builders of La Venta. On stele I, in a niche typical of this style, I see a woman in a short skirt. Above the niche and the woman is the face of a jaguar. And on the stone monument found in Portero Nuevo, the scene, only hinted at in La Venta, is reproduced quite definitely: a meeting of a woman with a jaguar. From the connection of the divine jaguar with a mortal woman, according to legend, a powerful tribe of heroes, the sons of heaven and earth, the semi-divine builders of La Venta, arose an amazing people, unlike all the others. They were people and at the same time jaguars - "Jaguar Indians". (Stingle M., Secrets of the Indian pyramids. Transl. From Czech. M. 1982. S. 24).

Olmecs later lived as if they were residents of the amazing city of Chatal-Guyuk in Asia Minor, whose culture is associated with the worship of the leopard. But who knows how many centuries of Olmec history are still hidden among the jungles of America? ..

A follower of the ancient Greek philosopher Ignatius Donnelly wrote two books: Atlantis - the world before the flood and Ragnarok - the era of fire and death. Both of these books were published in 1882-1883 and for the first time aroused scientific interest in Plato's Atlantis.

In his youth, Donnelly studied law, was fond of poetry. As a Republican congressman, he, unlike many members of the American Congress, as well as members of all kinds of councils, often visited the library, doing science in earnest. For Donnelly, the glory of "the father of modern atlantology" was strengthened.

With Donnelly's light hand, it has become a tradition in Atlantological literature to consider the lost continent as the common cultural center of the Old and New Worlds, the "cauldron" of all high civilizations of antiquity. One of the first authors of the book "Atlantis - Antediluvian World" drew attention to the similarity of the architecture of the Indians and Egyptians (mainly to the pyramids built in the Nile Valley, Peru, and Mexico), to the commonality of some customs, scientific knowledge, calendars and etc. These arguments are still being cited by atlantologists. Donnelly was also the first (but far from the last!) To hypothesize that it was from Atlantis that the cult of the sun god came out and embraced almost the whole world.

In Donnelly's book, the reader can find the following:

1. In the Atlantic Ocean, opposite the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, there was a large island that was the remnant of the Atlantic continent, known to the ancient world as Atlantis. Plato's description of this island is true and is not, as others believe, fiction.

2. Atlantis was the region where civilization first emerged.

3. Over time, it became crowded; immigrants from Atlantis also settled on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi and Amazon rivers, the Pacific coast of South America, the Mediterranean, the western shores of Europe and Africa, the coast of the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas.

4. It was the antediluvian world - Eden in the language of mythology. The gardens of the Hesperides, the Champs Elysees, the gardens of Alcinoe, Mount Olympus, Asgard among the Vikings are nothing more than memories of a big country, of Atlantis, where humanity once lived for centuries in peace and happiness.

5. The gods and goddesses of ancient Greece, Phenicia, India and Scandinavia were simply the kings, queens and heroes of Atlantis, and the actions attributed to them are a distorted memory of historical events. For example, the god Zeus was one of the kings of Atlantis.

6. The mythology of Egypt and Peru is close to the religion of Atlantis, based on the worship of the Sun.

7. The most ancient colony of Atlantis was probably Egypt, whose civilization was, as it were, a reflection of the civilization of the island of Atlantis.

8. The Bronze Age came to Europe from Atlantis. The Atlanteans were the first to use iron.

9. The Phoenician alphabet, the ancestor of all European alphabets, is derived from the Atlantic alphabet, which was, possibly, the basis of the Mayan alphabet in Central America.

10. Atlantis was the initial place of settlement of the Aryan Indo-European family, as well as the Semitic and some other peoples.

11. Atlantis died in a terrible catastrophe. The island and almost all of its population were flooded by the waters of the ocean.

12. Those few who miraculously survived told the peoples living in the West and East about a terrible catastrophe - let us recall the legends about the flood among the peoples of the Old and New Worlds.

13. Proof of the stated hypothesis will allow solving many problems that occupy mankind, confirming the correctness of ancient books, expanding the field of human history, explaining the noticeable similarity between ancient civilizations on the opposite shores of the Atlantic Ocean. There will be an opportunity to find the "progenitors" of our civilization, our fundamental knowledge; will become known Those who lived, loved and worked long before the Aryans appeared in India or the Phoenicians settled in Syria.

14. The fact that the history of Atlantis has been mistaken for a fairy tale for thousands of years does not prove anything. There is disbelief here, born of ignorance as well as skepticism. Our distant ancestors are not always better informed about the past than we are.

For a thousand years, the destroyed cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii were believed to be a fairy tale - they were called fairy cities. For a thousand years, the educated world did not believe Herodotus, who told about the wonders of ancient civilization on the Nile and in Chaldea.

15. There was a time when it was doubtful that Pharaoh Necho had sent an expedition around Africa. After all, the travelers reported that after part of the way the sun was in their north. It is now abundantly clear that Egyptian sailors did indeed cross the equator and, 2,100 years before Vasco da Gama, discovered the Cape of Good Hope. (Donnelly I., Atlantis - the world before the flood. Transl. From English., Samara, 1998).

