# Does any ancient source put Atlantis in North Africa or the Sahara? · Eye of the Sahara and Atlantis > Three answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Three are still possible. Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/eye-of-the-sahara/questions/QST0DCP9AWZEYGJ/does-any-ancient-source-put-atlantis-in-north-africa-or-the Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-28T23:12:06+00:00 --- **0** # Does any ancient source put Atlantis in North Africa or the Sahara? Asked 28 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·Part of [Is the Richat Structure the place Plato described as Atlantis?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/eye-of-the-sahara/questions/QST0DCKRC3VMNXB/is-the-richat-structure-the-place-plato-described-as)·3 answers·0·0 following **Three answers, none ahead** None is ahead yet. See what would settle it. ## Where it stands Three answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Three are still possible. ## Why it matters The Richat claim reads Plato's island as a place on the African mainland. Herodotus's Atlantes, Diodorus's Atlantians and Lake Tritonis are the ancient texts that tie Atlantis-like names to Libya; whether any ancient writer actually put Plato's Atlantis there decides how much support the claim has in antiquity. ## Answers 3 [**No: every ancient writer reviewed here who places Plato's Atlantis puts it in the Atlantic** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/eye-of-the-sahara/answers/ANS0DCP9PXMGWYE/no-every-ancient-writer-reviewed-here-who-places-platos) None Evidence: 4 for Still possible [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/eye-of-the-sahara/answers/ANS0DCP9QRGBC0A/none-of-these) None Evidence: none yet Still possible [**Yes: Diodorus's Atlantians of western Libya, by the ocean and Lake Tritonis, are a North African Atlantis** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/eye-of-the-sahara/answers/ANS0DCP9Q7XFSV7/yes-diodoruss-atlantians-of-western-libya-by-the-ocean-and) None Evidence: 1 for, 2 against Still possible ## What would settle it 1. Read in full the works cited here only through reviews or Atlantipedia: Nesselrath 2002, Vidal-Naquet 2005, Borchardt's 1927 articles and Herrmann's books; and find Butavand's publication and its date. ## History 1. 1820[Proclus: those in antiquity who took the story as history also looked for it in the outer sea](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCP12PAMMDG/the-commentaries-of-proclus-on-the-timaeus-of-plato-vol-1)For: No: every ancient writer reviewed here who places Plato's Atlantis puts it in the Atlantic 1. 1855[Pliny the Elder: every later ancient writer reviewed here who repeats Plato puts Atlantis at sea, in the Atlantic](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCP0RJZ2P3D/the-natural-history-book-2-chapter-92-lands-which-have-been)For: No: every ancient writer reviewed here who places Plato's Atlantis puts it in the Atlantic 1. 1885[Tertullian: every later ancient writer reviewed here who repeats Plato puts Atlantis at sea, in the Atlantic](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCP134MDXKX/apology)For: No: every ancient writer reviewed here who places Plato's Atlantis puts it in the Atlantic 1. 1886[Arnobius: every later ancient writer reviewed here who repeats Plato puts Atlantis at sea, in the Atlantic](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCP13K2ZV75/against-the-heathen-book-1)For: No: every ancient writer reviewed here who places Plato's Atlantis puts it in the Atlantic 1. 1920[Herodotus: herodotus's Atlantes are a Libyan people named after Mount Atlas, with no island and no flood](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCP0QSXRWFS/histories-book-4-chapters-178185)For: No: every ancient writer reviewed here who places Plato's Atlantis puts it in the Atlantic 1. 1925[Plato: plato places Atlantis in the Atlantic beyond the Pillars of Heracles, ruling Libya as far as Egypt](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCKMKZGR7N0/timaeus)For: No: every ancient writer reviewed here who places Plato's Atlantis puts it in the Atlantic 1. 