Atlantis is a mystery that still causes us to question whether this ancient civilisation existed or not and if it did where is its resting place? The Atlantis mystery is best satisfied with the theory that Atlantis was a myth, a story fabricated by Plato to convey some of his philosophical theories.
Atlantis could not have been real, as there is no physical evidence of a place that matched Plato’s descriptions in his two famous dialogues, Timaeus and Critias. As seen in Source A from Plato’s Timaeus, the island of Atlantis existed in the Atlantis Ocean as it, “came forth out of the Atlantis Ocean.” This source along with Plato’s description that "The island [Atlantis] was larger than Libya and Asia combined," leads to the conclusion that if
Atlantis did in fact exist, then there would be some sort of evidence today that this ancient civilisation was real. However, research aided by technological advancements throughout the 20th century have created highly detailed maps of the Atlantic seafloor, showing a pattern of uninterrupted seafloor crustal spreading extending away from a central longitudinal expansion ridge, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. There are no excessively large sunken plateaus or evidence of a submerged or subducting continent anywhere in the Atlantic, only a few relatively small plateaus associated with undersea ridges and a few small islands. Even if Atlantis did not lie in the Atlantic Ocean, there are absolutely no signs of large sunken continents lying beneath any of the world's oceans. Therefore there is no evidence that Atlantis – an island larger than Libya and Asia combined – ever existed. Furthermore, Atlantis wasn’t a real place, but instead a mythical island fabricated by Plato to convey some of his philosophical theories, as there are no other records of Atlantis’ existence. In Plato’s dialogues, he mentioned that Atlantis existed 9000 years before his own time of c. 400-300 B.C. However, this in turn brings into question that if Atlantis existed 9000 years before him, why there were no other written records in that 9000 year gap. So, if Atlantis never really did exist, it would mean that the story of this ancient civilisation was a myth written by Plato. After all, Plato was a philosopher with many works dedicated to the nature of man. This would explain why he would write about a highly advanced, utopian civilization that became greedy, petty, and morally bankrupt, and consequently punished by the gods as the people had lost their way and turned to immoral pursuits. The most satisfactory explanation for the mystery of Atlantis would be the idea that the story of this ancient civilisation was a myth written by the philosopher Plato to make an example of the consequences that go with human flaws like greed. Atlantis is a myth that still catches our imaginations as the mystery fascinates us and the possibility of a utopian civilisation enthrals us. Historians and scientists continue to search for any evidence to prove that Plato’s Atlantis did exist. However, Plato’s description that Atlantis was larger than Asia and Libya combined and the fact that Plato mentioned it existing 9000 years before his own time leads to the conclusion that Atlantis really was just a story fabricated by Plato to convey some of his philosophical beliefs on human nature.
Shane Koyczan’s poem “Atlantis” demonstrates the teller of the poem going through an existential path, at the beginning of the poem the teller begins to look for the lost city of Atlantis. The poem’s first two stanzas both ended with “I’m left looking for Atlantis” (Koyczan) which can also be interoperated into I’m looking for a purpose; this show that the speaker is metaphorically looking for – the lost city within himself. This being shown through a series of significant events in which he inquires why things are the way they are, why we deposit our faith in fear or why don’t aliens hide from us better. He also talks about faith and how faith can’t put a dent in fact and by saying that it shows – fact has killed faith and if we believe that “the universe is never ending” (Koyczan) then by that we are nothing not even a microbe, which demonstrates how little he thinks of himself. Shane Koyzcan’s poem displays that through of significant experiences we can start to learn our purpose he shows this having the experiences he goes make him question the world around him. Atlantis
The novel Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson has many themes that present themselves throughout the book. One such recurring theme is a search for truth. The characters in the book do not fully realize that they are searching for truth, but they do feel a vague, "indescribable thing" that pushes and prods their minds to actualize a higher plane of thought. This search for a higher plane by the characters of Winesburg nearly parallels another literary work of ancient Greek origin- Plato's "Allegory of the Cave," which is a portion of his famous writing "The Republic." I contend that the town of Winesburg is the equivalent of the Cave in Plato's writing.
From before the dawn of civilization as we know it, humanity has formed myths and legends to explain the natural world around them. Whether it is of Zeus and Hera or Izanami-no-Mikoto and Izanagi-no-mikoto, every civilization and culture upon this world has its own mythos. However, the age of myth is waning as it is overshadowed in this modern era by fundamental religion and empirical science. The word myth has come to connote blatant falsehood; however, it was not always so. Our myths have reflected both the society and values of the culture they are from. We have also reflected our inner psyche, conscious and unconscious, unto the fabric of our myths. This reflection allows us to understand ourselves and other cultures better. Throughout the eons of humanity’s existence, the myths explain natural phenomena and the cultural legends of the epic hero have reflected the foundations and the inner turmoil of the human psyche.
As we have observed, legends about the origin and purpose of Stonehenge are many in number. It is quite possible that we may never discover the truth behind the mysterious circles of stones on Salisbury Plain, yet it is also true that the intrigue and fascination that accompanies the existence of Stonehenge will surely remain.
