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The story of Atlantis has enthralled people for over two millennia. This myth is one that has been the subject of countless books, poems, and even movies. Nearly everyone is familiar with the story of the fabled civilization that sank beneath the waves and it that has entered the popular imagination. Indeed, many do not believe that Atlantis is a myth but was a real historical place and that its remains may still be found to this day.  The origin of the myth is in the Classical World, it was first told by the great Greek philosopher Plato. Most authorities accept that Atlantis is only a tale. However, there may have been a real ‘Atlantis’ and there are several ancient societies that possibly inspired the tale. This article will examine the ancient civilizations that could have inspired the myth of Atlantis. It will not examine the more far-fetched theories on the lost island, such as it was the Antarctic or Ireland.

In the dialogue Critias, a well-known Athenian politician relates that the Olympian Gods divided the earth between them. The gods gave the sea-god Poseidon was allocated the great island of Atlantis. This civilization was located beyond the Straits of Gibraltar and was therefore situated in the Atlantic Ocean. It was believed to be very large and was approximately 500 miles long.<ref>Plato. Critias. 32 b</ref>It was very fertile and rich, but it was very prone to earthquakes.  According to Egyptian sources, the island was hilly, and in the center was a vast plain. Critias in the Platonic dialogue states that Poseidon had five pairs of twins with a nymph. The firstborn son was named Atlas, and he later became monarch of the island. The Atlantic Ocean was named after King Atlas. The other sons of Poseidon were also given extensive territories to rule in and around Atlantis.  According to the Platonic dialogue, Poseidon created a palace for the mother of Atlas. Near here, the Atlanteans build a canal and tunnels that linked this palace to the rest of the island.<ref>Plato. Critias. 32 b</ref> They also built a great city that was surrounded by mighty walls, that were multi-colored and covered with precious metals.  Plato has Critias state that Atlantis was a veritable paradise on earth for many centuries. It was a well-ordered land, that was justly ruled, and its kings were wise. In the Platonic dialogue, the island is portrayed as the perfect society and a Utopia. However, over time, the Atlanteans became decadent and lost their old virtue and become increasingly rapacious and war-like.<ref> Plato. Critias. 32 b</ref>  Some 9000 years ago, there was a great war between the Atlanteans and the rest of the inhabited world. The Atlanteans had subjugated most of Europe, as far as Italy. Athens led a coalition against the new Atlantean Empire. Even though their allies betrayed the Athenians, they still managed to defeat the Atlanteans.<ref>Plato. Critias. 32 b</ref>  Soon after the defeat of Atlantis, a series of floods and earthquakes shook the island. These disasters eventually sank Atlantis into the sea.<ref>Forsyth, p. 18</ref> All traces of it apart from some records have vanished according to the dialogue. We do not know if Plato invented the fable or if there was an actual myth about the grand island, in the Classical era. In Ancient times, opinion was divided on the historicity of the island; some such as Strabo believed it to be accurate, while others saw it as a fiction.  The tale of Atlantis inspired Francis Bacon in his great work the New Atlantis and St Thomas More in his work Utopia. In 1882, the Minnesotan politician Ignatius L. Donnelly wrote the pseudo-historical work Atlantis: The Antediluvian World. Donnelly took Plato literally, and he contended that there had once been an enormous island in the mid-Atlantic and that the Atlanteans once had a superior civilization. This work revived interest in Plato’s philosophical narrative, and from then on, some have been committed to finding the lost island or continent.

According to Egyptian sources, ====The Minoans====Many believe that the origin of the island Atlantis myth was hilly and in the center civilization of the Minoans, which was a great plain. Critias in centered on the Platonic dialogue states that Poseidon had five pairs island of twins with a nymphCrete. The firstborn son was named Atlas Minoan civilization flourished between 2700 and he later became monarch of the island1500 BC. The Atlantic Ocean It is named after this fabled kingparticularly famous for its great palaces and artworks. The other sons of Poseidon were also given extensive territories to rule most famous site in and around Atlantis. According to the Platonic dialogue, Poseidon created a palace for the mother Minoan culture is that of AtlasKnossos. Near here, This society dominated the Atlanteans build a canal eastern Mediterranean for many centuries and tunnels that linked this palace to they traded with many other cultures including the rest of the islandEgyptians.<ref>PlatoCastleden, Rodney. Critias. 32 bMinoans: Life in Bronze Age Crete (New York, Routledge, 1993), p 13-30</ref>. They also built a great city established many colonies throughout the Aegean such as that on the modern island of Santorini, which was surrounded by mighty walls, that were multi-colored and covered with precious metalsknown as the island of Thera in the Classical World.

