Introduction

Atlantis problem! How tempting and interesting the mystery of this legendary land seems. Since antiquity, there have been ongoing debates on this issue. Thousands of books and articles are devoted to the fascinating problem of Atlantis.

Scientific works alone amount to more than 200`000 pages. The French atlantologist A. Bessmertny said that if Plato could predict the fate of his thirty-page dialogues, he would seriously think about whether to write them or not to write them.

Since the time of Plato, some have obsequiously echoed him, others have mercilessly debunked and vehemently refuted him. Interest in Atlantis never faded, and sometimes this problem found itself in the center of everyone's attention. Sometimes this happened thanks to scientific discoveries, however, more often due to the manipulations of pseudoscientists and the fabrications of journalists.

Over time, a new scientific direction was born related to the study of Atlantis - atlantology. The main task of this science is to find Atlantis, or prove that it did not exist.

By Atlantis I mean the large island or archipelago described by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. There should have been a strong, developed state on this island.

Most likely, this state waged war with the Greeks. This island could have existed no later than 1000 BC. e., and be located either in the Mediterranean Sea or in the Atlantic. The main criterion for the authenticity of Atlantis should be the fact of its description by Plato.

Literature about Atlantis

Ancient world

They have written about Atlantis from antiquity to the present day, that is, for 2000 years. But in ancient times, little was written on this topic, and 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. e.

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 presented in the dialogues, it is necessary to consider the question of who is responsible for the errors and contradictions. Plato writes that he learned this story from his great-grandfather Critias, who at the age of ten heard this story from his grandfather, also Critias, who was ninety years old at that time. He, in turn, learned about this from great friend and a 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. Critias the Younger 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 could easily have forgotten some details or numbers. If Solon wrote down this story directly from the columns of an Egyptian temple, then he could well have made some mistakes, not knowing perfectly Egyptian language. And, finally, Plato could well have made some changes to the description of Atlantis and the war with it of the Proto-Athenians for his own purposes, for example, to promote his political views. And finally, it is possible that Plato compiled these dialogues from some other sources, including historical and geographical works of various authors, his own knowledge and guesses, as well as myths and fairy tales of the Greeks or other peoples. The task of researchers then becomes more complicated, since they have to decide about these sources, and then regarding the truth of each of them. Plato realized that in a story with a lot of numbers and names it is impossible to rely on the 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 that of Aristotle, so no one believed Plato. True, in the Middle Ages on some geographical maps The island of Atlantis appeared, but most likely no serious knowledge was hidden behind it.
New time

The main surge of interest in the problem of Atlantis occurred at the end of the 19th - 20th centuries. During this period, more than 5,000 books dedicated to Atlantis were written.
Scientific literature
N.F. Zhirov. The main problems of the anthology.

G. Luce. The end of Atlantis.

K. Krestev. Atlantis.

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

A. Immortal. Atlantis.

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

bookmark:

J. Bramwell. Lost Atlantis.

P. Lecure. Atlantis. Homeland of Civilizations

R. Malaise. Atlantis and the Ice Age.
Fiction

Atlantis has become the theme of a huge number of films and books in the genres of adventure, science fiction and fantasy.

In these books, Atlantis finds itself 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, have telepathy, are descendants of aliens, extraterrestrials, have modern technology, have adapted to life under water, etc., etc.

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

Does Atlantis exist or not?
In his dialogues, Plato gives a lot of facts and descriptions that are suitable for the 20th century, but not for the 4th century BC. e. Critias says: “My grandfather had these notes, and I still have them.” Most likely, Plato used Atlantis as a backdrop for describing the ideal social system, then he did not need documents confirming his words; Plato could choose any region of the inhabited world known to him as the location of the events described. This would have helped Plato avoid those contradictions that opponents of the existence of Atlantis primarily point out. If Plato had invented Atlantis, rather than retelling some sources, then he could easily have avoided the contradictions.

The “soft fruit” mentioned by Plato raises a lot of guesses and assumptions. It is sometimes believed that in this case it was about bananas. In the 50s of our century, a variety of wild bananas called pacoba was discovered in Brazil. Atlantologists believe that cultivated banana varieties were bred from this wild variety in Atlantis, and then seedlings were sent to colonies on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Plato says that in the appearance of the temple of Poseidon “there was something barbaric.” If this temple resembled the temples of the Aztecs and Toltecs, then it should not be surprising that it seemed barbaric to the Egyptians and Greeks. Atlantologists like to point out these words when talking about the connection between Atlantis and America.

In Plato's time, Greece was no longer considered the center of the whole world. If Plato had invented this story as a backdrop for his political views, then, undoubtedly, he would have "settled" the gods in accordance with scientific knowledge that time. Therefore, it seems that Plato in this case is repeating the words of Solon, conveyed by Critias at a meeting in the house of Socrates. Another hundred and fifty years after the death of Plato, Eratosthenes,

the famous geographer from Alexandria in his “Geography” argued that the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa are surrounded by the ocean. Only in the middle of the 2nd century AD. e. Claudius Ptolemy came up with the “mainland” theory. In the time of Plato, it was still possible to assume that somewhere in the ocean there was the island of Atlantis, but the statement that the ocean was limited to some continent did not correspond to the then level of geographical knowledge.
Main options for the location of Atlantis
Atlantic Ocean

From the test of Plato's dialogues it is absolutely clear that Atlantis was located in the Atlantic Ocean. According to the priest, the Atlantean army “kept its way from the Atlantic Sea.” The priest says that opposite the Pillars of Hercules lay a large island, larger than Libya and Asia combined, from which one could easily cross other islands “to the entire opposite continent,” in which America is easily guessed.

Therefore, many of the atlantologists, especially those who believe the date 9500 BC. e., they believe that Atlantis was once located in the Atlantic Ocean, and traces of it should be sought either on the ocean floor or near existing islands, which 11,500 years ago were high mountain peaks.
Mediterranean Sea

About two and a half thousand years ago, the worst disaster in the history of mankind occurred in the Mediterranean Sea. The explosion of the Strongile volcano was three times stronger than the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano. This explosion generated a tsunami wave several tens, or even a hundred meters high, which hit the shores Mediterranean Sea. Scientists believe that this disaster caused the death of the Cretan-Mycenaean culture, which existed 3,000 years ago. It is not surprising that such a grandiose natural disaster attracted many researchers, some of whom came to the idea, strange at first glance, that when describing Atlantis, Plato was describing Thira (where the Strongyle volcano was located) or Crete.
The Iberian Peninsula

The name of one of the ten first kings of Atlantis - Gadir - has come down to our time in the name of the Gadir region. Gadir is a Phoenician village, present-day Cadiz. This name gave reason to some atlantologists to believe that all of Atlantis was located on the Iberian Peninsula near the mouth of the Guadalquivir River.

Near Gadir lay another famous city, Tartessus. Its inhabitants were Etruscans and claimed that their state was 5000 years old. The German H. Schulten (1922) believed that Tartessus is Atlantis. In 1973, near Cadiz, at a depth of 30 meters, the remains of an ancient city were discovered.

About a million Basques now live in northern Spain. Their language is unlike any other known languages peace. There are certain similarities between it and the languages ​​of the American Indians. This gives reason to assume that the Basques are direct descendants of the Atlanteans.
Brazil

In 1638, the English scientist and politician Francis Bacon of Verulam identified Brazil with Atlantis in his book Nova Atlantis. Soon a new atlas with a map of America was published, compiled by the French geographer Sanson, which even indicated the provinces of the sons of Poseidon in Brazil. The same atlas was published in 1762 by Robert Vogudy. They say that Voltaire shook with laughter at the sight of these cards.
Scandinavia

In 1675, the Swedish atlantologist Olaus Rudbeck argued that Atlantis was located in Sweden, and its capital was Uppsala. According to him, this was clear from the Bible.

