The mythical Atlantis
The
legend of Atlantis has been presented to us by Plato and seems to be half
history half imagination. Very often the destruction of Thera is
identified with the sinking of mythical Atlantis.
The
real fact of the submergence of Santorini or other Islands in Aegean Sea
during an eruption of the volcano, together with the imagination or wish
for a Perfect City may explain the legend.
The
legend, which Plato presented in his dialogues Timaios and Kritias, is a
story, which was told to Kritias by his great-grandfather, who had heard
it from his father, Dropidas and he from the sagacious legislator Solon.
According to the story Atlantis was an extensive insular continent whose
inhabitants had developed an exceptionally high standard of civilization.
The unique power of the kings of Atlantis was not only confined to their
own continent but extended to the surrounding islands and controlled part
of Libya, as far as Egypt, as well as part of Europe up to Tyrrhenia
(Northern Italy).
Since
the days of Plato to the present day many attempts have been made to
interpret the myth or even to rediscover Atlantis. Thousands of studies
and articles have been written on this subject. The fact is that Plato,
through the myth, presented to his fellow-citizens a paradigm of an
ideally organized state which flowered and prospered for as long as men
respected and enforced the laws and worshipped the gods who had given them
the legislation. However, when the men became arrogant and ceased to obey
the laws of their state the wrath of the gods was such that they were
condemned to annihilation.
Nevertheless,
Atlantis can be more than true, at least within our imagination. It is
believed that Atlantis was very close to Santorini
The
volcano first manifested itself about 80.000 years or so ago. This first
eruption was terrific. Apart from the ash, the crater expelled other,
heavier substances, which covered the surface of the sea and joined with
the exciting islets to form an approximately circular island with a
diameter of 14 to 15 kilometres.
About
3.000 B.C the island was inhabited by people who called it Strongyle (that
means "round").
The volcano erupted for a second time, equally destructively , at 1450 B.C
wiping out all the life on the Island and sanking the greater part of
Strongyle beneath the waves.
All that was left above the surface of the sea were segments of its
perimeter which today are called Santorini , Thirasia , and Aspronisi.
One of the greatest and most cosmopolitan harbours of the Mediterranean during the first half of the second millennium, Akrotiri was berried under a thick mantle of ash when the volcano erupted in about 1.600 BC.
The island was inhabited at
around 3200 B.C. when Cretes
showed up.
The influence of the Minoan
culture on the island was obvious when excavations started on Akrotiri
and found a whole village with houses decorated with wall paintings
similar to those found in the Minoan
palace in Crete.
Before the volcano
started its destructive work the island was called Stroggili,
from its shape.
But in 1500
B.C. happened something that completely changed the story
of the ancient world.
It was the
explosion of the volcano which was in the centre of the
island and the greater part sunk.
The tidal wave which was
caused by the explosion , estimated at around 100m high, destroyed
the palace of Knossos and did a lot of damage at the north
coast of Crete.
197
BC. Eruption of the volcano.
19 AD.
Eruption of the volcano.
46 AD.
Eruption of the volcano
726
AD. Eruption of the volcano.
1204
AD. The Fourth Crusade created the Latin Empire of the Bosphorous.
1207
AD. The Duchy of Naxos of the Archipelago was founded and assigned to
Marco I Sanudo. Thera was ceded as a Barony to Giacomo Barozzi. The
administration remained to five Barozzis until 1296. The Barozzis used to
call themselves "Dominatores insularum Santorini et Therasiae".
1296
AD. The Byzantine Likarios liberated Santorini along with the islands of
Amorgos, Seriphos, Kea, Ios, Siphnos and Pholegandros.. However the
freedom was very short and before the year was out the Barozzis had
returned to Santorini.
During
the next years the history of the island is the history of the rivalries
between local lords and the Duke of Naxos or disputes between the latter
and the Turks.
1570
or 1573 AD. Eruption of the volcano.
1579-1821
AD. Turkish occupation
1650
AD. Eruption of the volcano (26th Sept - 6 Dec)
1707
AD. Eruption of the volcano (23rd May - 17th Jan 1708)
1821
AD. Santorini is liberated.
1866-1870
AD Eruption of the volcano.
1870
AD. Mamet and Gorceix made trial investigation in Akrotiri where a late
Minoan settlement exists.
1899
AD. Robert Zahn carried out minor investigations at the site of Potamos (Akrotiri)
1925
AD 11th Aug - 1926 AD 21st May. Eruption of the volcano
1928
AD. Eruption of the volcano (23rd Jan - 17th Mar)
1939
AD End Aug - 1941 Beg July. Eruption of the volcano
1950
AD. Eruption of the volcano (10th Jan - 2nd Feb)
1967
AD. Professor Marinatos begun excavations at Akrotiri and brings back to
life a Late Minoan settlement.
Today
an Island which can be described as paradise for tourists and
archaeologists.
