Atlantis the sunken city A presentation by : Xenofon Kalogeropoulos and Jason Dikeos

Introduction to the myth Atlantis ….. The myth of the sunken city has been troubling the scientific community since its birth. Geologists, historians, archeologists and many more sought to find the answer in the pages of Plato’s book, in the geological structure of the sea’s floor or in the reports of famous historians. The existence, the exact location or even the mystery of the destruction of the city has had a huge impact on culture and still intrigues us to this day. The goal of this informative presentation is to show not only that Atlantis had existed in the ancient times, but that it was also near the Greek seas and that its culture and civilization was obviously affected by the ancient Greek one. Please enjoy.

An unlikely witness Plato Plato’s description of the Atlantis was only a few hundred words and was divided in two short parts, Tinnaeus and Critias. Plato described Atlantis as a large island (more like a continent ) which was larger than Libya and Asia combined. Atlantis was situated somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, beyond the Pillars of Heracles which were the limits of the known world at the time. Although Atlantis was so far away from the other ancient civilizations, Plato reported that its influence extended from Italy to Greece to Egypt. There are not many details about the Atlantean civilization, but from Plato’s description it must have had many cultural similarities with the ancient Greek civilization but its society was described as the perfect society which originated from divine beginnings that existed thousands of years before the Classical Greek times.

The destruction of Atlantis There are many contradicting theories about how Atlantis was destroyed. Despite their number, they all agree on one thing, Atlantis was destroyed in a day and was never to be seen again …. The most notable and accepted theory is that a giant underwater earthquake caused a tsunami to cover and sink the whole island of Atlantis.Another wide spread theory is that a cataclysmic volcanic eruption completely destroyed Atlantis. Also a theory close to the previous one is that the island of Atlantis was in fact a volcano and that once it erupted, it destroyed the Atlantean civilization.

The destruction of Atlantis (//) Many witnesses had claimed that a large circular rock sent from the gods “ fell from the sky” at immense speed, annihilating Atlantis. The witnesses aren’t so reliable because of their profession. These witnesses were sailors from passing ships that saw this “rock” heading for the direction of Atlantis. Sailors were known to be exaggerating about facts such as the weather conditions or about strange things they saw on their trips so they couldn’t be counted as reliable sources of information, it s a theory though. This circular rock that fell from the sky does fit the description of a meteorite, so it is somewhat possible that such an event occurred. It is widely known that the ancients would believe that events like the fall of a meteorite were signs sent by the gods or even the divine punishment.

The destruction of Atlantis (///) Legend also states that the once great city was not destroyed by any of the means mentioned previously, but instead by a giant pre-historic octopus-like creature that was sleeping for thousands of years and was infuriated due to the actions of the residents of Atlantis. However, that story remains a myth because such a creature never really existed…. Or did it?

Location of the sunken city At first the location of Atlantis was thought to be somewhere close to the Straits of Gibraltar but not too far from America.This determination was given by the scientific community of the 20 th Century. Later this was altered by many, who used differently cited sources, so many different as well, locations for the sunken city were introduced to the world. With the creation of the World Wide Web, even more possible locations were revealed. The following slide will provide you with a graphic reconstruction of the world map with all the possible locations of the sunken city of Atlantis …..

First Possible Location Antarctica French Polynesia Caribbean Ireland Spain

The real Atlantis Many people treat the story of Atlantis as a mere myth, a fairy tale with a bad ending. Atlantis was real and it was as close as ever to Greece. People knew this city with another name, Helike. The city of Helike was the capital of the Achaean League and its location was in northern Peloponnesus, Achaea two kilometers away from the Corinthian Gulf. Helike’s protector god was Poseidon the god of the sea and earthquakes. The city of Helike was a flourishing and growing city with its citizens becoming richer and richer. Suddenly in a winter night of the year 373 before Christ, the city of Helike was completely destroyed by a violent earthquake and a tsunami that followed afterwards. The tsunami, submerged the city underwater. The city of Helike does fit the profile of the myth of Atlantis ….

The Destruction of Helike The night of the winter of the year 373 b.c Helike suffered a great catastrophe. Suddenly and without any previous warnings, an earthquake destroyed the city of Helike and by the morning, only the silent water stood where once the great city of Helike existed …. There were no survivors of the destruction and the surrounding city states would ravage what was left from the city of Helike. Until the year 2001, the city was thought to be an ancient legend although many archaeologists claimed that it was real. There wasn’t any ongoing research for the city until the year 1993 when the Helike Society led by the archaeologist, Dora Katsonopoulou excavated the site.…

The rediscovery of Helike Despite the opposition of a large number of archaeologists Dora and her team of archaeologists rediscovered the sunken city of Helike inside an ancient lagoon in the sea bed of the Corinthian Gulf.

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The Atlanteans According to Plato, the Atlanteans were tall intimidating people, with very pale skin. Their eyes were very brightly colored and their hair was mostly dark colored. In the Atlantean society, women had a higher position than men as far as their occupations and duties. The women for example were the ones who would take part in the governing of Atlantis. Whereas the men were more interested in hunting, taking part in competitions that would allow them to show the society their physical attributes. Their clothing was much similar to the Greek manner of dress, consisting of cloaks, sandals, golden necklaces, earrings and such jewellery.

A target of the Nazis Adolf Hitler, dictator of Germany, searched for remnants of his perfect race, the Arian race in the myth of Atlantis. He requested the advice of Heinrich Himmler, commander of the SS. His theory was that a tribe from northern Europe occupied the island of Atlantis and built a civilization there. The destruction of Atlantis, according to Himmler, was caused by melting glaciers which raised the sea level thus causing the sinking of Atlantis. Also he thought that what was left from Atlantis, would be found in the Canarian Islands, close to the African Shore. A team of scientists and anthropologists examined the local Canarian people in order to find samples of Arian DNA in their blood. The beginning of the war stopped the scientists from examining further more the myth of Atlantis.

Cultural Influence The mystery of Atlantis has influenced modern culture in many different ways. Books, movies, artwork and even an animated film by Walt Disney Pictures were the results of that influence.

Closing In conclusion, the myth of Atlantis is an intriguing story that influences the world to this very day and shall not be forgotten. Although we may never find out the truth behind the mysterious tale, we can always assume that there is an answer to be found in the deepest parts of the ocean. Of all the mysteries this world has to offer, this one might just be the most compelling and, quite possibly, the most terrifying. A shining example of the raw force of nature, a reminder to man that he is not above Mother Nature and that we must always remember that despite our constant evolution we must honor our true heritage.

Bibliography   Wikipedia   Encyclopedia of Ancient Mysteries  Ancient Wonders

Bibliography (//)    atlantis.htm atlantis.htm       

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