Atlantis existed.

Introduction Ever since Plato described Atlantis in his famous dialogues, there have been hundreds of theories and searches for the Lost City, encompassing even strange ideas such as the Bermuda Triangle. [1] However, in recent years, new theories have been formed, and I will be arguing the most convincing one, that in reality, the story of Atlantis was really the story of the Minoan civilization, with a few recognizable errors that can be understood through the blunders of historiography. My argument will be in the form of the following syllogism: 1. The Minoan civilization existed. 2. Atlantis was the Minoan civilization. 3. Therefore, Atlantis existed. In the following sections, I will argue each of my premises and then justify the conclusion, and also show how the inconstancies are really just errors in historiography. The Minoan civilization existed. This first premise will be the easiest to accept by even the most skeptical of readers. The Minoan civilization is widely documented. [2] The Minoans appeared on Crete around 2000 BC and developed a stable civilization with a culture, religion, and wealth, culminating in the construction of large palaces. [3] One of the most interesting things about the civilization is that they were a seafaring people; they constructed a navy and traded with civilizations around the Mediterranean. [4] However, study of this Bronze Age culture is hindered by the fact that we cannot read their early language, Linear A; [5] the Minoans kept hundreds of documents such as inventories, but they may never be deciphered. Many theories exist on how these ancient Cretans were destroyed, including the link between the disappearance of the Minoans and the eruption of a volcano on the nearby Thera, an eruption that not only would have devastated the neighboring Crete but would “likely have generated an even larger tsunami and pyroclastic flows that traveled much farther over the surface of the sea. ” [6] Now that parallels between the Minoans and Atlanteans are already visible, I will continue to the next premise. Atlantis was the Minoan civilization. Let us first begin with Plato’s account of the Atlanteans. Atlantis was “a naval power located at the Pillars of Hercules (today's Strait of Gibraltar) that had successfully conquered large swaths of Western Europe. After its defeat, Atlantis then sunk into the sea, never to be seen or heard from again. ” [7] Although it may seem as if I am stretching the truth here, the striking resemblance in Atlantis to the Minoans of Crete is startling. Both Atlantis according to Plato and the Minoans had a prominent navy, useful for trading or conquering, were both located in the Mediterranean or the area around (this is where the historiographical errors may be present), and both were destroyed by a cataclysmic natural event, a tsunami, or in the case of the Minoans, a volcano and subsequent tsunami. Their correlation could be a mere coincidence. I am not, however, arguing that Atlantis was a separate civilization, I am merely saying that the story of the Minoans on Crete, who the Greeks were well aware of, [8] was recounted by Plato as the story of Atlantis. While it may be difficult to wrap your mind around an entire continent sinking into the Ocean, still undiscovered despite advances in underwater exploration, it isn’t that much of a stretch to say that the story was really just a retelling of the Minoan story, a civilization already well-documented. Therefore, Atlantis existed. As I have said before, I am not arguing that Atlantis was a separate continent in the Atlantic, or even underwater. When Plato says Atlantis was “afterward sunk by an earthquake,” [9] he was referring to the volcano-caused tsunamis that destroyed Thera and Crete. When Plato says Atlantis “conveyed the fruits of the earth in ships,” [9] he was referring to the vast Minoan fleet that traded with the Mediterranean. I will now explain the many references to errors in historiography that I have mentioned. Plato mentions several attributes that are inconsistent with the Minoans. For example, Plato states that Atlantis had an “extent greater than that of Libya and Asia” [9] and was located in the “Pillars of Heracles. ” [9] While my opponent may attempt to use these contradictions against my case, please note that Plato describes Atlantis based on “what was said by the priests, and brought hither by Solon,” [9] an attestation to the continuous passage of the story before Plato’s historic discussion. As we all know, errors will almost certainly arise as stories are passed along generations; only the most prominent features of the story (such as the rise, trade, and destruction of Atlantis) remained truthful. But in the end, however, I will argue that Atlantis was based in fact and not fiction, and this fact was the story of the great Minoan civilization. References 1. Clark, John Owen Edward. 100 Maps: The Science, Art And Politics Of Cartography Throughout History. p. 220. 2. Castleden, Rodney. Minoans: Life in Bronze Age Crete. p. 1. 3. Chaniotis, Angelos. Ancient Crete. p. 26. 4. Rogers, John J. W. Earth Science and Human History. p. 70. 5. Ancient Greek Thesaurus. “Minoans Writing Linear A-B. ” Web. Accessed 29 May 2012. 6. McLeish, Todd. “Santorini eruption much larger than originally believed. ” University of Rhode Island. Web. Accessed 29 May 2012. 7. Abrams, Dennis. Atlantis. 8. Taylor, Martin. “Possible connection between the cultures of Ancient Sumer and Minoan Crete. ” Web. Accessed 29 May 2012. 9. Plato. Timaeus.