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The only primary sources for Atlantis are Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias; all other mentions of the island are based on them. The dialogues claim to quote Solon, who visited Egypt between 590 and 580 BC; they state that he translated Egyptian records of Atlantis. [21] Plato introduced Atlantis in Timaeus, written in 360 BC:
Hypothesized locations of Atlantis. It has been thought that when Plato wrote of the Sea of Atlantis, he may have been speaking of the area now called the Atlantic Ocean. The ocean's name, derived from Greek mythology, means the "Sea of Atlas". Plato remarked that, in describing the origins of Atlantis, this area was allotted to Poseidon.
In fact, Plato produced quite a number of anachronisms in many of his dialogues. [15] And further, there are indications that Solon was dated later than when he actually lived by writers prior to Aristotle. [16] This leads one to believe that Plato somewhat condensed the happenings of the sixth century.
According to the traditional story, Plato was originally named after his paternal grandfather, supposedly called Aristocles; the name "Plato" was only used as a nickname; and the philosopher could not have been named "Plato" because that name does not occur previously in his family line. [13] Modern scholarship tends to reject the "Aristocles ...
Critias proceeds to tell the story of Solon's journey to Egypt where he hears the story of Atlantis, and how Athens used to be an ideal state that subsequently waged war against Atlantis (25a). Critias believes that he is getting ahead of himself, and mentions that Timaeus will tell part of the account from the origin of the universe to man.
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A very aged priest tells him that 9000 years earlier, Athens had been in conflict with the great power of Atlantis, which was then destroyed in a catastrophe. [1] Plato's dialogue does not mention a name for the priest, but Plutarch (46–120 AD), in his Life of Solon identified the aged priest as Sonchis:
The scroll, which documents the history of Greek philosophy, states that Plato was sold into slavery on the island of Aegina around 400 B.C. Previously, it was believed he had become enslaved in ...