Plato’s account of the Atlantis legend is not the only rendition that we have of the story. The historian Diodorus Siculus tells us that the Atlantians dwelt at the base of the legendary Mount Atlas in Africa.
In his interesting parallel account, Diodorus relates that it was actually an island within a lake that disappeared during an earthquake, and that this island had been populated by the Amazons, the closest rivals to the Atlantians.
Once their land had been destroyed, Diodorus further relates that the Amazons did battle with the Greeks in Asia Minor. It is interesting to note that in Greek mythology it is consistently the Amazons who challenge the Greeks in Asia Minor, and not the inhabitants of Atlantis as Plato relates.
So who was right, Plato or Diodorus?
The author of this book takes the position that the philosopher Plato is not a reliable source when it comes to history, as he was in the habit of constructing slightly elaborate stories in order to demonstrate a particular philosophical point.
Taking Diodorus’ history more seriously therefore, it may be possible to identify the geographical features described by the author in the Africa of today:
- Had the seismic event described taken place somewhere in Africa’s Great Rift Valley?
- Had the legendary Mount Atlas, which was said to have supported the sky, been none other than Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain?
- Had Lake Tritonis, where the island had been situated that had disappeared during an earthquake, been none other than Lake Victoria?
- And had the River Triton, which was connected to Lake Tritonis, been none other than the Nile which has its source in Lake Victoria?
Has Atlantis finally been found?