Atlantis the Lost Continent

The Lost Continent of Atlantis is one of the most compelling legends of our civilization, and has inspired all kinds of stories and speculation. Yet all of our knowledge of Atlantis comes to us secondhand from a source thousands of years old.

The source of the Legend of Atlantis is the Greek Philosopher Plato in his works Timeaus and Critias. In these dialogues, Plato tells the story of a Greek statesman named Solon, who traveled to Egypt, and there, he was given the story of Atlantis, which was then 9,000 years old.

According to the Story Solon heard, there was once a mighty island nation named Atlantis which existed in the middle of the world ocean, beyond the 'Pillars of Heracles' (known today as the Straight of Gibraltar). The Atlanteans began attempting to conquer the surrounding lands, including Greece and Egypt.

From Greece, a group of men from Athens led a united force, with allies from all over Greece, to Atlantis to meet the attacking Atlanteans. The men from Athens were abandoned by their allies, and had to fight on alone, and yet they managed to defeat the Athenians. Unfortunately, after the Athenians had won the battle, the island of Atlantis was struck by huge earthquakes and flooding. In a single night and day, Atlantis disappeared beneath the sea.

Whether Plato had more to write about Atlantis is unknown. Plato may have had another work titled Hermocrates, in which he may have explored the legend of Atlantis further. This work if it existed, was apparently never finished, and the brief light that shone on the story of Atlantis fades once again into uncertaintly.

Atlantis has become a popular source of myth and new stories and legends are continually crafted to include this mythic place, to the point that it is often difficult to determine what the true story actually contains. Atlantis has become a popular symbol in the New Age movement, and famed American psychic Edgar Cayce gave readings about Atlantis. Scientists today look for new clues as to its whereabouts. Locations were theorized ranging from the Phillippines to the Mediterranean, to the Bahamas to beneath Antarctica. And we don't even know if it ever really existed, or if Plato made it up to prove a point.

Will we ever answer the questions of whether Atlantis existed and where? Atlantis has held onto its secrets this long. This could end up being an unsolvable mystery for generations to come.