The island of Erytheia
Erytheia is an ancient island from Greek mythology, known for its association with the myth of Heracles (Hercules).
The name "Erytheia" translates to "the red one" or "reddish," possibly referencing the red sky of sunset in the western horizon.
Erytheia plays a significant role in the Tenth Labor of Heracles.
Heracles was tasked by King Eurystheus to retrieve the cattle of the giant Geryon, who resided on Erytheia.
Erytheia was part of the mythical geography of the far west, often associated with other legendary locations like the Hesperides.
Some ancient geographers and historians equated Erytheia with real locations near the Atlantic coast.
Erytheia's position as one of the farthest known islands in Greek mythology represents the boundary between the known and the unknown.
Some ancient writers, including Strabo, located Erytheia in the region of Gadeira (modern-day Cádiz), and it has been speculated that the island represents early Greek contact with the western Mediterranean and beyond.
Several ancient and modern authors have made connections between Erytheia and Atlantis, often linking these mythical locations due to their positioning in the far west of the known world or the Atlantic.
Strabo was a Greek geographer who identified Erytheia with the region of Gadeira (modern Cádiz).
While he doesn't explicitly connect Erytheia to Atlantis, his writings about the geography of the Atlantic coast and the mythical associations of places like Tartessos indirectly contribute to later speculative connections between Erytheia and Atlantis.
Plato is the original source for the Atlantis legend in his works Timaeus and Critias, though he does not mention Erytheia directly.
However, his description of Atlantis as a powerful island civilization located beyond the Pillars of Heracles (modern Strait of Gibraltar [coordinates n="36.1408" w="-5.3536" z="6"]) has led later scholars to consider parallels between Atlantis and western mythological islands like Erytheia.
In his commentary, he mentions other ancient sources that spoke of islands in the Atlantic, possibly referencing islands like Erytheia.
He contributes to the later tradition of connecting various western islands, including Erytheia, to the Atlantis story.
While his work is largely speculative, he included various ancient western locales, including islands such as Erytheia, in his broader discussion of Atlantis as a once-real place in the Atlantic Ocean.
Luce, in his book The End of Atlantis (1969), explored the idea that Atlantis could be connected to the geography and mythical traditions of the western Mediterranean, including the mythological islands like Erytheia.
These authors either make indirect connections through geographic and mythological links to the western seas or provide speculative theories linking Atlantis with the broader myths of the ancient world, including Erytheia.