Soviet atlantologist N.F. Zhirov placed the "island of the blessed" in the same place as Plato, and behind him Donnelly, that is, opposite the Pillars of Hercules in the Strait of Gibraltar, in the middle of the Atlantic, but backed up his opinion with evidence of geology, oceanology, geotectonics and other sciences of the 20th century. Here are his words: "The data of modern science indicate that among the Atlantic Ocean there is an underwater North Atlantic Ridge, which could exist subaerially (above the surface of the water) at times close to those indicated by Plato in his legend. It is possible that some of these land areas have existed until historical time. "

N.F. Zhirov suggested looking for traces of Atlantis on the islands located near Europe or Africa - the Azores, Canary Islands, etc. Plato writes that the walls of the capital of Atlantis, Poseidonis, were built of stones of red, black and white colors. But after all, these colors are the main ones for the rocks of the Azores, it is from such stones that the ancient buildings of the islanders are built! The Canary Islands provide evidence of a different kind. The indigenous, now extinct population of the islands - the Guanches - is considered by many experts to be the direct descendants of the Atlanteans. Already by 1500, the Guanches were completely exterminated by the Spanish conquerors, but the drawings and descriptions that have come down to us have retained their appearance. The Guanches of Gran Canaria were tall, fair-haired and blue-eyed. Their customs showed similarities with the customs of the ancient peoples. The Guanches had a caste of priests who wore robes and hats similar to those of Babylon. They embalmed the dead, like the Egyptians, and buried them in domed tombs, like the Greeks at Mycenae. The Guanches left rock inscriptions similar to the writing of Crete, but still not deciphered. The Polish atlantologist L. Seidler quotes the words of one of the last Guanches, recorded by a Spanish chronicler: “Our fathers said that God, having settled us on this island, then forgot about us. But one day he will return with the Sun, which he ordered to be born every morning and which also gave birth to us "(L. Seidler, Atlantis. Transl. from Polish. M., 1966. S. 241). These words indicate two circumstances. First, that the Guanches considered themselves aliens in the Canaries, and forced aliens - "God forgot about us." Secondly, the white-skinned and blue-eyed islanders were sun worshipers, like the Egyptians or Peruvians ...

Atlantis

Atlantis - according to the ancient Greek legend preserved by Plato, once there was a huge fertile densely populated island in the Atlantic Ocean west of Gibraltar, which sank to the bottom due to an earthquake. Questions about the existence and reasons for the death of Atlantis in science remain controversial. (BES).

The search for Atlantis began in A.D. 50 and has actually been going on for two millennia. During this time, a huge number of versions were expressed, but then scientists agreed to count only 40-50 points on the map of the Earth, corresponding to the legend with the highest degree of plausibility. A version was expressed that such events could have occurred at different times, in different places, and the chronology of the alleged events was built. Presumably, events could develop in the following order:

- south of the Cape Verde Islands, opposite the city of Conakry (Africa);

- at the southern part of the Mendeleev ridge, but north of about. Wrangel (Arctic Ocean);

- in the Caribbean Sea, west of about. Haiti;

- in the north-east of Taimyr;

- north of about. Crete;

- in the center of Bolivia (South America);

- in the South China Sea;

- in the Novorossiysk Bay (Krasnodar Territory).

The ancient Greek philosopher Plato (427-347 BC), in his two works Timaeus and Critias, described the glorious history and tragic end of the island state of Atlantis. The plot is based on a story in the form of a dialogue between Plato's great-grandfather Critias and his grandfather, who heard the story of Atlantis from his contemporary Solon, an Athenian legislator and poet, who, in turn, heard the story from an Egyptian priest. This island state was, according to Plato, behind the Pillars of Hercules, as the Strait of Gibraltar was previously called.

Plato gives a rather detailed description of the island itself, its capital. In the center of the island there was a hill on which there were temples and the royal palace Acropolis. The upper city was protected by two rows of earthen embankments and three water canal rings. The outer ring was connected to the sea by a 500-meter canal through which ships entered the inner port. The harbor accommodated up to 1200 ships that could outlast any bad weather here.

The central part of the island was surrounded by stone walls. The Atlanteans applied molten copper to the stone walls around the outer earthen ring of the canal, and the interior of the wall was covered with tin casting. The wall of the Acropolis was covered with orichalcum (an alloy of copper and zinc), which gave off a "fiery glow". The floors of the temple of the main deity of the Atlanteans, Poseidon, were lined with gold, silver and orichalcum. Another temple dedicated to Poseidon and his wife Kleito, the progenitor of all Atlanteans, was also surrounded by a golden wall.

In the dialogue Timaeus, Plato explains a certain political structure of the island state: “On this island, called Atlantis, a great and surprising alliance of kings arose, whose power extended to the entire island, to many other islands and part of the mainland, and beyond that , on this side of the strait they captured Libya to Egypt and part of Europe to Tyrrenia ... ".

If you do not take into account a number of late geographical names (Europe, Tirrenia, Libya, Egypt), which can be attributed to translators, the story looks quite convincing, and Plato himself repeatedly repeats that he is writing the true truth. There is some doubt about the information that the underground passages led to the African and American continents.

The Olympic gods, angry at the greed of the islanders and Athens who fought with them, decided to punish them for greed and violence. A monstrous earthquake and flood "in one terrible day and one night" destroyed the Athenian army and the entire Atlantis, which had sunk under the ocean water.

