The History of Atlantis

by Lewis Spence

Overview

Lewis Spence, well-known Scottish Folklorist, author and editor of many books on Mythology, Egypt, Atlantis, Anthropoolgy during the first half of our century, has gathered together in this book most of the known facts, sources and evidence on Atlantis. His conclusion that Atlantis did exist, and its influences survived in British, Irish, French, Portugese, Eastern North, South and Central America, can be summed up in his own words, namely: "But it is from the acceptance of my theory of the exstence 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 Atlantean civilizaion 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." A comprehensive source, from the early part of this century, on the evidence of Atlantis and its influences on our present civilization.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781621510598
Publisher:	SteinerBooks
Publication date:	01/01/1992
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Lewis Spence was a Scottish historian (1874-1955) who is best known for his volumes on world mythology and his five Atlantis books. The History of Atlantis (1926) is considered his finest.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER I
  INTRODUCTORY
    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
CHAPTER II
  THE SOURCES OF ATLANTEAN HISTORY
    I. The Writings of Plato
      PLATO'S TIMÆUS AND ITS CONTENTS
        "HIS "CRITIAS" "
        "HIS ACCOUNT OF ATLANTIS, ITS TOPOGRAPHY, ITS CAPITAL CITY, POPULATION, CANALS AND TEMPLES "
        "ITS GOVERNMENT, ECONOMY AND RELIGION "
CHAPTER III
  THE SOURCES OF ATLANTEAN HISTORY
    II. From the Fourth Century B.C. Onwards.
      DIODORUS SlCULUS ON AMAZONS AND ATLANTEANS
        THEOPOMPUS'S ACCOUNT
        THE KINGS OF ATLANTIS
        STRABO'S ISLE OF MEROPlS
        THE CONTINENT OF SATURNIA
        MARCELLUS ON ATLANTlS
        ARNOBIUS' REFERENCE
        SUMMARY OF REMAINING CLASSICAL DATA
        PLATONIC AND ALEXANDRIAN NOTIONS OF ATLANTIS
        MODERN THEORIES FROM THE SIXTEENTH 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 "
CHAPTER IV
  ATLANTEAN HISTORICAL SOURCES EXAMINED
    MODERN THEORIES ON THE SUBJECT OF THE SOURCES
      PLATO'S STATEMENTS REGARDING THE AUTHENTICITY OF HIS ACCOUNT
      PLATO IN EGYPT
      SOLON'S EGYPTIAN VISIT
      CONNECTION OF SAIS WITH ATHENS
      ARCHÆOLOGICAL 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 AM 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
CHAPTER V
  THE GEOGRAPHY OF ATLANTIS
    GEOLOGICAL PROOF OF ITS EXISTENCE
      THE QUATERNARY 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 CONSIDERABLE ISLAND ABOVE WATER"
      EVIDENCE FROM BIOLOGY
      ANIMAL LIFE ON THE AZORES
      EUROPEAN CHARACTERS OF THEIR REPTILLIA
      SLUGS AND MOTHS OF THE ATLANTIC ISLANDS
      AUTHOR'S FORMER CONCLUSIONS TABULATED
      THE SARGASSO SEA
      THE SITE OF ATLANTIS
CHAPTER VI
  THE RACES OF ATLANTIS
    WAS ATLANTIS INHABITED?
      THE GSNITCH STADIUM OF PENCK AND BRÜCKNER
      THE AZILIAN RACE
      DISCOVERY OF ITS REMAINS IN FRANCE
      ITS CULTURE
      "IT'S "ALPHABET"
      SPREAD OF THE AZILIAN RACE
      PYGMY FLINTS
      THE CAPSIAN CULTURE
      WHENCE CAME THE AZILIANS?
