Have you ever read a book called Timaeus? If not, how about Critias? The two writings may not be as flashy as Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series.
Even so, both Timaeus and Critias have one of the most famous topics that are still relevant today, even though these books were written by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. The story in question is the existence of the land of Atlantis.
So, why is it that stories that are almost entirely untrue can survive? In fact, it has been more than 2,300 years since the death of the famous philosopher.
"It is a story that evokes the imagination," said James Romm, professor from Bard College, New York, United States, as we quoted from National Geographic, Monday (4/4/2022)
"It's an amazing myth. It has a lot of elements that people really like to imagine," he added.
What James said was certainly true. Just look at DC which presents a superhero named Aquaman. His character as a superhuman who lives under the sea also drags the existence of Atlantis in it.
To explain how Atlantis could have had such a huge impact on the imaginations of millions, if not billions of people over time, let's take time back a little. Plato told the story about 360 years BC.
The founders of Atlantis, as the philosopher calls it, were half god and half human. They created a utopian civilization and became very powerful in the marine sector.
Atlantis is described as an area consisting of concentrated islands. The dividers are large ditches, connected by canals that run down the middle.
On the islands, there was gold, silver, and other precious materials. Rare and exotic animals are also there. And in the midst of that group of islands there is also the capital city.
Plato says that Atlantis existed about 9,000 years before his lifetime. The story continues to decline through poetry, and other written works. However, Plato's writings about Atlantis are the only known records explaining the existence of that land.
After that, many theories that mention where the location of the sinking of Atlantis. The Mediterranean Sea, the coast of Spain, to beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, are only a few estimates of the position of this so far imaginary country.
"Pick a point on the map, and someone says Atlantis is there. All the places you can imagine," said Charles Orser, curator of the New York State Museum in Albany, New York, United States.
Apart from his writings which are arguably not necessarily true, Plato has given timeless tales. So, when you later tell Atlantis to your children, be grateful, Aristotle's teacher has given the 'best bedtime story' of all time.