This is the legend. Many explorers were attracted by the treasures of Atlantis, everyone wanted to take possession of them. Most of the signs described by Plato indicated the existence of an Atlantic Ocean sunken in the vastness, some believed that they had misinterpreted the main landmark and tried to look in the Mediterranean Sea, which in the old days could be compared with the ocean. New versions appeared, which the ancient philosopher did not even know about: Brazil and the sea coasts of Siberia.

Interest arose with renewed vigor after the First World War in connection with the development of new underwater technology. This prompted adventurers to organize search companies in several countries at once. The companies burst one by one, but the interest did not wane, each new one believed that it was closer to the goal of the previous search engines. In the Soviet Union, the search for the drowned island was started several decades ago. "The Russians have found Atlantis!" - such sensational headlines went around all the world's newspapers in 1979 and were accompanied by photographs of the seabed. In the photographs, under the layer of sand, longitudinal ridges were clearly distinguished, reminiscent of the walls of a destroyed city. The impression of the ancient city ruins was enhanced by the fact that other ridges passed along the bottom at right angles to the first. The underwater images were taken by scientists from the Moscow University research vessel "Akademik Petrovsky". The place itself was perfect for Plato's version and was located "behind the Pillars of Hercules" in the area of the shallows near the underwater volcano Ampere. Scientists managed to establish that the volcano once stood above the water and was an island.

Three years later, the more equipped Soviet ship Rift launched the Argus submersible in this place. The message of the commander of the "Argus" V. Bulyga flew to the Institute of Oceanology of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR: "We opened a panorama of the ruins of the city, since the walls very similarly imitated the remains of rooms, streets, squares." To our great regret, such encouraging impressions of the aquanaut were not confirmed by the subsequent expedition of the Vityaz, which took place in the summer of 1984. Two stones of the correct shape were raised to the surface from one of the walls, but their analysis showed that these were the creations of human hands, but volcanic rock. The commander of the "Argus" crew, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences A. Gorodnitsky, will write in his report: "Most likely, the stone is solidified lava that once poured out through the cracks of the volcano."

This expedition explored another seamount Josephine, the same ancient volcano, and earlier - an island. A. Gorodnitsky offered his vision of a geological catastrophe of the distant past: it happened as a result of a sharp displacement in the northern direction of the African tectonic plate. Its collision with the European plate caused the eruption of the Santorini volcano in the east, and in the west - a plunge into the ocean of the named volcanic islands. This hypothesis does not contradict the geological and geophysical data of modern science. Meanwhile, once again, the version of Atlantis turned out to be another myth and scientists did not find traces of material culture.

Deserve attention as the most plausible version of the study of the Swiss archaeologist Eberhard Zangger, who, having compared some data relating to Troy and Atlantis, considered them identical. Quite close and important coincidences (the number of ships in the "twelve hundred", strong northerly winds that prevented rowing ships from passing to the Black Sea).

Not so long ago, the wealthy English sportsman T. Severin decided to walk the path of the Argonauts to a gallery built according to an ancient model. Before entering the Sea of Marmara, rowers at the latitude of Troy were exhausted several times, struggling with the oncoming northern current coming from the Dardanelles. Such a natural obstacle could have allowed Troy to firmly hold an important trade artery in his hands and collect duties from merchant ships. The information we have confirms that the sea tax was an important source of income for the Trojans. This also explains the presence of a large fleet and a spacious harbor. At present, scientists, using aviation and other equipment, are looking for traces of the alleged channel to the inland port 500 meters long.

In one of the collections of Moscow State University, an article by E. Milanovsky was published, in which the author convincingly cites his version: “Many facts and details reported by Plato make it possible to identify in the ancient metropolis of Atlantis, consisting of several, as it were,“ nested ”rounded rings and horseshoe-shaped in terms of mountainous islands and polygenic straits, that is, a long-term and repeatedly active volcano of the central type. " Each volcanic eruption was accompanied by a partial subsidence of the central volcanic edifice, which turned into a caldera - a hollow left after the eruption. Multiple ejections of the volcano have piled up calderas like bowls of different diameters inserted into each other. The gaps between the edges of the bowls are those circular channels, if we talk about the structure of the port of Atlantis. From the point of view of geology, it can be assumed with sufficient reason that the island or archipelago described by Plato with a concentric relief structure and thermal springs and its sudden collapse into the depths of the sea, accompanied by an earthquake, tsunami and the appearance of large masses of floating "petrified mud" (pumice) at the place of the sinkhole correspond to what has become known to geologists in the last 100-150 years. "

In his works, E. Milanovsky sets out arguments in favor of the full correspondence of the geological events on the island of Tire to what Plato wrote about the Atlantis catastrophe. He gives a detailed description of the ongoing excavations of the Tyrian city of Akrotiri, much like modern cities. E. Milanovsky's version was recently confirmed by the Greek seismologist G. Galanopoulos. Studying the caldera on the island of Thira, he became convinced that a volcanic explosion of incredible force occurred here, causing a tsunami up to 100 meters high. This wave washed everything off the face of the earth on the shores of the eastern Mediterranean.

