The History of Atlantis

267 Pages·2007·1.92 MB·English

by  Lewis Spence

THE HISTORY OF
ATLANTIS

BY
LEWIS SPENCE

AUTHOR OF " THE PROBLEM OF ATLANTIS "
" ATLANTIS IN AMERICA," " THE GODS OF MEXICO," ETC.
ATLANTEAN ARMOUR (MEXICAN TYPE)
(From a figure found in a Mexican grave).
PREFACE

The History of Atlantis may, in the light of our present
knowledge of Plato's sunken island, appear as a somewhat
presumptuous title for a work, the object of which is to
present a general outline of what is known concerning
Atlantean civilisation. But it is my earnest wish to place
the study upon a scientific basis, and in so doing I attach
the description of "history" to this work in the hope
that the mere invocation of such a name will endow it
with the spirit which should inspire all histories—a desire
to arrive at fundamental truth by every available means.
The volumes which I have already published on the
subject have met with such widespread acceptance, and
for the most part with such kindly and catholic criticism,
that I am emboldened to proceed a step farther, and to
attempt to cast the evidences of Atlantean civilisation,
which I have already gathered into something resembling
a historical narrative. Such an account, I am the first
to admit, must have as many lacunae as it has facts, and
must rely in large measure upon analogy and often upon
pure surmise. But in the first chapter of this volume I
have explained my reasons for employing certain methods
of approach which may seem too unfamiliar to the his-
torian to meet with his ready acceptance.
In the present volume I have arrived at many conclu-
sions, and have brought forward much evidence which
did not appear in my former works on the subject of
Atlantis. For example, I have shown that the story of
Atlantis, as painted upon the peplum of Pallas at the
vii
Preface
viii
Athenian festival, has a very definite bearing upon the
credibility of Plato's narrative, pre-dating it as it did by
more than a century. I have also demonstrated that,
so far from being mythical, the Egyptian sources from
which Plato drew his material were very real indeed, and
that he himself visited Egypt.
Again, I have, I think, thrown much new light on the
character of the Atlantean invasion of Europe, on the exact
site of Atlantis, and especially on the great amount of
evidence for the former existence of the island-continent
which survives in British and Irish folklore and tradition.
British tradition, indeed, is the touchstone of Atlantean
history, and the identification of Lyonesse with Atlantis,
and the grouping of Atlas with the British gods, Albion
and Iberius, should go far to prove the ancient association
of our islands with the sunken continent.
But it is from the acceptance of my theory of the exist-
ence of a definite Atlantean culture-complex, embodying
certain peculiar and associated customs, that I hope to
gain converts to the belief in a former widespread Atlan-
tean civilisation having cultural outposts in Western
Europe and Eastern America, and connected with the
motherland by way of the intervening islands. It is in
this theory, I feel, that the strongest case for the pre-
existence of Atlantis resides, and I confidently present
it to my readers in the certainty that they will favourably
consider a hypothesis which I devoutly believe approaches
within measurable distance of the truth.
LEWIS SPENCE.
66 Arden Street,
Edinburgh.
CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY

