Lake Tritonis in Western Animals Either Created by the Painter's Art, Or, Northafrica
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Was Atlantis a Bronze Age Metropolis in Northafrica? U. Hofmann Independant Researcher, Germany ABSTRACT geological structure consisting of several No doubt about Plato's intension: The Atlantis concentric circles recently discovered in the tale was placed to illustrate the 'Ideal State' eastern part of the Algerian plateau. For 100 developed in his earlier work 'Politea'. years already egyptology has knowledge of a Repeatedly that fact was used to claim the mighty ancient power that in fact ruled Atlantis tale was pure fiction. But neither Northafrica from west as far as egypt: Tehenu. Prehistoric Athens nor the description of Atlantis show sufficient correspondence with 1. THE QUESTION OF CREDIBILITY the Ideal State. Plato admits the Atlantis tale Frequently the argumentation by critics can be was unperfect but emphasizes the tale's merit: found Plato's only intension was to illustrate its authenticity. When Plato wrote down the 'Ideal State' that he had developed earlier 'Critias' almost any greek might have visited in his previous work 'Politea' and therefore the egypt to prove the story either to be right or Atlantis account simply was not more but wrong. None of the critics seems to have taken fiction. — Indeed, the critics are right: In his that point into account. An often neglected dialogues 'Timaeus' and 'Critias' Plato leaves detail is, Plato describes Atlantis to have ruled no doubt about that his intension to place the Libya as far as egypt. That means Atlantis Atlantis tale exactly was to illustrate the Ideal must have been located west of Libya and State of Politea. In 'Timaeus' Plato lets Libya itself must already have been part of the Socrates say: Atlantean territory. That coincides with a 'I should like, before proceeding further, to tell statement of Herodotus who tells about a you how I feel about the State which we have libyan people called 'Atlantioi' living far in the described [in 'Politea']. I might compare west of Northafrica. Also greek mythology myself to a person who, on beholding beautiful places Atlas near Lake Tritonis in western animals either created by the painter's art, or, Northafrica. Plato describes Atlantis as a huge better still, alive but at rest, is seized with a island with a large central plain everywhere desire of seeing them in motion or engaged in surrounded by high mountains. That some struggle or conflict to which their forms description matches very well the Maghreb. appear suited;' (Plato,Timaeus). The Algerian plateau is everywhere Since that passage is part of the introduction to surrounded by the chains of the Atlas Critias' summary of the Atlantis tale it is quite mountains. The shallow Atlantean sea that obvious that the Atlantis story in fact was used should have finally vanished resembles the for illustration of the Ideal State. But the description of Lake Tritonis which today is important question is: Does that really imply identified with Chott el-Djerid. Further details or prove the Atlantis account needs to be pure like the elefants of Atlantis correspond very fiction? Of course not. There is a number of well to the west of Northafrica. Infrared good reasons to believe that Plato's Atlantis satellite images show a huge sunken account refers to a true story: First of all, Plato and describe the most important characteristic: claims and emphasizes several times the the philosophers who were to be the head of Atlantis account was true. Also Solon's travel Plato's Ideal State? Of course, the answer is to Sais in egypt is verified by Herodotus and 'No'. Plato himself was aware of the fact that others. We also know the chain of the Atlantis story was unperfect but the transmission can have taken place in that way important merit of the story was its Plato described (Welliver, 1977). Furthermore authenticity. That is why Plato repeatedly the enormous diversity of details the story stresses the story was true. That merit was to presents, for example the Atlantean flora and be put value on in an appropriate way. But fauna, can be valued as indication of a true there is still another very important reason for transmission. Even the unbelievably high why Plato's Atlantis account should not be count of 9,000 years that after Plato should regarded as a fictive story: At that time when have passed since the time of the Atlantean Plato wrote down the dialogues 'Timaeus' and war is not a fact that reveals Plato as a liar. 