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I can't say much about Atlantis, but my favorite Greek geography tale is from Herodotus, who says the Egyptians sent an expedition around Africa, traveling down

I can't say much about Atlantis, but my favorite Greek geography tale is from Herodotus, who says the Egyptians sent an expedition around Africa, traveling down the Red Sea then back through the Pillars of Hercules. But he says he's skeptical because how can anyone believe their claim that the sun rose & set in the north ("on their right")?

empath-nirvana 3y ago
This is a good counterexample for when you should believe a story like this -- the author is a historian who made an effort to "tell the truth" as best as he could, it doesn't describe anything implausible, he was rightfully skeptical about his own sources, and information that he used to say that the story was probably false is now evidence that it might be true. Herodotus wasn't immune from spreading bullshit(to say the least: https://listverse.com/2015/04/08/10-historical-facts-that-herodotus-got-hilariously-wrong/ https://listverse.com/2015/04/08/10-historical-facts-that-he...), but he at least gives you a good idea of where he was getting the bullshit from and gives you all the information you need to figure out if it was bullshit.