Talk:Heracleion

Coordinates wrong
31°19'30.3"N 30°07'48.7"E is better, but i'm really not sure. Look at The great exhibition in Paris Link. // Yogidoo (talk) 20:42, 17 January 2016 (UTC)

Article too short
Was looking for information on what seems to be an amazing site. I find only 1 paragraph. Theres nothing about the finds, nothing about the history of the place. Nothing about the site, really. Surprised, as a long term Wikipedia reader. Thought the site was of some importance.

86.149.183.17 (talk) 01:06, 29 April 2013 (UTC)
 * Agreed. WP:SOFIXIT. --Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus&#124; reply here 05:59, 7 December 2013 (UTC)

Just for the record
Stephanus of Byzantium -listing a separate lemma for Thonis- seems to call the city Herakleoupolis (γ') (and not Herakleion). But I might be wrong or it might be considered original research, so I won't edit it in, for the time being at least. Thanatos|talk|contributions 10:09, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

This area was captured by two well-known groups of people, the Egyptians and the Greeks. The Egyptian’s name for this city is Thonis but it is more often referred to as Heracleion. This is because the Greeks touched down on the ground first and quickly built their temple, Khonsou, on the land to mark their territory. Heracleion and Thonis were believed to be 2 separate cities but that did not match up with what was found in the waters when the remains were discovered. This city was named the primary international port for trade as well as the primary location to collect taxes. It also served as a potential hiding place before the Trojan War. However, this city faced one major issue quite often which was surviving the wrath of natural disasters. Earthquakes and tsunamis posed a threat to this area on a monthly basis and many blame the disappearance of this city on these misfortunes.The soil very rich and easy to build on. It also provided resources such as clay for pottery and nutrients for the people who settled there. Heracleion was built with intersecting canals and a large number of harbors around it which is why it was referred to as an “emporion” or in simpler terms, a trading port. These complex waterways allowed ships to pass through with little to no difficulty and created an efficient system of importing and exporting goods. Though Heracleion seemed to be dominating this area, success typically does not come without competition. Alexander the Great changed the game when he conquered Egypt in 332 B.C. He went on to find the city of Alexandria, Heracleion’s neighboring city. While this trade-off of power was occurring, a severe flood struck the coast leaving the infamous city of Heracleion in ruins. It was unclear what happened to this city until hundreds of years later. In 1933, the attention of an RAF commander flying over this dense region was caught by the mysterious water below. The original search and rescue mission for Napoleon’s warships from the Battle of the Nile in 1798 would soon become a major discovery of this “lost city” but not for a few more years. Further exploration could not be conducted because the Cold War was in effect. Goddio began investigating the coast where the city of Heracleion was last seen in 1999. After 5 years of searching, we finally received valid information regarding this city. Heracleion was a prosperous establishment from the 6th to the 4th century B.C. The remains of temples, buildings, art, and other valuables were pulled from under the water’s surface and brought researchers answers about what happened to this city years ago. Beautiful creations such as pottery and gold coins showed that the indigenous people of this city were able to become so successful by trading unique pieces created by their own very skilled workers. In today’s world, money is just about the most important item a person can have. Without it, the chances of living comfortably are slim to none. However, through research I have found that the pottery and coins that were discovered in the ocean were some of the most valuable items to the people in this city. Large temples and incomplete statues of the God Serapis and Queen Arsinoe II were also discovered underwater. Though discovering these trophies helped us piece together part of the mysteries about this city, only 5% of this area has been explored meaning there are more secrets awaiting discovery. Historians claimed for many years that the city would never be found because of soil erosion and the continuation of rising sea levels. This was a very valid point and often deterred researchers from looking more in depth into this lost city. However, researches have now concluded that the city sank under its own weight about 1,500 years ago which shows just how strong these creations because they were able to withstand the harsh waters for so long. In an article posted by the Frank Goddio Foundation the layout of this city is described in great detail. There was one temple that was named “The Grand Canal” because it connected a port to a natural lake. Dividing up the land into smaller areas increased the cities chances of success because one part of the city was not responsible for every job allowing every area to participate in achieving something. It was uncommon for people to support just themselves. Conditions were too harsh to work independently so teamwork was the only logical solution. This city was divided into smaller sections who each had the power to make decisions based on what was best for that little area. The subdivisions made room for more than one new leader to take charge and share power with others who reached the same level. Though one person has majority of the power, it is unlikely that other citizens have no voice because ultimately dictatorships lead to anarchy meaning Heracleion would have disappeared sooner than it did. At this specific point in history, it is doubtful that this city had the intelligence to create separate legislations like we have today, but we have discovered that each division of power was created through the complicated waterways. This taught researchers how this city managed to create and maintain a healthy and balanced society. This is also a concept that has evolved into our society today because we divide our states into cities and counties. This “city” was one of the first to ever support such a large number of people. Not only was it a successful trading port and full of intricate pieces of art, it had many elements we see in the modern world. Organization, leadership, and efficiency were all components of this settlement that have been found years later. Without all of the elements listed, this city and its people of Egypt would not have been able to gain access to the resources shipped into this international port. In addition to these elements, the location of this city gave it a huge advantage over its neighbors. It was located near the Canopic Mouth of the Nile River.

Another page with the same title
Proposal for merging the page Heracleium (Egypt) with the current page Heracleion. --CaeserKaiser (talk) 13:38, 10 July 2020 (UTC)

Go for it! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.51.27.57 (talk) 21:21, 18 July 2020 (UTC)
 * ✅ Klbrain (talk) 15:29, 20 February 2021 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 09:40, 16 March 2021 (UTC)
 * HERACLEION, NILE DELTA (dubbed VENICE OF THE NILE, DIGITAL RECONSTRUCTION)1.jpg

Sinking: more on it?
I have opened a related discussion here: Talk:Egypt. Arminden (talk) 12:46, 2 August 2021 (UTC)