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In the dialogue Critias, a well-known Athenian politician relates that the Olympian Gods divided the earth between them. The gods gave the sea-god Poseidon the great island of Atlantis. This civilization was located beyond the Straits of Gibraltar and in the Atlantic Ocean. It was believed to be very large and was approximately 500 miles long.<ref>Plato. Critias. 32 b</ref> It was very fertile and rich, but it was very prone to earthquakes.
According to Egyptian sources, the island was hilly, and in the center was a vast plain. Critias in the Platonic dialogue states that Poseidon had five pairs of twins with a nymph. The firstborn son was named Atlas, and he later became monarch of the island. The Atlantic Ocean was named after this fabled kingKing Atlas. The other sons of Poseidon were also given extensive territories to rule in and around Atlantis.
According to the Platonic dialogue, Poseidon created a palace for the mother of Atlas. Near here, the Atlanteans build a canal and tunnels that linked this palace to the rest of the island.<ref>Plato. Critias. 32 b</ref> They also built a great city that was surrounded by mighty walls, that were multi-colored and covered with precious metals.