Africa
Herodotus, Pomponius Mela, Pliny the Elder and some other ancient historians write about the Atlantean tribe living in North Africa near the Atlas Mountains. Atlanteans, according to them, do not dream, do not use names, do not eat anything living, and curse the rising and setting sun.

Based on these messages, P. Borchardt claims that Atlantis was located on the territory of modern Tunisia, deep in the Sahara Desert. In its southern part there are two lakes, which, according to modern data, are the remains ancient sea. The island of Atlantis was supposed to be in this sea.

IN late XIX century, the French geographer Etienne Berlu placed Atlantis in Morocco, in the region of the Atlas Mountains.

In 1930, A. Hermann stated that Atlantis was located in the Shatt el-Jerid lowland, between the city of Nefta and the Gulf of Gabes. True, this territory is not falling, but rising...

German ethnographer Leo Frobenius found Atlantis on the territory of the kingdom of Benin.
Why did Atlantis perish?

Earthquake
Many Atlantologists believe that the earthquake could have been the natural disaster that sank Atlantis to the bottom of the ocean. In accordance with the new concept of the block structure of the earth's crust and the movement of lithospheric plates, the strongest earthquakes occur at the boundaries of these plates.

The main shaking lasts only a few seconds, but the entire earthquake can last up to several tens of minutes. This means that the day allotted by Plato is enough for an earthquake. During earthquakes, cases of sudden subsidence of the earth by several meters have been recorded. Ten meters of subsidence has been recorded in Japan. In 1692, the pirate city of Port Royal in Jamaica sank 15 meters into the sea. 15 meters is enough for most of the flat island to disappear under water. It is possible that during the destruction of Atlantis, a much stronger earthquake occurred.

The Azores and Iceland in the Atlantic and the Aegean Sea in Greece are

areas of increased seismicity. Earthquakes with their epicenter on the seabed cause tsunamis, another type of natural disaster.
Tsunami

Tsunami literally means “long waves in the port” (Japanese). Scientists use this term to refer to giant destructive waves. Most often, a tsunami is caused by an earthquake, but it can also be caused by an underwater volcanic eruption or coastal collapse.

The height of a tsunami in the open ocean can be only a few meters. With a wavelength of several tens or even hundreds of kilometers, this is not very noticeable. The speed of a wave in the open ocean can be 1000 km/h. The classic example of a tsunami generated by a volcanic explosion is the tsunami resulting from the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia in 1883. The height of the wave was 36 - 40 m. It was recorded even in Panama, 18,350 km from the point of origin.

First, the sea recedes and its level drops. Then a wave several meters high comes up. After 5 - 10 minutes, the second wave arrives, a little lower. And after 10 - 20 minutes the third, highest wave arrives. It can be up to several hundred meters.

Thus, a tsunami can destroy the coastal zone of the mainland or even an entire island in two hours.

Oddly enough, something similar happened around 1500 BC. e. in the Mediterranean Sea, not far from one of the possible locations of Atlantis, the island of Crete...
Space disasters
Asteroid collision with earth

An asteroid or meteorite can quickly destroy any island. The only condition is that the asteroid has sufficient mass and speed. At the beginning of the 20th century, many hypotheses related to this kind of disaster appeared. True, it now seems clear to scientists that such an asteroid would destroy all life on the planet. (Which does not reduce the number of supporters of such hypotheses)

Many atlantologists believe that the giant cemeteries of mammoths are explained by the fact that a high wave drowned them, and, due to the rotation of the earth's axis, the mammoths were close to the new North Pole, which is why they froze for several thousand years. However, this theory does not explain why other animals do not lie next to the mammoths, and how the giant wave that destroyed Atlantis reached the mammoths.

Atlantis is Plato's fantasy.
Some researchers come to the conclusion that the island described by Plato could not exist, which means Plato invented it. The reasons that do not allow the existence of Atlantis are as follows: The island is too large and there is no place for it. Geology and oceanography do not confirm the subsidence of a large island. No reliable references to Atlantis have been found. Many years ago there could not have been a developed culture. Many people notice that Plato had another dialogue, “The State,” which tells about an ideal state, but there the story is told on behalf of the Armenian Er, who returned to the world of the living from the afterlife. The description of the afterlife is given realistically and in detail. They believe that Atlantis was invented by Plato to illustrate his political views, which was the reason for many contradictions in the dialogues.

Is there any hope of finding Atlantis?
Only one thing can finally solve the problem of the existence of Atlantis: the discovery of what is left of it on the seabed. If this event takes place, then most likely it will radically change all of humanity’s ideas about its own history. Could this happen in the foreseeable or imminent future?

Chances of detection
Most likely, the sunken Atlantis can be found on the top of an underwater mountain or on an underwater plateau. However, the presence of a seamount somewhere does not prove the existence of remnants of an ancient civilization there.

Scientists can obtain information about the seabed in several ways: by personally visiting the bottom in scuba gear (no deeper than 100 meters), a shell suit (up to 160 meters) or a controlled underwater vehicle (up to 500 meters), using soil tubes, dredges or bottom grabs, underwater photography or television.

Scientists have repeatedly made valuable archaeological finds, however, during all this time nothing was found that would prove the existence of a sunken continent. The pace of underwater research is increasing all the time, so from a technical point of view there is hope for the discovery of some objects in the ocean.

Chances of saving
Over the past 4,000 years, a layer more than one meter thick has disappeared from the surface of the Egyptian pyramids! And this happened in just 4,000, not 12,000 years, and not under water, but on land. The content of dissolved oxygen in water is very significant, so underwater weathering is essentially an oxidation process. All ferrous iron compounds are converted over time into ferric iron compounds. Limestones and all calcareous rocks are also affected by carbon dioxide.

In ancient times, the building materials used were limestone (marble), igneous rocks (granite, basalt, granidiorite, peredotite) and sandstone. In 11,500 years, a wall built from basalt or tuff would completely dissolve in sea water. Pure limestones of low porosity, such as marble, are not affected as strongly by seawater, but porous limestones or rocks with a high silt content can be completely destroyed in a very short period of time.

The rate of underwater weathering and destruction of rocks is influenced by three more factors: sediment cover, biological processes and mechanical destruction.

Covering with precipitation
If a building or structure is covered with sediment, then it is freed from the corrosive effects of water and can last much longer. But, on the other hand, this reduces the likelihood of discovering archaeological remains many times over.
Biological processes

In shallow seas, limestone buildings are exposed to mollusks, which easily make their passages in it. Some types of mollusks drill into the rock mechanically, while others etch it using secreted acid. Boring clams usually live in shallow water, no deeper than 55 meters. Over the course of several centuries, a limestone block can be drilled so much that the gentle movement of water disintegrates it into small fragments.
Mechanical destruction

At depths of up to 10 meters, strong vibrations can relatively quickly destroy any buildings of Atlantis.

