The Atlantis Dialogue: Plato's Original Story of the Lost City and Continent [Paperback]

Plato (Author), Aaron Shepard (Editor), B. Jowett (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0938497154 | ISBN-13: 978-0938497158 | Publication Date: February 1, 2001

Atlantis was first introduced by the Greek philosopher Plato in two "dialogues" he wrote in the fourth century B.C. His tale of a great empire that sank beneath the waves has sparked thousands of years of debate over whether Atlantis really existed. But did Plato mean his tale as history, or just as a parable to help illustrate his philosophy?

In "The Atlantis Dialogue," you'll find everything Plato said about Atlantis, in the context he intended. Now you can read and judge for yourself!

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"An easy read . . . Provides a good starting point for anyone wanting to learn more about the Atlantis myth." -- Judy Justice, Midwest Book Review, Mar. 2002 (Reviewer’s Choice)

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SAMPLE

CRITIAS: Consider then, Socrates, if this narrative is suited to the purpose, or whether we should seek for some other instead.

SOCRATES: And what other, Critias, can we find that will be better than this, which is natural and suitable to the festival of the goddess, and has the very great advantage of being a fact and not a fiction? How or where shall we find another if we abandon this? We cannot, and therefore you must tell the tale, and good luck to you; and I in return for my yesterday's discourse will now rest and be a listener.

CRITIAS: Let me begin by observing first of all, that nine thousand was the sum of years which had elapsed since the war which was said to have taken place between those who dwelt outside the pillars of Heracles and all who dwelt within them; this war I am going to describe. Of the combatants on the one side, the city of Athens was reported to have been the leader and to have fought out the war; the combatants on the other side were commanded by the kings of Atlantis, which, as I was saying, was an island greater in extent than Libya and Asia, and when afterwards sunk by an earthquake, became an impassable barrier of mud to voyagers sailing from hence to any part of the ocean. The progress of the history will unfold the various nations of barbarians and families of Hellenes which then existed, as they successively appear on the scene; but I must describe first of all Athenians of that day, and their enemies who fought with them, and then the respective powers and governments of the two kingdoms.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A good starting point for anyone wanting to learn more about the origins of the Atlantis myth. -- Midwest Book Review, March 2002-- A

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

CRITIAS: Consider then, Socrates, if this narrative is suited to the purpose, or whether we should seek for some other instead.

SOCRATES: And what other, Critias, can we find that will be better than this, which is natural and suitable to the festival of the goddess, and has the very great advantage of being a fact and not a fiction? How or where shall we find another if we abandon this? We cannot, and therefore you must tell the tale, and good luck to you; and I in return for my yesterday's discourse will now rest and be a listener.

CRITIAS: Let me begin by observing first of all, that nine thousand was the sum of years which had elapsed since the war which was said to have taken place between those who dwelt outside the pillars of Heracles and all who dwelt within them; this war I am going to describe. Of the combatants on the one side, the city of Athens was reported to have been the leader and to have fought out the war; the combatants on the other side were commanded by the kings of Atlantis, which, as I was saying, was an island greater in extent than Libya and Asia, and when afterwards sunk by an earthquake, became an impassable barrier of mud to voyagers sailing from hence to any part of the ocean. The progress of the history will unfold the various nations of barbarians and families of Hellenes which then existed, as they successively appear on the scene; but I must describe first of all Athenians of that day, and their enemies who fought with them, and then the respective powers and governments of the two kingdoms.

Product Details

• Paperback: 44 pages
• Publisher: Shepard Publications (February 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0938497154
• ISBN-13: 978-0938497158
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #439,549 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Controversial Knowledge

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for anyone remotely curious about Atlantis, December 21, 2004

By 

Odysseus (Ithaka) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Atlantis Dialogue: Plato's Original Story of the Lost City and Continent (Paperback)

This is the source of the whole tale. The translation is 19th century, so if you prefer a more modern style English, you should perhaps look for another book. But I like this old style, long sentences with lots of punctuation marks; kind of varies the pace more than the modern, boring way the language is written--don't you think? Another plus is that it has brought out only the parts from Critias and Timaeus that deal with Atlantis (adn Athens), making it compact.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars intro full of bias, March 27, 2006

By 

Monarch (San Fran Bay area, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Atlantis Dialogue: Plato's Original Story of the Lost City and Continent (Paperback)

I was pleased to be able to own in book form this literature by Plato, even if it is available online for free. There is something about having a book in my hand that I truly enjoy. Anyway, I wish this book was JUST Plato's work on Atlantis, not including such a bias intro, calling Plato's story of Atlantis "pure fiction" discounting it as a real possibility of place and history.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Atlantis Dialogue: A Handy Primer, August 11, 2006

By 

K. R. Evans "Metaphysician" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Atlantis Dialogue: Plato's Original Story of the Lost City and Continent (Paperback)

The first best thing to do when seriously curious about a legend like Atlantis is to become familiar with the source materials from which it sprang, in order to expose later embellishments. Enhancements added over time commonly render otherwise believable original accounts into fanciful yarns, believable only as myths. (Sorting out the embellishments from legitimate research findings is another task.) This book presents that source account; the whole and nothing but. It is much like an archaeological find; a genuine relic dug up. A bit pricey for its size; its main sellig point is convenience: Quick, easy, portable reference, without the bulk of the full dialogues; and its slim enough to fit into a notebook. The editor seems to hint of bias in the introduction; but, the text itself is plain and free of italics, paraphrasing, and other editors' devices, and is not a new translation. To me, this oldest version reads like a new one. I found no mention of lasers, energy vortices, or power crystals. I did find an eerily familiar description of a civilization whose construction and archetectural achievements and innovations were no more astounding, and certainly no less, than those of the Egyptians, Chinese, Romans, Maya, or Inca, most of which remain equally mystifying. I was far more intrigued by the plausibility of this story than by the modern myth it has become. Atlantis must remain a myth until someone finds it. On the other hand; the city Ilios of Troy was also another myth invented by another ancient author for another work of fiction, until it was discovered in 1871 by Heinrich Schliemann, using Homer's Iliad as his guide. If Atlantis can be found, the lead clues are in this work.