The materials obtained by the famous explorer of the underwater depths J. Cousteau gave him the opportunity to construct his own hypothesis: “The power of the Minoan empire rested on its coastal cities conducting trade. Therefore, even if the palaces and cities located in the center of the island (Crete) did not suffer, if not all Cretans died (as well as the inhabitants of the Cretan colonies in Greece, the Cyclades or Asia Minor), if not all fields were covered with ash, the greatest civilization of King Minos was done away with. They began to forget about Crete. From real life, the Cretans moved into the realm of myth. They were turned into a semi-legendary people and expelled from history. In Egypt they became Atlanteans. Solon or Plato had already forgotten about the greatness of Crete, when the story of the greatness and fall of Atlantis was recorded from the lips of the priest of the goddess Neith. There are other data that speak in favor of identifying Crete with Atlantis. " Further, the scientist refers to the Bible, which contains the parables "about the ten Egyptian plagues", set out in the book "Exodus". Proverbs allow them to be interpreted as describing the consequences of a great catastrophe in the eastern Mediterranean.

The hypotheses of the Russian and French scientists, as much as possible, complement each other and work in the same direction. The question involuntarily arises: what is the point of continuing the search for Atlantis in other places? I think it's worth it, at least for science to gain new information about the life of our ancestors.

In 2000, in the August issue of the Megapolis-Express newspaper, a sensational article by Yevgeny Surkov was published “But a piece of Atlantis has surfaced!”. In view of its small volume and solid information content, I present it without abbreviations.

“The echoes of strong tremors were recently registered by seismological stations in Russia and Canada. They did not cause much concern: the epicenter of the earthquake fell in a remote corner of the Arctic Ocean. In the photographs taken from space, in the zone of a natural cataclysm, the outlines of some unknown land were clearly visible.

However, this did not cause any surprise. As the correspondent of the Exotic News Agency at the Institute of Physics of the Earth explained, unexpected rises and falls of the planet's surface under the influence of underground forces happen quite often. And in general, it is one thing when the earth goes into the abyss of waters, dragging entire cities with it, and it is another thing to raise a small section of the bottom. What could be interesting here? But this time, nature came as a surprise. Along with the "earth", an ancient civilization "surfaced".

Such an unusual event was witnessed by the crews of several ships sailing in a caravan from Murmansk to Pevek, accompanied by the Ob icebreaker. The sight of rising ice and "boiling" water plunged the crews into a state of mild shock.

- Look, Atlantis! - suddenly shouted the watchman on the icebreaker. In fact, right before the eyes of the sailors, an island with ruins emerged from the water. Massive columns in the manner of the Egyptian were interspersed with gigantic buildings made of huge blocks. Piles of rubble protruded from under the cracked ice floes. The "streets" of the ancient city were filled with muddy slurry that flowed into the ocean. Above all this chaos, a huge building of the correct geometric shape reigned.

The captains of the ships gave the command "stop". But even about approaching the newborn island was out of the question: sometimes such "babies" behave too insidiously. Indeed, the sailors did not have to admire the fabulous spectacle for a long time. A few minutes later, shuddering, the island also suddenly began to slowly sink into the ocean.

About what happened in the International Association for the Exploration of the Arctic Ocean Basin (headquartered in London) learned only after the return of the caravan to the home port. However, scientists interviewed eyewitnesses.

- It is reliably known, - commented, - the vice-president of the Russian branch of the association Mikhail Buinov, - that it was in those latitudes fifteen hundred years ago that one of the highly developed cultures existed. This is the so-called Arctida. Once, as a result of a global catastrophe, it was gradually flooded by the waters of the Arctic Ocean. However, evidence of her has survived in the myths of various peoples. Now, by a happy coincidence, exactly that section of the bottom that archaeologists and historians have dreamed of for so long has risen from the bundle.

By the way, seismologists predict a number of serious tectonic shocks of the Arctic Ocean floor for the near future. Therefore, the emergence of new islands with traces of Arctida between Svalbard and Franz Josef Land may resume.

The news of such an unusual find excited the scientific world. Any archaeologist dreams of finding the treasury of the ancient Aryans who inhabited Arctida. After all, according to legend, sacred knowledge written on gold sheets is stored in it. The golden library of the Aryans was located, according to the ancient traveler Pytheas, on the island of Thule, somewhere in the Spitsbergen region. According to Dr. Harry Smith of the Illinois Archaeological Institute, this is nothing more than a bank of high technologies developed by one of the first civilizations on the planet. For those who master them, magic will become a simple routine.

This hypothesis is supported by another find. In 1935, Norwegian fishermen who hunted in the Barents Sea discovered three "golden papyri" with unknown characters in a trawl among crabs and fish. During the occupation of Norway, they disappeared: obviously, the Germans tried to use them in their secret developments.

Therefore, the observation of Russian sailors interested not only scientists, but also the Russian General Staff. According to some reports, it was with his submission that military experts urgently calculate where the ruins of prehistoric cities may emerge in the near future. And the research ship "Georgy Sedov", wasting no time, went to "patrol" the harsh waters of the Arctic. "

I cannot ignore one more version regarding the location of the legendary Atlantis. It is so accepted in science that versions are considered that belong exclusively to scientists. Even the finds in Troy of Heinrich Schliemann were repeatedly called into question due to the "ignorance" of the self-taught archaeologist. Despite this, Schliemann did science an invaluable service, finding Troy and conducting excavations in Mycenae and other cities of antiquity. These circumstances forced the world of science to recognize the significance of his work.