By analogy with Greek cities, we can conclude that at the site of the destruction of Atlantis there must be a concentration of a large number of metal objects, ceramics and wood.
Metals

In fresh water, all metals have a chance of being preserved, but in salty sea water their chances are much more slim, since metals are affected by salts. Salt has a corrosive effect on metals, in addition, the decomposition process is accelerated by galvanic currents. Sea water acts as an electrolyte, metals act as anodes and cathodes. After 200 years, iron turns into hydrated oxide. Pure copper (if the objects are thin) and copper alloys [bronze, brass (orichalcum?)] disappear in 200 - 400 years. However, if the thickness of copper objects is significant, then a layer of carbonates may form on the surface, protecting the object. Provided it is of a high enough purity, it is stable gold. Some metals may be preserved if they are quickly covered by algae or coral. But in this case, the detection of these objects becomes almost impossible.

Comparison of Plato's notes with scientific data.
Great depths off the coast of the Peloponnese

The land of the Athenians was described as follows: “It all stretches from the mainland far into the sea, like a cape, and is immersed on all sides in a deep vessel of the abyss.” The ancient Greeks could not even imagine the presence of depths greater than a few tens of meters. It is possible, however, that Plato, based on the presence of steep banks, made the correct conclusion that where the cliffs abruptly fall into the sea, there must be great depths.
Denudation process

“...And now, as happens with small islands, only the skeleton of a body exhausted by illness remained, compared to its previous state, when all the soft and rich earth was washed away, and only one skeleton is still in front of us.” This is a fairly accurate description of the denudation process that exposes basement rocks. A similar process is indeed taking place in Greece and throughout the Mediterranean. Weathering products did not stay on the mountain slopes, devoid of forests, and were washed into the sea. This is what the karst limestone surface of much of Greece looks like today.
Soil and forests as regulators of water flow

In the dialogue “Critias” Plato writes: “... the waters poured out every year from Zeus did not perish, as now, flowing from the bare land into the sea, but were absorbed in abundance into the soil, seeped from above into the voids of the earth and were stored in clay beds, and therefore there was no shortage of sources of streams and rivers everywhere.” And again Plato shows such knowledge that no one could have had in Greece at that time.
Location of the Temple of Neith in Egypt

At the beginning of the dialogue “Timaeus” it is said: “There is in Egypt, at the top of the Delta, where the Nile diverges into separate streams, a nome called Sais; the main city of this nome is Sais... The patroness of the city is a certain goddess who is called Neith in Egyptian...". This description is completely true.
Earthquake and flood

When describing the death of Atlantis, Plato puts these natural disasters next to each other. Modern geology says they occur together during a tsunami. Around the 15th century BC. e. A volcano exploded on the island of Thira, located in the Aegean Sea. A large tsunami wave then reached mainland Greece, Crete, Egypt and other parts of the Eastern Mediterranean. According to some researchers, memories of this disaster served as a source for Plato to describe the death of Atlantis.
Persian Wars

Plato's description of the war between the Athenians and Atlantis is very reminiscent of the wars between the Greeks and the Persians. The Athenians were also forced to fight alone, the Persians also wanted to subjugate Greece “with one blow,” the Greeks also liberated the Greek cities of Asia Minor from the Persian yoke.
Crete

The description of the island in Atlantis resembles Crete, both in relief and in natural data. The capital of Atlantis is sometimes compared to Thira or Carthage. A. Schulten wrote that the system of three concentric walls is characteristic of ancient Mediterranean cities.
Temple

“There was also a temple dedicated to Poseidon alone, which was a stade in length, three plethra in width and a corresponding height.” This means that the temple was 190 m long and 90 m wide. The proportion of 2:1 is quite common for Greek temples. V. Brandenstein gives the figures 69x31 for the Parthenon and 109x51 for the Temple of Apollo in Miletus. Plato writes about the temple of Poseidon that it was surrounded by a golden fence, but the same was said about the temple of Aphrodite in Cyprus. The sculpture of Poseidon on a chariot drawn by six winged horses, surrounded by one hundred Nereids on dolphins, resembles the Poseidon of the sculptor Scopas.
Metals

Plato writes that the island of the Atlanteans was rich in metals, which is strange for the Atlantic Ocean, but natural for the Mediterranean Sea. Judging by the description of the metals, it could be Cyprus or Ibiza (off the coast of Spain).
Inconsistencies between Plato's data and the data of historical science

From Plato's dialogues it follows the existence of developed civilizations on the island of Atlantis and in Greece 11,500 years ago. However, the most ancient civilizations known to science, are the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt dating back to the beginning of the fourth millennium BC. e. Plato writes about the writing of the Atlanteans, but the oldest written monuments also date back to the 4th millennium BC. e. and also to Egypt and Mesopotamia. J. Demul provides data that the oldest settlement, whose inhabitants were engaged in cattle breeding in Greece, dates back to the middle of the eighth millennium BC. e.

According to Plato, the Atlanteans knew gold, tin, silver, copper, orichalcum and iron. But this means that they lived in the Age of Iron, and their warriors were armed with iron weapons. It follows that the Athenians were also armed with iron weapons, otherwise how could they have defeated the Atlanteans? But we know for sure that iron appeared in Greece no earlier than the 11th century BC. e. True, some authors explain this discrepancy. For example, N.F. Zhirov writes that in the episode about catching a bull “without iron” it is not implied that the Atlanteans had iron weapons, but the presence of cult objects made of iron, possibly meteorite. It is also not very clear what kind of metal is hidden behind the name orichalcum. There are quite a lot of opinions in the literature about this metal. Some of them are quite acceptable, others are simply fantastic. Most likely, it is an alloy of copper with some metal, for example, zinc (later the Romans called zinc orichalcum or aurichalcum).

Plato writes that from the main city of Atlantis to the sea a kilometer-long canal was dug one hundred meters wide and 30 meters deep (?!) The draft of the largest ocean-going ships is 10 m, and the largest shipping channels are 12 m deep.

Plato writes that the island had the shape of a rectangle with sides of 2000 stadia and 3000 stadia (579x386 km2). Before this, he writes that the island was larger than Libya (Africa) and Asia ( Asia Minor) combined. This is another glaring discrepancy. Even if we take the geographical knowledge not of the ancient Greeks, but of the even more ancient Athenians, it turns out that even the part of Africa known to them had a much larger area.

Plato writes that the army of the main island of Atlantis consisted of 840,000 warriors, 120,000 horsemen and 10,000 chariots, the fleet consisted of 1,200 ships with 240,000 sailors. Herodotus gives the following data about the Persian army of Xerxes: 1700000 foot soldiers, 80000 horsemen, 1200 large ships, 3000 small ships. However, most historians believe that these figures are clearly overestimated. According to D. Kagan, we can talk about 180,000 soldiers and 800 ships. So, perhaps Plato took the description of the army from Herodotus.

Based on the strength of the army, one can judge the population of Atlantis. This works out to 20-30 million, while scientists believe that the total population was 1.5 million people.

Conclusion
I believe that there is no point in looking for Atlantis in our time. Most likely, it was an invention of Plato, because in our time there are deep-sea vehicles that can descend to great depths. Now most of the oceans and seas have already been explored, and scientists still cannot find any Atlantis. Maybe it collapsed over a very long time because... water and sunlight are very strong destroyers. In his dialogues, Plato probably wanted to show an ideal, highly developed state. But it is still not clear how he could know about the achievements of our science. Many facts prove that Atlantis is nothing more than a fiction; perhaps Plato described events that happened before or happened at that time.