'Critias' almost any greek might have visited Quite the reverse, that agrees very well to the egypt to prove the story either to be right or fact that also Herodotus tells about an age of wrong. So the question is: Why Plato should egypt of more than 11,000 years (Herodotus, have taken the risk to be revealed as liar? History). Since also the egyptian priest None of the critics seems to have taken that Manetho reported such an unbelievably high point into account. And does it make sense to age of egypt it must be assumed there was a believe that Plato wrote down a false and systematic error in the egyptian chronicles at fictive story and then just to continue and that time. That is why Plato's '9000 years' worsen his lie he claimed he had got the story should be regarded as indicating authenticity from Solon, the probably most famous of the Atlantis story. But in addition to that statesman of Athens? — What a sinner then even the critics should recognize that the Plato must have been. Atlantis tale is a hopelessly unperfect As a result of these arguments it seems to be illustration of the Ideal State that hardly shows more likely that Plato transmitted a true story coincidence with the state Plato developed in and so scientists and academics are probably 'Politea'. After reading the presentations of the faced with a real challenge to at long last two states Ur-Athens and Atlantis in 'Critias' reveal the Atlantis mystery. it does not immediately come clear which of these two states was to represent the Ideal 2. ATTEMPT OF AN OBJECTIVE SEARCH State. This only is assigned by a single explicit statement of Critias: As a consequence of the preceding discussion 'The city and citizens, which you yesterday and argumentation this chapter now tries to described to us in fiction, we will now transfer focus on an unbiased search for Atlantis by to the world of reality. It shall be the ancient regarding Plato's Atlantis account as a city of Athens, and we will suppose that the predominantly unfalsified historic citizens whom you imagined [in 'Politea'], transmission. The base for that latter were our veritable ancestors, of whom the assumption however can only be Critias' priest spoke;' (Plato, Timaeus). statement of an existing passed on manuscript. So, if Ur-Athens was the Ideal State and not Atlantis, we need to ask why then the 2.1 Geographical references description of Atlantis is about twice as large Plato describes Atlantis as a huge island, as the description of Ur-Athens? And it is also larger as Libya and Asia put together, situated rather mysterious that in the dialogue 'Critias' in front of the 'Pillars of Heracles'. Commonly the only coincidence of Ur-Athens and the this latter expression is regarded as an ancient Ideal State which Plato developed in 'Politea' synonym for the Straits of Gibraltar. Atlantis seems to be the seperated class of warriors. was either surrounded by or at least bordering Does it make sense to assume the Atlantis tale on an ocean called 'Atlantic'. Obviously the was a fictive story that was created to illustrate straight-forward solution then is supposed to the Ideal State and Plato only forgot to include be a location of Atlantis on the other side of Gibraltar in that ocean which still today is today does not exist anymore. But to continue called 'Atlantic Ocean'. Most of the published our search it is necessary first to follow an theories about Atlantis therefore locate important geographical clue that Plato presents Atlantis west of Gibraltar. But is that in his dialogues: In 'Timaeus' Critias tells: apparently obvious solution really in 'furthermore, the men of Atlantis had accordance also with the further details of subjected the parts of Libya within the Plato's description? Geologists have shown columns of Heracles as far as Egypt, and of that none of the Atlantic islands situated on the Europe as far as Tyrrhenia' (Plato, Timaeus). other side of Gibraltar can be remnants of a If Atlantis ruled Europe as far as Tyrrhenia large sunken island as what Plato describes (Southern Italy) and Lybia (the land west of Atlantis. Quite the reverse, most of the egypt) as far as Egypt then Atlantis must have Atlantic islands are of volcanic origin and been situated west of Libya and Libya itself show a continuous uplift (Kukal, 1984). But must already have been part of the Atlantean the most important detail that absolutely territory. So, without exaggeration, the land contradicts an assumed location of Atlantis west of Egypt can be understood as "entrance" west of Gibraltar is found in the description of to Atlantis and of course that important trace the ocean that Plato calls 'Atlantic'. In needs to be followed. 'Timaeus' we read at first: 'This power came forth out of the Atlantic Ocean, for in those days the Atlantic was navigable' and later on the text says: ? 'because there is a shoal of mud in the way; Tyrrhenia and this was caused by the subsidence of the island' (Plato, Timaeus). ? Libya In no way that description matches the ocean Egypt that we call 'Atlantic' today.