THE ATLANTIS QUESTION


Many volcanic areas in the Aegian area were formed 23,000,000 years ago.
The original island of Strongyli (which means "rounded" in Greek) consisted of several vulcanoes.
The vulcano cone reached a hight of 1000 meters and had a diameter of 15 kilometers, probably with several craters.
The soil was fertile and the first habitants lived here around 5000 BC.
The island became a florishing state with its rich agriculture and seatrade.
The coastline as we now know it, was formed by Thirassia, Thera and Aspronisus islands. Alledgedly this was the realm of Atlantis.

Plato was the first to make a link between Strongyli and the lost realm of mythical Atlantis. The first references of the debate about Atlantis, can be found in Plato's dialogues 'Timaeus' (21E-25D) and 'Critias' (108E-121C).
According to the account given in 'Timaeus', Athenian lawyer Solon visited Egypt (c.590 BC) where he heard the story of Atlantis from a priest at Sais:"A great and wonderful state which ruled over the other islands", and which owed its power to the civilisation that had evolved there.
This kingdom consisted of two islands, the 'larger' and the 'smaller', (Crete and Strongyli) with ten cities. Of these, only two are mentioned by name: the 'metropolis' and the 'royal city'.
The people of Atlantis launched an attack on Athens 900 years before Solon had talked to the priest. But the Athenians defeated them and liberated all the lands that Atlantis had conquered.

Around 1500 BC Atlantis suffered a terrible earthquake.
All the people fled from the island, taking all their precious belongings and animals with them.
One year later Atlantis became the victim of an enormous volcanic eruption
which destroyed both islands.
The result of that eruption was that the centre part of the Strongyli island sank well below sealevel, and the subsequent earthquakes destroyed all what remained of the island.
The seawaves reacing a heighth of 250 meters as a result of the eruption, thundered on the shores of Crete, and destroyed all of its Minoan civilatisation.
Days became nights; vulcano ashes were found as far away as 150 km, and even in Norway one could hear the noice of the eruption.
What remains today are the islands Thera, Thirassia and Aspronissi, with the sunken vulcano in their midst.

The mystery about the destruction of the one island and the disappearance of the other, has intrigued scientists for generations.
Finds from excavations at Akrotiri have led scientists to conclude that the lost Atlantis must have been Strongyli (Santorini). However, over the centuries as myth was told and retold, experts differ of opinion. Professor Marinatos identifies Atlantis with Minoan Crete. Perhaps Crete was the 'larger' island, the 'Royal city', while Santorini, with which Crete had ties, would have been the 'Metropolis' or 'smaller' island.

Still the question remains: was there ever such a place as Atlantis?

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