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When you think of cities swallowed by the ocean, Atlantis likely comes to mind—a legendary, highly advanced island society detailed in Plato’s writings. It is said to have fallen into ruin, becoming corrupt and indulgent, before sinking to the depths following a series of catastrophic earthquakes.
Sadly, for fans of conspiracy theories and Aquaman, Atlantis probably wasn’t real. As Benjamin Radford explains on Live Science, the island serves as a 'moral fable,' and 'no trace … has ever been found despite advances in oceanography and ocean floor mapping in recent decades.'
While Atlantis may be nothing more than a legend, there are numerous real cities that now rest on the ocean floor. From ancient Greek urban centers to modern seaside towns, sometimes a city simply finds itself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Consider Neapolis, for instance. Established in the 5th century BCE along North Africa’s coast, Neapolis became a major player in the production of garum, a fermented fish sauce. In fact, it might have been the largest garum producer in the entire Roman Empire. Unfortunately, the city was largely destroyed in July 365 CE when a powerful earthquake (possibly measuring 8.5 on the modern Richter scale) triggered a massive tsunami that also caused significant damage to Alexandria and Crete.
