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© Copyright 2003, Jim Loy
Plato (427-347 B.C.E.), apparently quoting Solon (638-558 B.C.E.), tells us of the myth of Atlantis, a huge island outside the Pillars of Hercules (Straights of Gibraltar) which sank into the ocean, in a single day, 9000 years previously. And he says that it is still there, just under the waves, a hazard to shipping.
According to geologists, there never was a continent in the Atlantic Ocean, nor was there any major island that is not there now, at least not in the last few hundred million years. One might guess that the American continents were Atlantis, or that any of the many islands or groups of islands now in the Atlantic was Atlantis. There were even relatively ancient civilizations in America, although neither American continent sank into the ocean. And none of the existing Atlantic islands shows signs of any ancient civilization.
For some people, the best fit for the Atlantis myth is the ancient Minoan civilization on Crete (which is not outside the gates of Hercules). In about 1470 B.C.E., the nearby island volcano of Thera (now called Santorini) exploded. It is likely that a tidal wave wiped out ports on Crete. About that time (roughly), Crete's civilization and power went into a decline. This may have given rise to the Atlantis myth, or contributed to it.
Or maybe the myth of Atlantis is just that, a myth, pure fantasy, a made-up story, either by Plato or Solon or by someone else.