Plato’s account (sinking ~9,600 BCE) occurs during the 3,000-year decline phase in Oliver’s narrative, after the story’s main events (~11,160 BCE, per the book’s Atlantean calendar, or ~10,114–12,000 years before 1886 CE). This period follows a major cataclysm in Zailm’s era that alters global geography; draining inland seas to form the Sahara, carving the Grand Canyon, and redirecting waters, potentially fragmenting Atlantis.
Moral decay then leads to gradual submersion over centuries, culminating in total loss ~7,114 BCE (9,000 years before 1886 CE).
Indicators in Critias include “many generations” of rule by Atlas’s descendants and “successive generations” of kings enhancing structures, implying a span of hundreds or possibly thousands of years.
Oliver depicts the peak empire as vast (~10–15 million km², spanning ~4,800–5,200 km east-west and ~3,200 km in plains extent), while Plato describes a smaller landmass (>2.5 million km², with a central plain ~205,000 km²). This supports progressive shrinkage.
Oliver captures the intact early phase, Plato a reduced remnant amid decline, before final vanishing.
Size calculation
Regarding size, both accounts describe a vast landmass, but differences suggest Oliver’s Poseid as a reduced remnant:
*Plato describes Atlantis as an island larger than ancient Libya and Asia (referring to Asia Minor) combined. Based on historical estimates, ancient Libya encompassed much of North Africa west of Egypt, with an area of approximately 1,759,000 km² (similar to modern Libya). Asia Minor (modern Anatolia) covers about 756,000 km². Their combined area is thus around 2,515,000 km². Atlantis, therefore, exceeded 2.5 million km² in total extent, though its central plain measured 3,000 by 2,000 stadia (approximately 555 km by 370 km, or 205,000 km²).
In Frederick S. Oliver’s A Dweller on Two Planets, Poseid (Atlantis) spans from the 10th to 60th meridian west, a longitude difference of 50 degrees. At mid-latitudes (around 20–30°N), this equates to an east-west width of approximately 4,800–5,200 km. The book notes inland plains extending 2,000 miles (3218 kilometers) (3,218 km) to the capital Caiphul, suggesting a comparable north-south or depth dimension. While no exact area is stated, these measurements imply a total landmass of roughly 10,000,000–15,000,000 km², assuming a rectangular or oblong shape, far exceeding Plato’s estimate.
This supports Plato depicting an earlier, intact phase, while Oliver details the surviving core before its final loss.
Plato’s account does not describe the final sinking.
Plato’s account in Timaeus does not describe Atlantis sinking to the ocean floor. The text states: “the island of Atlantis… disappeared in the depths of the sea. For which reason the sea in those parts is impassable and impenetrable, because there is a shoal of mud in the way; and this was caused by the subsidence of the island.”
However, the word “depths” appears in some translations (e.g., by Benjamin Jowett) but is absent from the original Greek and other versions, such as “swallowed up by the sea and vanished” (Henry Desmond Lee) or “sank below the sea and disappeared” (Donald J. Zeyl). The key detail is the resulting “shoal of mud,” which indicates shallow, impassable remnants rather than a complete descent to the deep seabed.
A shoal of mud
A shoal is a shallow underwater ridge, bank, or bar formed by accumulated sediment, such as sand, gravel, or mud, that rises from the bed of a body of water and poses a navigation hazard. A shoal of mud specifically consists of mud deposits, creating an impassable or impenetrable area due to its soft, sticky nature.
In Plato’s account of Atlantis, this term describes the muddy shallows left after the island’s subsidence, blocking sea passage.
A shoal is a shallow area in an ocean, often formed by sand, gravel, or other sediments, which can pose navigation hazards or support marine life.
Notable shoals existing today, with their locations and brief descriptions.
- Nantucket Shoals: In the North Atlantic Ocean, extending 37 km eastward from Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, USA. It consists of shallow waters averaging 10-20 meters (65.62 feet) deep, known for strong currents and fishing grounds.
- Dogger Bank: In the southern North Sea, between the UK and Denmark. This large sandbank rises to about 13-36 meters (118.11 feet) below sea level, covering 17,600 square km, and serves as a key habitat for fish and wind farm sites.
- Rowley Shoals: In the Indian Ocean, 260 km off Broome, Western Australia. These atoll-like coral shoals feature pristine reefs, giant clams, and diverse fish species in waters up to 50 meters (164.04 feet) deep.
- Mischief Reef (Meiji Jiao): In the South China Sea, part of the Spratly Islands. A low-lying shoal with artificial expansions, it lies in disputed waters and supports coral ecosystems amid territorial claims.
- Georges Bank: In the North Atlantic, southeast of Cape Cod, USA, and southwest of Nova Scotia, Canada. This elevated shoal reaches depths of 20-100 meters (328.08 feet) and is vital for commercial fishing.
- Sabine Bank Shoal: In the Gulf of Mexico, off the Texas-Louisiana coast, USA. An isolated inner shelf shoal providing habitat for fish and supporting offshore fisheries.
