Atlantis

Vocabulary

Atlantis was a legendary continent that many people believe sank into the Atlantic Ocean thousands of years ago.

The first mention of Atlantis appeared during the 300’s B.C. in Critias and Timaeus, two works by the Greek philosopher Plato.

According to Plato, a brilliant civilization once existed on Atlantis.

But its people became corrupt and greedy, and so the gods decided to punish them. During one day and night, great explosions shook Atlantis, and the continent sank into the sea.

Plato’s tale of Atlantis fascinated many people of later times. They developed various theories about the location of the continent and how it disappeared.

A number of expeditions attempted to discover the remains of Atlantis. Some people have claimed that Atlantis was the basis of all later civilizations. A few have even predicted that the continent will someday rise from the sea.

Today, many scholars believe Atlantis was actually the island of Thera in the Aegean Sea, about 110 kilometres north of the larger island of Crete.

Volcanic eruptions destroyed most of Thera about 1470 B.C. and largely wiped out the Minoan civilization, which had flourished on both Thera and Crete.

Scholars think this civilization and its collapse inspired Plato’s description of Atlantis.

Others believe that Atlantis was located in the southern coast of Spain.
 

Questions

1. What is the source of the history or legend of Atlantis?

2. Atlantis was a savage, barbaric place. True or false?

3. Did the people of Atlantis change or did they remain the same?

4. What happened to Atlantis?

5. Archeologists have looked for Atlantis. Yes or no?
 
 
A. Many people think Atlantis never existed, and that it was just a myth. If this is so, why did Plato write about it?

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