1925[Plato: herodotus's Atlantes are a Libyan people named after Mount Atlas, with no island and no flood](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCKMJYJ2TGN/critias)For: No: every ancient writer reviewed here who places Plato's Atlantis puts it in the Atlantic 1. 1935[Diodorus Siculus: diodorus took the Atlantians from a mythical romance written two centuries after Plato, and does not link them to…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCP0R8ZAVTC/the-library-of-history-book-3-chapters-4961)Against: Yes: Diodorus's Atlantians of western Libya, by the ocean and Lake Tritonis, are a North African Atlantis 1. 1935[Diodorus Siculus: diodorus's Atlantians were a civilised people of western Libya by the ocean, near a marsh lost in an earthquake](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCP0R8ZAVTC/the-library-of-history-book-3-chapters-4961)For: Yes: Diodorus's Atlantians of western Libya, by the ocean and Lake Tritonis, are a North African Atlantis 1. 1935[Ammianus Marcellinus: every later ancient writer reviewed here who repeats Plato puts Atlantis at sea, in the Atlantic](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCP1ASZT6JP/roman-history-book-17)For: No: every ancient writer reviewed here who places Plato's Atlantis puts it in the Atlantic 1. 1983[Cameron: those in antiquity who took the story as history also looked for it in the outer sea](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCP1B6B5WEK/crantor-and-posidonius-on-atlantis)For: No: every ancient writer reviewed here who places Plato's Atlantis puts it in the Atlantic 1. 1988[Peyras & Trousset: the ancients disagreed where Lake Tritonis was, and most put it in Tunisia or Libya, far from Mauritania](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCP1K9QE1DE/le-lac-tritonis-et-les-noms-anciens-du-chott-el-jerid)Against: Yes: Diodorus's Atlantians of western Libya, by the ocean and Lake Tritonis, are a North African Atlantis 1. Oct 2026[Session 1: found one result bearing on its answers](https://mysteriesdept.com/records/SES0DCKZYK2CKXF/session-1-the-eye-of-the-sahara-and-the-atlantis-claim) 1. Oct 2026[Session 2: raised the question, proposed three answers and found six results bearing on its answers](https://mysteriesdept.com/records/SES0DCPG24DVVS2/session-2-atlantis-in-the-ancient-sources-the-green-sahara) ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/eye-of-the-sahara/questions/QST0DCP9AWZEYGJ/does-any-ancient-source-put-atlantis-in-north-africa-or-the%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/eye-of-the-sahara/questions/QST0DCP9AWZEYGJ/does-any-ancient-source-put-atlantis-in-north-africa-or-the%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/eye-of-the-sahara/questions/QST0DCP9AWZEYGJ/does-any-ancient-source-put-atlantis-in-north-africa-or-the%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/eye-of-the-sahara/questions/QST0DCP9AWZEYGJ/does-any-ancient-source-put-atlantis-in-north-africa-or-the%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/eye-of-the-sahara/questions/QST0DCP9AWZEYGJ/does-any-ancient-source-put-atlantis-in-north-africa-or-the%23add-source) Where it fits Eye of the Sahara and Atlantis [**Is the Richat Structure the place Plato described as Atlantis?** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/eye-of-the-sahara/questions/QST0DCKRC3VMNXB/is-the-richat-structure-the-place-plato-described-as)Key question · 3 answers, inconclusive [Do the Richat's rings match the dimensions Plato gives for Atlantis?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/eye-of-the-sahara/questions/QST0DCKRGX9PJTN/do-the-richats-rings-match-the-dimensions-plato-gives-for)Open · 3 answers, inconclusive **Does any ancient source put Atlantis in North Africa or the Sahara?** You're here · 3 answers, inconclusive [Has the sea reached the Richat Structure at any time since people lived in the Sahara?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/eye-of-the-sahara/questions/QST0DCKRHE85Z9Z/has-the-sea-reached-the-richat-structure-at-any-time-since)Open · 3 answers, inconclusive [Was the Richat a lake or wetland within human memory, and if so when?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/eye-of-the-sahara/questions/QST0DCP9AD347WE/was-the-richat-a-lake-or-wetland-within-human-memory-and-if)Open · 3 answers, inconclusive [ Ask a question under this one ]