Plato has Critias state that Atlantis was a veritable paradise on earth for many centuriesWe do not know what the Minoans called themselves. The archaeologist who rediscovered the civilization called it after the legendary King Minos. It was There is a well-ordered land, great deal of evidence that was justly ruledthe Minoans were literate, and its kings were wisebut experts are still not able to decipher their writings. In the Platonic dialogue, the island is portrayed as the perfect society and This civilization began a Utopiaslow period of decline around 1700 BC. However, over time, This was greatly exacerbated by the Atlanteans became decadent and lost their old virtue and become increasingly rapacious and warso-likecalled Minoan Eruption. <ref> Plato. Critias. 32 b</ref> Some 9000 years ago In the mid-1500 BC, there was a great war, between massive volcanic eruption on the Atlanteans and Aegean island of Santorini (Thera). This is one of the rest largest known volcanic eruptions in all of the inhabited worldhuman history. The Atlanteans had subjugated most of Europe, It was so large that it caused havoc as far away as ItalyChina. Athens led a coalition against Based on the new Atlantean Empire. Even though amount of material that is released into the Athenians were betrayed by their allies, they still managed to defeat atmosphere it was the Atlanteans.<ref>Plato. Critiasfifth-largest ever recorded. 32 b</ref>

Soon after the defeat of Atlantis, a series The volcano’s eruption caused much of floods and earthquakes shook the island. These disasters eventually sank Atlantis of Thera to collapse into the sea.<ref>Forsyth, p. 18</ref> All traces At the time of it apart from some records have vanished according to the Dialogue. We do not know if Plato invented the fable or if eruption, there was an actual myth about a large Minoan town on the great islandand that is known today Akrotiri. At one point in time, Akrotiri was a major center in the Classical eracopper trade but the population probably fled before the disaster. In Ancient timesHowever, opinion Akrotiri was divided on completely buried, just like Pompeii. The eruption at Thera devasted the historicity of entire region. It appears that the islandvolcano caused a tsunami that caused devastation on Crete.<ref> Castleden, some such as Strabo believed it p. 113</ref> The ash from the eruption also caused temporary climate change and led to be true, while others saw it as a fictioncrop-failures and ultimately famine.

The tale Many believed that the eruption on the island led to the demise of Atlantis inspired Francis Bacon in his great work the New Atlantis and St Thomas More in his work UtopiaMinoans. In 1882However, the Minnesotan politician Ignatius Lgreat palaces were rebuilt and the Minoan civilizations recoveredat some point after volcanic eruption. Donnelly wrote Many believe that the pseudo-historical work story of Atlantis: The Antediluvian was inspired by the disaster that overtook the Minoan World. Donnelly took Plato literally and he contended that there had once been a huge island in the mid-Atlantic 2nd century BC.<ref> Castleden, p. 117</ref> There are certainly some similarities, the Minoans and that the Atlanteans once had were undoubtedly remarkable cultures that were both island-based societies. Then they both suffered from flooding and a superior civilizationcataclysm. This work revived interest in Plato’s philosophical narrative In particular, the destruction of the rich and from then on there are those who have been committed to finding cultured city of Akhritori was the historical model for Atlantis. However, it should be noted that the idea that the Minoans could be equated with the lost island or continentAtlanteans is modern.