Myths relate to events, conditions, and deeds of gods or superhuman beings that are outside ordinary human life and yet basics to it” ("Myth," 2012). Mythology is said to have two particular meanings, “the corpus of myths, and the study of the myths, of a particular area: Amerindian mythology, Egyptian mythology, and so on as well as the study of myth itself” ("Mythology," 1993). In contrast, while the term myth can be used in a variety of academic settings, its main purpose is to analyze different cultures and their ways of thinking. Within the academic setting, a myth is known as a fact and over time has been changed through the many different views within a society as an effort to answer the questions of human existence. The word myth in an academic context is used as “ancient narratives that attempt to answer the enduring and fundamental human questions: How did the universe and the world come to be? How did we come to be here? Who are we? What are our proper, necessary, or inescapable roles as we relate to one another and to the world at large? What should our values be? How should we behave? How should we not behave? What are the consequences of behaving and not behaving in such ways” (Leonard, 2004 p.1)? My definition of a myth is a collection of false ideas put together to create
With the Minoans civilization there is still great debate on how this civilization collapsed to was it due to the cause of the rise of the Mycenaeans or by the Thera Eruption or even to an extent neither caused the Minoans civilization to collapse as it remains a mystery to this day. As to many historians and archaeologists, they try to make a statement it was one of these events that lead to their collapse while others doubt these events were not the cause of their collapse as it was other things.
During Antiquity, what could explain the mystery of Earth? No one could explain its creation, and reason of some animals and other elements formation. The author Ovid in the book Metamorphoses uses the God’s myth to explain how the world was created, and explain the meaning of life or the creation of certain animals or plants. Ovid also uses those myths to teach us lessons, which is the main meaning of his myths. All the myths have a very specific ending. Ovid wrote those myth to show us what we should achieve and not accomplish, he is like the master in Tao Te Ching, and his tying to teach us, to be better in what we are doing, by showing the punishments the character had to deal with. The three myths that teach us the most are the Minerva and Arachne myth, the Daedalus and Icarus myth and the myth of Thisbe and Pyramus. In the myth of Minerva and Arachne the lesson is that we should never be to confident and to be respectful to higher-class people. In the Daedalus and Icarus myth, Icarus had over excitement, it made him forget his father’s advices, and in the myth of Thisbe and Pyramus, the myth shows us that we should never take decision to quick and we should always think before acting. Those three myths have a lot in common, they all finish tragically, and the characters are punished or transformed to teach us the creation of some animals or elements.
Kevin Krajick’s article “Tracking Myth to Geological Reality” was published by American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2005. This article examines how many myths can be linked to geological evidence. Geologists have been investigating how ancient geological phenomenon are able to shed light on the origins of many myths. Scientist have even uncovered evidence that may serve as the inspiration for biblical stories. Many are hoping that understanding these myths and the geological phenomenon they depict will reveal important information about natural disasters like: tsunamis, floods and volcanic eruptions. It is hoped that this information will save human lives in the future. With all of these new discoveries it is important to remember that it is easy to go too far. Myth cannot account for all geological phenomenon and vice versa. It is crucial to make sure that scientific integrity remains the focus when linking myth and geology.
Myths the stories of old, how the ancients explained the creation of the world and how the human race came to be. Myths can be viewed as outdated and no longer needed. However, myths are still important today. This is the point that Joseph Campbell, and Bill Mayer discuss at Skywalker Ranch in The Power of Myth. Joseph Campbell famous mythologist is interviewed by Bill Mayer about myths from different cultures and how they are still important today. This interview makes the point that myths, although centuries old are still used today, in both popular media and other aspects of culture.
For more than half of the twentieth century, much like the pyramids, the predynastic Egypt was a mystery to archeologists. The little discoveries that had been made from the period preceding the pharaohs were not enough to either prove or disprove the various theories circulating at the time.
Over 11,000 years ago there existed an island nation located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean populated by a noble and powerful race. The people of this land possessed great wealth thanks to the natural resources found throughout their island. The island was a center for trade and commerce. The rulers of this land held sway over the people and land of their own island and well into Europe and Africa. This was the island of Atlantis.
Seven Wonders of the World were described by Greek scholars around the 4th century BCE. These included the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, and the Great Pyramid. Of all these wondrous structures, the oldest by far, the Great Pyramid, is the only one remaining and its design, purpose and construction has been a source of debate for centuries. A story from The Arabian Nights from the 8th century AD, tells how “the Great Pyramid was reputed to have magical qualities...” (Peter Tompkins, Secrets of the Great Pyramid, 1978, p.6). The 10th century Arabian historian, Abul Hasan Ali Al-Masudi,
One of the biggest questions that humans have is “what is reality”. Plato suggests that, “ we are born in illusions,” (Plato) and that the truth is initially blinding. “The Myth of the Cave,” is a narrative story about the idea of reality, it is explored though an allegory about a man finding out the truth about reality coming from a life in the dark. They can only learn about true mainly through reason and truth. The story is told as a metaphor for what happens in the natural world and how people can be stuck in the dark about reality. Plato tells the story through the voice of Socrates, his mentor.
Mythology is the basis of human nature. From the beginning of literature, mythology has defined what has been seen as the “unexplainable” or “unnatural”. Around the world, mythology has a strong impact on the beliefs of other cultures and affects their view of the world around them. Babylonian mythology and its themes of friendship and mortality explain the natural phenomenon that occurred in everyday life, the creation of the world and the creation of humankind.
In 1882, Ignatius L. Donnelly published a book named “Atlantis: the Antediluvian World”. In this book, Donnelly tried to demonstrate his hypothesis that all known ancient civilizations were descended from a specific civilization, which was Atlantis. He observed that ancie...