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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 the great island of Atlantis. This civilization was located beyond the Straits of Gibraltar and 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 this fabled kingKing 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.
====Conclusion====
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.
====Further Reading====
