Facts you should know about the lost city of Atlantis
There are mysteries and legends in every corner of the Earth. Some stay on the land and others are buried inside the ocean. The stories of mummies and booby traps, hidden countries on the deserts, and so many others have led to extensive explorations. Many explorers discovered the new wonders, some returned disappointed with the old wives tale. The Earth is still a stranger to its inhabitants. Rationalists and scientists are always on the road to search for clues to solve these mysteries. Who does not love to discover the unknown? The legends still allure a lot of people to depths of the ocean. One of these alluring mysteries discovered was the lost city of Atlantis.
Legends of the lost city of Atlantis have attracted ocean explorers, historians, archaeologists and many others. Fiction writers and storytellers have made a career out of this lost city. The first mention of the lost city of Atlantis was in a document called Timea, which is a Socratic dialogue written by the Greek philosopher Plato. The document dates back to 360 BC. Plato mentioned the city in his reference to the idea of a “perfect state”. According to Plato, the city was created 9000 years ago and one day disappeared. Atlantis was a hedonic city with an exhibition of all the worldly pleasures. The enigmatic aura of Atlantis holds a strong foot in folklore even today. People have developed alternative theories on the existence of this city. however, there are some unknown facts regarding this mysterious city. Let us have a look at them:
1# The Mysterious location of Atlantis
The location of Atlantis first came into the light with Plato. This city, according to the Greek Philosopher, was a combination of Libya and Asia. Others speculate that the exact location of the island lies towards the rock of Gibraltar. The stories of the location of Atlantis are endless. None of it has been proved yet by scientists nor fictional writers.
2# The enormous size is also a question
How can we not speculate about the size of the island city? Plato draws a vivid picture of Atlantis’ size as a combinative size of Libya and Asia. Well, that is huge!! This thought is substantiated by the Christian writer Tertullian, who attempts to prove the existence of the lost city of Atlantis in the Atlantic Ocean. Other storytellers say the size of Atlantis goes beyond the island of Crete. Other religious mystics of Europe claim Atlantis to be the size of Eurasia. What is truth and what is a fable is still left to speculation?
3#Architectural wonder of a love story
If you have read Greek folktales, you might know that the Gods of Olympus wanted to have a long lineage. Hence, they mated with mortals. The story of Atlantis is based on the same notion, but with a spike of love. Poseidon, the Greek God of Ocean, roamed the Earth. During one such venture, he came across an island whose citizens were superior in faculty than other mortals. There he met Cleito. He was enchanted by her beauty and wished to marry her. To gain her affection, he built the city of Atlantis on a hilltop. What people really do for love!!!
4# The rings of water
The beautiful home built by the God of Seas, Poseidon for Cleito was encircled by rings of water and land. Apparently, there were five rings of water which were joined to the land with the support of five tunnels. A large canal created a connection between the rings of water and the ocean. The tunnels had accommodation for every ship. All routes to the city of Atlantis had high security. One had to pass through many gates and towers before they could reach Atlantis. Also, the walls encircling the water rings were built with black, white, red rocks and adorned with precious gems and metals.
5# The Hill of Cleito
The hill of Cleito was Poseidon’s mortal wife’s home. After the nuptials, he built her a house on the hill for her comfortable living. Cleito procreated five pairs of twin boys with Poseidon. Out of the ten, Atlas, became the monarch of Atlantis. A palace was built by him on the hills. The city had ten rulers as a representative of Atlas and his brothers. These rulers had absolute authority. But, soon with power came responsibility. Things began to turn the other way when Poseidon’s laws were not being executed by his sons. They became selfish mortals instead of intelligent Demi-gods. The legend talks about their selfishness brought the impending doom over Atlantis.
6# The Palace of Captivation
Cleito and Poseidon were not exactly the definition of a couple goals. Poseidon loved his mortal wife, Cleito very much. But like all men, he was jealous of his wife’s beauty being covered by other men in the public. Suspicious of Cleito’s infidelity, he built a palace on the hills and held her captive. To limit her interactions in public the palace was heavily guarded by moats and pillars. Why love if you are jealous?