In the port city of Novorossiysk lives our humble compatriot, who found his Troy and his Atlantis, without leaving the city. V.Vladykin, after conducting a comparative analysis of all the above sources, came to the conclusion that these objects were located in the old days on the territory of modern Novorossiysk. His analysis is striking in the depth of research using the measures of the length of that time and the correspondence of the values given in the works of ancient authors. It is impossible to object to the logic and accuracy of the author. He found within and around Novorossiysk absolutely all signs of disappeared cities, including the existing thermal springs. In other countries, such a person would be carried on their hands, and buildings of the corresponding period would be erected on historical sites and the city would be turned into a tourist Mecca, but things are still there ...

The reluctance of the state to deal with such objects involuntarily suggests thought: these facts do not fit into the plans of the Global Predictor, who determined our life according to the biblical concept. For the same reason, they continue to impose on us the history of Russia, limited by a thousand-year framework. I have always resented the loose use of the words "prehistoric" and "antediluvian." In SI Ozhegov's dictionary, the first means "Pertaining to the most ancient period, about which there is no written evidence", and the second - "Obsolete, old-fashioned, backward (literally: existed before the mythical flood)". Thus, the Cretan-Minoan civilization with its multi-storey buildings equipped with water supply and sewerage systems on all floors of the buildings is related to the prehistoric period. All "incomprehensible" objects of antiquity, which could not fit into the consciousness of the nomadic Arabian people, are also attributed to this period. You will involuntarily believe in the meaning of the word "history" which is interpreted as "from the Torah" and fits perfectly into the biblical concept.

Concluding our excursion to the places of possible location of Atlantis, I want to draw your attention to the presence of the "Russian" components of this name "from doe ida" means "land cut off from the mainland" or sea and oceanic islands, in contrast to the small river Sich islands. That is why globalizers are afraid to conduct serious searches for ancient civilizations, because they belong exclusively to the Russian people. The descendants of "earthly men" cannot even in their wildest fantasies "fly away" further than five and a half thousand years of their history, and here tens and hundreds of thousands of years of flourishing civilizations ...

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Atlantis

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From the book of Atlantis Sea Tethys the author Alexander M. Kondratov

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From the book Atlantis and Ancient Russia [with larger illustrations] the author Asov Alexander Igorevich

Atlantis - in the West Plato himself spoke not only about the continent Atlantis beyond the Pillars of Hercules, but also about the Atlantean colonies scattered throughout the Mediterranean. And, note, the continent Atlantis is described only by Plato himself. In myths, the land of the titan Atlanta never

Atlantis has been written about from antiquity to the present day, that is, for 2000 years. But in the ancient era, little was written on this topic, and in general only two dozen pages of Plato's dialogues "Timaeus" and "Critias" have survived. Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias were written by Plato (427 - 347 BC) around 360 BC. NS.

Supporters of the existence of Atlantis found many lines in Plato's texts that correspond to the latest achievements of modern science. And opponents of its existence, in response, point to many contradictions in the texts of the dialogues. However, before moving on to the actual facts stated in the dialogues, it is necessary to consider the question of who is responsible for the mistakes and contradictions. Plato writes that he learned this story from his great-grandfather Cretius, who at the age of ten heard this story from his grandfather, also Cretius, who at that time was ninety years old. He, in turn, learned about this from a great friend and relative of his father, Dropidas, Solon, "the first of the seven wise men." Solon himself, heard this story from the Egyptian priests from the temple of the goddess Neith in Sais, who from time immemorial kept records of all events and knew about Atlantis. Kritiy Jr. says that he read his grandfather's notes, that he was deeply moved by this story, and therefore he remembered it firmly. However, since he did not keep his notes, he might well have forgotten some details or numbers. If Solon was recording this story directly from the columns of the Egyptian temple, then he could well have made some mistakes, not knowing the Egyptian language perfectly. And, finally, Plato could well have made some changes in the description of Atlantis and the war with it by the Athenians for his own purposes, for example, to propagate his political views. And, finally, it is possible that Plato compiled these dialogues from some other sources, including the historical and geographical works of various authors, his own knowledge and guesses, as well as myths and tales of the Greeks or other peoples. Then the task of researchers becomes more complicated, since it is necessary to decide the question of these sources, and then regarding the truth of each of them. Plato realized that one cannot rely in a story with a mass of numbers and names in memory of a 90-year-old man and a 10-year-old boy.

Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, Europe was dominated by the Catholic Church, and the "official" science of the Church was the science of Aristotle, so no one believed Plato. True, in the Middle Ages, the island of Atlantis appeared on some geographical maps, but most likely no serious knowledge was hidden behind this.

New time

The main surge of interest in the problem of Atlantis occurs at the end of the 19th - 20th centuries. During this period, more than 5,000 books were written on Atlantis.

Scientific literature

N.F. Fat. The main problems of the anthology.