Bibliography

1. DROZDOVA T. N. Atlantis in the Atlantic Ocean. - M.: 1997.
2. SEIDLER L. Atlantis. - M.: 1996.
3. KONDRATOV A. M. Atlantis of the Tethys Sea. - L.: 1986.
4. KONDRATOV A. M. Atlantis of the Five Oceans. - L.: 1987.
5. KUKAL Z. Great mysteries of the Earth. - M.: 1988.
6. COUSTEAU J.-I., PAKKALE I. In search of Atlantis. - M.: 1986.
7. PLATO. Works in three volumes. - M.: 1971.
8. SHCHERBAKOV V.I. The Golden Palace of Poseidon. - M.: 1986.
9. YURKINA E. T. Mediterranean address of Atlantis. - M.: 1994.

History of Atlantis: myths, speculations, mysteries and real facts

For more than one generation, researchers have been debating the existence of Atlantis, a powerful ancient state that disappeared from the face of the Earth once and for all. Interest in this topic arose after the works of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato saw the light of day. It was Plato who first wrote about Atlantis, described the ancient civilization, the strength and power of the Atlanteans. Was this a deliberate and skillfully created myth, or are we dealing with a description real facts ancient history human civilization remains a mystery. Neither before nor after it was possible to obtain and find evidence of the existence of the Atlantean state. The mysteries of Atlantis remain unsolved to this day, forcing historians to put forward new hypotheses and researchers to look for the location of the disappeared island-state on the map of the planet.

The Atlantean civilization is a source of controversy

Today about a lost mighty civilization ancient world A huge number of works have been written, ranging from poetic essays and literary descriptions to serious scientific treatises. In each individual case, one has to deal with a huge set of assumptions and hypotheses that the ancient world looked different from what the world map looks like today. Another new hypothesis gives rise to a new myth, which instantly acquires new details, assumptions and details. Another thing - complete absence facts that can answer the question: whether Atlantis existed in reality or not. This meager research material remains the preserve of science fiction writers and atlantologists. Skeptics believe that the history of Atlantis is an artificially created phenomenon in modern historical science.

The problem of Atlantis must be considered in two aspects: from the point of view of the historical epic, and using a scientific approach. In the first case, you have to deal with evidence and materials, the existence of which is never disputed by anyone. The palm in this area belongs to the works of Plato. The ancient Greek philosopher mentioned the powerful state of antiquity in the dialogues “Critias” and “Timaeus”, which were compiled on the basis of the diaries of another prominent ancient Greek scientist philosopher Solon, who was Plato’s great-grandfather. With the light hand of Plato, the name of the ancient state appeared, and its inhabitants began to be called Atlanteans.

In his notes and books, the ancient philosopher relied on the legend according to which the ancient Greeks fought with the state of the Atlanteans. The confrontation was ended by a grandiose cataclysm that led to the destruction of Atlantis. According to the ancients, it was this catastrophe that led to the island city of Atlantis disappearing from the face of the planet forever. What kind of catastrophe on a planetary scale led to such consequences is still not known and has not been proven. Another question is that in the scientific community there is currently a point of view that 12 thousand years BC. the world has truly comprehended major disaster, which changed the geography of the planet.

Plato's dialogue “Timaeus” quite accurately indicates the location of the country of the Atlanteans, and is full of descriptions of the details of the culture and life of the Atlanteans. Thanks to the efforts of the ancient Greek philosopher, the disappeared civilization is being persistently searched for in the Atlantic Ocean. Just one phrase, “opposite the Pillars of Hercules,” recorded by Plato, indicates the location of the legendary country. There is no more accurate data on the location of the mysterious ancient state, so many researchers on this topic believe that Atlantis could have been located in any other part of the ancient world.

The inconsistency of many facts set out in Plato’s works raised a number of questions for subsequent generations. The main secrets of Atlantis are as follows:

• Is there a high probability of the existence of such an island? large sizes, traces of which are almost completely absent today;
• what catastrophe that occurred in ancient times could have led to the instant death of a large state;
• could a civilization exist in such ancient times with such a high level of development, which is attributed to the Atlanteans by ancient and modern researchers;
• why today there are no real traces from the past indicating the existence of Atlantis;
• Are we descendants of the highly developed Atlantean culture?

How did the contemporaries of the ancient Greeks see Atlantis?

By studying Plato's works, we can briefly summarize the information that has reached us. We are dealing with the history of the existence and mystical disappearance of a large archipelago or large island, which was located in the west of the then ancient world. The central city of the superpower was Atlantis, which owes its name to the first king of the state, Atlas. The island location explains the government structure of the empire. Probably Atlantis, like many cities of ancient Greece, was a union of island rulers united under imperial leadership. Perhaps there was a different government system in Atlantis, but in Plato’s dialogues the names of the kings are given, after whom the other islands of the empire were named. Therefore, ancient civilization took the form of a union or confederation.

Another question lies in Plato’s detailed description of the life structure of the mysterious power. All the main buildings and structures of the state are located on the central island. The Acropolis, royal palace and temples are protected by several rows of earthen ramparts and a system of water channels. The interior of the island is connected to the sea by a huge shipping canal, so we can safely say that the power of Atlantis was focused on achieving sea power. Moreover, according to Plato’s version, the Atlanteans worship Poseidon (ancient Greek god, ruler of the seas and oceans - brother of Zeus). In Plato, the temples of the Atlanteans, their architecture and the arrangement of their homes shine with luxury and wealth. Reaching the shores of Atlantis, surrounded on all sides by water, and the path to the island lay only by sea, was not an easy task for sailors of that time.

In his narratives, Plato is very keen on describing the improvement of the Atlantean capital. The most interesting thing in this aspect is that the descriptions of the ancient Greek philosopher strongly resemble the descriptions of other ancient Greek cities found in other ancient sources. The described infrastructure, weapons, ships, religion and lifestyle of the inhabitants of Atlantis look like the height of human perfection and a model of well-being.

The mystery of Atlantis in Plato's descriptions is present at every step. Isn’t it amazing that people live far from the centers of civilization known to the world at that time, but have a fairly high level of development, can make long sea voyages, trade with everyone around them, eat spices and other crops. The Atlanteans have a powerful army and a large fleet capable of entering into confrontation with the armies of the ancient states of the Mediterranean.

This should be the end. Only Plato was able to describe the life and structure of the legendary state so clearly and in detail. There were no other sources that would point to similar facts, no, and perhaps there will not be. Neither the Sumerians nor the ancient Egyptians said anything about a large state in the Western Hemisphere. The ancient ruins of the Indian civilizations of the Northern and South America. Could there have been such a powerful civilization in the central Atlantic many years ago, about which there is still no real evidence?

Secrets of Atlantis: myths and legends versus real facts

Some researchers continue to feed the world illusions that Atlantis really existed. Following the lead of Plato, who pointed out the exact location of the island, researchers in search of Atlantis are checking the territories in the area of ​​​​the Azores Islands, in the Bahamas. This is facilitated by the consonance of the names of the Atlantic Ocean and the legendary island.

According to one version, Atlantis was located in the Azores region. Studies of the Ampere seamount, located on the way from Europe to America, and the neighboring areas of the Atlantic mid-ridge have not yielded any results. The geological and morphological structure of the seabed does not give reason to believe that a large geological formation existed in this area of ​​the earth's crust in ancient times. Even a gigantic cataclysm that wiped out such a large island or archipelago from the face of the earth would leave behind indisputable evidence. If the island sank as a result of a successive chain of earthquakes and floods, then its remains could still be found today.

Modern scientists do not have information about the major geological and tectonic catastrophe that befell the earth in ancient times. The biblical data about the global flood that befell the Earth and humanity takes us to a completely different era. All information, events and facts that speak in favor of the existence of Atlantis in this part of the globe do not stand up to criticism if we rely on the theory proposed by Plato.

