The technology of Atlanteans

 

Plato, in his dialogue of “Critias”, after having been primarily referred in the war between Athenians - Atlanteans and the "Genealogy of the Atlanteans" (see here), is then referred to their progress in technology and to their most important technical achievements. The favourable climate and the rich subsoil played a vital role in this progress. The translation of the text is word-by-word:

"...The country was rich and productive. There was abundance in all goods of life. Atlantis was distinguished for its expanded flora. Its vegetation was luxuriant. There were many tall and big trees, with plenty of vegetables, soft and dried fruits. It fed many tame and wild animals, and a great number of domesticated elephants. The subsoil was rich in noble and valuable metals, mainly copper, bronze, gold, silver and tin. Bronze was evaluated after gold. They also used ivory mostly in decorations.

The climate and environment, “the dominant mild temperature of seasons”, was ideal for the evolution of people’s intelligence, high virtues, sobriety, discernment, power and grandeur. All the inhabitants were pro-labor, progressive and gradually developed an enviable and incomparable civilization.

They constructed mines and foundries, and also small industries where they elaborated metals used also in their dreamlike constructions.

All the necessary means for their life and their tools were made of fine metals. The emblems of kings and leaders, the sacred ware, the craters and cups for the libations and the ornaments were all made of pure gold. Many of their statues were made of gold and ivory together with silver and bronze.

They constructed grandeur structures, majestic palaces and other mansions, temples, altars, big bridges, arches, harbors, shipyards and navy yards, canals, artificial lakes, large boats, chariots and plenty of statues, monuments, tombs and pyramids. Their temples were made of colored boulders and those of great importance were covered by golden, silver, tin or bronze plates. The temples had a trapezoid shape.

The central palace was gorgeous. It stood imposing on a hill. Its walls were built with huge carved stones in black, white and red color, ornamented with tin. On the one hand they chopped the huge stones in order to build the mansions in the stony soil and on the other hand they constructed in the interior two deep store rooms for boats, having the same roof of rock.

The wall of the Acropolis was faced with bronze, that seemed as if shining through flames.

In Acropolis there was situated the beautiful temple of Poseidon, made of ivory and gold. The statue of god was stood in a chariot with six winged horses and it was so high that reached the roof of the temple. It was surrounded by one hundred Nereids sitting on delphins. The altar was also found in the Acropolis and was similarly beautiful as the temple. There were still plenty of statues.

The mansions and the Acropolis were surrounded by water rings connected with passages that led to the center. The passages were blocked by gates placed between towers - guardhouses - and above them there were bridges. Their opening had space for a trireme, which could sail underground below the bridges.

The water rings of the Acropolis were connected with sea - which was fifty stadions (9.250 meters) apart - by a canal of three square measures (88,71 meters) width and one hundred feet (25 meters) depth. At the edge of the canal there was a vast entry with a great capacity for the boats to pass through rings.

The big harbor near Atlantis, the capital of the united kingdom, was spacious and always full of boats and merchants from all over the world. The stores for the ships were full of triremes and enough equipment placed in order. The fleet of Atlantis was consisted of 1.200 different boats.

Regarding their other constructions, many of them were made of colorful blended stones that looked exquisite. They constructed, in the fertile land, an artificial lake of ten thousand stadions (1.850 square kilometers), where they conveyed the surplus of water for the summer. The lake water was channeled through ditches and dikes to the plain in order to water the fields. In this way, they regulated cultivation and mowed twice a year!

In the sacred forest of Poseidon, there were springs with cold and hot water and roofed outdoor tanks. In Atlantis, there were also gardens with plants and flowers, gymnasiums and a hippodrome.

Up on the hills, they constructed lakes with dams, connected with wide dikes and rivers coming from the plain. In these lakes, they accumulated the pieces of wood, chopped them and then released water so as to sweep them off the dikes towards the plain."

...and the dialogue of “Critias” by Plato continues with the "Administration of the State" (see here).