So long, and thanks for all the fish

Ancient History revisited

I couldn’t resist borrowing Douglas Adams’ title of the fourth book of his series Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for this blog post. Brilliant books if you haven’t read them. Apt too, as the dolphins leave planet Earth knowing it was fated to be destroyed long before the humans cottoned on. This makes me wonder whether the Atlanteans got warnings as to what would happen if they continued to behave contrary to the gods’ structured tenets? If they had, in what form did the warnings come? The final act of the gods was finite and the effects impacted many cultures. This is why I believe Plato took his main premise of the story from the eruption of Thera and subsequent dissolution of the Minoan culture.

Volcano eruption art Courtesy of http://7-themes.com/6951244-volcano-eruption-art.html
Volcano eruption art
Courtesy of
http://7-themes.com/6951244-volcano-eruption-art.html

Natural disasters have preliminary echoes before they culminate in a destructive force. Prior to any tsunami, an earthquake occurs. If there is a large body of water nearby, an earthquake can trigger the killer waves thousands of kilometres away from the site. It is usually followed by a distinctive rise and fall of the water level and then the waves come. The first wave may not be the most dangerous and, can take from 5 minutes to hours to build the terrible force of a tsunami. It’s not restricted to the ocean or sea, a tsunami can travel up rivers and streams that is connected to the ocean.

Real tsunami may have inspired legend of Atlantis Courtesy of Livescience http://www.livescience.com/5755-real-tsunami-inspired-legend-atlantis.html
Real tsunami may have inspired legend of Atlantis
Courtesy of Livescience
http://www.livescience.com/5755-real-tsunami-inspired-legend-atlantis.html

Thera had two major elements going against it: one, the volcano at its centre and two, an earthquake. It set off a series of triggers that caused the volcano to erupt and collapse on itself, engulfing the land around it and causing the tsunami. The shape of Santorini today, is the result from that devastating effect of nature. After years of investigation, there is no evidence of bodies on Thera as there were when Vesuvius exploded and smothered Pompeii, Herculaneum and smaller settlements. So where did the inhabitants go?

One theory is there were a series of earthquakes felt on the island and the people took them as signs from the gods and evacuated. They left behind a staggering legacy of how they lived, valuable information for archaeologists and historians to piece together their lives. The second theory is the people didn’t leave the island and were incinerated by the lava of the volcano. If the latter happened that is a terrible way to die. I think the people managed to escape taking with them only things they could carry.

The Atlanteans were not as fortunate as the Therans hence, Plato’s moral of the story. If they did get warnings and heed them, then Plato’s dialogues would not be as interesting or sparked thousands of years of discussion on the myth of Atlantis and whether it was real or not.

This concludes my series on Plato’s Atlantis and hope you enjoyed the articles as much as I did researching and writing them. The dilemma is now what to write about next! I may take a break from writing a blog series, only for a little while. Have a few ideas brewing. I am open to suggestions if you have a few.

Before I sign off, here’s a message from the dolphins:

So long and thanks for all the fish – Hitchhiker’s Guide (HD)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_dUmDBfp6k
Here are the words if you wish to sing along.

Thank you for visiting and reading.

As always, your comments are valued and welcomed.

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 http://eepurl.com/bhESs1

Reference:
Tsunami Facts: How They Form, Warning Signs, and Safety Tips, National Geographic News
The Destruction of the Minoan Civilization, Archaeology, Mythology and History of Crete : Minoan Civilization

LucianaCavallaro_Searchforthegoldenserpent_web_finalLucianacavallaro_accursedwomen_web_finalNow available in paperback and ebook
Amazon UK | Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Createspace | Kobo | Smashwords

12 comments

Add Yours
  1. Rajagopal

    A genealogical mapping will probably trace some of our ancestries to the Minoans, as the warning quakes and tsunamis that occurred prior to the cataclysmic volcanic eruption would have caused those people to flee to various parts of the earth. A good number of people would have perished under layers of volcanic debris. I enjoyed your series on
    Atlantis much more than you would have experienced in the hard, but I am sure exciting, task of putting these together from your extensive reading and research. The passion that you have shown is really commendable. Make sure your break is not too long, Luc, as you will be so fondly missed that I may come all the way to Australia to pull you back to wp…warm regards….xxxraj.

    Liked by 2 people

    • cav12

      It would be interesting to see if DNA testing would reveal connections to the Minoans. I think that would be fantastic and show how far they journeyed.
      Thank you, Raj. I’ll try not to be away too long 😀 xxx

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Entropia-Verse

    Do you know about the Tempest Stele of Ahmose I?
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempest_Stele
    According to some scholars, it describes the aftermath of the Thera eruption.
    Also, I remember reading somewhere about a Stela in the Temple of Seth in Avaris or close by, that supposedly marked the spot where the Netjer stopped Yamm (the sea).
    Avaris is quite far inland along one of the branches of the Nile, so this account might also be related to the Thera tsunami running upriver, as you were saying in your post.

    And I loved the Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy reference.

    Liked by 2 people

    • cav12

      I had read a source regarding the Egyptian stele and the possible connection with the Minoans. But I check the link you kindly attached 😀
      Thank you!

      Like

  5. Linnea Tanner

    Hi Luciana,

    I’ve really enjoyed your thought-provoking and well-researched series on the Lost Civilization of Atlantis. It has been a pleasure to read these posts and learn about the various theories regarding this legendary city. As you indicate, the forces of nature can play havoc all all civilizations, as demonstrated by the modern day tsunamis.

    Thank you for sharing. I look forward to your next series of posts.

    Regards,
    Linnea

    Liked by 1 person

    • cav12

      Hi Linnea,
      Thank you so much 😀 It has been a wonderful journey of research and certainly has confirmed for me anyway, the Minoans are a serious contender for Plato’s story of Atlantis.
      I look forward to the day when there is more research and discovery regarding the legend.
      cheers
      Luciana 😀

      Like

  6. jmmcdowell

    A break can do wonders to clear the mind and rejuvenate the creative muse, especially after a meaty series of posts like you’ve done here. Maybe it’s a good time to reread the Hitchhiker’s Guide! 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

Comments are closed.