Atlantis is a legendary continent or island mentioned by Plato in his works "Critias or Atlantis" and "Timaeus or Nature." According to the Greek philosopher, Atlantis would have conquered much of Western Europe and Africa at least 9,000 years "before the age of Solon," but it sank in the ocean "in a single day and night of misfortune."
Still according to Plato, Atlantis would have fought a war against Athens nine centuries before Solon. The Greek city-state would have freed Europe from the yoke of that people. It was after this event that the continent was engulfed by the waters of the ocean.
Atlantis would be "west of the columns of Hercules," at a point now known as the Strait of Gibraltar. It would be surrounded by the ocean which in turn was totally surrounded by land. It was destroyed by a succession of earthquakes, followed by giant waves, which left that piece of sea unobtainable by virtue of the cliffs and shoals that surfaced to the surface.
Quoted in Homer's Odyssey, Atlantis is regarded as a land whose name was inspired by the giant Atlas, the son of Poseidon condemned by Zeus to carry the world on his shoulders. The detail is that the legendary continent is also quoted by Solon, Hesiod and Euripides.
The enigma of Atlantis was resurrected especially during the twentieth century, when several books on the subject were published. One of the best known is The Mystery of Atlantis, by Charles Berlitz. Heir to the Berlitz language school, the linguist Charles wrote a book on the Roswell case, the Bermuda Triangle and the Ark of the Covenant.
Pop culture explored the legend of Atlantis to exhaustion. Robert E. Howard, for example, devised the lost continent as the land of King Kull. He would have ruled Atlantis during the pre-cataclysm era, which would have preceded the Hyborian era of Conan the Barbarian.
The lost continent would also be home to Prince Namor, one of the first superheroes created by Marvel Comics. Namor would be grandson of the emperor Thakkor, sovereign of Atlantis. He was born in the submerged kingdom of the Atlantic and like his other inhabitants, would have the capacity to breathe underwater. Over time, Namor joined Captain America and the original Human Torch to fight the Nazis during World War II.
Aquaman, one of DC Comics' most famous characters, would be the son of a human who resided in the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. Over time, he would have learned to breathe underwater, to swim swiftly, and to control fish schools with his mind. In the most modern version of the character, Aquaman would have been born as Orin in the Atlantean city of Poseidonis.
The Atlantis riddle was even explored by Disney studios. Released in 2001, the cartoon Atlantis - The Lost Kingdom was one of the last productions of the hand-drawn studios (and yet contained a large number of special effects in computer graphics). It told the story of Milo Thatch, a researcher who finds a map for the lost kingdom of Atlantis. Although critically acclaimed, Atlantis - The Lost Kingdom was a box office failure.
Successful in the years 1970, the American serial The Man of the Bottom of the Sea (Man of Atlantis, in the original) counted on the adventures of a survivor of Atlantis among humans. Capable of breathing underwater, he helped his friends solve various crimes. The character was played by the American actor Patrick Duffy, who later became known worldwide for the Dallas series.
Another legendary continent is Lemuria, which was supposed to be in the Indian or Pacific Ocean. The theory of Lemuria arose in the nineteenth century and was for a long time defended by esotericists around the world - especially by the followers of Theosophy. Lemuria would also have disappeared by virtue of a cataclysm.
Mu would be a continent rich in gold, silver and copper. It was part of the legends of the various pre-Columbian peoples. According to these legends, he had the same fate as Atlantis and Lemuria. The belief in Mu began to disappear with the arrival of the first Europeans to America.
The names Atlantis and Atlantis inspire creators of various water parks, seaside resorts and companies around the world. In Brazil, the name is closely associated with the old Atlantida Cinematográfica, a Rio de Janeiro production company responsible for several films in the style of the late 1940s and 1950s. Among the greatest stars of the studios founded by filmmaker Moacir Fenelon were Great Othello, Oscarito, Eliana Macedo, José Lewgoy, Eva Todor, Renata Fronzi, Wilson Gray, Zezé Macedo, Ankito, Colé and Virginia Lane.