Atlantis was a highly spiritually and technologically evolved civilization dating back to around 20,000 years ago that was governed by a king. The civilization was dedicated to the god Poseidon, leading many to believe that he was the king of Atlantis.
Poseidon is often mistaken as being the king of Atlantis, but actually it was his son Atlas. Atlas was born after Poseidon seduced a human woman who lived on the continent that he made into Atlantis. Atlas was the first born of five sets of twin sons, all of whom were given kingdoms in Atlantis.
Atlantis was ruled by the kings for many years, and constructed a temple to honor Poseidon. Eventually a schism occurred and Atlantis split into two groups, before being destroyed in a series of cataclysmic events.
Atlas was the Son of Poseidon
When the Greek Gods decided to divide the earth amongst themselves, Poseidon was given the sea as well as a continent. Living in a mountain on this continent was a human named Evenor along with his Leucipe and their daughter Cleito. They were autochthones, which means ‘people who sprung from the earth’. In other words, they were indigenous to the continent. As Cleito became a beautiful young woman her parents died, and Poseidon took her as his wife. Together they had five pairs of twin sons, with Atlas being the eldest.
Poseidon named the body of water around the continent the “Atlantic Ocean”, which has its origins in “sea of Atlas”. He called the continent “Atlantis”, which means “Atlas’s Island”.
Poseidon was the Greek God of the Sea
In Greek mythology, Poseidon is the god of the sea. He also represents earthquakes, and horses. His parents were Kronos the god of agriculture, and Rhea the goddess of fertility. Poseidon’s symbol is the trident. He is known as being very moody, with a terrible temper.
Poseidon became the god of the sea after him, Zeus, and Hades drew straws to determine which parts of the world they would each rule. Zeus got the skies, Hades, the underworld, and Poseidon the seas. This was described in the Iliad by Homer
Facts About Poseidon
- He is the protector of sailors.
- Brothers with Hades.
- Considered a fertility god and his name is Greek for ‘husaband’.
- Possessed a three-pronged trident, which he could use to strike the earth and produce earthquakes.
- Rode in a chariot pulled by horses.
- Was married to Amphitrite, and together they had Triton who was half-human and half-fish.
- He and Medusa conceived a child together who was the Pegasus, or flying horse.
- Was the father of Orion, Polyphemus, Pelias, and many others.
The Temple of Poseidon
Perhaps one of the reasons why people often make the mistake of thinking Poseidon was the king of Atlantis is because the most magnificent temple in Atlantis was in Poseidon’s honor. It featured a massive statue of the Greek god standing in a chariot being pulled by six winged horses. You can find a more thorough description of what Atlantis looked like here.
Temples of the Kings of Atlantis
Along with the Temple of Poseidon, the Atlanteans created other beautiful temples and palaces. The kings lived in beautiful palaces in the center of their continent. Within the concentric circles of alternating land and water, the Atlanteans constructed the area where they would live and work. They adorned their buildings with gold and silver, and used red, black, and white stones that they mined from their land. They also constructed temples for other deities, and amongst their buildings they had bathes, parks, and other leisure centers.
There were 10 Kings of Atlantis
Although Atlas had the greatest authority over Atlantis, his 9 brothers were also all given kingdoms within Atlantis to rule over. For example, his twin brother Gaedeirus was given an area of the continent near the Pillars of Hercules, which are rock formations in modern-day Morocco. The 10 kings co-existed in harmony and collaborated on building infrastructure, including complex water systems for transportation and irrigation. The names of the other original kings (according to Plato) were: Atlas, Gaedeirus, Ampheres, Euaimon, Mneseos, Autochthon, Elasippos, Mestor, Azaes, and Diaprepres.
The Kings of Atlantis Would Meet Every Five and Six Years
The kings practiced this tradition of meeting in order to reaffirm their vow of loyalty to one and other. They would meet in the Temple of Poseidon, the main temple on their island, where the code by which they governed was written. Their meetings involved a special ceremony in which they wore robes and would write their oaths on gold tablets, as well as make a sacrifice. The sacrifice involved hunting a bull, capturing it, and bringing it a palace. It would be slaughtered at the foot of the pillar where their code was written. They would collect the blood of the bull in a bowl, before drinking and covering their bodies in it in an act of purification.
The Descendants of Atlas and the Other Kings
The traditions of Atlantis continued after the deaths of the first generations of kings, but their traditions continued, and their civilization became more advanced. They would make offerings to the original kings in their temples.
The Kings of Atlantis & Civil War
Over generations, the Atlanteans eventually developed a schism amongst themselves. Two opposing groups emerged: The Children of the Law of One, and the Sons of Belial.
The second group, the Sons of Belial, were growing more hegemonic and ambitious in their pursuit of political and technological gains. They exploited slaves for manual labor, desired war with neighboring societies, and had sophisticated quartz crystal technology and silicon chips more advanced than what we have today.
The Children of the Law of One on the other hand wanted peace, and to live harmoniously. The tension hit a breaking point between the two groups over the slaves that the Sons of Belial were exploiting, as the Children of the Law of One were opposed to the practice. Civil war erupted between the two groups. When the war began, the gods determined that the Atlanteans needed to be punished, creating massive earthquakes that sank the civilization, bringing its existence to an end.
Recommended Reading
If you want to continue exploring the subject of Atlantis more deeply, you can see which books I recommend by clicking here.
