I Wonder Why.

I wonder why Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher, wrote about
Atlantis. Perhaps he had visited or studied the island. I have
been studying Atlantis for a while, but some burning questions still
remain. What happened to Atlantis? Did it ever exist? Or was it
just a myth inspired by the philosopher? All over the world
researchers have created different hypotheses about the lost city,
but no one knows the truth about Atlantis. Maybe we’ll find out
one day, but for now, the existence of Atlantis is still unknown.

Plato believed a vast island existed past the Pillars of Hercules.
He thought that island was indeed Atlantis. The Pillars of Hercules,
in reality, was the Strait of Gibraltar which connects the
Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Some authorities
believe that Atlantis is located in the Bahamas south of Florida in
the Caribbean. A diver investigated a road made of blocks in the
Caribbean that the locals believe is the road to Atlantis. However,
scientists discovered that the walkway was formed by volcanic
eruptions. Some people say that Azores, an island that is close
to Atlantis, really is Atlantis.

Experts believe they are close to finding the lost city. They are
launching an expedition into the depths of the Strait of Gibraltar.
The team is led by Jacques C. Girard. Girard believes that by
using literary pointers and geography
terms he can pin-point Atlantis. He
supposedly did pin-point Atlantis west of
the Atlantic/Mediterranean Strait on a shoal
of mud.

Greek mythology portrays a different belief.
According to Greek legends, the
Atlanteans became greedy and did not
respect their land. So Poseidon, the great
sea god, swallowed them down to the
bottom of the sea. Their punishment was
that they could not live on earth and
cherish in its beauty.

Because some scientists do not have any
solid evidence, they dismiss the tales of
Atlantis as being myths. Then again, I
believe that some day Atlantis will be
discovered, and one of the world’s ancient
mysteries will be solved. What do you
believe?

Sarah Johnson