Though Donnelly’s findings were predominantly speculative, his theory was largely directed by the belief that the Atlantic Ocean was just a couple hundred feet deep.
He thought that a continent had been flooded by colliding ocean waters in the location once written by Plato – just by the “Pillars of Hercules,” which are nowadays known as the two rocks at the entry of the Straits of Gibraltar. But is Donnelly’s theory still considered reliable after over a century of scientific developments?
Connected Continents
Over a hundred years later, any information linked to the myth of Atlantis was considered incredibly speculative. Though, there have been professionals, such as cartographer Abraham Ortelius, that have made significant findings. Ortelius was actually one of the first to believe that all continents were connected before eventually separating.
Ortelius shared, “Unless it be a fable, the island of Gadir or Gades [Cadiz] will be the remaining part of the island of Atlantis or America, which was not sunk (as Plato reports in the Timaeus).”
An American Theory
Like the island itself, the story of Atlantis eventually sunk into the depths of social and cultural understanding. However, a man by the name of Ignatius Donnelly revived the myth with his fervent interest. He dedicated much of his time and effort into even writing a book about it, containing extensive research.
Donnelly writes in his book, “Atlantis, the Antediluvian World,” that Plato was actually archiving a natural disaster. Was his research enough to back up this theory, though?
Dated Theory?
Donnelly’s theory shares the same location with Plato’s description of the area of Atlantis, it still remains popular among a number of today’s theorists. Unfortunately, due to better understanding and knowledge of how plate tectonics work, this theory has since been debunked by modern oceanographers.
The whole idea of the waters shifting leading to the sinking of Atlantis ultimately seemed ridiculous at this point. However, this didn’t stop theorists from expanding Donnelly’s work.
Secret Society
Helen Blavatsky, a Russian mystic and founder of the Theosophical Society, was amongst those who were directly influenced by Donnelly’s work. Whereas Plato believed that the Atlanteans were purely a military entity, Blavatsky believed that they were actually a more culturally rich and sophisticated civilization.
In fact, she even believed that her own race was deeply rooted in the Atlanteans, or what she called the “Root Race”. However, the Atlanteans contributed to their own downfall, engaging in one too many internal battles influenced by supernatural powers.