Who Were The Atlanteans?
In my last post, I discussed the archaeological finds that support the truth behind the story of Atlantis. But this raises further questions. If we know about Atlantis, then who were the Atlanteans?
Plato gives us some information about the people of Atlantis (which came from Solon, which again came from a temple in Egypt). As far as we know today, absolutely nothing of Atlantis survives so we have no written records of the Atlanteans themselves. Keeping this in mind, let’s see what Plato has to say about what the Atlanteans were really like.
The Social Order of Atlantis
“Now the country was inhabited in those days by various classes of citizens;-there were artisans, and there were husbandmen, and there was also a warrior class originally set apart by divine men. ”
Plato recounts that the Atlanteans were divided into different social orders to do their tasks, much like the caste system in India. It seems like they had a pretty good life because it’s noted that “had all things suitable for nurture and education.” They were also socialist “neither had any of them anything of their own, but they regarded all that they had as common property.” They also didn’t keep slaves which is a plus!
So already Plato paints a pretty egalitarian society for us. A civilisation where all needs were fulfilled and people lived in harmony. Where people are “lovers of honour, and of a noble nature.” This of course was the hey-day of Atlantis, before it all descended into chaos.
The Divine Connections of the Atlanteans
“Poseidon, receiving for his lot the island of Atlantis, begat children by a mortal woman, and settled them in a part of the island...Atlas had a numerous and honourable family, and they retained the kingdom...but when the divine portion began to fade away, and became diluted too often and too much with the mortal admixture, and the human nature got the upper hand, they then, being unable to bear their fortune, behaved unseemly.”
Plato explains that many of the gods used to live and reside in Atlantis too. Both Poseidon, the god of the sea, and Atlas, the god that holds up the heavens, put down roots in the lost city. They had families there with mortal women and most likely help boost the population. That means that probably quite a lot of Atlanteans had this half-divine blood (if Greek mythology is anything to go off).
No-one is sure today what Plato means by his last sentence. What is this “mortal admixture” and how did it “dilute” the population of Atlantis? It could pertain to the Hindu concept of a sattvic (calm) mind as opposed to rajastic (aggressive) or tamastic (diseased). This concept has to do with certain foods and behaviours that either create a calm and balanced state, or an aggressive or toxic state.
Rome could be seen as falling due to paranoia and other symptoms of a rajastic or tamastic mind — so maybe this isn’t too far off. Whatever it means, it caused the “human nature” to be outweighed by the divine nature, causing vice and the destruction of their land.
The Mindset of the Atlanteans
“They despised everything but virtue, caring little for their present state of life, and thinking lightly of the possession of gold and other property, which seemed only a burden to them; neither were they intoxicated by luxury; nor did wealth deprive them of their self-control; but they were sober, and saw clearly that all these goods are increased by virtue and friendship with one another.”
In the golden age of Atlantis, the Atlanteans were incorruptible. They held themselves with high esteem and did not care for those base earthly desires. This description reminds me a lot of enlightened people like the Dalai Lama, Krishna or The Buddha. It is possible to be in this place where you desire nothing and are perfectly content, but in our current age this seems almost laughable.
I think when you remember that there have been perfectly virtuous people throughout our history, like Jesus for example, it’s made obvious just how strange this concept is to us. After all, we know about all these people because they defined themselves by being drastically different from the rest of the population.
Who were the Atlanteans?
The Atlanteans were a civilisation of pious and virtuous people. They probably lived simple lives, dedicated to the tasks of their caste, and did not believe in individual property. A world where no one went hungry and people were content. Perhaps one day the world will return to that, but for now they remain a footnote in our mythology books.
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