Atlantis

ancient Greece · philosophy · legendary places · mythology

Plato's invention. The philosopher Plato created the story of Atlantis in his ancient Greek writings called Timaeus and Critias. He didn't mean it to be a true story, but rather a teaching tale.

A lesson about pride. Plato used Atlantis to show what happens when a powerful nation becomes too proud (called hubris). He wanted to teach people that arrogance and trying to conquer too much can lead to disaster.

The rival empire. In Plato's story, Atlantis was a mighty naval power from the west that had conquered much of Europe and Africa. It represented the opposite of Athens, the city-state Plato admired.

Swallowed by the sea. According to Plato's tale, Atlantis lost the favor of the gods after it tried to conquer a fictionalized version of Athens. As punishment, the island sank into the Atlantic Ocean and vanished forever.

Teaching through storytelling. Plato used the Atlantis story to show what he thought an ideal state should look like by contrasting it with a bad one. It was a clever way to convince people of his ideas about government and power.