10 Fascinating Historical Artefacts (That Weren't Real)
3. Atlantis
The Ancient Greek Philosopher Plato loved being right more than zombies love brains, so after describing his perfect state (which, coincidentally, he should rule), he went on to describe how this state was so awesome it would totally kick all the other states' asses. His example was a made up country he called 'Atlantis', which Plato's state obviously battered into submission like Hulk Hogan squashing a jobber.
From these obviously fictional beginnings emerged the myth of Atlantis which conspiracy theorists and history deniers have constantly claimed was real, even though Plato never said it was.
The psuedohistorical Atlantis has been populated by the forerunners of the Mayans and Aztecs, perfect Aryans, ancient super-technology and just about everything else that obviously doesn't exist and needs a similarly nonexistent place to put it.
Enthusiastic debate has raged over the centuries about where Atlantis was, from the traditional 'middle of the Atlantic' the North Sea, and the Mediterranean Ocean. This is in spite of the fact that Plato was very clear about where it was - nowhere, because he made it up.