| “ | Atlantis will be avenged! | ” |
–Poseidon, God of War III | ||
Greek Mythology
Atlantis formerly Poseidonia (in Greek, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, "continent of Atlas" but formerly continent of Poseidon) is a legendary continent first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias.
In Plato's account, Atlantis was a naval power lying "beyond the Pillars of Hercules" that conquered many parts of western Europe and Africa 9,000 years before the time of Solon, or approximately 9,600 BC. After a failed attempt to invade Athens, Atlantis sank into the ocean "in a single day and night of misfortune".
God of War series
God of War II
God of War II was set to feature Atlantis as a whole world, but was cut due to time and budget.
Cut Atlantis Level Gallery
God of War Novel
The ancient city is briefly mentioned by Poseidon and Athena, as they meet on her request. The Lord of the Seas was planning to depart to his great city, when his brother Zeus asked him hear his daughters word. Poseidon claimed the people of Atlantis are no end of trouble, suggesting they often call upon him for his aid and favour.
Ghost of Sparta
Atlantis (also known in myth as Poseidonia), is a setting in Ghost of Sparta. It is the domain of Poseidon and is the place of his greatest temple. It was also mentioned by him in God of War Comics and later in God of War III. In this game, Atlantis is apparently located near the island of Crete. However, if this is the case, it cannot be the mythological Atlantis aforementioned, for that lay beyond the Pillars of Hercules.
The city may even predate the rule of Olympus and Poseidon, as the ancient Death Gate and the Temple of Thanatos were located within its bounds, both being placed there by immortals, before the Age of Man. It may be possible that the great sea-faring civilisation has already existed in some form during the reign of the Titans, when the endless seas were ruled by the ancient Oceanus.
It is here, where Callisto, the mother of Kratos and Deimos was taken after the attack on Sparta and the taking of Deimos by Ares and Athena. The former lover of Zeus was confined to the Temple of Poseidon, at the peak of the city. Nearing the end of her life, Callisto called out to her son Kratos, now among the Rulers of Olympus. Her son recieved her prayers and calls and made his way to the ancient city to investigate these new visions. With a great fleet, the God of War took sail to Atlantis, with his former mentor Athena pleading for him to abandon this quest for answers.
Kratos reaches the city, but at almost total cost of his assembled fleet, as the Protector of Atlantis, the fabled sea monster Scylla easily destroyed the invading ships, despite being unable to kill Kratos himself. Pushing through into the inner sections of the city, the Spartan War God faced the many defenders of Poseidon's mortal domain, the sea folk of Tritons and monsters like Cyclopes and Geryons. Poseidon, unable to face his fellow God on the field of battle due to his brothers decree, had no choice but not to interfere directly and personally against the invasion.
The Spartan found the Eye of Atlantis, a powerful artefact channeling the power of the oceans, which he put to use against his enemies.
Reaching his mother in the Temple of Poseidon, Kratos was shocked to see her before his eyes. She told him of his brothers true fate and how his father forbid her to talk about it for all these years. Callisto beseeched her son to seek him out and save him. Kratos, highly enraged and shocked by the revelation, demands to know who his father is. As his old and frail mother tries to whisper the name in his ear, she transforms into a hideous and mindless monstrosity, forcing her son to face and mortally wound her. In her final moments, she returns back to her natural form and again asks Kratos to save his brother, before she dies and her body disappears.
Kratos, filled with rage and determination marched on to this new found purpose. His battle with Scylla devastated the city and led him to the great vulcano on its periphery, which the Atlanteans contained with their Archimedean Screws, aswell as keeping watch on the imprisoned Titan Thera. An volcanic eruption ravaged the Island when Kratos "freed" Thera from her imprisonment and Atlantis started to sink into the ocean due to Kratos' fight with Scylla. After Kratos escaped the city, he found the Skull of Keres, the key to the Domain of Death, in the Temple of Ares.
Kratos and some of his warriors returned to the sunken city in order to enter Death's Domain. Their returning journey towards the recently submerged city, was again met with great resistance and force from the Tritons, aswell as massive and violent storms, with the divine lightning of Poseidon raining down on the ship and destroying it, with Kratos falling into the watery abyss towards the ancient city. Its destruction greatly enraged Poseidon, which is one of the reasons he desired Kratos' death in God of War III.
God of War II Novel
As Kratos departs to deal the final blow to the besieged city of Rhodes, Athena is left behind on Olympus. Her uncles Hades and then Poseidon appear and voice their distaste and hatred for the Spartan who was now their fellow God. The Lord of the Underworld reminds his brother of what Kratos did to his precious city Atlantis, making the Sea God boil with rage. They both depart, plotting against the Slayer of Ares whose days on Olympus were about to end.
Later in the novel, it is revealed that Lahkesis was the one who decreed the fate of Atlantis, when she mused about it to her sister Atropos. Her sister stated that it was "hardly worth her effort", considering all the fate and destiny of Gods and Man they had to shape and spin, to which Lahkesis replied that she forgot to mention the animals on the land and the fish in the seas.
Atlanteans
The Atlanteans are harmless; they never choose to fight Kratos, and are usually seen cowering in fear. Kratos, however, can kill them for Orbs.
Atlantean Soldiers
They aid Kratos at the start of his journey, fighting off enemies alongside him but during his time in Atlantis they are being killed off by the creatures of Atlantis; but, like the Atlanteans, Kratos can kill them for additional Orbs.
Lanaeus
Lanaeus is first seen shortly after Kratos battled Scylla, where he ran into Lanaeus and his men, who worked to keep the Archimedean Screw stabilized. (More info by clicking on Lanaeus link.)
Gallery
Trivia
- An Atlantean soldier quoted a phrase from the movie Jaws in Ghost of Sparta, as Scylla, her offspring, and Triton soldiers attacked Kratos' ship, one of the soldiers said: "We need a bigger boat!"
- During the game, the Atlantean soldiers attack enemies along with Kratos, but in the Combat Arena, they attack the Spartan. This is probably because the creatures selected in the combat arena are meant to fight against Kratos for training purposes unless the settings are changed.
- The sinking of Atlantis was briefly mentioned by Poseidon during his and Kratos' fight in the beginning of God of War III.
- Athena claimed the patience of Poseidon towards his mortals in Atlantis is admirable. Indeed, by the technology and recources, aswell the protection of the Tritons at their disposal, the Atlanteans were blessed by their Lord Poseidon, truly standing apart from the other mortal empires and city-states of Greece.
- Favouring discord, Lahkesis decree of the sinking of Atlantis may have had the intent of revealing to Kratos the truth about his brother, which would bring about some more drama and upheaval among the Olympian pantheon. It is not known whether she made the decree alone or together with her Sisters.