PAGE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ATLANTEAN AND OTHER HISTORIES
—INSPIRATION IN HISTORICAL SCIENCE — THE
USES OF ANALOGY—FOUNDATIONS OF ATLANTEAN
HISTORY—PLATO'S NARRATIVE NOT ALLEGORICAL
—THE VALUE OF TRADITION—THE ATLANTEAN
COMPLEX—SPECIAL NEEDS OF ATLANTEAN RESEARCH 1
CHAPTER II
THE SOURCES OF ATLANTEAN HISTORY
I. The Writings of Plato
PLATO'S "TIMAEUS" AND ITS CONTENTS—His "CRITIAS"
—His ACCOUNT OF ATLANTIS, ITS TOPOGRAPHY, ITS
CAPITAL CITY, POPULATION, CANALS AND TEMPLES
—ITS GOVERNMENT, ECONOMY AND RELIGION . 7
CHAPTER III
THE SOURCES OF ATLANTEAN HISTORY
II. From the Fourth Century B.C. Onwards.
DIODORUS SICULUS ON AMAZONS AND ATLANTEANS—
THEOPOMPUS'S ACCOUNT—THE KINGS OF ATLANTIS
—STRABO'S ISLE OF MEROPIS—THE CONTINENT OF
SATURNIA—MARCELLUS ON ATLANTIS—ARNOBIUS'
REFERENCE—SUMMARY OF REMAINING CLASSICAL
DATA—PLATONIC AND ALEXANDRIAN NOTIONS OF
ATLANTIS—MODERN THEORIES FROM THE SIXTEENTH
ix
Contents
X
CENTURY ONWARD—THEORIES OF OLIVIER, RUDBECK,
BAILLY, COMTE DE CORLI, VOLTAIRE, DELISLE DE
SALES AND BARTOLI—THEORY THAT ATLANTIS WAS
AMERICA—ATLASES OF ATLANTEAN GEOGRAPHY—
THE THEORIES OF KIRCHER, GINGUENE, BUFFON
AND DE LA BORDE..............................................................24
CHAPTER IV
ATLANTEAN HISTORICAL SOURCES
EXAMINED
MODERN THEORIES ON THE SUBJECT OF THE SOURCES—
PLATO'S STATEMENTS REGARDING THE AUTHENTI-
CITY OF His ACCOUNT—PLATO IN EGYPT—SOLON'S
EGYPTIAN VISIT—CONNECTION OF SAIS WITH
ATHENS—ARCHAEOLOGICAL FACTS SQUARE WITH
PLATO'S ACCOUNT—CLUE TO THE HISTORICAL
CHARACTER OF PLATO'S ACCOUNT—THE PEPLUM OF
PALLAS—JUSTIFICATION OF PLATO'S STATEMENTS—
ATLANTEAN ASSOCIATIONS IN THE ODYSSEY—
TESTIMONY OF CLASSICAL AUTHORS REGARDING
IMPASSIBILITY OF ATLANTIC OCEAN—MOORISH
EVIDENCE—DETAILS OF THE " CRITIAS "—ELEPHANTS
AND COCONUTS IN ATLANTIS—WORSHIP OF THE
BULL—THE "CRITIAS" NOT AN ALLEGORY OF THE
PERSIAN WAR—THE ACCOUNT OF DIODORUS—
AMAZONS AND AZILIANS—CLASSICAL " GEOLOGICAL"
OPINION REGARDING ATLANTIS—PHILIP SMITH ON
ATLANTEAN THEORY—PLATO'S CHRONOLOGY—M.
BUTAVAND ON THE SAME . . . . . 39
CHAPTER V
THE GEOGRAPHY OF ATLANTIS
GEOLOGICAL PROOF OF ITS EXISTENCE—THE QUATER-
NARY EPOCH—M. P. TERMIER'S ESSAY—PLATO'S
THEORY "HIGHLY PROBABLE"—PROF. SCHUCHERT
ON THE AZORES—PROF. SCHARFF'S BELIEF IN
ATLANTEAN MAN—PROF. HULL ON BEGINNINGS
OF LIFE IN ATLANTIS—"COMPARATIVELY RECENT"
LAND-MASS IN THE ATLANTIC—MR. W. H.
BABCOCK'S OBJECTIONS—ATLANTIC SOUNDINGS—
MR. BABCOCK ON SUBMARINE BANKS—"A CON-
Contents xi

SIDERABLE ISLAND ABOVE WATER" — EVIDENCE
FROM BIOLOGY—ANIMAL LIFE ON THE AZORES—
EUROPEAN CHARACTER OF THEIR REPTILIA—SLUGS
AND MOTHS OF THE ATLANTIC ISLANDS—AUTHOR'S
FORMER CONCLUSIONS TABULATED—THE SARGASSO
SEA—THE SITE OF ATLANTIS .... 52
CHAPTER VI
THE RACES OF ATLANTIS
WAS ATLANTIS INHABITED?—THE GSNITCH STADIUM
OF PENCK AND BRUCKNER—THE AZILIAN RACE—
DISCOVERY OF ITS REMAINS IN FRANCE—ITS
CULTURE—ITS "ALPHABET"—SPREAD OF THE
AZILIAN RACE—PYGMY FLINTS—THE CAPSIAN
CULTURE—WHENCE CAME THE AZILIANS?—PERIOD
OF THEIR ARRIVAL AGREES WITH PLATO'S DATE
FOR ATLANTEAN INVASION—THE CRO-MAGNON
RACE—" PALAEOLITHIC GREEKS"—THEIR EXTRA-
ORDINARY ART—A HIGH TYPE OF HUMANITY—
BELIEF IN A FUTURE LIFE—PAINTING AND SCULP-
TURES SUPERIOR TO THE EGYPTIAN—SUCCESSIVE
INVASIONS OF EUROPE FROM THE ATLANTIC—
PROFESSOR MACALISTER ON EXTRA-EUROPEAN
ORIGIN OF THE CRO-MAGNON RACE—RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE GUANCHES OF THE CANARY ISLANDS,
THE VESTIGES OF ATLANTIS—RIPLEY'S THEORY
OF THE CRO-MAGNON LANGUAGE—ORIGIN OF
CR6-MAGNON MAN—OF AZILIAN MAN . . 75
CHAPTER VII
THE STONE AGE IN ATLANTIS
CAN BEST BE RECONSTRUCTED FROM THE LIFE OF ITS
COLONISTS IN EUROPE—AREA AND POPULATION OF
ATLANTIS—EARLY HUMAN SOCIETY IN ATLANTIS
—TEMPLES THE CENTRES OF LIFE—COSTUMES AND
ORNAMENTS OF EARLY ATLANTEANS—TOOLS AND
WEAPONS—THE SOLUTREAN CULTURE—STONE
HOUSES BUILT—RETURN OF GLACIAL CONDITIONS
—MAGICAL IMPLEMENTS—ATLANTIS THE HOME
OF MIGHTY ARTISTIC IMPULSES—KNOWLEDGE
Contents
xii
OF METALS NOT ESSENTIAL TO CIVILISATION—
ATLANTEAN CIVILISATION DEGENERATED IN EUROPE
—DID A GREAT PREHISTORIC CIVILISATION EXIST?
—PARTLY CORROBORATED BY ARCHAEOLOGY—
CULTURAL CHANGES IN ATLANTIS—ATLANTIS
ITSELF INVADED BY AN AFRICAN RACE—RESULT,
A GROSSER RELIGIOUS OUTLOOK—WHEN DID
ATLANTIS SINK?—CENTURIES OF CULTURE BEHIND
AURIGNACIAN ART—CONCLUSIONS ... 87
CHAPTER VIII
THE KINGS OF ATLANTIS
THE SONS OF POSEIDON—ATLAS—URANUS AND HIS
CHILDREN—DIODORUS APPLIES WAR OF GODS
AND TITANS TO MYTH OF ATLANTIS—CULTURAL
AND POLITICAL CHANGES IN ATLANTIS—No ICE
AGE IN ATLANTIS — AZILIANS THE RACE OF
POSEIDON—POSEIDON THE CULTURE-BRINGER—His
ORIGINAL HOME—SKETCH OF HISTORICAL EVENTS
IN ATLANTIS — THE SEVERAL CATACLYSMS—
POSEIDON, AND TALES SIMILAR TO HIS MYTHS—
DIODORUS ON THE KINGS OF ATLANTIS—BASILEA
"THE GREAT MOTHER"—ATLAS THE ASTROLOGER
—CITY OF ATLANTIS PROBABLY FOUNDED IN HIS
REIGN—QUESTION OF ATLANTEAN ARCHITECTURE—
AZILIAN STRUCTURES IN SPAIN—ANGLO-SPANISH
SCHOOL OF ARCHEOLOGY—ATLANTEAN ARCHITEC-
TURE IN ANDALUSIA—SATURN AND JUPITER DISPUTE
THE THRONE OF ATLANTIS—THE ELEMENTS OF
UNREST BEGIN TO MANIFEST THEMSELVES IN
JUPITER'S REIGN—POSEIDON, ATLAS, SATURN AND
JUPITER POSSIBLY THE FOUNDERS OF DYNASTIES—
NOT GODS, BUT MEN DEIFIED AFTER DEATH—
ZEUS DISPLEASED WITH THE ATLANTEANS—END
OF PLATO'S ACCOUNT—DISSENSIONS AT HOME
DIVERTED BY CONQUEST ABROAD—INVASION OF
EUROPE. . . . . . 101
CHAPTER IX
ATLANTIS IN BRITAIN
CORROBORATION OF ATLANTEAN CONDITIONS FROM
WELSH AND IRISH LITERATURE—ANALOGIES OF
Contents xiii