G. Luce. End of Atlantis.

K. Krestev. Atlantis.

J. Imbellone and A. Vivante. The fate of Atlantis.

A. Immortal. Atlantis.

This includes most of the books on Atlantis. Among them is the “bible” of atlantologists - the book by I. Donnelly “Atlantis. Antediluvian world. " Also worth

mark books:

J. Bramwell. Lost Atlantis.

P. Lecure. Atlantis. Homeland of civilizations

R. Malese. Atlantis and the Ice Age.

Fiction

Atlantis has become the subject of countless films and books in the adventure, science fiction and fantasy genres.

In these books, Atlantis is at the bottom of the sea, in the depths of the desert, in the orbit of the Earth. The Atlanteans in these books could survive to this day, possess telepathy, are descendants of aliens, aliens, possess modern technology, adapted to life under water, etc., etc.

Mystical literature

The most famous book by H. P. Blavatsky "The Secret Doctrine", where, without directly naming Atlantis, H. P. Blavatsky describes it. Less well known is the book of R. Steiner, who allegedly learned to read records in layers of objects that record human history. W. Scott-Elliott wrote a book about Atlantis with a lot of precise details.

The debate about whether the existence of Atlantis was a reality or a beautiful legend has not subsided for many centuries. On this occasion, a large number of the most contradictory theories were put forward, but they were all based on information obtained from the texts of ancient Greek authors, none of whom personally saw this mysterious island, but transmitted only information obtained from earlier sources. So how true is the legend of Atlantis and where did it come from in our modern world?

An island that has sunk into the abyss of the sea

First of all, let us clarify that under the word "Atlantis" it is customary to understand a certain fantastic (since there is no direct evidence of its existence) island located in the Atlantic Ocean. Its exact location is unknown. According to the most popular legend, Atlantis was located somewhere near the northwestern coast of Africa, bordered by the Atlas Mountains chain, and near the Pillars of Hercules that framed the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar.

The famous ancient Greek philosopher Plato placed it there in his dialogues (works written in the form of conversations between historical or fictional persons). On the basis of his works, a very popular legend about Atlantis was subsequently born. It says that around 9500 BC. NS. in the above area there was a terrible earthquake, as a result of which the island forever plunged into the depths of the ocean.

On that day, an ancient and highly developed civilization, created by the islanders, whom Plato calls "Atlanteans", perished. It should be noted right away that, due to similar names, they are sometimes mistakenly identified with the characters of ancient Greek mythology - the mighty titans holding the firmament on their shoulders. This mistake is so widespread that when seeing the sculptures by the outstanding Russian sculptor A.I. Terebenev (see photo below), decorating the portico of the New Hermitage in St. Petersburg, many people associate with heroes who once sunk deep into the seas.

The riddle that excites the minds of people

During the Middle Ages, the works of Plato, as well as most other ancient historians and philosophers, were consigned to oblivion, but already in the XIV-XVI centuries, called the Renaissance, interest in them, and at the same time in Atlantis and the legend associated with its existence , has increased rapidly. It does not weaken to this day, giving rise to heated scientific discussions. Scientists all over the world are trying to find real evidence of the events described by Plato and a number of his followers, and to give an answer to the question of what Atlantis really was - legend or reality?

The island, inhabited by people who created the highest, at that time, civilization, and then absorbed by the ocean is a mystery that excites the minds of people and encourages them to look for answers outside the real world. It is known that even in Ancient Greece, the legend of Atlantis gave impetus to many mystical teachings, and in modern history it inspired theosophical thinkers. The most famous of these are H. P. Blavatsky and A. P. Sinnett. The authors of all sorts of pseudoscientific and simply fantastic works of various genres, also appealing to the image of Atlantis, did not stand aside.

Where did the legend come from?

But let us return to the writings of Plato, since it is they that are the primary source that has sparked centuries of controversy and discussion. As mentioned above, the mention of Atlantis is contained in two of his dialogues, called "Timaeus" and "Critias". Both of them are devoted to the question of state structure and are conducted on behalf of his contemporaries: the Athenian politician Cretius, as well as two philosophers - Socrates and Timaeus. Immediately, we note that Plato makes a reservation that the primary source of all information about Atlantis is the story of the ancient Egyptian priests, which was orally passed down from generation to generation and finally reached him.

The troubles that befell the Atlanteans

The first of the dialogues contains a message from Cretius about the war between Athens and Atlantis. According to him, the island, whose army his compatriots had to face, was so large that it surpassed all of Asia in size, which gives reason to rightfully call it a mainland. As for the state formed on it, it amazed everyone with its greatness and, being unusually powerful, conquered Libya, as well as a significant territory of Europe, stretching as far as Tyrrenia (Western Italy).

In 9500 BC. NS. The Atlanteans, wishing to conquer Athens, brought down on them all the might of their formerly invincible army, but, despite the obvious superiority of forces, they could not achieve success. The Athenians repulsed the invasion and, defeating the enemy, returned freedom to the peoples who were until that time in slavery to the islanders. However, this misfortune did not recede from the prosperous and once prosperous Atlantis. The legend, or rather, the story of Cretius, which underlies it, tells further about a terrible natural disaster that completely destroyed the island and forced it to plunge into the ocean depths. Literally within a day, the raging elements wiped out a huge continent from the face of the earth and put an end to the highly developed culture created on it.

