The dialogue "TIMAEUS" according to PlatoIn his dialogue "Timaeus" Plato (427 - 347 B.C.) mentions among others the story which Kritias narrated which he knew by the old tradition. This story, as Kritias says, is true and it had been written since very ancient times in Solon's notes. Solon had visited ancient Egypt (in 590 B.C.) where the priests led him to the sacred town Sais in the delta of the Nile river. In that town there was the temple of Niith (Athena in Greek) which was the goddess in which believes the inhabitants as their leader and founder of the city. Inside that temple they revealed him the ancient secrets which were written in books and stones with hieroglyphic symbols. Some of the secrets that the priests translated to Solon were the following:
We mention, translated to the modern Greek language, what the priests of Sais told about the second subject, which interests us, to Solon (The notes in the parenthesis are ours): "...Many and great achievements of your city (note: it refers to Athens as it was before the grate cataclysm) are written here (note: it means carved in the stones of the temple of Sais) so as (the city) to be admired. However, one stands out in grandeur and heroism. Because our writing say that your city faced once a great power, which was invading at the same time, to the Europe and Asia, "coming rushingly from the Atlantic open sea". Because then, that open sea (pelagos) could be walked, because in his entrance, there was an island (land) in the mouth which you now call Hercules Stones (note: it means Gibraltar). This island was larger than Libya and Asia together, and through it travelers could go to other islands. (25) and from those islands, afterwards, to all the endless continent which was found around that real Ocean. Because these places, any of which are inside the strait which we mentioned, they look like a harbor which has a narrow entrance , those (out) however of the strait are a real ocean and the ground (land) which surrounds them can undoubtedly and very correctly be called a continent". "In this island, Atlantis, "The Atlantic island" was formed a great and wonderful power of kings which ruled the whole island and "many other islands and places of the continent". Apart from those places, mostly, from the inside part to Libya, dominated up to Egypt, and from the side of Europe until Tyrrhenia (note: this is how was West Italy called). All this power, after gathering and forming a unit, it attempted with a rushing out to enslave both yours and our place, and all the places to the inside of the narrow pass (Hercules Stones). It was then, Solon, that the power of your city shone to the eyes off all people for its heroism and its bravery. Because it surpassed everyone in courage and the arts which were enforced to war, at the beginning as head, leader of the Greeks, and later when she remained alone, when the other rebelled, after it had faced innumerable great dangers, it beat the invaders and setup triumphs. Therefore, all those who hadn't enslaved yet, it prevented them from being slaves and released bravery all the others, who lived as we did, in the inside, where are the limits of the Hercules stones". Δ. "Later, however, because happened horrible and terrifying, earthquakes and floods, a terrible a day and night was enough for all your army to disappear all at once. The earth opened and shallowed them and after that sang and disappeared the island of Atlantis. For this reason, until now, that pelagos is impassable and unexplored because it really impedes the mass of mad to the shallow rocks which were left in that place after the sinking of the island..." Copyright © by |
Atlanteans against Athenians
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