Supporters of another hypothesis, the Mediterranean one, have more compelling evidence in their favor. However, here too there are a number of points that cause controversy. What were the real boundaries of such a powerful union, and where such a large island or small continent could be located. The western border of the world known to people of that time runs along the Pillars of Hercules - now the Strait of Gibraltar, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic. Why, with such an eventful and crowded environment, did the ancient world not have cartographic data on the location of a large state that influenced the political and economic structure of the world? On maps drawn up by the ancient Greeks, Phoenicians and Egyptians that have survived to this day, known areas are limited to the Mediterranean region, southern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Many Atlantologists increasingly agree that a civilization of similar proportions could have existed in the Eastern Mediterranean, within the explored sphere of political and economic interests of ancient states. The disappearance of the island and the death of the country of the Atlanteans can be linked to the catastrophic eruption of the Santorini volcano, which erupted around the 17th century BC. This hypothesis takes place, since it was during this period that the Cretan power flourished. According to this theory, the volcanic eruption not only destroyed half of the island of Thira, but also destroyed numerous city-states that existed in the region. If we put aside the question of names and the connection to Plato’s statements about the Pillars of Hercules, such a picture of the ancient world has a right to life.

In this context, the version about the existence in ancient times of a powerful state competing with the ancient Greek city-polises fits perfectly. The facts of the strongest cataclysm of that time were also noted in ancient sources. Today, volcanologists and oceanologists reasonably consider this version of the death of Atlantis to be quite real. Scientists have found evidence that the Minoan civilization actually had enormous military power and had a high level of development, allowing it to confront the Greek states.

Sparta and Athens are located 300-400 kilometers north of the islands of Thira and Crete, which are ideal for the location of the Atlantean state. The explosion of a volcano, which destroyed a mighty power in one night, destroyed the balance in the world that had existed until that moment. The consequences of such a large-scale disaster affected the entire Southern Europe, North Africa and the coast of the Middle East.

Versions in favor of another location of the legendary power today have no basis. Researchers are increasingly connecting the existence of Atlantis with Plato's philosophical view of the existing world. This is echoed by other sources in which the land of the Atlanteans is associated with other mythical territories and states that existed in the imagination of the ancient Greeks.

Hyperborea and Atlantis - ancient mythical states

To the question of where to look for Atlantis today, the answer may sound prosaic. You have to look everywhere. It is possible to rely on ancient sources only in cases where the question is raised about the cultural heritage that has come down to our times. In the sense in which we perceive Atlantis today, as an imaginary country and highly developed civilization, the ancient Greeks at one time imagined Hyperborea. This mythical country, located in the far north, a thousand kilometers from the shores Ancient Greece, was considered by the Greeks to be the habitat of the Hyperboreans, the descendants of the gods. Is this the Atlantis that Plato wanted to tell the world about when writing his treatises?

The Hyperborean lands, according to modern scientists, should have been located on the territory of the current Scandinavian countries: in Iceland or Greenland. The Greeks directly pointed out that even Apollo himself, the sun god, was considered the patron saint of this people. What kind of lands are these, do they really exist? It was assumed that Hyperborea was a fictional country for the ancient Greeks, where perfect and powerful people lived and the gods rested. The country that Apollo regularly visits may be the same Atlantis - the state to which the ancient Greeks strove in their development.

MYSTERIES OF HISTORY. ATLANTIS.

Atlantis- an island-state that went under water as a result of a huge natural disaster. Atlantis is first mentioned in the dialogues Timaeus and Critias, authored by Plato. The text mentions Solon, the sage of Ancient Greece, who, during his journey to Egypt, wrote down the story of the priests of the temple of the goddess Neith in Sais. Plato and Aristotle discussed this riddle of history. However, Aristotle did not believe that Atlantis really existed. It was in these disputes that the phrase was heard: “Plato is my friend, but the truth is dearer.”
There is an assumption that Atlantis is named after the brother of Prometheus - Atlas. The inhabitants, like the ocean, were also named after him. Atlanteans were one of the most developed nations in the world. Their architecture, golden statues and temples of ancient gods, amazed with its grace.
Plato's writings said that Atlantis was located beyond the Strait of Gibraltar, in the Atlantic Ocean. But, so far, despite all efforts, no one has found the remains of the island.
Scientists' interest in Atlantis is largely due to mysterious death islands, because what scale does a natural disaster have to be for an entire island to go underwater? Having thought about this question, we can assume that the cause of the death of civilization could have been an earthquake. The island was supposed to be located at the junction of the Eurasian and African lithospheric plates.

In search of Atlantis

It would seem that there is one island, but how many different legends and stories have been invented about it. For example, there is a myth that the inhabitants of Atlantis are still alive, and civilization continues to develop. Atlanteans live in the depths of the sea and scare people. To prove this, supporters of fantastic versions of the existence of the island provided very dubious evidence.
One of them was recorded, and says that: The crew of the ship Victoria in 1845 saw three dazzling disks taking off from the depths of the ocean. The disks were larger in size than the Moon and connected by rods.

Secret Stories. Atlantis (documentary)

SO WAS THERE AN ATLANTIS?

Much has been written about the mysterious Atlantis, but most of all they write about the incredible achievements of the Atlanteans, about their technologies that were many millennia ahead of ours, about the construction of pyramids in all corners of our planet. But it’s not clear why and for what purposes were these such grandiose monumental structures erected? Let's try together to take a sober look at all these myths, there were also fables. And so let's look at what Atlantis is, according to legend, it is an island-state described by Plato of Athens, but Atlantis was also mentioned by other ancient philosophers and statesmen of that era, such as Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, Posidonius, Strabo.

As mentioned above, Plato wrote about Atlantis in his two dialogues Timaeus and Critias, the dialogue Timaeus begins with Socrates and the Pythagorean Timaeus discussing the best state structure, briefly describing the ideal state. The Athenian politician Critias speaks about the war between Athens and Atlantis, which he heard from his grandfather, Critias the Elder, and now attention, Critias the Elder, heard this story from Solon, and Solon allegedly heard this story from the priests of Egypt. Of course, when something is passed down from mouth to mouth, and even over several generations, it is quite natural that any of the storytellers could embellish their story, add something, or, conversely, remove something or forget to mention something, considering it's not noteworthy.

Athens was a glorious, powerful and virtuous state, whose main rival was Atlantis. Atlantis is an island state that was larger in area than Libya and Asia combined, and now this state decided to enslave Athens. The Athenians stood up to defend their freedom, and although all their allies refused to help them, they alone crushed the Atlanteans, and also simultaneously liberated the peoples enslaved by the Atlanteans. After all this, a huge natural disaster struck the Atlanteans, as a result of which the entire army of the Athenians died and Atlantis sank under water. Even based on this, we know the place where Atlantis was located, and accordingly we should not look for it somewhere in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, it is not there and never has been. According to Plato’s stories, it was located in the place of Libya and Asia, but for the Greeks, Asia was not the same as we know it now; they considered Asia only the part that they reached, which was within their reach.

From the stories we see that the Athenians admired the state structure of the Atlanteans, and wanted to build on their land what they thought was a just state. But who wanted this? Philosophers such as Socrates, Timaeus and statesmen like Critias? By the way, none of them mentions any miracles that the Atlanteans were capable of, no one talks anywhere about some miracle machines that could lift stone blocks weighing several tons, none of them said a word about a superweapon that could transform stone to dust.
So what is Atlantis? Atlantis is perhaps a once-existing island-state, perhaps more democratic and socially just than Athens, since philosophers and statesmen speak so much about it. Atlantis is not a myth. That it existed is beyond doubt. Perhaps the stories about her were embellished, like many other historical facts. Perhaps it was actually swallowed up by the sea as a result of the earthquake.