==The Minoans==Was Atlantis in Spain?====Many believe that the origin of the [[File: Atlantis myth was the civilization 3.png|200px|thumb|left|A map of the Minoans, which Tartessos cultural area]]Tartessos was centered on the island of Crete. The Minoan civilization flourished between 2700 and 1500 BC. It is particularly famous for its great palaces and artworks. The most famous site in the Minoan culture is that of Knossos. This society dominated the eastern Mediterranean for many centuries and they traded with many other cultures including the Egyptians <ref> Castleden, Rodney. Minoans: Life in Bronze Age Crete (New York, Routledge, 1993), p 13a semi-30</ref>. They also established many colonies throughout the Aegean such as that on the modern island of Santorini, which was known as the island of Thera mythical city or a kingdom in the Classical World. We do not know the name that the Minoans called themselves. The archaeologist who rediscovered the civilization called it after the legendary King Minos. There what is a great deal of evidence that the Minoans were literate, but experts are still not able to decipher their writings. This civilization began a slow period of decline around 1700 BC. This was greatly exacerbated by the sonow south-called Minoan Eruptionwest Spain. In the mid-1500 BC, there was a massive volcanic eruption on the Aegean island It became very wealthy because of Santorini (Thera)its many mines. This is one of the largest known volcanic eruptions in all of human history. It kingdom or city was so large famous that it caused havoc as far away as China. Based on the amount of material that is released into the atmosphere it was even mentioned in the fifth-largest ever recordedOld Testament. The volcano’s eruption caused much of the island of Thera Archaeologists have not been able to collapse into find the sea. At the time city of the eruption, there was a large Minoan town on the island and this is known, today as Akrotiri. At one point in time, Akrotiri was a major center in the copper trade Tartessos but the population probably fled before the disaster. However, Akrotiri was completely buried, just like Pompeii. The eruption at Thera devasted the entire region. It appears that the volcano caused they have found many remains from a tsunami sophisticated culture that caused devastation on Crete <ref> Castleden, p. 113</ref>. The ash from the eruption also caused temporary climate change and led to cropflourished in south-failures and ultimately faminewest Spain. Many believed that the eruption Based on the island led remains it appears to the demise of the Minoanshave been very rich. However, the great palaces were rebuilt and the Minoan civilizations recovered, after the date of the volcanic eruption. Many believe It appears that the story of Atlantis Tartessos according to Greek sources such as Herodotus was inspired by the disaster that overtook the Minoan World in the mid-2nd century BC<ref> Castleden, p. 117</ref>. There are certainly some similarities, the Minoans and the Atlanteans were undoubtedly superior cultures and were island-based societies. Then they both suffered from flooding and a cataclysm. In particular, the destruction of the rich city with a great harbor and cultured city of Akhritori it was the historical model for Atlantis. However, it should be noted that the idea that the Minoans could be equated with the Atlanteans is modernvery powerful.

====Was Atlantis in Spain====[[File: Atlantis 3.png|200px|thumb|left|A map of the Tartessos cultural area]]Tartessos was a semi-mythical city or a kingdom in what is now south-west Spain. It became very wealthy because of its many mines. This kingdom or city was so famous that it is even mentioned in the Old Testament. Archaeologists have not been able to find the city of Tartessos but they have found many remains from a sophisticated culture that flourished in south-west Spain. Based on the remains it appears to have been very rich. It appears that Tartessos according to Greek sources such as Herodotus was a rich city with a great harbor and it was very powerful. However, it appears that the city or kingdom disappears from history sometime around 600 BC .<ref> Chamorro, Javier G. "Survey of Archaeological Research on Tartessos". American Journal of Archaeology. 91 (2): (1987) 197–232 </ref>. Many believe that the city was inundated by a floor and now many lay lays submerged in marshland. Tartessos has some similarities with the story of Atlantis. It was fabulously rich, sophisticated and possibly was destroyed by a natural cataclysm. Moreover, the location of the Tartessos culture was located beyond the Pillars of Hercules (Gibraltar), which was believed to be also the site of Atlantis. It seems highly likely that the Greeks were familiar with the prehistoric Spanish civilization because of its important role in the trade-in metals. It is plausible to suggest that Tartessos, was one of the sources for the Myth of Atlantis.

In the 4th millennium BC, a sophisticated Stone Age civilization emerged in Malta, an archipelago of islands in the center of the Mediterranean. This civilization is often known as the Temple culture. Beginning in around 3500 BC, the people of the island began to erect massive temples and other monuments. They are The Maltese built some of the earliest free-standing buildings that have been built in all of human culturethe world. The majority of the temples consist of five semi-circular rooms that surrounded a central space, which was probably a sacred space.  There have been many important archaeological finds in these temples, especially of figures of obese women. These are believed to represent some fertility goddess or a mother goddess. Some believe that Malta and its temples were the centers of an important a significant pan-Mediterranean cult. The Maltese temple culture was one that lasted until 2200 BC. No one knows for sure why the civilization collapsed , but it may have been a result of over-farming and climate change. The Temple culture may have been handed down in the oral tradition , and it possibly contributed to the myth of a great civilization, that was lost, after a cataclysmic flood.

Atlantis has captured the imagination of many generations. However, it has been greatly misunderstood. Plato used the story of the doomed civilization to illustrate his philosophical views and arguments. He may or may not have used an existing myth or simply created it, something he did repeatedly in his works. Plato probably based his philosophical tale on a real-life model. An analysis of the Atlantean narrative would indicate that the Athenian philosopher based on his tale on s told about a number of historical societies that collapsed. In all likelihood, Plato probably based his tale on the collapse of the Minoan Civilization and in particular the destruction of Akrotiri.

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