Atlantis (the Myth)

The myth of Atlantis first appeared in Plato’s dialogues Timaeus and Critias. The main character of the story is a great Greek legislator and poet named Solon. In his dialogues, Plato writes that Solon had visited the Egyptian city, Sais, about one hundred and fifty years ago. It was in that city where Solon first heard the myth of the Island of Atlantis as it was told by priests. According to Egyptian legend, about nine millennia ago, the rulers who had power over Atlantis, and other Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, were in constant conflict with the Athenians. During one battle, the rulers of Atlantis sent out troops to Europe and Asia. The Athenians successfully halted the invasion and even freed Egypt and other countries that were under the control of Atlantian rulers. Shortly after the battle, Atlantis suffered horrendous natural disasters and eventually the island disappeared under the sea. In his dialogues, Plato also described the history of Atlantis and what led to the warring relations between the rulers of Atlantis and the rest of the world. Atlantis was created at the beginning of time when all of the gods were dividing the world among themselves. Poseidon attained power over Atlantis, an island larger than the continent of Asia. Poseidon married Cleito, a mortal woman, and together they ruled Atlantis. Poseidon and Cleito had ten boys, five sets of twins. The oldest son, or the first boy of the first set of twins, was named Atlas who gained power over portion of the land of Atlantis. Atlantis was a very prosperous and peaceful land mainly due to the laws that Poseidon sets down for the rulers of Atlantis to follow. These laws were inscribed on a pillar of orichalcum. Slowly, however, Poseidon’s laws were forgotten, and Atlantis began to plunge into despair. The rulers of Atlantis were no longer guided by the laws and so their rule of the land began to be driven by greed and foolishness. Zeus was troubled by the abandonment of the laws, and summoned all of the gods in order to decide the fate of Atlantis. This is where Plato’s story ends. According to legend, the Island of Atlantis had sunk near the Bay of Naples.

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