The Search for Atlantis
A History of Plato's Ideal State
New York : Pegasus Books, [2018], ©2018.
Format: Book
Edition: First Pegasus books hardcover edition.
Description: xi, 417 pages : illustrations, maps, genealogical table ; 22 cm
"The Atlantis story remains one of the most haunting and enigmatic tales from antiquity, and one that still resonates very deeply with the modern imagination. But where did Atlantis come from, what was it like, and where did it go to? Atlantis was first introduced by the Greek philosopher Plato in the fourth century BC. As he discusses about the origins of life, the universe and humanity, the great thinker puts forward a stunning description of Atlantis--an island paradise with an ideal society. But the Atlanteans soon degenerate and become imperialist aggressors: they choose to fight against antediluvian Athens, which heroically repels their mighty forces, before a cataclysmic natural disaster destroys the warring states. Plato's dialogues appear remarkably prescient today. Not because they invite a search for a mysterious lost continent, but because of their warnings about the pernicious effects of wealth and power on a ruling class: Atlantis-style luxury, excess, corruption, and imperialism can lead only to decay and disaster. This ever-important tale should be prescribed reading for every political leader. Plato's tale of a great empire that sank beneath the waves has sparked thousands of years of debate over whether Atlantis really existed. But did Plato mean his tale as history--or just as a parable to help illustrate his philosophy?"-- Dust jacket.
Contents:
Introduction -- Ancient mythical and semi-mythical lands -- Plato in context: the Athens of his ancestors -- Plato the philosopher -- Plato's Critias -- Plato's Atlantis in classical antiquity -- Plato's Atlantis in the Hellenistic and Roman periods -- Atlantis in the age of discovery -- The seventeenth century: a new Atlantis -- Enlightenment Atlantis -- Romanticism and Atlantis -- The later nineteenth century: Atlantis unleashed -- The occult, pseudoarchaeology and the Nazis -- Post Second World War Atlantis: catastrophism, etc. -- Minoan Atlantis: Crete and Santorini -- Plato's Atlantis: where, what and why? -- Appendix: The flood myths of Deucalion, Noah, Gilgamesh, Atrahasis and Hathor.
ISBN:
9781681778594
Availability | |||
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Call Number | Location | Shelf Location | Status |
NEW AGE Ker | Cooper (Forest Acres) | Nonfiction | In |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 349-408) and index.