sennbat t1_ivm0ol8 wrote
Reply to comment by Alternative-Job-2481 in TIL that the "Lost City of Atlantis" was invented by the philosopher Plato, as a fake enemy for Athens that lost favour of the gods and was sunk in to the sea. by PDRugby
Yeah, but uh... for this particular fact its not particularly debatable, we actually have the primary sources.
Alternative-Job-2481 t1_ivpbx4j wrote
Saying it's a work of fiction is stating Plato's intent in creating the story. It's possible it's a work of fiction, or a severe exaggeration, but we're still discovering ancient cities, for example the major northern trading port of Heracleion which sank underwater most likely due to soil liquefaction. Saying Atlantis is a work of fiction is imo a bit bold of a statement.
sennbat t1_ivpja8k wrote
At the very least you recognize it is first found in an explicit work of fiction, right?
Alternative-Job-2481 t1_ivpli65 wrote
>it is first found in an explicit work of fiction
I'm not saying it did or didn't exist, but real, fictional, and somewhere in between places are frequently referenced in works of fiction.
I hate to bring up so obvious an example (but we're reaching the limit of my education) - Homer (or "Homer") frequently narrated obviously fictional stories set in real places. The story being a work of fiction does not mean that Plato didn't base the places in it on real places or places he thought were real.
Anyway I do see your point, we can agree to disagree. I would argue this is far from resolved, and you're clearly skeptical of something kind of far fetched found in an story that had no real requirement for being anything other than entertainment :).
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