7# The statue of Poseidon
Greek cities are known for grand statues that reached the skies, and Atlantis was not any different. Cleito’s five pairs of twins ruled the city, with Atlas being their head. Before their hedonistic behaviour, the sons built a giant temple in honour of their father. Legends narrate that the temple had a gargantuan golden statue of Poseidon on a chariot driven by Pagastheus or winged horses. The temple had a spiralling rooftop that split the clouds drifting over the temple. The opulent temple was a symbol of devotion for their father.
8# A prosperous city
Any Greek city was known for its prosperity. The land of Atlantis was fertile and bountiful with richness. It was a land where both humans and demi-gods dwelled in peace. The citizens of Atlantis were self-dependent as they cultivated their own crops and pastured the animals. The plains on the suburban areas of Atlantis were fertile for the farmers to carry on agricultural work through a well-maintained irrigation system. The people of Atlantis were also wonderful engineers and their city planning was outstanding with red and black bricks. They used alloys in the buildings along with precious metals. During leisure time they made crystals or experimented with volcanoes. The sheer wealth of the city made it so rich that it did not need trade connections with other cities.
9# The reincarnation of Atlantis
Edgar Cayce, a renowned historian went on several leaps to find the truth about Atlantis. In his book, he makes a prophecy regarding the reincarnation of the prosperous city and compares it to the rise of the new sun, “just like the sun rises from the sea”, a new Atlantis will rise. He elaborates on certain details of the city including how the Sphinx in Egypt was used to protect the city of Atlantis and the hall of records hidden inside the paws of the Sphinx. He predicts that North America is reincarnated as Atlantis and the people have made America great as they were the citizens of Atlantis in their previous life. We still cannot fully consider this as a fact, but the book is quite interesting, and the first to claim the existence of Atlantis.
10# Beyond Earthly connections
What if the people Poseidon originally met were not humans but their alien prototypes? Folklores narrate that the original inhabitants of Atlantis were ethereal beings who belonged to the Lyrian galaxy. These ethereal species were stronger than the human species and had the longevity of nearly 800 years. They also had sharp and tall features and body type. The original Atlanteans were different in every physical faculty.
11# Supernatural powers of the original Atlanteans
Scientists today would claim the ethereal species of Atlanta as aliens from another galaxy. Storytellers claim that the city was first colonized by aliens possessing supernatural abilities. They had control over natural phenomena. Some claim that they could channel the energy of the entire universe. Maybe they were superior species, but it represents the dominance of barbarism in ancient cities which often leads to extinction. Nature demands balance, if you topple it, the end becomes a sure disaster.
12# Famous in Popular culture
The mystery of Atlantis has turned into popular theories of fiction. Writers have penned down so many versions of this lost city. Films and television shows of Atlantis are highly popular amongst teens. Remember the famous Disney movie of Little Mermaid; it had a strong reference to Atlantis and claimed it to be inhabited by mermaids, or the Percy Jackson series. These popular fictions surely strike a chord with teens all over the world.
13 # Scientist do call it a fable
The legend of Atlantis narrated by Plato is taken to be an old wives’ tale by scientists. Scientists believe in facts. They are fooled by fictions. The speculation on the existence of Atlantis also concretes their lack of faith on the legend. Although there are explorations and excavations being carried out, the chances to prove the city built by Poseidon seems meek.
14# Destroyed by earthquakes
If the city at all existed, its submersion must have been caused by an earthquake or tsunami. Being an island city, the tectonic plates must have collided with other continental plates leading to the earthquake. This is a version of the scientists. Fiction writers suggest that the city was destroyed because of its hedonistic nature. It had turned to selfishness with no morale. Seeing the sins mounting, Poseidon decided to stop the plague of sins by submerging within the ocean. It is also a metaphor that even creations of Gods can be fallible.
15# Fiction with a moral motif
The legend of Atlantis narrated by Plato is a moral metaphor of the idea that utopian states had how fallible they could be if ruled by so many monarchs. It also brings in the notion of powers and how it can cause corruption and destroy an entire civilization. The original Atlanteans symbolized the domination of pride and power leading to the extinction of an entire race. Mainly it gives us a political epiphany that no country is great even if its created by Gods, it can be great if the power holders are not intoxicated and live virtuously.
The debate on Atlantis is endless, it goes beyond this article. We do not know if it’s real or just a fable but the legend sounds interesting. It makes so many of us curious to read more about it. The allure of Atlantis stays strong even today. It is fascinating folklore passed down through different traditions. If it does not exist, there is no harm in imagining it.