Atlantis! It is perhaps difficult to find a person who has never heard of the legendary island. Disputes about it have not ceased for two millennia. Some people admit it without any doubt, others proceed from the formula: “This cannot be, because this can never happen.” But most researchers consider the existence of Atlantis quite probable, but require proof. We will also try to make our contribution to the problems of the search for Atlantis. Let's start with the fact that there are two approaches to the term "Atlantis", so it is necessary to immediately understand them.

Atlantis was first called Atlantis by Plato (487-343 BC) in his dialogues Timaeus and Critias. But Plato’s predecessors also knew about it, although they called this country by other names. Ancient authors understood Atlantis as a certain state that was at the same stage of development as Greece, fought with it and during one of the wars died as a result of a grandiose catastrophe.

However, there is another meaning of the term “Atlantis”. In the occult sciences, they suggest a certain proto-civilization that preceded ours and died as a result of a series of catastrophes, the last stage of which took place about ten thousand years ago. In this regard, it should be noted that the peoples of various countries living on different continents have ideas about some people who preceded modern humanity and died as a result of some powerful cataclysms.

There are legends about floods and earthquakes in the countries of Mesopotamia, China, and the American Indians. But the most interesting information about a possible proto-civilization is provided by the ancient Indian epic works of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. There are also flying machines - vimanas, and weapons that can be compared, perhaps, only with rocket weapons, and there are also descriptions of the Earth from Space. How did all this become known to the people of antiquity?

Where do such perfect ideas about the universe come from in some Eastern religions? After all, there are even ideas about collapse. At what level of development were the Atlanteans? In all likelihood, they stood at the level of the Bronze Age. They simply did not need powerful technology, since the Atlanteans partially owned the secret psychic energy, and this, according to occult sciences, is the most powerful energy in the Universe. The use of “secret knowledge” and at the same time extremely low spiritual development led Atlantis to destruction. Remnants of Atlantean knowledge were preserved for a long time in the priestly circles of various peoples, but they were carefully protected from the uninitiated, since there is nothing more terrible than high knowledge that was at the disposal of an unprepared person.

The catastrophe that destroyed Atlantis occurred about ten thousand years ago, or rather, the last group of Atlanteans died then. Why the last one? The fact is that among occultists (for example, E. Blavatsky) it was widely believed that Atlantis perished in several stages. It was a powerful civilization, very numerous and spreading its influence over many regions. During the last million years, this layer of humanity has suffered terrible catastrophes. These statements seem to correspond to a whole series of cataclysms that swept over the Earth. Among them is a chain of glaciations and interglacial periods. However, another formulation of the question is also possible.

We can assume that Atlantis perished, but not on Earth. The remnants of people were transported here, to Earth, who, finding themselves in a new place, laid the foundation for a new humanity. Modern science does not deny the possibility of paleocontacts. To be completely consistent, it is necessary to talk about such an important factor as the “bottleneck” effect.

Thanks to the achievements of molecular biology, it was possible to trace the so-called human gene trace. The result of the research was amazing: modern humans as a species have existed for at least 200 thousand years. Moreover, 200 thousand years ago the human population was so small that it most likely consisted of one pair of people. At least with reasonable confidence we can now say that all modern humanity is the descendants of one woman, the so-called “Paleolithic Eve.”

It is this state - on the verge of extinction - that is called the “bottleneck” effect. Two conclusions can be drawn from all this: either at this time man appeared as a species (or was brought to the planet), or a significant population of people for some reason was reduced to a few people and was on the verge of extinction. Only later did it restore its numbers.

The best proof of the reality of the existence of Atlantis would be the discovery of the remains of its material culture. In this regard, the question arises: where to look for Atlantis? The main obstacle in solving this problem can be considered the confusion in the understanding of the term “Atlantis” itself, which has already been mentioned. It is caused primarily by the paucity of information that Plato had at his disposal. These were some fragmentary data obtained either by Solenus or by Plato himself in Egypt, and vague memories of the Greeks about some catastrophes.

Nine thousand years lie between the era of Plato and the time of Atlantis. During this time, memories of the proto-civilization merged with later data about the death of states in Crete and on the coast of the Sea of ​​Marmara. That is, Atlantis turned into a myth. However, this does not mean that such information can be neglected. After all, Schliemann, relying on the legend, managed to excavate Troy! So where should we look for Atlantis? After all, apparently, the ancient Greeks, including Plato, did not know where it was, and located it arbitrarily on the edge of the world known to them then.

In our time, the most common opinion is that Atlantis was located in the Atlantic Ocean, where Plato placed it. They are looking for her beyond Gibraltar, in the Canary Islands, they are even trying to look for her in the area of ​​Iceland and on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the center of the ocean. The second most popular search area is the Aegean Sea. What attracts researchers most here is the area of ​​the island of Tire, where in the 15th century BC. e. There was a huge eruption of the Santorini volcano. Recently, the region of the Sea of ​​Marmara and the Dardanelles, which is associated with the so-called Dardan Flood, has been of particular and understandable interest.

This confirms the data of ancient authors that there was once no strait in the Dardanelles region, and the Black and Marmara seas were lakes with a level significantly lower than the ocean level. Then, as a result of a powerful earthquake, the isthmus was broken, and ocean waters flooded vast expanses of land. But is it right to look for Atlantis in the Atlantic or Aegean Sea? We have already said that in Plato’s message about Atlantis it is necessary to take into account only the fact that some civilization perished in ancient times. After all, Plato does not indicate when Atlantis disappeared, he only says that Atlantis existed 9 thousand years before him.

What was the earth like 11.5 thousand years ago? Let’s say right away: the climate then was completely different from what it is now. The last ice age was still ongoing, and vast areas in the northern hemisphere were occupied by continental ice. The climate was drier and much cooler; glaciers caused a decrease in the level of the World Ocean, since they concentrated a significant part of the water in themselves. There were indeed significant areas of land in the Atlantic that are now submerged. These were mainly the territories of the modern continental shelf. Various groups of atlantologists present a lot of evidence that at that time in the Atlantic there were the island of Atlantis and other islands on which Atlantis was located.

Various theories of the death of this country are given, starting with the now widespread seismic and ending with the fall of a large asteroid into the Atlantic, which, by the way, is associated with the beginning of warming, since the path to the Gulf Stream, previously blocked by Atlantis, was opened. But all these theories do not stand up to criticism for one very important reason: the high civilization of the Atlanteans, even if at that time it reached only the level of the Bronze Age, cannot be compared in any way with the primitive tribes of Paleolithic hunters who inhabited Europe. But Atlantis captured foreign territories and established its own colonies. According to Plato, the Atlanteans controlled Europe as far as Italy and Africa as far as Egypt. In this case, the greatest cultural influence of the Atlanteans should have spread to the tribes closest to the metropolis, that is, those who inhabited the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

After the destruction of Atlantis, these tribes should have been significantly more developed than their neighbors, but this is precisely not observed. Let's remember now about the asteroid. Over the past half-million years, warming has followed ice ages at least three times. The probability that each time a celestial body fell into the Atlantic is practically zero. The time of existence of Atlantis indicated by Plato clearly does not correspond to much later events. Some researchers, trying to explain this paradox, believe that Plato was mistaken by a whole order of magnitude, therefore, it is necessary to read not 9000, but 900 years, which more or less coincides with the time of the catastrophe caused by the explosion of the Santorini volcano. But such a mistake is unlikely, since Plato repeatedly repeats that Atlantis existed 9 thousand years before him, that is, he is sure of the date.

