6 Incredible Ancient Legends That Are Inspired by Real Historic Events

2. The Lost City of Atlantis

This famous myth tells the story of a great civilization that sunk below the ocean, never to be seen again. It’s still the subject of debate, but some archaeologists believe the legend of the lost city of Atlantis was inspired by the collapse of the Minoan empire.

Around 3,650 years ago, a huge volcanic eruption happened in Santorini (then called Thera). The volcano’s magma chamber was emptied out in an instant, causing the core of the island to collapse. This sent a tsunami across to Crete and caused flooding in Thera. The catastrophe buried the Minoan civilization below the waves.