The Atletenu of Avaris

In The Atletenu of Avaris, Diego Ratti presents a groundbreaking archaeological and historical investigation that reinterprets one of the most enduring mysteries of antiquity: the lost city of Atlantis. Building on a wide range of sources—from ancient Egyptian inscriptions to Near Eastern archives and Platonic texts—the author advances a bold thesis: that the Hyksos capital of Avaris, long buried beneath the Nile Delta, served as the true historical model for Plato’s Atlantis.

This richly illustrated volume explores the rise of the Hyksos—Asiatic rulers of foreign origin known in Egyptian sources as the heqa khasut—and their transformation from Amorite and Ugaritic warlords into Egyptianized monarchs who left a profound legacy on the eastern Mediterranean. The book delves into the political structure, urban landscape, and cultural identity of Avaris and its elite class, the Atletenu, through a meticulous synthesis of archaeology, linguistics, and historical analysis.

With compelling arguments supported by the latest discoveries at Tell el-Dabʿa and reinterpretations of classical and Egyptian texts, The Atletenu of Avaris offers a bold reexamination of ancient history. It is a must-read for scholars, enthusiasts of the ancient world, and readers fascinated by the intersection of myth and historical reality.