The Legend of Atlantis Part 3 - Conspiracy Theories

THE LEGEND OF ATLANTIS

In his dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written around 350 BC, Plato speaks of Atlantis: when the gods divided the world, Poseidon, the god of the seas, was given an island continent beyond the Pillars of Hercules (today's Strait of Gibraltar).

There, he fell in love with an ordinary mortal woman who lived on top of a hill. With her, he created the people of Atlantis. 

To protect him, he surrounded the island with three rings of land and sea. 

Gradually, Atlantis grew rich and powerful. 

They built magnificent buildings, temples, gardens, canals and docks, but the inhabitants became arrogant and tyrannical, so the gods punished Atlantis by letting it drown in the ocean after an earthquake.

MYCENAEAN INVASION:

Archaeologists and historians today tend to believe that Crete was gradually conquered by the mainland Greeks, especially the Mycenaeans. 

Rather than rejecting the catastrophic volcanic eruption thesis, this hypothesis suggests that both natural and human factors contributed to the collapse of the Minoan civilisation.

Since 1450 BC, things have been changing on Crete.

The frescoes depict hitherto unknown motifs and figures. The earthenware is decorated with scenes of warfare, but the weapons are different from those previously used on Crete. The weapons, earthenware and jewellery found in the warriors' graves around Knossos are certainly not of Minoan origin, and after 1450 BC there are no Minoan records, since from then on all records are in Mycenaean Greek, known as Linear B. 

So it seems to be an invasion? But why? And when?

It is entirely possible that Crete was weakened by internal problems or a power struggle, which would have led to a concentration of power in the hands of an autocrat or a single ruler. 

Archaeological evidence suggests that cities already under the control of the invaders were subjected to great economic control. 

Did Minoan civilisation collapse because of invasion, catastrophic floods or a mixture of political and natural factors?

Only the patient and dedicated work of archaeologists and scientific researchers can unlock the secrets that led to the end of Minoan culture.

That is all I had to say about Atlantis. If you are interested in more, we can discuss it together in the comments. Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter, so you can keep up to date with everything that comes on my blog. Have a great time and we will read each other again next time.