PLATO

Platowas aphilosopher, as
well as mathematician,
inClassical Greece, and an
influential figure in
philosophy, central
inWestern philosophy. He
wasSocrates' student, and
founded
theAcademyinAthens, the
first institution of higher
learning in theWestern
world. Along with Socrates

Plato's story centers

on
Solon, a great Greek
legislator and poet
who journeyed to
Egypt
years
While some
in the150
Egyptian
earlier.
city of
Sais Solon
received the story of
Atlantis from priests.
The priests respected
Solon's reputation and
cordially welcomed

Athena

Neith

They believed their deityNeithto be the

same deity as the Greeks calledAthena.

 Therefore, she was believed to be the

patroness and protector of both Greece and

900 years ago,

These ancient and powerful kings or rulers of

Atlantis had formed a confederation by which
they controlled Atlantis and other islands as well.
They began a war from their homeland in the
Atlantic Ocean and sent fighting troops to Europe

Against this attack the men of Athens formed a

coalition from all over Greece to halt it. When this
coalition met difficulties their allies deserted
them and the Athenians fought on alone to defeat
the Atlantian rulers. They stopped an invasion of
their own country as well as freeing Egypt and

Shortly after their victory, even before the

Athenians could return home, Atlantis suffered
catastrophic earthquakes and floods until it
disappeared beneath the sea. All of the brave
men were swallowed up in one day and night of
horror according to legend. This is why the

It was then that the immortal gods divided the

world among themselves and each ruled their
proportion. The godPoseidon received Atlantis,
an island . He chose for a wife the mortal woman
Cleito, and with her begun the royal family of
Atlantis.

Poseidon built Cleito's home on a high hill at the very

center of the island. The home overlooked a fertile plain
bordered by the sea. For his beloved wife's protection
Poseidon surrounded her house with five concentric
rings of water and land. He carved the rings with the
ease and skill of a god. He made hot and cold springs
come from the earth. With the development of a future
city his descendants never lacked for water.

Cleito bore Poseidon ten sons, five sets of boys.

Atlasthe first son of the first set of twins, was
made king over the vast territory by his father.
His brothers were appointed princes and each
ruled over a large section of the territory that was
distributed to him. The most valuable section of
the kingdom remained his mother's home on the
hilltop and the land surrounding it. This was given
to Atlas. Atlas himself had many sons with the
succession of the throne always passing to the

Poseidon sat down laws for Atlantis that the

rulers were to fellow. The ruling body was to meet
regularly. It was to consist of ten rulers that
represented the first rulers -- Atlas and his nine
brothers -- who reigned with absolute power of
life and death over their subjects. These meeting
occurred in the temple of Poseidon where the first

As long as they judged and lived by Poseidon's

laws they and the kingdom prospered. When the
laws began to be forgotten trouble began. Soon
pride overtook the rulers who soon began
grasping for greater power. ThenZeus saw what
had happened to the rulers. They had abandoned
the laws of the gods and acted in an evil coalition
as men. He assembled all the gods

To collaborate this 900 year theory there is

geological evidence showing that roughly about
1500 BCE there was a gigantic volcanic eruption
which caused half of the island to sink into the
sea. Also a lost city has been said to have sunk in
the Bay of Naples. At the time several rich and
luxurious seaside resorts were located in the
area. In the retelling of the story of Atlantis it is
easy to see how one of these cities could be
associated with it. The story is still being told
which enthralls hundreds, as archaeological digs

By:
Vidhya Ananthavel
S.Roshini
R.Sakthi Sree