In this Timewatch special, historian Bettany Hughes solves one of the most fascinating mysteries of all time.
She presents a range of geological, archaeological and historical clues that the legend of Atlantis was inspired by real historical events – the greatest natural disaster of the ancient world.
She traces the origins of the myth of Atlantis and provides evidence that Plato’s description of the mythical land was inspired by the eruption of Thera volcano.
2,400 years ago, the Greek philosopher Plato wrote about an ancient island civilization of great prosperity, devastated by earthquakes and floods, and swallowed by the sea in painful days and nights.
“But afterward the earthquake and the flood were violent, and in a day and night of calamity all your brave men sank into the earth, and the island of Atlantis also disappeared into the depths of the sea. For whatever reason, the waters of these places are impassable because a large block of mud blocks the road. This is caused by the sinking of the island. (Plato, translated by Benjamin Jovet).