Commune of Athenian rulers

The continuation of this story is the second dialogue that has come down to us, called "Kritiy". In it, the same Athenian politician tells in more detail about the two great states of antiquity, whose armies met on the battlefield shortly before the fatal flood. Athens, according to him, was a highly developed state so pleasing to the gods that, according to legend, the end of Atlantis was a foregone conclusion.

The description of the system of government that was arranged in it is very remarkable. According to Cretius, on the Acropolis - a hill that still stands in the center of the Greek capital - there was a kind of commune, partly reminiscent of those that the founders of the communist movement drew in their imaginations. Everything in her was equally and everything was enough in abundance. But it was inhabited not by ordinary people, but by rulers and warriors who ensured the maintenance of the order they liked in the country. The laboring masses were only allowed to gaze with reverence at their shining heights and carry out the plans descended from there.

Arrogant Descendants of Poseidon

In the same treatise, the author contrasted the high-proud Atlanteans with the humble and virtuous Athenians. Their ancestor, as is clear from the writings of Plato, was the god of the seas himself, Poseidon. Once, having witnessed how an earthly girl named Kleito did not live in the waves of her young body, he was inflamed with passion and, evoking feelings in her, became the father of ten sons - demigods-demihumans.

The eldest of them, Atlas, was put in charge of the island, divided into nine parts, each of which was under the command of one of his brothers. In the future, his name was inherited not only by the island, but even by the ocean on which he was located. All his brothers became the ancestors of dynasties that for many centuries lived and ruled on this fertile land. This is how the legend describes the birth of Atlantis as a powerful and sovereign state.

Island of abundance and wealth

In his essay, Plato also cites the dimensions of this legendary mainland island known to him. According to him, it reached 540 km in length and at least 360 km in width. The highest point of this vast territory was a hill, the height of which the author does not specify, but writes that it was located about 9-10 km from the sea coast.

It was on it that the ruler's palace was built, which Poseidon himself surrounded with three land and two water defensive rings. Later, his Atlantean descendants threw bridges over them and dug additional channels through which ships could freely approach the berths located at the very walls of the palace. They also erected many temples on the central hill, richly decorated with gold and decorated with statues of the celestials and earthly rulers of Atlantis.

Myths and legends, based on the writings of Plato, are full of descriptions of the treasures owned by the descendants of the sea god, as well as the wealth of nature and fertility of the island. In the dialogues of the ancient Greek philosopher, it is mentioned, in particular, that, despite the dense population of Atlantis, wild animals lived very freely on its territory, among which there were even not yet tamed and not domesticated elephants. At the same time, Plato does not ignore many negative aspects of the life of the islanders, which caused the wrath of the gods and caused the catastrophe.

The end of Atlantis and the beginning of the legend

Peace and prosperity that reigned on it for many centuries collapsed overnight through the fault of the Atlanteans themselves. The author writes that as long as the inhabitants of the island put virtue above riches and honors, the celestials were supportive of them, but turned away from them as soon as the glitter of gold overshadowed spiritual values in their eyes. Looking at how people who had lost their divine essence were filled with pride, greed and anger, Zeus did not want to restrain his anger and, having gathered other gods, gave them the right to pass their judgment. At this, the manuscript of the ancient Greek philosopher breaks off, but, judging by the catastrophe that soon struck the wicked proud, they were considered unworthy of mercy, which ultimately led to such a sad outcome.

The legends of Atlantis (or information about the events that actually happened - this remained unknown) attracted the attention of many ancient Greek historians and writers. In particular, the Athenian Gellanik, who lived in the 5th century BC. e., also describes this island in one of his writings, however, calling it somewhat differently - Atlantis - and not mentioning its death. However, modern researchers, for a number of reasons, believe that his story is not related to the lost Atlantis, but to Crete, which happily survived the centuries, in the history of which the sea god Poseidon also appears, having conceived a son from an earthly virgin.

It is curious that the name "Atlanteans" was applied by ancient Greek and Roman authors not only to the islanders, but also to the inhabitants of continental Africa. In particular, Herodotus, as well as a no less famous historian, is the name given to a certain tribe that lived in the Atlas Mountains near the ocean coast. These African Atlanteans were very warlike and, being at a low stage of development, waged constant wars with foreigners, among whom were the legendary Amazons.

As a result, they were completely exterminated by their neighbors, the troglodytes, who, although they were in a semi-animal state, still managed to win. There is an opinion that Aristotle said on this occasion that it was not the military superiority of the savages that led to the death of the Atlantean tribe, but the creator of the world Zeus himself killed them for committed iniquities.

A figment of fantasy that has survived for centuries

The attitude of modern researchers to the information presented in Plato's dialogues and in the writings of a number of other authors is extremely skeptical. Most of them consider Atlantis to be a legend with no real justification. Their position is primarily due to the fact that for many centuries no material evidence of its existence has been found. This is indeed the case. Archaeological data on the existence of such a developed civilization in West Africa or Greece at the end of the Ice Age, as well as the nearest millennia to it, are completely absent.

It is also perplexing that the story, allegedly told to the world by the ancient Greek priests and then reaching Plato in oral retelling, was not reflected in any of the written monuments found on the banks of the Nile. This involuntarily suggests that the ancient Greek philosopher himself composed the tragic history of Atlantis.

