Plato's Atlantis (Republic, Critias & Timaeus)

Question 1

what is the literary & historical context of Plato’s Republic?

Answer 1

• composed c. 380 BCE
• everything Plato writes involves Socrates as a character (all written after his death but take place during his lifetime)
• 10 books long
• exploration of the meaning & application of justice

Question 2

what is the context of the ‘just man’ in Plato’s Republic?

Answer 2

• the tripartite soul (i.e. Socrates/Plato’s model of the soul)

1. logical (the rational portion of the soul)
2. spirited (lofty & ambitious, divine in nature)
3. appetitive (base impulses & feelings, negotiations w/ the logical)

similarities to Freud’s model (ego, id, super-ego)

Question 3

what is the context of the ‘just city’ in Plato’s Republic?

Answer 3

state of the soul determined your role in the city (not necessarily determined by birth)

1. Guardians/Philosopher-Kings (gold souls)
2. Auxiliaries/Warriors (silver souls)
3. Majority/Workers (bronze & iron souls)

war is not exempt from Plato’s concept of a ‘just’ city

Question 4

who are the main characters/speakers in Plato’s Atlantis (Critias & Timaeus)

Answer 4

• Socrates (less dialogue, more witness to the conversation)
• Timaeus (wealthy & politically active philosopher/astronomer from Locri, Italy)
• Critias (4 diff. in Plato’s family tree, perhaps made up or very loose association w/ historical figure [one of the 30 tyrants who ruled Athens])
• Hermocrates (Syracusian general & oligarch that helped defeat Athens in Sicilian Expedition)
• Solon (historical/legendary Athenian statesman, poet, & law-giver)

Question 5

what details on Atlantis are provided to us in Critias & Timaeus

two seperate dialogues but are meant to be part of the same narrative

Answer 5

Timaeus:

• an island bigger than Asia (Turkey) & Libya (North Africa) combined
• used to get to further islands

Critias:

• Atlantis once engaged in great war w/ Athens 9000 years previous
• race founded by Poseidon (big 3 gods divided the earth)
• high land w/ cliffs coming up from the sea
• circular city backed by large plain surrounded by mountains
• city had 3 moats w/ a canal to the sea

Question 6

how did the story of Atlantis originate?

Answer 6

• ancient texts recorded Atlantis in a great war w/ Athens
• story preserved by Egyptian priests
• Solon visits Egypt & talks about Athens → Egyptians tell him about Atlantis (translates names into Greek)
• Solon tells friend Dropides, who tells Critias (possibly Solon’s grandfather), etc.
• Egyptian Priests → Solon → Dropides → Critias (grandfather) → Amynander → Critias (from story) → Socrates, Hermocrates, & Timaus

Question 7

what are some possible versions/locations for Atlantis?

Answer 7

• Crete
• Thera
• Troy (Wilusa or Hisarlik)

Question 8

what main themes of the course are reflected in Plato’s Atlantis?

Answer 8

• utopia
• [philosophical/political] allegory (cf. Birds)

Atlantis falls into moral decay due to greed, luxury, & imperial ambition → destroyed by the gods for hubris & corruption