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Comparing The Myth And Legend Of Atlantis

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Comparing The Myth And Legend Of Atlantis
Throughout history many legends and myths have been introduced to society. A legend can be defined as a traditional story popularly regarded as historical but unauthentic. Robin Hood has become a legend commonly well known to the twenty first century. The legend of Atlantis is one that has been debated upon over the years to whether or not it is fictional. An unreliable amount of geographical evidence supports a non-existent Atlantis. Plato’s writings of Atlantis are the only known existence of the civilization. Belief and pure imagination in Atlantis supports the civilization to be a story of mind 's eye. There is an insufficient amount of evidence to suggest that the legend of Atlantis is more than a myth.

There is no adequate geographical …show more content…
Atlantis depicts the ideal type of society where vast majorities fantasize about living in it. It is a society where the founder’s are half human half god and a society where many precious metals and exotic wildlife are found (Drye). While it is true that Daniel Dombrowski implies that Atlantis is only a literary device invented by Plato for the sheer purpose of imagination. “The only place in which Atlantis can be found, in addition to the writings of Plato, is in the minds of those with an imagination as vivid as that of Plato” (Stewart). Although there are recorded volcanic eruptions and earthquakes prove that parts of the world vanished underwater. The destruction of a city in a single night by an earthquake and seismic sea wave bear the main hallmark of Atlantis (Stewart). Even though many of these historical earthquakes and volcanic eruptions do remain true, none of them have an abundance of evidence to support the realism of Atlantis. Atlantis is a great myth that has a lot of elements individuals like to dream …show more content…
The overall truth about Atlantis has yet to be discovered but is the legend of Atlantis true? The legend that is Atlantis simply does not have the overall facts to support its existence. The geographical information about Atlantis does not coincide with the information from Plato. Plato’s writings are the only potential truth about the legend. Atlantis was a powerful source of invention to expand the functioning mind. Therefore, Atlantis is a fictional legend that implies it is more than a historical myth.

Works Cited
“Atlantis Obviously Near Gibraltar”. BBC News Online. 20 Sept. 2001. BBC News. 16 Sept. 2012 < www.news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1554594.stm >.
Drye, Willie. “Atlantis – True Story or Cautionary Tale”. National Geographic. National Geographic Magazine. 18 Sept. 2012. .
Joslyn, Jon. “Atlantis: In Search of a Lost Continent”. 1997. Questar Home Video. 17 Sept. 2012.
Muck, Otto. The Secret of Atlantis. Toronto: William, 1976.
Murphy, Verity. “Hunt for the Lost City of Atlantis”. BBC News Online. 30 Oct. 2003. BBC News. 17 Sept. 2012 < www.news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3227295.stm >.
Stewart, Iain. “Echoes of Plato’s Atlantis”. BBC History. 7 Feb. 2011. BBC History. 18 Sept. 2012 < www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/atlantis-01.shtml
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