Atlantis (Greek: Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, “island of Atlas”) is a fictional island mentioned within an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato’s works Timaeus and Critias, where it represents the antagonist naval power that besieges “Ancient Athens”, the pseudo-historic embodiment of Plato’s ideal state in The Republic. In the story, Athens repels the Atlantean attack unlike any other nation of the known world giving testament to its superiority. Atlantis plays a role in ancient Greek religion and mythology as home to Poseidon.
Plato dialogues Critias and Timaeus describe Atlantis as follows: it was situated beyond the Pillars of Hercules at a great oceanic expanse previously unknown to Greeks or even barbarians; it had an area larger than Libya and Asia combined—50 stadia from north to south and 20 from east west—and was surrounded by circular channels which divided it into concentric zones, each girdled with land and outermost ring being sea; there were several harbors with docks and shipyards. There were three kinds of zones: one for recreation, another for agriculture representing nine parts including cattle pastures, vineyards and flower gardens; finally there were military training grounds containing places for horsemen (hippodromes), foot soldiers (palaestrae) as well as buildings for armaments manufacturing.
According to Critias, 9,000 years before Solon’s time (“the greatest lawgiver”), an earthquake caused part of Athens’ acropolis to collapse leading Athenians to migrate en masseto Egypt where they settled among Egyptians.. Thereafter small bands went out from Egypt searching for suitable land to make their homes; some went westward seeking Libya where they found rich soil but later fighting ensued between them and Libyans so they decided instead go farther west in search of land less inhabited. Eventually they came upon an island which lay close enough to both Europe (which lay visible on clear days) and Africa (from whence could be seen smoke rising up). The island was larger than Asia Minor or Libya put together but not quite so large as Sicily; when later sunken below sea level due its dense population it became know as Atlantis..”