Most of the information we have about Atlantis comes from the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. He says that Atlantis lay east of the Pillars of Hercules, rock formations at the Straits of Gibraltar, in the Atlantic Ocean. On this small island was a “great and wonderful empire” where brave, virtuous people lived in a kind of paradise. But this peaceful existence came to an end when the people of Atlantis began to love power more than they loved each other. They waged war against the rest of the world, but were ultimately defeated by the wise and moral Athenians. Then, some 19,000 years before Plato’s own time, or around 19,500 years before the Common Era, earthquakes sunk Atlantis into the sea. There is no proof that Atlantis ever existed. Many people believe that Atlantis was just a myth, told by Plato to praise the values Athenian society held dear. But others believe that the storied island was based in fact.