      PERIOD OF THEIR ARRIVAL AGREES WITH PLATO'S DATE OF ALANTEAN INVASION
      THE CRÔ-MAGNON RACE
      "PALÆOLITHIC GREEKS"
      THEIR EXTRAORDINADY ART
      A HIGH TYPE OF HUMANITY
      BELIEF IN A FUTURE LIFE
      PAINTING AND SCULPTURES SUPERIOR TO THE EGYPTIAN
      SUCCESSIVE INVASIONS OF EUROPE FROM THE ATLANTIC
      PROFESSOR MACALISTER ON EXTRA-EUROPEAN ORIGIN OF THECRÔ-MAGNON RACE
      RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GUANCHES OF THE CANARY ISLANDS THE VESTIGES OF ATLANTIS
      RIPLEY'S THEORY OF THE CRÔ-MAGNON LANGUAGE
      ORIGIN OF CRÔ-MAGNON MAN
      OF AZILIAN MAN
CHAPTER VII
  THE STONE AGE IN ATLANTIS
    CAN BEST BE RECONSTRUCTED FROM THE LIFE OF ITS COLONIST 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 ARTISTIE IMPULSES
      KNOWLEDGE OF METALS NOT ESSENTIAL TO CIVILISATION
      ATLANTEAN CIVILISATION DEGENERATED IN EUROPE
      DID A GREAT PREHISTORIC CIVILISATION EXIST?
      PARTLY CORROBORATED BY ARCHÆOLOGY
      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
CHAPTER VIII
  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 PO
    RECONSTRUCTION OF CONDITIONS ON ATLANTIS
      CANALS
      DESSERT REGION
      ARCHITECTURE
      THE PLAN OFN THE CITY OF ATLANTIS
      THE PYRAMID AND 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 ATLANTEANS
      REMINISCENCES OF THEIR PROFLIGACY IN EARLY MYTH
CHAPTER XII
  THE ATLANTEAN STATE AND POLITY
    THE ATLANTEAN LAWS UNCHANGEABLE
      "ATLANTEAN GOVERNMENT CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH RELIGION, BUT ALSO ON A FEUDAL BASIS"
      ATLANTIS IN A STATE OF ARMED VIGILANCE
      "ATLANTEAN GOVERNMENT UNLIKE ANY OF THE "CLASSICAL" GOVERNMENTS OF ANTIQUITY"
      "IT RESEMBLES, HOWEVER CELTIC RULE IN GAIL AND BRITAIN"
CHAPTER XIII
  THE RELIGION OF ATLANTIS
    SIX EARLY RITES ATTENDING DELIBERATIONH OF THE KINGS
      IMMOLATION OF THE SACRED BULLS
      A MEXICAN ANALOGY
      THE BULL-CULT OF AURIGNACIANS
      BULL-WORSHIP IN EGYPT AND OSIRIAN CULT
      SPREAD OF THE WORSHIP OF OSIRIS-APIS THROUGHOUT EUROPE TO BRITAIN
      AN ATLANTEAN GENESIS FOR THE BULL-CULT
      PLATO'S ACCOUNT PERHAPS SOPHISTICATED BY HELLENIC PRACTICE
      THE BULL THE BEAST OF POSIEDON
      A PROVISIONAL ATLANTEAN PANTHEON
      POSEIDON'S ORIGIN
      "THE DEFINITE ASSOCIATION OF ATLAS WITH HIS BROTHER TITANS, THE TUTELARY DEITIES OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND"
      "INVASION OF OLYMPUS BY TITANIC GODS FROM THE WEST, AN ALLEGORY OF THE INVASION OF THE MEDITERRANEAN AREA BY THE GODS OF AN ALIEN RELIGION"
      PERSISTENCE OF THE NAME ATLAS AND HIS ISLAND
      NOTICES OF THE TITANIC PANTHEON THE MEMORIALS OF AN ACIENT AND POWERFUL RELIGION
      SANCTITY OF THE WESTERN OCEANIC AREA TO THE MEDITERRANEAN PEOPLES
      LOCALITY OF THE FORTUNATE ISLANDS AND THE GARDENS OF THE HESPERIDES
      THE IDEA OF THE CONTINUED EXISTENCE OF SOULS AFTER DEATH IN THE WEST ARISING OUT OF THE MEMORY OF ATLANTIS