PAGE
CATACLYSM FROM THESE SOURCES—THE "WHIRLING
CASTLE" — THE ATLANTEAN CIRCULAR PLAN —
ATLANTIS AND AVALLON—PLATO'S ACCOUNT AND
THE WELSH SAN GREAL—SUBMERGED LOCALITIES
OF BRITISH CELTS—ATLAS, ALBION AND IBERIUS
—THE MYTH OF GERYON—BRITISH PARALLELS
WITH ATLANTIS—PLUTARCH ON THE LESSER
ISLANDS OF BRITAIN—ATLANTEAN MEMORIES IN
IRISH TRADITION.................................................................122
CHAPTER X
THE TRADITIONS OF ATLANTIS
ATLANTEAN TRADITION IN EUROPE—THE ISLE OF
SEVEN CITIES—THE LEGEND OF YS—DARDANUS
— DEUCALION, THE GREEK NOAH — ATLANTEAN
PARALLELS IN AMERICAN MYTH—THE CATACLYSMS
OF AZTEC TRADITION—PERUVIAN AND BRAZILIAN
FLOOD-MYTHS—BRINTON ON AMERICAN TRADI-
TION OF DELUGE—A MIXTEC LEGEND—MEXICAN
MYTHS—TLALOC COMPARED WITH POSEIDON—
DIVINE VISITATIONS ON THE TOLTECS—QUETZAL -
COATL THE CULTURE-BRINGER—HIS CONNECTION
WITH ATLANTIS—COMPARED WITH ATLAS . . 145
CHAPTER XI
LIFE IN ATLANTIS
RECONSTRUCTION OF CONDITIONS ON ATLANTIS—CANALS
—DESERT REGIONS — ARCHITECTURE — THE PLAN
OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIS—THE PYRAMID AN
ATLANTEAN FORM—FOOD-SUPPLY—COSTUME AND
DRESS—LITERATURE AND WRITING—THE AZILIAN
ALPHABET — OBVIOUSLY PICTURE-WRITING — No
REASON TO DENY ATLANTEANS THE ART OF PICTURE-
WRITING—MANNERS AND MORALITY OF ATLAN-
TEANS—REMINISCENCES OF THEIR PROFLIGACY IN
EARLY MYTH......................................................................160
CHAPTER XII
THE ATLANTEAN STATE AND POLITY
THE ATLANTEAN LAWS UNCHANGEABLE—ATLANTEAN
GOVERNMENT CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH RELIGION,