Herakles

Atlantis: A powerful island empire in the Atlantic Ocean, beyond the Pillars of Herakles (Strait of Gibraltar).

Gadeiros (Eumelos): Twin brother of Atlas, ruled the region near the Pillars of Herakles, linked to Gadeira (modern Cadiz).

Atlantis’ Rise: Atlantis, a vast island larger than Libya and Asia combined, emerged in the Atlantic Ocean beyond the Pillars of Herakles.

Athens, leading the Hellenes, defeated Atlantis after standing alone, freeing those within the Pillars of Herakles from slavery.

This power came forth out of the Atlantic Ocean, for in those days the Atlantic was navigable; and there was an island situated in front of the straits which are by you called the Pillars of Herakles (Heracles) [i.e.

the Strait of Gibraltar]; the island was larger than Libya and Asia put together, and was the way to other islands, and from these you might pass to the whole of the opposite continent which surrounded the true ocean; for this sea which is within the Straits of Herakles is only a harbour, having a narrow entrance, but that other is a real sea, and the surrounding land may be most truly called a boundless continent.

Now in this island of Atlantis there was a great and wonderful empire which had rule over the whole island and several others, and over parts of the continent, and, furthermore, the men of Atlantis had subjected the parts of Libya [Africa] within the columns of Herakles as far as Aigyptos (Egypt), and of Europe as far as Tyrrhenia [in Italy].

Now first of all we must recall the fact that 9000 is the sum of years since the war occurred, as is recorded, between the [Atlantean] dwellers beyond the pillars of Herakles (Heracles) [i.e.

And the name of his younger twin-brother, who had for his portion the extremity of the island near the pillars of Herakles up to the part of the country now called Gadeira after the name of that region, was Eumelos in Greek, but in the native tongue Gadeiros,--which fact may have given its title to the country.