Helike-The real Atlantis?


Early Bronze Age walls of prehistoric Helike
Source: The Helike Project

On a winter night in 373 B.C., the classical Greek city of Helike was destroyed by a massive earthquake and tidal wave. The entire city and all its inhabitants were lost beneath the sea. Ancient writers ascribed the disaster to the anger of Poseidon, god of earthquakes and the sea.

Helike, the principal Greek city on the southwest shore of the Gulf of Corinth , had been founded in the Bronze Age and its pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Helikonian Poseidon was known throughout the Classical world (Katsonopoulou 1999, 2002). Helike led the twelve cities of the first Achaean League, and founded colonies, including Priene in Asia Minor and Sybaris in South Italy. The destruction of Helike was widely discussed by many Greek and Roman authors and may have inspired Plato, then in his prime, to write about Atlantis.

Check that you understand what these words mean in this document
Massive earthquake: major earthquake.
Tidal wave: a sea wave that sometimes follows an earthquake.
Inhabitant: a person who lives in a particular place for a period of time.
To ascribe: to believe something is caused by something.  
Achaean League: the cities on the Gulf of Corinth that came together to protect themselves against common enemies.
One's prime: the best part of one's life.

For further information visit:
Helike Foundation
BBC on Helike