The Forgotten Island’s Historical Truth

The subject of Atlantis, the forgotten island, has been a controversial one for a very long time. People have considered if the mythical land was real or if it was simply a myth created by the philosopher Plato many centuries ago. Scientists have investigated areas that could have been plausible locations for where Atlantis sat until it mysteriously disappeared. Plato first introduced Atlantis in 360 B.C. when he described it as a majestic island. Scientists and archeologists have discovered what could be traces of a long ago island, which proves that the idea of a real lost island is not entirely absurd. With all the evidence and accounts of Atlantis, one can conclude that Atlantis was once a geographic place. Natural disasters over time, such as earthquakes and floods would have destroyed the real land upon which the legends were based. The legendary island was likely to have once existed along a coastline, making it vulnerable to ocean floods that eventually submerged the city underwater. Many critics argue that Atlantis is only a myth and never actually existed, since Plato wrote the story hundreds of years after Atlantis was rumored to have existed. On the contrary, archeologists have explored where Atlantis was rumored to be and they have found evidence of what may have been an underwater civilization. Therefore, it can be concluded that Atlantis was a real island that was overcome by natural disasters and lost to man.
Atlantis is not the only story of a city that was swallowed by the sea. The ancient Greek city of Helike is believed to be a large influence on Plato’s story of Atlantis. Plato described Atlantis as a fantastical land with powerful and majestic kings in 360 B.C. It was in his story Timaeus and Critias that Plato spoke of the island. “Now in this island of Atlantis there existed a confederation of kings, of great and marvelous power, which held sway over all the island, and over many other islands also and parts of the continent” (Plato 1).