But there is another coincidence: the date indicated by Plato coincides with the last stage ice age on the eve of global warming. Undoubtedly, it caused catastrophic consequences on Earth, and in Plato's time some information about it was still preserved. Therefore, we will take the date indicated by Plato quite seriously and assume that some kind of proto-civilization existed in that era. In this case, Atlantis must be looked for in areas where unexpected and large-scale floods were actually possible in the past. There are not many such places on Earth. The greatest likelihood of floods was in the area of ​​the Black, Marmara and Red Seas. All these seas are separated from the World Ocean by very narrow and shallow straits.

During the era of glacial maxima, these straits turned into isthmuses, and the seas became endorheic lakes. Due to the dry climate during the Ice Age, the level of these lakes gradually fell and their area decreased. It was on the shores of such a large endorheic lake that Atlantis could have been located. So which of these seas buried Atlantis? A more or less developed civilization could arise at that time, perhaps, only on the shores of the Red Sea. As for the Black and Marmara Seas, the emergence early civilization unlikely here as it was a very cool area. Rivers that originated from glaciers flowed into the Black Sea.

Now let's see how great is the possibility of the emergence of civilization on the shores of the Red Sea in such early time. The most necessary condition for the emergence of any civilization should be considered a high population density. According to molecular biology data, which has recently been confirmed by archaeologists, the birthplace of man was Africa, its mountainous eastern part. Therefore, at the first stage of human existence, the highest population density was in Africa. Migrations of people in search of better hunting grounds took place in all directions, but mainly in the north and south, along river valleys and mountain ranges.

About a hundred thousand years ago, people reached the Isthmus of Suez and began to populate Asia. Moreover, in Africa itself they concentrated in the extreme northeast. Here, the Horn of Africa's mountain ranges and coastline have created a funnel effect, trapping migrating communities. The population here is growing much faster than in other areas due to natural growth and constant influx from outside. As a result, a demographic crisis developed, and the constant problem of food forced people from hunting to switch to cattle breeding and agriculture.

The emergence of an isthmus connecting Africa with the Arabian Peninsula during the last ice age had little impact on demographic situation in the region. Of course, part of the population went to Asia, but the exit from the isthmus to Arabia is closed by fairly high mountains, beyond which the arid steppes began, so most people remained to live along the shores of the lake into which the Red Sea turned. Among the general mass of agricultural settlements, tribal centers gradually emerged, which over time turned into proto-cities.

There is a constant exchange of knowledge and discoveries between separate groups of people; The larger the population, the more intense this process takes place. Thus, civilization began to take shape on the shores of the Red Sea and adjacent territories, much earlier than in other regions of the planet. Similar processes were characteristic of Western Asia and Egypt in the V-IV millennia BC. e., that is, at the moment of the emergence of civilizations known to us there. But 10 thousand years earlier, similar conditions existed on the Red Sea coast and on the Horn of Africa: thus, a proto-civilization could well have arisen there.

After the end of the Ice Age, Atlantis continued to exist quietly for some time, mired in passions and wars. But in the end, rising ocean waters broke through the isthmus and flooded Atlantis. In our time, the consequences of this flood can be traced in the hydrogen sulfide contamination of the waters of the Red Sea. This contamination occurs due to the fact that a large amount of organic matter decomposes under water.

Now let's see what the tribes were like that surrounded the Red Sea during the last ice age. The most ancient agriculture on Earth is now recorded in Western Asia. This area is directly adjacent to the Red Sea. The most ancient agricultural settlement was discovered in Jarmo in northern Iraq. Based on the cereal grains found there, it dates back to 9290 BC. e. Iraq is not that far from the Red Sea.

However, the antiquity of the Central Asian center of agriculture is also confirmed by the finds of very ancient grain grinders. Moreover, grain grinders found in Palestine date back to the 16th millennium BC. e., and those found in the Nile Valley - by the 14th millennium BC. e. Both of these areas directly overlook the Red Sea coast. By the way, the oldest civilizations known to us are also located in close proximity to the Red Sea. These include Ancient Egypt, Sumer, Akkad, Ebla, Elam and even the Indus Valley Civilization. It is likely that the remnants of the population of Atlantis, mixing with the surrounding tribes, contributed to a more rapid transition of the latter to civilization.

This relationship can be seen especially well in the example of Egypt, which in ancient times was considered one of the most intellectually developed countries. Only a small grain of this knowledge has reached our time, however, we know that the Egyptians considered themselves to be from the country of Punt. Most modern Egyptologists believe that Punt was located on the coast of modern Sudan, although some researchers push it even further east - to Ethiopia and Somalia. In principle, we are satisfied with both versions. Egyptian sources only say that Punt was located somewhere on the Red Sea coast and sailing there took several months. U

the statement that the Egyptians come from the country of Punt should not be understood in literally, most likely only some of the people who joined the Egyptian ethnic group were from Punt. Probably, thanks to the arrival of these tribes and their merging with the rest of the population of the Nile Valley, the so-called Amrat archaeological culture, which existed in 3800-3600 BC, was formed. e. We can say that with the advent of the Amrat culture, Egypt entered a period of civilization. And if we are already talking about the civilization of Egypt - one of the most ancient, most mysterious and most developed civilizations of the past, then we must mention a number of paradoxes of Egyptian history.

So, the creators of watches in Ancient Egypt for some reason they stubbornly relied on the ratio of the longest and the longest short days in the year as 14:12. However, this ratio does not correspond to any point of the Egyptian state even during the period of its maximum expansion. This ratio is valid only for a line located a thousand kilometers south of the southernmost border of Egypt. This fact is important for us, since this line passes precisely through the vast shallows of the southern part of the Red Sea, where one could assume the center of Atlantis.

Even in ancient times, in countries neighboring Egypt, for example, in Greece, it was believed that the priests of Egyptian temples kept colossal knowledge. But this knowledge was trusted only to people who were especially tested and who had undergone appropriate training, that is, initiates. Depending on the degree of dedication, a person gained access to one or another category of knowledge. Such an initiate, for example, was the famous Greek philosopher Pythagoras, known to us as the author of the famous theorem. He studied for thirty years in Egyptian temples. Solon, a relative of Plato, also studied in Egypt. Plato himself lived in Egypt; perhaps then, or through the notes left by Solon, he received some information about Atlantis, which he later used in his dialogues.

In Egyptian temples there were grandiose archives and libraries where thousands of papyri were stored. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these documents were subsequently lost. People and time have done their job. But some grains of Egyptian knowledge leaked into the works of ancient writers. Among them there is knowledge that can indirectly be associated with Atlantis and which, as it seems, clearly contradicts our modern historical knowledge. Thus, according to the generally accepted point of view, the emergence of the first states in the Nile Valley dates back to the 4th millennium BC. e.

How then should we understand the statement of such a respectable author as Herodotus, that in his time the existing written sources of the Egyptians went back seventeen thousand years? Manetho gives an even earlier date. He was an Egyptian priest who compiled a history of Egypt for the Greeks, using documents from temples and archives that were widely available to him. So Manetho begins his chronology of events in Egyptian history from 30,627 BC. e. The Byzantine historian Sinelius reports on certain records, which he calls “Ancient Chronicles,” and which were kept by the priests of Egypt for supposedly 36,525 years. And Diogenes Laertius reports that the Egyptian priests kept records going back 48,863 years to Alexander the Great.

