The True Story of Atlantis

Written By Tehya Nakamura

🌊 Atlantis: A Cautionary Tale, Not an Ancient GPS Location

Raise your hand if you spent a good chunk of the early 2000s absolutely convinced that Atlantis was real, glowing blue crystals and all. (Hi, guilty 🙋‍♀️) Whether it was the animated Disney adventure or some very dramatic episodes of Ancient Aliens, the lost city of Atlantis has captivated imaginations for centuries. But what if I told you that the real story of Atlantis has less to do with aliens and more to do with allegory... and Nazis?

Welcome to Season 11 of For the Love of History, where we kick things off with a bang—or rather, a massive earthquake and a god with severe control issues.

🏛️ Plato Was Just Trying to Teach a Lesson

Let’s get this out of the way early: Atlantis was never meant to be taken literally. Plato, ancient Greek philosopher and professional dramatic teacher, created the story as a moral lesson. Atlantis was a metaphor. A cautionary tale. A spicy little philosophical parable about what happens when a society becomes too arrogant, too greedy, and too full of itself (sound familiar?).

But unfortunately for us, Plato was a little too good at storytelling. He wove real figures (like the Athenian politician Solon) and epic details into his fiction, and over time, people started thinking, “Wait a second… what if this was real?”

Cue the historical game of telephone. For the next 2,000 years.

🕵️‍♀️ Enter the Grifters (and the Nazis. Yep.)

Fast forward to the 1800s, when Ignatius Donnelly—author, congressman, and gold-tier conspiracy theorist—wrote a book claiming Atlantis was the birthplace of all civilization. He suggested it was inhabited by tall, fair-skinned, blonde superhumans. You can guess where that led.

This seemingly innocent theory became the foundation for something called hyperdiffusionism, the belief that all great technology and culture came from one superior source. Spoiler: That’s a hotbed of racism, colonialism, and pseudoscience. And who really loved that theory? The Nazi party. They legit sent SS officers to go dig around looking for evidence of their "Atlantean ancestors." Indiana Jones wasn’t exaggerating.

🧠 Real Sunken Cities > Fictional Ones

Now, before you spiral into existential dread, here’s the good news: real sunken cities do exist, and they are awesome. Cities like Helike and the Minoan civilization on Crete had all the drama—massive earthquakes, tsunamis, and advanced societies—without the white supremacist baggage.

Could they have inspired Plato? Possibly. But Atlantis as an actual place? Still firmly in the realm of fiction. And yet, thanks to TikTok, Netflix, and a few too many people with podcast microphones and blurry satellite photos, the myth just won’t die.

🎧 So What’s the Harm in a Little Lost City Fun?

Atlantis myths can be fun. We love the movies. We love a glowing underwater palace. What we don’t love? Weaponized myths, misinformation, and the erasure of real archaeological accomplishments in favor of alien fairytales.

This episode of For the Love of History is your deep dive (sorry) into the origins, distortions, and dangerous legacies of Atlantis. From Poseidon’s petty relationship drama to Himmler’s ridiculous obsessions, we’re unpacking it all—with receipts.

🏁 Final Thoughts & Homework

Go watch the early 2000s Atlantis movie. Seriously, it holds up. But maybe skip the Graham Hancock documentary this time around. And if you’re curious about the Nazi connections, pick up Hitler’s Monsters by Eric Kurlander. It's horrifying and fascinating and very real.

💬 What’s your favorite Atlantis theory (or weirdest one you’ve heard)? Tell us in the comments!

🎧 Listen to the full episode now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your myth-busting history goodness.

🛍️ Want to support the show? Check out our Patreon or grab some sweet Atlantis-themed merch.

Tehya Nakamura
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Sister in STEM: Hypetia