Did the Legendary Atlanteans Migrate to Europe After Atlantis Sank?

Map of Atlantis successful the Atlantic Ocean, Athanasius Kircher, 1664. Credit: Wikimedia Commons, nationalist domain

Various groups implicit the past 2 centuries person suggested that the radical of Atlantis migrated to Europe aft their civilization was destroyed and sank into the sea. This includes the Nazis, who utilized this content arsenic a ground for their ideas astir radical superiority. What bash the facts uncover astir the statement that the inhabitants of ancient Atlantis migrated to Europe?

Who were the Atlanteans?

Atlantis was a mythical land described by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. Its inhabitants, the Atlanteans, were an precocious and almighty people, known for their wealth, technology, and subject might. However, their increasing arrogance and motivation diminution led to their downfall. According to Plato’s account, Atlantis was destroyed successful a azygous time and nighttime of catastrophic events. The land was reportedly struck by earthquakes and floods, causing it to descend into the sea.

The transportation betwixt Atlantis and Hyperborea

Researchers person attempted to usage galore past Greek sources to reason that the Atlanteans migrated to Europe.

One mentation of the statement comes from the thought that Atlantis and Hyperborea were the aforesaid place. Hyperborea appears successful assorted past Greek records. It is simply a semi-mythical determination wherever radical did not request to toil for food. They did not property nor prosecute successful battles, and determination was nary fearfulness of the gods’ displeasure. In galore respects, it was arsenic if the Golden Age of Greek mythology was inactive progressive there.

Many modern sources assertion that definite Greek writers placed Hyperborea successful cardinal Europe, adjacent the onshore of the Celts. This whitethorn person led to the thought that immoderate of Europe’s inhabitants were descended from the Hyperboreans.

At slightest 1 past record—a study by Hecataeus of Lesbos from the 4th period BCE, preserved by Diodorus Siculus, a Greek historiographer from the archetypal period BCE—could beryllium interpreted arsenic supporting a transportation betwixt Hyperborea and Atlantis.

In this record, Hecataeus of Lesbos describes Hyperborea arsenic an land beyond the onshore of the Celts. Some mightiness construe this arsenic a notation to an land successful the Atlantic Ocean. This fits the traditional location of Atlantis.

Support from Ammianus Marcellinus

Some researchers person utilized different portion of grounds to enactment the statement that Atlanteans migrated to Europe. Ammianus Marcellinus, a Roman historiographer successful the 4th period CE, preserved the grounds of Timagenes, a Greek historiographer from the archetypal period BCE.

In his relationship of the root of the Gauls (the inhabitants of what is present France), Ammianus wrote:

“The Drysidae​ [Druids] accidental that a portion of the radical was successful information indigenous, but that others besides poured successful from the distant islands and the regions crossed the Rhine, driven from their homes by continual wars and by the inundation of the stormy sea.”

According to this, immoderate of the Gauls originated from distant islands. They had fled to Europe to flight wars and the inundation of the sea. Some researchers person seen this arsenic a notation to the Atlanteans fleeing from Atlantis to Europe.

Did the Atlanteans truly migrate to Europe?

When we analyse these pieces of grounds much closely, it becomes evident that they bash not enactment the thought that Atlanteans fled from Atlantis to Europe.

Let america see Hyperborea first. The astir broad statement of its determination comes from Herodotus, the 5th period BCE Greek historian. He places it northeast of the Black Sea, beyond the onshore of the Scythians.

This connection contradicts wherever Atlantis is traditionally believed to be, which is not successful Europe. Therefore, it does not align with the expected root oregon the Atlanteans’ destination.

While immoderate modern sources assertion that Pindar places Hyperborea successful the onshore of the Celts, determination is nary grounds to enactment this. His statement is completely consistent with Herodotus’ placement of Hyperborea.

What astir the notation to Hyperborea arsenic an land beyond the onshore of the Celts? This cannot beryllium a notation to Atlantis since Hecataeus refers to it arsenic an land with a still-functioning civilisation. Most scholars instrumentality this to beryllium Iron Age Britain.

Does Ammianus Marcellinus truly picture the Atlanteans migrating to Europe?

What astir the grounds from Ammianus Marcellinus? Did helium intelligibly not accidental Gaul’s inhabitants came from islands that had been inundated by the sea? He did, but it is important to analyse his words closely.

The punctuation indicates that some  Gauls originated from “the distant islands and the regions crossed the Rhine.” The Rhine is simply a stream extending from the Netherlands successful the northbound to Switzerland successful the south, wherever it has its source.

Therefore, by saying that immoderate of the Gauls had travel from beyond the Rhine, helium was saying they had travel from eastbound oregon bluish Europe. The islands successful question mightiness beryllium those adjacent Denmark. These were so ‘remote islands’ to the Greeks. Or, they mightiness person been islands of the eastbound Mediterranean, which were ‘remote’ to the Gauls.

In immoderate case, Ammianus did not picture Atlanteans migrating from Atlantis to Europe. There is nary factual ground for this idea.