The same Diogenes Laertius claims that the Egyptians had records of 373 solar and 832 lunar eclipses. Calculations show that to obtain this number of eclipses, observations must be carried out for at least ten thousand years. How can we explain that much more information about the proto-civilization has been preserved in Egypt than in other countries? Only because Egypt, immediately adjacent to the Red Sea, was subsequently cut off from the rest of the world by deserts.

Separated long time from external influences, it retained accumulated information for thousands of years, while other nations quickly lost it in wars and unrest. Moreover, it is quite likely that some part of the Egyptian priesthood was a direct heir to the priesthood of Atlantis and especially zealously preserved the knowledge received from there.

Thus, we can conclude that if some kind of proto-civilization existed, then its most likely location was in the Red Sea area. It is in the vicinity of this sea that we must now look for traces of Atlantis.

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

An island that has sunk into the abyss of the sea

First of all, let us clarify that the word “Atlantis” is usually understood as a certain fantastic (since there is no direct evidence of its existence) island located in the Atlantic Ocean. His exact location is unknown. According to the most popular legend, Atlantis was located somewhere near the northwestern coast of Africa, bordered by the chain of the Atlas Mountains, and near the Pillars of Hercules, which 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 a conversation between historical or fictional persons). Based on his works, a very popular legend about Atlantis was subsequently born. It says that around 9500 BC. e. In the area indicated above, a terrible earthquake occurred, as a result of which the island forever plunged into the abyss of the ocean.

On that day, an ancient and highly developed civilization, created by the islanders, whom Plato calls “Atlanteans,” perished. It should immediately be noted that, due to their similar names, they are sometimes mistakenly identified with characters from ancient Greek mythology - the mighty titans holding the vault of heaven on their shoulders. This mistake is so common that when they see 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 have an association with heroes who once sank deep into the seas.

A mystery that worries people's minds

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 14th-16th centuries, called the Renaissance, interest in them, and at the same time in Atlantis and the legend associated with its existence , has grown rapidly. It continues unabated to this day, giving rise to heated scientific discussions. Scientists around the world are making attempts to discover real evidence of the events described by Plato and a number of his followers, and to answer 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 back in Ancient Greece, the legend of Atlantis gave impetus to many mystical teachings, and in modern history she inspired theosophical thinkers. The most famous of them are H. P. Blavatsky and A. P. Sinnett. The authors of various pseudo-scientific and simply fantastic works of various genres, who also turned to the image of Atlantis, did not stand aside.

Where did the legend come from?

But let us return to the works of Plato, since they are the primary source that aroused centuries-old disputes and discussions. As mentioned above, mention of Atlantis is contained in two of his dialogues, called “Timaeus” and “Critius”. Both of them are devoted to the question government system and are conducted on behalf of his contemporaries: the Athenian politician Critias, as well as two philosophers - Socrates and Timaeus. Let us immediately 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 passed down orally from generation to generation and finally reached him.

The troubles that befell the Atlanteans

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

In 9500 BC. e. The Atlanteans, wanting to conquer Athens, brought down the full might of their previously invincible army on them, but, despite the clear superiority of forces, they could not achieve success. The Athenians repelled the invasion and, having defeated the enemy, returned freedom to the peoples who had until then been enslaved by the islanders. However, the troubles did not recede from the prosperous and once prosperous Atlantis. The legend, or rather the story of Critias, which is its basis, further tells about the terrible natural disaster, which completely destroyed the island and forced it to plunge into the ocean depths. Literally within 24 hours, 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 “Critius”. 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 established in it is very remarkable. According to Critias, on the Acropolis - a hill that still towers in the center of the Greek capital - there was a certain commune, partly reminiscent of those that the founders of the communist movement imagined in their imagination. Everything in it was equal and there was enough of everything in abundance. But it wasn't populated ordinary people, but by rulers and warriors who ensured the maintenance of the order they desired in the country. The working masses were only allowed to reverently look at their shining heights and fulfill the destinies descended from there.

Arrogant descendants of Poseidon

In the same treatise, the author contrasted the humble and virtuous Athenians with the proud Atlanteans. Their ancestor, as is clear from Plato’s work, was the god of the seas himself, Poseidon. One day, having witnessed how an earthly girl named Cleito lay her young body in the waves, he was inflamed with passion and, having evoked reciprocal feelings in her, became the father of ten sons - half-gods, half-humans.

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

Island of abundance and wealth

In his work, Plato also gives the known dimensions of this legendary island-mainland. According to him, it reached 540 km in length and was 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 approximately 9-10 km from the seashore.

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 across them and dug additional canals through which ships could easily approach the piers located right next to the 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, born from 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 the 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 elephants that had not yet been tamed or domesticated. At the same time, Plato does not ignore many negative aspects of the life of the islanders, which aroused the anger of the gods and caused the disaster.

The end of Atlantis and the beginning of the legend

The peace and prosperity that reigned there for many centuries collapsed overnight through the fault of the Atlanteans themselves. The author writes that until the inhabitants of the island put virtue above wealth and honors, the inhabitants of heaven were favorable to them, but turned away from them as soon as the shine of gold overshadowed spiritual values ​​in their eyes. Looking at how people who had lost their divine essence were filled with pride, greed and malice, Zeus did not want to restrain his anger and, having gathered the other gods, gave them the right to pronounce their sentence. This is where the manuscript of the ancient Greek philosopher ends, but, judging by the catastrophe that soon befell the evil, proud people, 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 remains unknown) attracted the attention of many ancient Greek historians and writers. In particular, the Athenian Hellanicus, who lived in the 5th century BC. e., also describes this island in one of his works, calling it, however, somewhat differently - Atlantiad - and without mentioning its destruction. However, modern researchers, for a number of reasons, believe that his story is related not to the lost Atlantis, but to Crete, which successfully survived centuries, in whose history the sea god Poseidon also appears, who conceived a son from an earthly maiden.

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 an equally famous historian, call this 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, destroyed them for the lawlessness they committed.

A figment of fantasy that has survived centuries

The attitude of modern researchers to the information presented in Plato’s dialogues and in the works of a number of other authors is extremely skeptical. Most of them consider Atlantis a legend that has no basis in reality. Their position is explained primarily by the fact that for many centuries no material evidence of its existence was discovered. This is true. There is absolutely no archaeological evidence of the existence of such a developed civilization in West Africa or Greece at the end of the Ice Age, as well as the millennia closest to it.

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

He could well have borrowed the beginning of the legend from the rich Russian mythology, in which gods often became the founders of entire nations and continents. As for the tragic outcome 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, his descendants) the absence of traces of his existence.

Researchers of antiquity also draw attention to the fact that when talking about the mysterious continent located near the western coast of Africa and its inhabitants, the author cites exclusively greek names and geographical names. This is very strange and suggests that he came up with them himself.

Tragic mistake

To conclude the article, we will present several very interesting statements made today by ardent supporters of the historicity of the existence of Atlantis. As mentioned above, today it has been 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. Pseudoscientists are not inferior to them, trying to pass off their fabrications as discoveries they allegedly made.

For example, in recent years, articles have repeatedly appeared in the press, as well as on the Internet, that the Atlanteans (whose existence the authors did not question) achieved such great progress that they conducted extensive research activities in the field of nuclear physics. Even the disappearance of the continent itself is explained by the tragedy that occurred as a result of their unsuccessful nuclear test.