When we start to look into the myths of Atlantis the lost civilization, it gives us the sense that it was created by very advanced beings. In this article we are going to look at the question: Who Created Atlantis?
Atlantis was created by Poseidon the Greek god. This creation was originally described in the writing of Plato, though Poseidon was first written about by early Greek poets like Homer. In modern times some interpret this to mean that Atlantis was created by aliens from another world.
Poseidon is often portrayed with green skin, and is symbolized by the dolphin, Suggesting an appearance and character somewhat like some of the off-world characters we have seen in various works of fiction like Star Wars and Star Trek.
Poseidon Created Atlantis
According to ancient Greek culture, Atlantis was created by Poseidon the god of the sea. Poseidon became the god of the sea after drawing straws with his brothers Zeus and Hades to divide the world. Zeus became god of the sky, and Hades the god of the Underworld.
When Poseidon became god of the sea, he found a family of mortal humans living on an island in the ocean. The parents died, leaving their young daughter named Cleito, who was just becoming marriageable age. Poseidon fell in love with her and made her his wife.
When they became physically intimidate the impact of his making love to her was so strong that it shaped the island into a series of concentric circles.
Because Poseidon was a god he possessed magical abilities, and created fountains of water in the center of the island, as well as built a temple dedicated to himself.
Poseidon and Cleito went on to have 5 pairs of twin sons, who became the kings of Atlantis. Poseidon put the eldest, named Atlas in charge of the others, although they all had their own separate kingdoms, where they had absolute rule. Them and their descendants would meet periodically to determine the course of their shared kingdom. Read more about Poseidon and the kings of Atlantis here.
A Modern Perspective on the Greek Gods and Atlantis
Some contemporary researchers believe that the ancient Greek and Egyptians described the creator of Atlantis and the others like him as being gods, but in fact they were extraterrestrials.
Relative to the mortals, the gods had supernatural abilities, intelligence, strength, and beauty. But because of the modern technology we now have (in large part because so many former Atlanteans have been incarnating in modern times according to Edgar Cayce), we see these gods differently, since we understand that the sun is one of an infinite number of stars.
It has been theorized that the god Poseidon, described by the ancient Greeks, as well as the other Greek gods, was a more evolved being from another part of the universe. Some believe that the early Atlanteans came from the Lyran star system, which you can read more about here.
Plato First Wrote of Atlantis
When thinking of Atlantis in terms of when it was first created as a work of fiction, this can be traced back to the great Greek philosopher Plato. Because generations of Greek thinkers before Plato usually did not write down their ideas, what we know of many great Greek philosophers only come from the writing of Plato, who published the ideas of his mentors and earlier generations. When discussing Atlantis, nearly every researcher since the time of Plato have referenced him in their work.
The work of a man named Solon was an example of Plato publishing the ideas of his influences. Solon was a legendary Athenian thinker who lived several generations before Plato, and did not write much of his ideas down. Plato credits Solon as the source of his information about Atlantis, and he may have inherited an unpublished manuscript in which Solon outlines what he knew of Atlantis. Read more about Plato learning of Atlantis from Solon here.
Poseidon and the other Greek Gods were written about by Homer
Poseidon is one of the Olympian gods according to Greek mythology. The Olympian gods, of which there are twelve, were first written about around 2700 years ago by Homer and Hesiod.
Homer was the poet of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two of the most influential books of all time. They are considered the basis of Greek culture and education.
In the Illiad Homer describes the Trojan War, in which Poseidon assists the Greeks against the Trojans. Then when Odysseus, the Greek hero of the Iliad is sailing home from the war he blinds Poseidon’s son, who was a cyclops. Poseidon responds with rage, punishing Odysseus with storms and causing him to lose his ship and crew, and spending 10 years trying to get home.
Poseidon was also written about in the Homeric Hymns, which are a collection of anonymous ancient Greek hymns written in the style of Homer. He is described as losing a competition with Athena to become the patron of the city of Athens.
Along with Homer, Hesiod was the other most well-known and respected of the Greek poets. He lived around the same time as Homer (about 400 years before Plato) He also wrote on the subject of the Greek Gods, and describes Poseidon and the other gods in great detail.
While Homer and Hesiod wrote these books, and are considered to have done a masterful job of doing saw, the various stories and characters from their writings existed in largely oral form throughout the culture in which they lived.
What is less understand is to what extent of truth they contained. Ancient Greek mythology is regarded as fiction, but is it possible that the ancient Greeks were in contact with higher beings, who possessed seemingly magical abilities, and would periodically leave the world to return to Mount Olympus in the sky, out of reach of the mortals, where they lived?
The Myth of Atlantis Remains Popular in Pop Culture
Despite the original works of Plato on the subject of Atlantis being written nearly 2500 years ago, interest in the subject remains strong, and Atlantis or stories inspired by it are continually portrayed.
Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea the book from 1869 describes a journey in a submarine to visit Atlantis at the bottom of the ocean.
Various films and novels throughout the 20th century were also inspired by Atlantis. In particular, The Journey to the Center of the Earth, the 1959 film based on Jule’s Verne’s novel.
The Little Mermaid, made by Disney in 1989, is another very well-known portrayal of an underwater kingdom, introducing it to a whole new generation?
The TV series Stargate: Atlantis ran from 2004 to 2009 and is a fictional account of researchers finding the lost continent of Atlantis, as well as an alien outpost in Antarctica. The series was an offshoot of the Stargate franchise of television series.
In recent years the Atlantis motif has been portrayed in the Aguaman film series, starring Jason Mamoa as the trident wielding hero. The series portrays Atlantis as continuing to exist as an underwater kingdom, after previously being above water.
Atlantis has been a very popular subject in video games, being seen in the Tomb Raider, God of War, and Assassin’s Creed video game franchises.
Recommended Reading
If you want to continue exploring the subject of Atlantis more deeply, you can see which books I recommend by clicking here.