Atlantis: the land of myth, of mystery, one of history's greatest 'what-ifs.' Is it merely a legend? Or, like our own Dwaraka, could it be a lost land submerged beneath the waves, still waiting to be found? Believers and skeptics alike can agree on one thing that further probing into the enigma is inevitable.
One needs to begin with the man who kickstarted the world’s fascination with Atlantis—Plato. Around 360 B.C., Plato recorded the first known accounts of this magnificent city in his dialogues Timaeus and Critias. According to him, Atlantis was a utopian island kingdom located beyond the "Pillars of Hercules" (modern-day Strait of Gibraltar) and home to an extraordinarily advanced civilization.
In his works, Plato describes Atlantis as a powerful empire, with rulers who were half-god, half-human (predictably so, this is Greek mythology after all). They had incredible wealth, vast resources, and an eye for architecture, as evidenced by the circular canals and towering temples that supposedly decorated the land. However, like most things too good to be true, Atlantis grew too powerful, too proud, and too corrupt. The Gods, naturally enough, grew angry at their hubris and decided that the only proper punishment was to have the island literally sink into the sea.
Was this meant to be a mere bedtime story? — Plato’s dialogues have sparked millennia of debate. Was he recounting a historical reality or using the tale as a metaphor for human arrogance? Could Atlantis be a cautionary tale for overreaching demigods and mortals alike? Possibly. The truth remains buried, much like Atlantis itself (assuming it ever existed).
According to the myth, Atlantis was ruled by none other than Poseidon, the mighty God of the sea, who fathered the island’s first king, Atlas (no, he is a mortal, not the cursed Titan who holds the sky). In honour of his son, the city was named Atlantis, and the vast surrounding ocean was named the Atlantic.
Of course, we cannot mention Poseidon without also referencing Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series. Poseidon’s resplendent underwater Palace, its grandeur and its technological advancement thanks to the works of Cyclops (who were also sons of Poseidon) is reminiscent of Atlantis. In the series, there are numerous hints that Atlantis is very much existent and continues to be the stronghold of Poseidon. And yet, funnily enough, Percy in a conversation with Jason Grace, calls Atlantis a myth, a “made-up myth”.
Moving away from mere myths, there have also been records of other measures to retrieve Atlantis. From archaeologists to conspiracy theorists, many have scoured the earth in search of Atlantis’ remains. Some think it lies beneath the mudflats of southern Spain, others claim it’s hidden in the depths of the Mediterranean. A few theories suggest it’s Antarctica (frozen beneath the ice), and some even posit it’s buried under the Bermuda Triangle. Every now and then, a shipwreck is found, or a mysterious underwater formation is spotted, and the media erupts with the announcement: ‘Atlantis has been found!’
Spoiler alert: Atlantis has not yet been found.
But here’s the thing: even though there’s no solid archaeological evidence, there’s plenty of mystery that keeps us hoping. ‘The Bimini Road’, for example — a strange underwater rock formation off the coast of the Bahamas — has sparked claims that it could be part of the lost city. Though scientists argue it’s a natural formation, believers refuse to let go of the possibility.
Or consider the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete. This advanced Bronze Age society mysteriously vanished around 1600 B.C. after a catastrophic volcanic eruption on the nearby island of Thera (modern-day Santorini). The Minoans were known for their art, architecture, and seafaring abilities, and some historians speculate that Plato might have been inspired by their sudden demise when crafting his tale of Atlantis.
In Plato’s tale, Atlantis was more than just a technological marvel; it was a political powerhouse, a flourishing empire that dominated much of the Mediterranean. But like many empires in real history, the Atlanteans grew greedy. The irony? Their downfall wasn’t caused by external invaders or natural disasters (although an earthquake and flood did play a role in the end) but by their own corruption and moral decay. It’s a tale as old as time — power leads to hubris, and hubris leads to doom.
Atlantis isn’t just a lost city; it’s a symbol. Its allure lies in the idea of a perfect society that was ultimately undone by its own ambition — a warning, perhaps, that even the greatest civilizations are vulnerable to collapse. But it also represents hope — the idea that somewhere, out there, lies a forgotten world waiting to be rediscovered. A treasure of knowledge, wisdom, and beauty that we can only dream about.
Whether it was a mere figment of Plato’s imagination, a civilization lost to time, or just a metaphor for humanity’s fragility, Atlantis continues to captivate us. The quest to find Atlantis will probably never end. As long as there are mysteries in the ocean’s depths, as long as humans dream of golden cities lost to time, Atlantis will remain a tantalising possibility.