      THE LOCATION IN THE WEST OF THE ISLAND OF THE DEAD BY THE PEOPLES OF WESTERN AND MEDITERRANEAN EUROMP A PDROOF THAT THY REGARDED IT AS THE ACIENT HOME OF THEIR RELIGION AND CULTURE
      MAN'S PARADISE ALWAYS REGARDED AS THAT SPOT WHENCE HE ORIGINALLY CAME
      A WELL-FOUNDED MEMORY OF THE FORMER EXISTANCE OF A GREAT RELIGION IN THE ATLANTIC REGION
      THE ATLANTEAN PANTHEON ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSTELLATIONSS
      THE IDEA OF A COSMIC SYMPHONY IN THE WRITINGS OF PLATO
      THE ASSOCIATION OF THE ATLANTEAN RELIGION WITH ASTROLOGY
      ASTROLOGY OF THE AZTECS
      PROBABLE EMANATION FROM ATLANTIS
      THE AZTEC TONALMATL
      EQUATION OF THE AZTEC CALENDAR
      GODS WITH MEMBERS OF THE ATLANTEAN PANTHEON
      QUETZALCOATL THE INVENTOR OF THA MEXICAN ASTROLOGICAL SYSTEM
      HIS WESTERN ORIGIN
      THE OLDER EPONYMOUS GODS OF EUROPE
      EUROPEAN GIANT-LORE
      CONNECTION OF THE TITANS WITH EARTHQUAKE
      THE AZILIAN GIANT-WORSHIPPERS
      BATTLE OF THE GODS AND TITANS
      APPETITE OF THE TITANIC GODS GIVES RISE TO THE POPULAR CONCEPTION OF THE OGRE
      IMMOLATION OF HUMAN BEINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ATLANTEAN TRADITION
      DRUIDISM POSSIBLY THE LAST PHASE OF AN IMPORTED ATLANTEAN RELIGION
      ATLANTEAN TRACES IN DRUDIC RELIGION
      THEOSOPHISTS AND BRITISH LORE
CHAPTER XIV
  ANIMAL LIFE IN ATLANTIS
    ANALOGIES FROM THE ATLANTIC ISLANDS
      THE CLIMATE OF ATLANTIS
      ISLAND NAMES IN THE AZORES GROUP
      MIGRATIONS OF THE RABBIT
      ATLANTIS AS THE CRADLE OF ALL ANIMAL LIFE
      "MIGRATIONS OF THE EEL, THE LEMMING AND OF CERTAIN BUTTERFLIES TO AND FROM THE ATLANTEAN AREA"
      THE MESATLANTIC AREA AND ITS BIOLOGY
      THE ELEPHANT IN ATLANTIS
      M. TERMIER ON ATLANTEAN BIOLOGY
CHAPTER XV
  THE COLONIES OF ATLANTIS
    ATLANTIS IN AFRICA
      IBERIANS AS ATLANTEANS
      POSSIBILITY THAT ATLANTIS SURVIVED AFTER 9600 B.C.
      THE CABIRI
      DID THE CABIRIAN CULT EMANATE FROM AN ATLANTIS STILL EXISTING AT ABOUT 3000B.C.?
      CRETE AS A COLONY OF ATLANTIS
      MINOAN CIVILIZATION PROBABLY MODELLED ON THAT OF ATLANTIS
      BULLS AND CAVE-TEMPLES
      AURIGNACIAN AND MINOAN CAVE-TEMPLES
      EGYPT AS A COLONY OF ATLANTIS
      IBERIANS IN EGYPT
      THE CULT OF OSIRIS AND ITS ORIGIN
      THE BOOK OF THE DEAD PROBABLY OF LATE AURIGNACIAN OR ATLANTEAN ORIGIN
      EGYPTIAN EMBALAMING DERIVED FROM AURIGNACIAN PRACTICE
CHAPTER XVI
  THE ATLANTEAN CULTURE-COMPLEX
    EVERY CIVILIZATION DISTINGUISHED BY A GROUP OF CULTURAL MANIFISTATIONS AND PRACTICES
      ATLANTEAN CULTURE-COMPLEX DISTRIBUTED FROM THE SHORES OF WESTERN EUROPE TO THOSE OF EASTERN AMERICA AND THROUGHOUT THE INTERVENING ISLANDS
      "ITS CHIEF ELEMENTS MUMMIFICATION, WITCHCRAFT, THE PYRAMID, HEAD-FLATTENING, THE COUVADE, THE USE OF TRIANGULAR STONES, THE EXISTENCE OF TRADITIONS OF CATACLYSM, ETC."
      MUMMIFICATION
      WITCHCRAFT
      THE PYRAMID
      HEAD-FLATTENING
      THE COUVADE
      TATTOOING
      THE THUNDER-STONE
      THE SACRED PICK OR HAMMER
      "THE "GREAT HAND"
      CONCLUSION