Why are people fascinated with Atlantis? What is it about this mythical place that has drawn so much attention for over two thousand years? Is it about the people who once inhabited the island with their sophistication and technological advancements? Or is it the total annihilation of a civilisation, wiped out in one cataclysmic event? For me, on a personal level, the legend of Atlantis conjured a lifelong interest in ancient civilisations, and to learn about the rich diversity our world offers. It is why I began to write stories. It sparked my imagination on what happened to these amazing cultures and what can they still teach us today.
Nasa website
I was sixteen when I first came across the story of Atlantis. I read a book written by Charles Berlitz, Atlantis: the eighth continent (I posted an article some years ago) and it made me question our existence, purpose in life, what future generations will think of our civilisation and what we did. I read what I could get my hands on, there was no internet then, (sadly showing my age here!) and was wowed by the concept of an advanced culture. Then typical of a teenager, I moved onto other more pressing interests: boys, sport, holidays, having fun with friends. Though, the Atlantis myth was never far from my thoughts.
Fast forward a few decades, I had been teaching for a while and wanted to do something different and decided to enrol at university to study ancient history. I did it part-time and worked. One of the readings for the course included Plato’s writings and what did I find, two dialogues with references to Atlantis! That triggered a series of events I did not foresee and catapulted me into writing historical fiction/mythology.
The concept of Atlantis is a complex one it has inspired many people and also brought out some extraordinary theories. In this series, I hope to answer the questions above and delve deeper into the mystery of Atlantis and the people who once inhabited the island. I do have opinions as to where Plato’s story came from which I will discuss. I am a “student” of ancient history and all viewpoints are my own developed from academics and specialists whose works I’ve read and documentaries watched.
I hope you will follow along! Thank you for tuning in and reading.
As always, your comments are valued and welcomed.
To celebrate the anniversary
Accursed Women will be on sale for the months of November and December
50% off the retail price.
Paperback copy $9.49 US
eBook $2.99 US
Available through the following outlets:
Createspace | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Kobo | Smashwords
Historical fiction fantasist Luciana Cavallaro, a secondary teacher, meanders from contemporary life to delve into the realms of mythology. Subscribe to her FREE short story
Luciana Cavallaro 
i too will love to know that such an civilization actually existed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do believe an “Atlantis” existed though perhaps not in the view some have posited.
Thank you 😀
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Apollo's Raven and commented:
Fascinating Article on Atlantis
LikeLike
Fact or fiction , Atlantis continues to hold its legendary appeal stoking curiosity of historians and awakening muses in writers and artists . By virtue of its spell catching your fancy at sweet sixteen , you have , if I may visualize , imbibed its youthful spirit and immunized yourself from ageing . So keep going Luc , you already have a keen follower in me…best wishes…raj
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Raj for the lovely compliment. I hadn’t thought of it that way but perhaps the legend of Atlantis has an anti-ageing aspect. I will keep working on it.
kind regards
Luciana
LikeLike
Hi Luciana,
Myths always have an element of truth of some past historical event. Atlantis probably existed and may have been the highly advanced Minoans on Crete. Although no one is completely sure where this magical land land was located, it conjures images of a highly advanced ancient civilization that has been lost to history. I’m excited to learn more about the theories as to where Atlantis may have been located and what could have caused its destruction.
Fascinating post.
Regards,
Linnea
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Linnea
They certainly do! I agree with you that the Minoans were the race Plato wrote about. They were close neighbours and trading partners. There is evidence of the trading between mainland Greece and Santorini/Thira and Crete 1000 years before the explosion. That is a theory I will be looking into.
Thank you for reblogging my post too.
cheers
Luciana
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi cara Luciana .
Great post… As far as I know Plato referred to Atlantis in his dialogues “Timaeus” and “Critias”.
Many believe that Plato was basing his account of Atlantis on the history of the Minoan civilization and they locate it in the island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea, which was devastated about 3,600 years ago due to a massive volcanic eruption …
The myth of a lost city is so fascinating that still nowadays it remains in force. Probably utopic ideas lay beneath it as well.
All the best to you and thanks for sharing!, Aquileana 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ciao Cara Aquileana
You are right, Plato’s dialogues “Timaeus” and “Critias” is where the legend of Atlantis first appeared. I will discussing those and links to Santorini. The only element that leads many to believe he wasn’t referring to Thira, was the location as he mentions the Atlantic. That has led to many interesting theories and crazy ones too!
Grazie mille
Luciana
LikeLike
The archaeologist in me cringes at some of the “research” that’s been done on Atlantis. 🙂 But I’m sure there was a real civilization behind the tale—it’s just that dates and places have been misunderstood or translated through time and repeated tellings. Looking forward to your series on it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can imagine that as an archaeologist, some of the “theories” would be difficult to accept. I must admit to sifting through the guff to get to some element of truth behind the legend. Some a plausible and have credence but there’s always a little detail that’s off.
I’m not an archaeologist but an observer and student of history so my take on the Atlantis myth is based on what I’ve read and watched.
Love to hear your thoughts as I unravel the myth 😀
LikeLike
Looking forward to this new series of posts, Luciana! This has always fascinated me too, though I’ve never jumped headlong into the research on it. I’m keen to read about what you’ve dug up 🙂
LikeLike