Ever since that unfortunate incident with my older brother, I've been fascinated by the story of Atlantis. You've got a sunken city? Please, tell me all about it.

Helike, Port Royal, Alexandria, it doesn't really matter. They're all good. But none can top Atlantis for, how to say this properly, _Style_. That is, until we take a closer look at our original sources.

Curiously, the thing that we remember Atlantis the most for, sinking, gets only one sentence in Plato's "Timaeus". He seems far more interested in extolling the greatness of Athens.

Solon, your country [Athens] shone forth, in the excellence of her virtue and strength, among all mankind. She was pre-eminent in courage and military skill, and was the leader of the Hellenes. And when the rest fell off from her, being compelled to stand alone, after having undergone the very extremity of danger, she defeated and triumphed over the invaders, and preserved from slavery those who were not yet subjugated, and generously liberated all the rest of us who dwell within the pillars.

But afterwards there occurred violent earthquakes and floods; and in a single day and night of misfortune all your warlike men in a body sank into the earth, and the island of Atlantis in like manner disappeared in the depths of the sea.

That's it. The Athenian army gets swamped in a single day and night. Oh yeah, and Atlantis too. Whenever.

"Critias" gives us more details about the lost land itself, its history, customs, natural resources and whatnot, but the actual sinking again gets short shrift.

the combatants on the other side were commanded by the kings of Atlantis, which, as I was saying, was an island greater in extent than Libya and Asia, and when afterwards sunk by an earthquake, became an impassable barrier of mud to voyagers sailing from hence to any part of the ocean

So now we know when. "Afterwards". Kinda sucks the romance right out, doesn't it?

No beastmen, no levitating disks, no crystal technology or alabaster pyramids. Just a boring, bronze age gang of warmongers, sunk in an afterthought. What a gyp!

Not to be a wet blanket, but Plato's version lacks the raw horsepower of later, more speculative narratives. Pity. But hey, why let historical accuracy drag you under? Regardless of what Plato said, generations of hobbyists have amused themselves and others with this material.

The seemingly simple question of where Atlantis was located has generated acrimony for well over a century. Many theorists seem to strive for uniqueness when touting their personal best guess.

A brief and incomplete list of such guesses would include Crete, Turkey, Spain, Heligoland, Ireland, the Azores, Cuba, Central America, Brazil, Southeast Asia, Antarctica (don't ask), and of course, Plato's imagination. I thought I had heard them all, but I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong.

How about Bolivia?

Yes, Bolivia. Or, to be more specific, that Bolivian lake which has reduced generations of schoolchildren to helpless laughter. Yes, Lake Titicaca!

To be fair, the above links make no mention of Atlantis. That connection is to be found here, or here. The science guys don't need to drag Plato into it, to have fun.

Do I believe any of this stuff? I don't have to say.

Do I have a theory that I favor? Perhaps another time.

Let's close for now on a low note. They say that you learn something new every day.

The latest search will take explorer Colonel John Blashford-Snell from Lake Titicaca southwards via the River Desaguadero to Lake Poopo.

Yup. Lake Titicaca is right next to Lake Poopo. Settle down, Beavis.