atlantis
Athanasius Kircher’s map of Atlantis, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. [1]
The capital of Atlantis as described by Plato. [2]
The story of Atlantis begins quite literally with two of Plato ’s dialogues, Timaeus and Critias. [3]
, “daughter of Atlas “) is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato ’s dialogues Timaeus and Critias. [1]
A legendary island in the Atlantic Ocean west of Gibraltar, said by Plato to have sunk beneath the sea during an earthquake. [4]
There had been a powerful empire located to the west of the “Pillars of Hercules” (what we now call the Straight of Gibraltar) on an island in the Atlantic Ocean. [2]
Others believe that the story was inspired by catastrophic events which may have destroyed the Minoan civilization on Crete and Thera. [3]
Plato had planned to write a trilogy of books discussing the nature of man, the creation of the world, and the story of Atlantis, as well as other subjects. [2]
Some scholars argue Plato drew upon memories of past events such as the Thera eruption or the Trojan War, while others insist that he took inspiration from contemporary events like the destruction of Helike in 373 BC or the failed Athenian invasion of Sicily in 415′413 BC. [...] After a failed attempt to invade Athens, Atlantis sank into the ocean “in a single day and night of misfortune”. [1]
Still others maintain that the story is an accurate representation of a long lost and almost completely forgotten land. [3]
The main sources for the legend are two of Plato ’s dialogues, Timaeus and Critias. [4]
This huge rise in sea level created tremendous strains and stresses in the crust of the earth due to the extra weight on the seafloor and the isostatic rebound of the continents, alleviated of the colossal weight of the mile-thick glaciers which formerly covered them. [...] So are the massive extinctions of all sorts of species, and particularly of the large mammals which took place at the end of the Pleistocene Ice Age, some 11,600 years ago. [5]
According to Plato, Atlantis had a rich civilization, and its princes made many conquests in the Mediterranean before earthquakes destroyed the island and it was swallowed up by the sea. [4]
Sources:
[1] Atlantis - Wikipedia
[2] The UnMuseum - The Lost Continent of Atlantis
[3] Atlantis
[4] Atlantis: Definition from Answers.com
[5] The True History Of Atlantis