He could well borrow the beginning of the legend from the rich domestic mythology, in which the gods often became the founders of entire nations and continents. As for the tragic denouement of the plot, he needed it. The fictional island had to be destroyed to give the story external credibility. Otherwise, how could he explain to his contemporaries (and, of course, descendants) the absence of traces of his existence.

Researchers of antiquity pay attention to the fact that talking about the mysterious continent located near the western coast of Africa, and about its inhabitants, the author gives exclusively Greek names and geographical names. This is very strange and suggests that he invented them himself.

Tragic mistake

At the end of the article, we will cite several very amusing statements that are made today by zealous supporters of the historicity of Atlantis. As mentioned above, today it was raised on the shield by many supporters of occult movements and various kinds of mystics, who do not want to reckon with the absurdity of their own theories. They are not inferior to them and pseudoscientists, trying to pass off their fabrications for the alleged discoveries made by them.

For example, in recent years, articles have appeared on the pages of the press, as well as on the Internet, more than once that the Atlanteans (whose existence the authors did not question) achieved such high progress that they carried out extensive research activities in the field of nuclear physics. Even the disappearance of the continent itself without a trace is explained by the tragedy that occurred as a result of their unsuccessful nuclear test.

In the Middle Ages, Atlantis was rarely remembered. Only the humanists of the Renaissance drew attention to Plato's story. Plato's description inspired several European thinkers to create utopian works, for example Francis Bacon wrote the utopia “ New atlantis". In it, Bacon describes a utopian society, which he called Bensal. A country similar to Plato's Atlantis, the author places in America.

Antediluvian world

In the second half of the 19th century, several famous scientists - Charles Etinn Brasser, Edward Herbert Thompson, and Auguste Le Plongeon - suggested that Atlantis was somehow connected with the Mayan and Aztec culture. In 1882 a book about Atlantis by Ignatius Donnelly was published “ Antediluvian world”, Which aroused great interest in this topic. Donnelly took Plato's views on Atlantis seriously and tried to prove that all known ancient civilizations descended precisely from its high culture. He also argued that the lost Atlantis was a technologically advanced country. In particular, the Atlanteans invented gunpowder several millennia before the rest of the world learned the written language. At the end of the 19th century, the legends of Atlantis were combined with the stories of other lost continents like Lemuria. Theosophist Helena Blavatsky, in her Secret Doctrine, described the Atlanteans as a highly cultured civilization. Edgar Cayce in the 20th century suggested that the lost Atlantis was a continent that stretched from the Azores to the Bahamas, and it was a highly developed civilization. He also predicted that parts of Atlantis would rise from the depths of the sea in 1968 or 1969.

Mystery of Atlantis

The mystery of Atlantis also greatly attracted Nazi theorists. Reichsfuehrer SS Heinrich Himmler organized a German expedition to Tibet in 1939 to find traces of the Atlantean Aryans. According to Julius Evola, an Italian thinker and esotericist who wrote about Atlantis in 1934, the Atlanteans were Hyperboreans - eternal blissful supermen who lived on the northern edge of the world. Alfred Rosenberg, one of the Nazi ideologists, was of the same opinion. However, the arguments of mystics and esotericists still need to be confirmed. And what do scientists say about this? Supporters of the version of the existence of Atlantis give quite weighty arguments with which it is difficult to argue. Some Western hydrologists argue that the Gulf Stream did not exist in the 10th millennium BC. This warm current was blocked by a large island. After he went under water, the Gulf Stream rushed into the Scandinavian waters and caused the glaciers to melt. Doctor of Chemistry M. Zhirov, having examined the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, claims that the modern Mid-Atlantic Ridge in ancient times was above water. In other words, the relief of the ocean floor is quite consistent with the descriptions of Plato in his "Timaeus" and "Critias". Artificial objects are constantly being raised from the ocean floor. Back in the mid-1950s, about a ton of limestone discs with a diameter of 15 and a thickness of 4 centimeters were raised south of the Azores. Scientists have established their age: 12 thousand years.

Most of the possible places where Atlantis could be located are in the Strait of Gibraltar, as well as the Mediterranean, on islands like Sardinia, Crete, Santorini, Sicily, Cyprus and Malta; and also in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwestern coast of Africa. Indeed, there was an ancient Minoan civilization on Crete and neighboring islands, which fell into decay after the eruption of a volcano in the 17th century BC. The volcanic explosion caused a huge tsunami that struck the northern coast of Crete and other islands in this part of the Amid Sea, and was accompanied by earthquakes. The Canary Islands are also named among the places where Atlantis may have existed. These islands are located not far from the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mid-Terrestrial Sea, which is quite consistent with the data of Plato. Other islands or groups of islands in the Atlantic were also contacted with the legendary island, and the Azores Islands attracted special attention of scientists. However, detailed geological studies of the Canary and Azores islands, the ocean floor surrounding them, indicate an obvious drawback of this version: a catastrophic decrease in these islands in any period of their existence was not found. The ocean floor around these islands has never been dry land. Nevertheless, the version of the location of Atlantis in the Atlantic Ocean remains the most popular among the supporters of its existence. In their opinion, she could not be in any other place. Indeed, only in these latitudes can fit the central island described by Plato, measuring 530 x 350 kilometers, and several more large accompanying islands.

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