The Common Problem . . .
Is that people immediately define a problem in terms of exact measurements and precise definitions. They skip over looking at the problem on a human scale, and matching the context of the original problem. For centuries, scholars have tried to match the description of Atlantis, given by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. He says it was equal in size to Libya and Asia combined. Obviously, anything as large as a continent should be easy to locate, even from the debris of catastrophic destruction. Perhaps any search for Atlantis should back up from the quantitative pattern-matching and fully examine the context of the information given.
First and foremost, how far south does Plato mean when he says “Libya?” How far east is his definition of Asia? Secondly, this is Plato we are talking about. He not only literally wrote the book on metaphysics, he defined the concept of the concept. Are you 100% comfortable assuming he was referring to physical geography? He would more likely refer first to the economic footprint or area of cultural impact. If he in fact meant “from Libya to Asia (Minor)” then a dominant power in the eastern Mediterranean is a distinct probability.
Many people argue that no location in the Mediterranean could be the origin of Atlantis, because Plato specifically says it is beyond the Pillars of Hercules, typically associated with the Strait of Gibraltar. However, many places in the ancient world were identified with Hercules; specifically, Heraklion in Crete would be the most likely candidate. The tale of Atlantis is ascribed to one Kritias, whose name is derived from Crete.
Finally, the geography of the area around Crete matches the description given of Atlantis’ concentric rings of land and water. Cartographic projection in the Classical era was, at best, inexact and most commonly outright propaganda. For an author whose name is synonymous with abstract thought, the geography could not fit more perfectly. Start with the island of modernly known as Santorini. Thira, in the Sea of Crete, bounded by the island of Crete and the islands off the Attic region of Greece. Expand across the Eastern Mediterranean, take in the narrow passages separating Italy from Sicily and then North Africa, and finally look at the Mediterranean as a whole. Add the final layer of the nations in the Mediterranean basin, and the area Plato describes does indeed extend from past Libya to the far boundary of Asia as it was known in the Classical era.
The Uncommon Solution . . .
Even a logical problem makes more sense in a human context. To solve human problems, the problem itself must first be placed on a human scale before the abstract numbers have any meaning.
Copyright 2016 by J.D. Lewis
The Common Problem 