J M Allen

Atlantis and the Persian Empire J M Allen

Many people believe Plato's story of Atlantis to be a 100% true account of a fabulous lost civilisation whilst others hold that it is entirely a work of pure fiction. The truth may be that just like any modern writer, Plato drew upon different sources and added a sprinkling of his own imagination, drawing it all together under the name Atlantis, but the fundamental geographic account which he claims was brought back from Egypt fits perfectly well to the continent opposite the Pillars of Hercules - later re-named America. And the detail of the vast armament with 1200 triremes, riders springing from horse to horse, hoplites and chariots fits well to the Persian wars against Athens which began in 1200 BC and ended with the defeat of the Persians at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC, thus we have a two part solution to an account which was never intended to be an historical document, but an illustration for a representation of the ideal form of government in a theoretical Athens.